Chapter 5 - BACK
Harry's heart thudded heavily, as if someone had just hit him right in the chest. His heavy eyes were seeing black swirls in the misty air, not being able to focus in front of him. But when his eyes did clear, his scar burst with pain as her gray eyes glared maliciously into Harry's. He clutched his scar protectively trying to stop the never-ending pain.
In the pale light, Bellatrix flashed a wicked smile. She had small glints in her eyes showing signs of wanting to destroy. He could also see a line of wrinkles on the once-clear face, and her black hair was dirty and shriveled up.
The memories of Sirius's death triggered Harry's scar to hurt even more, that he stumbled up and thrust his hand in his pockets. Oh no, Harry thought. He didn't have his wand.
"Well, Well." Said Bellatrix dangerously. "You are at my turf, Potter. No friends, no stunts, and NO WAND!" She laughed madly, and the room echoed her laughs. Harry was shaking everywhere from head to toe, knowing it was all over. How did he get here? And Bellatrix was right; he was quite vulnerable.
Out of nowhere, a cold voice shrieked, "Crucio!"
Harry screamed in pain and agony. He yelped once more, the room, again, going extremely dizzy, and then the pain stopped. He was gasping for some air, and once again, Bellatrix was cackling.
His scar had calmed down and it was only twitching now. He was going to die, Harry knew it. Hoping for some exit, he looked left and right. Nothing.
"Now, let's get down to business. What does that prophecy say?" Bellatrix took a few steps around Harry, who was barely standing up. His arms and legs were throbbing, and felt like he had just been hurled high into the sky over and over again.
A sudden noise made Harry jump. He looked around to find a small brown rat scattering towards them. Before Harry got a chance to really examine it, Bellatrix bellowed in his left ear, "Answer me! Imperio!"
Bright light hit him again, and Harry got a sensational feeling of emptiness and free will, feeling like he was on top of white clouds.
Tell me about the prophecy, a fragile voice popped into his head.
NO, I WILL NOT...
Tell me now...
NO...
As Harry was trying very hardly to fight the curse, he did not realize what she was occurring. The rat that had entered the room was now twitching and running around uncomfortably. In a snap, it transformed slowly into a man. It was Wormtail, his fingers were trembling nervously, gaping at Harry.
"Uh...Bellatrix?" He asked, in the most formal manner he could.
Bellatrix, who had been fixed on Harry, turned towards Wormtail for a second, squinted her eyes curiously. The next second, her attention was on Harry once again.
"What are you doing here, Wormtail?" She spat out, her wand still pointing at Harry.
Wormtail hesitated, "Uh, the Dark Lord commands that you bring him," his eyes went to Harry, "to him."
In an instant, Bellatrix's face dropped into a slump, not getting the opportunity to torture Harry more.
Giving a nasty look at Wormtail, she lowered her wand and said, "Potter, tell me what the prophecy is or-"
"NEVER!" Harry yelped.
"-I'll have to take you to the Dark Lord!"
But before Harry got taken to the Dark Lord, his eyes shut involuntarily. He felt like a rubber band being stretched out at all sides.. Then, a vibrant portal of shimmering while light zoomed past him. It was like traveling by a Portkey, but much faster.
His head vibrated so fast that he felt like vomiting.
And, out of the blue, he was back. The brilliant sunshine was in Harry's eyes again. In front of him was the old chessboard he had playing with minutes ago, which seemed like an eternity away.
"Harry!" A worried voice entered him. To his left was Ron. His face was filled with empathy, and wondered why his friend had dozed off in the middle of the day.
This legs and arms didn't hurt as before, but his scar was searing with pain. He touched it with his left hand, hoping it would calm down.
Harry scratched his head, "Uh...I'm confused. What was going on? A minute ago, he had been in that morbid place, accompanied by Bellatrix Lestrange, and now...
The events came clearer now. Bellatrix had just been trying to torture him and find out what the prophecy was about. There was also something else, but Harry couldn't put his finger on it...
