the orb of umbra

A/N: My history teacher must hate me by now! Instead of doing my major project I've been writing this accursed story, and I've probably lost lots of marks…oh well, all you beautiful reviewers have given me justification! Who needs to know about the Cold War, anyways? Canada wasn't even in the Vietnam War…stupid curriculum…

Oh yeah. Remember, no matter how tasty chocolate covered coffee beans are, eating too many can cause severe hyperness and tummy aches…I don't think coffee beans were meant to be eaten raw…

Disclaimer: You know the drill, everything's JK's.

The Orb of Umbra

Chapter Four: Voices

Harry stood in the middle of a dark, damp dungeon-like dormitory, shivering despite the fact that the weather had never affected him until now; he was, after all, in a fantasy of sorts. He found himself shivering because of the dark feeling in the room, the way he felt whenever Voldemort was near. Acting on his sharp instincts, Harry slowly backed into a corner at the sound of approaching footsteps, momentarily forgetting that he was invisible. Two shadows crept into the room, closing the door carefully behind them. One, in a distinctly male voice, muttered "Lumos", and the room was filled with a soft light. Harry let out an audible gasp; Draco Malfoy was standing in the middle of the room, his wand alight, facing Harry's younger self (now looking a little older). They were whispering hurriedly. Harry stepped closer until he was right in front of the pair.

"So she didn't tell you anything at all?" Draco was asking with much persistence. The young Harry shook his head. Draco sighed. "What good is having a bookworm for a friend if she can't even tell you where the Chamber of Secrets is? Honestly, I don't see why you waste your time with that filthy mudblood." Young Harry shrugged. "She's alright, I guess. Been sort of hanging onto me since I tackled that troll last year…" Draco sniggered. "Yes, the Famous Harry Potter, friend to the mudbloods." "Shut up, Malfoy." Young Harry muttered. He sat on the edge of a large black four-poster bed, hung with heavy emerald green drapes. Draco continued to stand, watching him curiously.

"I don't get you, Potter. Sometimes you don't act like a Slytherin. You're still so loyal to your friends. Snape doesn't like you. I'm not too fond of you either, Potter, but still…you've got drive in you. I'll bet you could give the Dark Lord a run for his money. I wish I knew where the entrance to the Chamber was. I'll bet we could figure out what this, erm, voice you've been hearing means. I wish Father would have told me more than just – " Draco stopped, raising his head. The Harrys leaned closer. All three heard it: the sound of approaching voices. Draco turned back and looked at Harry, smirking. "All right, Potter. We'll take that Invisibility Cloak of yours and see if we can find anything tonight." Young Harry nodded.

Harry took a deep breath, taking in what he had just witnessed. He didn't like what he was seeing so far. Friends with Draco? Using Hermione to get information about the Chamber of Secrets? Harry barely had time to think further; his mind was tugging again. He stood straight and rigid, awaiting the movement forward in time. It came in a full-on rush, much stronger than the previous time. The dormitory blurred around him and Harry was hurled forward once more.

***

Something wasn't right. The shapes and colours had come into focus, but they still continued to move around Harry, threatening to whisk him away at any second. Harry could make out the shapes in the Great Hall. He could tell it was the end of the year feast; Slytherin's banners donned the Hall. But there was a deadly silence; none of the usual chatter. Not a sound in the whole Hall, save for Dumbledore's resonating, sombre voice.

"Let us all remember Miss Weasley. Let her death be a reminder to us all that we are struggling together now, struggling against Voldemort. Let us raise our glasses to Virginia Weasley, who…" Dumbledore's next words were lost as Harry shot forward again. Ginny? Dead? But…

Harry's head pounded. Everything whirled and spun around him. He could barely catch wisps of conversations, broken fragments that barely made any sense. Ron sobbing. "Ginny, no!" Cackling laughter Harry recognized all too well sounded in his ear. "Join me, boy…I can make you great. I can give you powers you cannot imagine…" Dumbledore. "Voldemort took Riddle's diary…" Voices Harry did not recognize, saying things like "…powers far greater than we know…", "…using it to regain his powers…" and, "…came for Harry Potter…"

Harry gasped. He clutched his head. All the voices were making it pound. He couldn't discern where each was coming from. Two phrases kept spinning over and over in his mind. …he came for Harry Potter…I can give you powers you cannot imagine…"NO!" Harry screamed. "Stop it! I won't join Voldemort!" But his cries were lost in the rushing wind, lost in time itself. Harry's scar began pounding as shrill laughter echoed in his ears, mocking his desperate cries.

***

Hahahahahaha!! I am so cruel to leave it like that! Well, if that didn't make any sense, what happened was, Ginny died because Harry wasn't there to save her from Riddle, and Voldemort stole Riddle's diary & now he's after Harry…but does he want to kill him? Don't hate me because Ginny died. I love her, too! But it's just part of the story. Poor Harry gets tormented a lot in this fic. Mad thank-you's go to Jessica, who helped me get over my writer's block and finish this story! Just for you Jess, I have a special fic in the works…can we say Sirius in leather? OK, big hint for all you guys who wanna see the next chapter soon: REVIEW! And one last thing – I've had a few complaints that my chapters are short. I know, but I said from the beginning that this was gonna be a short fic! It's a little odd for me to write short chapters, 'cause I usually make them 5+ pages each. Oh well, you'll just have to live with my short, crappy chapters!

Next chapter: Voldemort comes for Harry, another character dies because Harry wasn't there to stop something from happening, I make fun of Snape (sorry to all Snape lovers! I like him too, but I couldn't help it) and we see what happens to poor Sirius when he escapes Azkaban.