It hadn't felt like a dream, or a vision, and it definitely wasn't possession. Harry shuddered, evil coldness rising in him, remembering when he had been possessed earlier that year. He had felt pain beyond death, even though death hadn't been an experience Harry had faced...
"What did you see, Harry? Was it V-Voldemort? What was he doing? Was he threatening you?" A familiar voice asked him. It was Hermione, or was it? Her usual curly and fuzzy dark brown hair was now straight and flawless, barely touching her smooth shoulders. Little blond streaks were highlighted in the front, making her face look illuminating. She was wearing a silky, satin red tank top with a black miniskirt. Her face, however, looked concerned, staring at Harry intensely. A touch of pale red was on her lips and light brown eye shadow on her lively eyes.
Wait, Harry thought. I remember this. Then, expecting for Neville and Luna to also be there, he checked. Yes, they were there, both gazing at Harry.
"Harry?" Said Hermione, again. She glimpsed a quick look towards Ron, both obviously worried.
...When he'd gone upstairs, a purple light had struck him, he reminisced. Harry's eyes widened with shock. When he had been in that room, a shabby portrait of the house-elf Kreacher had been hanging freely on the wall. Did that mean that he had still been in the house-?
"Harry, are you all right?"
"What's wrong, Harry, dear?"
Both voices said at once. It was Lupin and Mrs.Weasley, who had just walked in the room. Ron was standing up, and, with no doubt, he had went and fetched the two.
"She's here! In this house@ I know she is! We have to go and find her! We-"
Lupin had cut him short, "Who's here? What happened? Did you have a vision?"
Mrs. Weasley looked around at the others, "Wait, Remus. Everyone, upstairs!" She commanded. Ron and Hermione's faces transformed from worry to fury and Ron screeched, "But what's the point, Mum!" Only Neville and Luna didn't seem to mind, when Luna said, "Sure, Mrs.Weasley. Come on, let's go." She beckoned Neville and both of them vanished.
"Molly, just let them stay." Said Lupin, an edgy side to his voice.
Harry's heart was beating as fast as a racecar. If he had had his wand, he would've blasted Bellatrix into a million pieces. His scar seemed to be settling down.
"Tell us what happened, Harry."
So he started to tell them from the point where Harry had opened his eyes slowly to find a dark room around him. But this had not been where his dream had started, he was sure of it. When Ron had nudged Harry to look up, that's when he had fallen out of his deep, peculiar, reverie, or rather, into it. But mentioning what Luna had said during this was just too perplexed to say out loud. Was it true? Had his mother really been Luna's mother? Had she been a Death eater? Was Luna his half-sister? Were these theories false, just a part of the dream?
"But how did you get upstairs? I thought you were down here playing chess with Ron?" Said Lupin, suspiciously.
Ron frowned, and Hermione looked hurt. "You never told us that you knew what was in that prophecy, Harry. We assumed it was destroyed."
"Sorry." Harry mumbled.
"It's all right, mate. But what was in that prophecy, anyway?"
Mrs.Weasley and Lupin exchanged nerving looks.
"You can tell them later," said Mrs.Weasley, "What happened after you told them about-it?"
Hesitantly, Harry came to the unexpected outburst of Luna Lovegood.
"What!!" Ron spat out.
"That's just impossible-" Hermione started to speak.
"Harry, your mother was never a Death-"
""How could she be Luna's mother! Absurd!"
His head lightened a bit, glad that this might not be true. If it were, wouldn't someone have told him about it?
Mrs.Weasley spoke again, "Outrageous! The Lovegoods are a prominent family, and Luna Lovegood is not adopted. I assure you, I can give you solid proof if you're worried, and her mother died when dear Luna was just eight years old and-"
"I'm afraid someone tricked you Harry." Said Lupin.
He glanced at Lupin.
"But why? How is telling me all of these lies about my mum going to do?"
"Well, hearing it would probably get you isolated, so you were alone where they could follow their plan. I have to inform Dumbledore at once." He stood up from the sofa.
"Molly, make sure he's not alone, even for a second, until I get back."
"Do you know...?" Harry started to ask, but stopped. He wasn't going to get answers now, telling from the not-now look spread all over Lupin's face.
"I will be back soon, Molly." In a flash, he vanished into thin air.
There were upstairs now, in a humongous room where Hermione, Ginny, and Luna were to stay. While Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been downstairs, Luna had obviously started to decorate her side of the room. There were tiny sparkling models of trees, leaves, and the snitch flying around her side of the room. There were three twin-sized beds on a far corner decorated with blue sheets and fluffy sky-blue pillows. It made the room look heavenly with the periwinkle walls and white ceiling.
The other side of the spacious room was filled up with a gigantic cardboard box about the size of a regular sized table. It was Hermione's surprise, and she wouldn't let Ron touch it until after dinner, she said. Ron looked so eager to rip apart the box that he kept on going near it every few minutes.
While he, Ron, Hermione, Luna, and Neville had been talking about Harry's so-called dream and Luna's bizarre decoration, he had been debating inside his head. Should he tell them about the prophecy?
A half-an-hour had passed, and Ginny, Fred, and George had come into the room. George-or Fred- was wearing an extremely fuzzy scarf spreading down to his knees. It was bright yellow, making him look like a sunflower.
Hermione and Ginny rolled their eyes to the max, imagining when they would stop with the silly things.
"Hello everyone." Said Fred, rummaging wildly through his robes.
George, who was the bearer of the scarf Disapparated, and Apparated right behind Luna. An evil smile spread across his face, smirking at Harry, and took out one of their little Ultimate Ear Shockers. No one had noticed yet except for himself and Fred. Harry already knew the outcome and anticipated Luna's reaction. He could us a laugh.
Hermione noticed just after the Shocker was nearing Luna's left ear. Irritated, she grunted, "GEORGE! What-"
Her warning was just too late, because Luna jumped in surprise, screamed at the top of her lungs, her wide eyes joining together to form one almost-solid line. Her hands clapped her ears, right as George had backed away mischievously. Harry didn't hear a sound of an elephant or any other sort, but no doubt, Luna had.
Ron was laughing, amused at the thought of Luna being tortured. Ginny was snickering. Neville was lightly chuckling, but he seemed nervous as to think he was going to be the next victim.
However, Hermione looked infuriated. She slapped George on the shoulder, and stopped cackling like a hyena.
"Hey!" An offended George said.
"Well, at least she can't 'ban' us, now can she?" Fred spoke, "Too bad we're not back in Hogwarts, eh?"
To Harry's surprise, Hermione smiled.
George had sat back on the bed where Neville was sitting.
The sweet smile had disappeared. "Don't even think it! I'll tell your Mum!"
"Aw, come Hermione, we were just trying to make Loony Lovegood fell welcome with our Ultimate Ear Shockers! Now, Neville might need the-"
"Why are you wearing that horrid scarf?" Luna interrupted, eyeing George interestingly.
George appeared so delighted that he grinned, showing his uneven teeth.
"Well, me n' George invented it, and I must say that it's brilliant."
"Don't you mean you sew it?" Asked Neville.
"No, my spiffy friend, it's a Lie Detector, and I must say it is spectacular!" Fred had stopped going through his robes and had summoned his own fuzzy Lie Detector.
Harry frowned, "A Lie Detector? But that has nothing to do with your joke shop, does it?"
Fred's Detector was a shocking orange one, and he now had it on. "No, actually, Harry, you were the one who gave me the idea.
We got it from Olcummency, or whatever, Snape was teaching you. It works really well. We tested it on Ginny and asked her if she still liked you, and the Detector went haywire!"
Everyone burst with laughter, but Ginny got red in the cheeks instantaneously. Harry didn't really care anymore, but he had to admit, it did make him a bit awkward. Harry didn't notice it, but Hermione had given Ginny a furious look.
"DINNER'S READY!! COME DOWN!" A voice yelled from downstairs, and they walked down one by one.
Harry's heart thudded heavily, as if someone had just hit him right in the chest. His heavy eyes were seeing black swirls in the misty air, not being able to focus in front of him. But when his eyes did clear, his scar burst with pain as her gray eyes glared maliciously into Harry's. He clutched his scar protectively trying to stop the never-ending pain.
In the pale light, Bellatrix flashed a wicked smile. She had small glints in her eyes showing signs of wanting to destroy. He could also see a line of wrinkles on the once-clear face, and her black hair was dirty and shriveled up.
The memories of Sirius's death triggered Harry's scar to hurt even more, that he stumbled up and thrust his hand in his pockets. Oh no, Harry thought. He didn't have his wand.
"Well, Well." Said Bellatrix dangerously. "You are at my turf, Potter. No friends, no stunts, and NO WAND!" She laughed madly, and the room echoed her laughs. Harry was shaking everywhere from head to toe, knowing it was all over. How did he get here? And Bellatrix was right; he was quite vulnerable.
Out of nowhere, a cold voice shrieked, "Crucio!"
Harry screamed in pain and agony. He yelped once more, the room, again, going extremely dizzy, and then the pain stopped. He was gasping for some air, and once again, Bellatrix was cackling.
His scar had calmed down and it was only twitching now. He was going to die, Harry knew it. Hoping for some exit, he looked left and right. Nothing.
"Now, let's get down to business. What does that prophecy say?" Bellatrix took a few steps around Harry, who was barely standing up. His arms and legs were throbbing, and felt like he had just been hurled high into the sky over and over again.
A sudden noise made Harry jump. He looked around to find a small brown rat scattering towards them. Before Harry got a chance to really examine it, Bellatrix bellowed in his left ear, "Answer me! Imperio!"
Bright light hit him again, and Harry got a sensational feeling of emptiness and free will, feeling like he was on top of white clouds.
Tell me about the prophecy, a fragile voice popped into his head.
NO, I WILL NOT...
Tell me now...
NO...
As Harry was trying very hardly to fight the curse, he did not realize what she was occurring. The rat that had entered the room was now twitching and running around uncomfortably. In a snap, it transformed slowly into a man. It was Wormtail, his fingers were trembling nervously, gaping at Harry.
"Uh...Bellatrix?" He asked, in the most formal manner he could.
Bellatrix, who had been fixed on Harry, turned towards Wormtail for a second, squinted her eyes curiously. The next second, her attention was on Harry once again.
"What are you doing here, Wormtail?" She spat out, her wand still pointing at Harry.
Wormtail hesitated, "Uh, the Dark Lord commands that you bring him," his eyes went to Harry, "to him."
In an instant, Bellatrix's face dropped into a slump, not getting the opportunity to torture Harry more.
Giving a nasty look at Wormtail, she lowered her wand and said, "Potter, tell me what the prophecy is or-"
"NEVER!" Harry yelped.
"-I'll have to take you to the Dark Lord!"
But before Harry got taken to the Dark Lord, his eyes shut involuntarily. He felt like a rubber band being stretched out at all sides.. Then, a vibrant portal of shimmering while light zoomed past him. It was like traveling by a Portkey, but much faster.
His head vibrated so fast that he felt like vomiting.
And, out of the blue, he was back. The brilliant sunshine was in Harry's eyes again. In front of him was the old chessboard he had playing with minutes ago, which seemed like an eternity away.
"Harry!" A worried voice entered him. To his left was Ron. His face was filled with empathy, and wondered why his friend had dozed off in the middle of the day.
This legs and arms didn't hurt as before, but his scar was searing with pain. He touched it with his left hand, hoping it would calm down.
Harry scratched his head, "Uh...I'm confused. What was going on? A minute ago, he had been in that morbid place, accompanied by Bellatrix Lestrange, and now...
The events came clearer now. Bellatrix had just been trying to torture him and find out what the prophecy was about. There was also something else, but Harry couldn't put his finger on it...
It hadn't felt like a dream, or a vision, and it definitely wasn't possession. Harry shuddered, evil coldness rising in him, remembering when he had been possessed earlier that year. He had felt pain beyond death, even though death hadn't been an experience Harry had faced...
"What did you see, Harry? Was it V-Voldemort? What was he doing? Was he threatening you?" A familiar voice asked him. It was Hermione, or was it? Her usual curly and fuzzy dark brown hair was now straight and flawless, barely touching her smooth shoulders. Little blond streaks were highlighted in the front, making her face look illuminating. She was wearing a silky, satin red tank top with a black miniskirt. Her face, however, looked concerned, staring at Harry intensely. A touch of pale red was on her lips and light brown eye shadow on her lively eyes.
Wait, Harry thought. I remember this. Then, expecting for Neville and Luna to also be there, he checked. Yes, they were there, both gazing at Harry.
"Harry?" Said Hermione, again. She glimpsed a quick look towards Ron, both obviously worried.
...When he'd gone upstairs, a purple light had struck him, he reminisced. Harry's eyes widened with shock. When he had been in that room, a shabby portrait of the house-elf Kreacher had been hanging freely on the wall. Did that mean that he had still been in the house-?
"Harry, are you all right?"
"What's wrong, Harry, dear?"
Both voices said at once. It was Lupin and Mrs.Weasley, who had just walked in the room. Ron was standing up, and, with no doubt, he had went and fetched the two.
"She's here! In this house@ I know she is! We have to go and find her! We-"
Lupin had cut him short, "Who's here? What happened? Did you have a vision?"
Mrs. Weasley looked around at the others, "Wait, Remus. Everyone, upstairs!" She commanded. Ron and Hermione's faces transformed from worry to fury and Ron screeched, "But what's the point, Mum!" Only Neville and Luna didn't seem to mind, when Luna said, "Sure, Mrs.Weasley. Come on, let's go." She beckoned Neville and both of them vanished.
"Molly, just let them stay." Said Lupin, an edgy side to his voice.
Harry's heart was beating as fast as a racecar. If he had had his wand, he would've blasted Bellatrix into a million pieces. His scar seemed to be settling down.
"Tell us what happened, Harry."
So he started to tell them from the point where Harry had opened his eyes slowly to find a dark room around him. But this had not been where his dream had started, he was sure of it. When Ron had nudged Harry to look up, that's when he had fallen out of his deep, peculiar, reverie, or rather, into it. But mentioning what Luna had said during this was just too perplexed to say out loud. Was it true? Had his mother really been Luna's mother? Had she been a Death eater? Was Luna his half-sister? Were these theories false, just a part of the dream?
"But how did you get upstairs? I thought you were down here playing chess with Ron?" Said Lupin, suspiciously.
Ron frowned, and Hermione looked hurt. "You never told us that you knew what was in that prophecy, Harry. We assumed it was destroyed."
"Sorry." Harry mumbled.
"It's all right, mate. But what was in that prophecy, anyway?"
Mrs.Weasley and Lupin exchanged nerving looks.
"You can tell them later," said Mrs.Weasley, "What happened after you told them about-it?"
Hesitantly, Harry came to the unexpected outburst of Luna Lovegood.
"What!!" Ron spat out.
"That's just impossible-" Hermione started to speak.
"Harry, your mother was never a Death-"
""How could she be Luna's mother! Absurd!"
His head lightened a bit, glad that this might not be true. If it were, wouldn't someone have told him about it?
Mrs.Weasley spoke again, "Outrageous! The Lovegoods are a prominent family, and Luna Lovegood is not adopted. I assure you, I can give you solid proof if you're worried, and her mother died when dear Luna was just eight years old and-"
"I'm afraid someone tricked you Harry." Said Lupin.
He glanced at Lupin.
"But why? How is telling me all of these lies about my mum going to do?"
"Well, hearing it would probably get you isolated, so you were alone where they could follow their plan. I have to inform Dumbledore at once." He stood up from the sofa.
"Molly, make sure he's not alone, even for a second, until I get back."
"Do you know...?" Harry started to ask, but stopped. He wasn't going to get answers now, telling from the not-now look spread all over Lupin's face.
"I will be back soon, Molly." In a flash, he vanished into thin air.
There were upstairs now, in a humongous room where Hermione, Ginny, and Luna were to stay. While Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been downstairs, Luna had obviously started to decorate her side of the room. There were tiny sparkling models of trees, leaves, and the snitch flying around her side of the room. There were three twin-sized beds on a far corner decorated with blue sheets and fluffy sky-blue pillows. It made the room look heavenly with the periwinkle walls and white ceiling.
The other side of the spacious room was filled up with a gigantic cardboard box about the size of a regular sized table. It was Hermione's surprise, and she wouldn't let Ron touch it until after dinner, she said. Ron looked so eager to rip apart the box that he kept on going near it every few minutes.
While he, Ron, Hermione, Luna, and Neville had been talking about Harry's so-called dream and Luna's bizarre decoration, he had been debating inside his head. Should he tell them about the prophecy?
A half-an-hour had passed, and Ginny, Fred, and George had come into the room. George-or Fred- was wearing an extremely fuzzy scarf spreading down to his knees. It was bright yellow, making him look like a sunflower.
Hermione and Ginny rolled their eyes to the max, imagining when they would stop with the silly things.
"Hello everyone." Said Fred, rummaging wildly through his robes.
George, who was the bearer of the scarf Disapparated, and Apparated right behind Luna. An evil smile spread across his face, smirking at Harry, and took out one of their little Ultimate Ear Shockers. No one had noticed yet except for himself and Fred. Harry already knew the outcome and anticipated Luna's reaction. He could us a laugh.
Hermione noticed just after the Shocker was nearing Luna's left ear. Irritated, she grunted, "GEORGE! What-"
Her warning was just too late, because Luna jumped in surprise, screamed at the top of her lungs, her wide eyes joining together to form one almost-solid line. Her hands clapped her ears, right as George had backed away mischievously. Harry didn't hear a sound of an elephant or any other sort, but no doubt, Luna had.
Ron was laughing, amused at the thought of Luna being tortured. Ginny was snickering. Neville was lightly chuckling, but he seemed nervous as to think he was going to be the next victim.
However, Hermione looked infuriated. She slapped George on the shoulder, and stopped cackling like a hyena.
"Hey!" An offended George said.
"Well, at least she can't 'ban' us, now can she?" Fred spoke, "Too bad we're not back in Hogwarts, eh?"
To Harry's surprise, Hermione smiled.
George had sat back on the bed where Neville was sitting.
The sweet smile had disappeared. "Don't even think it! I'll tell your Mum!"
"Aw, come Hermione, we were just trying to make Loony Lovegood fell welcome with our Ultimate Ear Shockers! Now, Neville might need the-"
"Why are you wearing that horrid scarf?" Luna interrupted, eyeing George interestingly.
George appeared so delighted that he grinned, showing his uneven teeth.
"Well, me n' George invented it, and I must say that it's brilliant."
"Don't you mean you sew it?" Asked Neville.
"No, my spiffy friend, it's a Lie Detector, and I must say it is spectacular!" Fred had stopped going through his robes and had summoned his own fuzzy Lie Detector.
Harry frowned, "A Lie Detector? But that has nothing to do with your joke shop, does it?"
Fred's Detector was a shocking orange one, and he now had it on. "No, actually, Harry, you were the one who gave me the idea.
We got it from Olcummency, or whatever, Snape was teaching you. It works really well. We tested it on Ginny and asked her if she still liked you, and the Detector went haywire!"
Everyone burst with laughter, but Ginny got red in the cheeks instantaneously. Harry didn't really care anymore, but he had to admit, it did make him a bit awkward. Harry didn't notice it, but Hermione had given Ginny a furious look.
"DINNER'S READY!! COME DOWN!" A voice yelled from downstairs, and they walked down one by one.