Authors note: So sorry about last time!!!!! Still Semi-dark! But I continued. Thanks for all the reviews!
THANKS TO COQUI MY BETA WHO WENT INSANE ON MY STORY BECAUSE I WAS SICK AND MOST OF IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE. PLEASE READ HER STUFF!
Harry Potter
And the
Bad Dreams
Chapter 5
The Dream Catcher
Ron sat upright, sweating. It had been a dream that had woken him, a dream full of pain, anger, and frustration. Ron scrunched up his forehead, deep in thought. The dream, it had been about, "Harry," Ron whispered.
He grabbed his wand and climbed out of bed. He stumbled in the darkness towards Harry's four-poster. With one hand he moved the curtain way, revealing an empty bed. "Lumos," he said quietly. Harry had left a note right on his pillow. Ron glanced at it, not worried; Harry did stuff like this all the time.
Ron did a double take when he saw that Harry had addressed the letter to Sirius. Was Harry mad? If anyone had seen the note, it could've blown Sirius's cover. Ron's hands trembled slightly as he continued to read the note. 'Only way to save you... I love you...' Ron's heart went cold, and he felt bile rise up in his throat. A huge sense of panic swept over him as he rushed out of the room in search of Professor Dumbledore.
~~~
Dumbledore silently regarded Sirius, who was sitting in front of him. Sirius looked very tired and stressed out, and what Dumbledore was about to tell him would not help his situation.
"So, you summon me here at about 3 in the morning. Am I permitted to ask why?" Sirius asked while yawning.
"Sirius, Severus and Minerva told me that Harry has stopped eating. Lupin has told me that while he was in his class, Harry repeatedly rubbed his scar. He hasn't been sleeping, I was in the Gryffindor common room when he walked in at 2 in the morning. Nightmares plague his heart and soul," Dumbledore said softly.
"How can I get through to him if he won't let me?" Sirius whispered, his throat constricting.
"Sirius, he seemed really distant. He said he wanted to kill himself."
"You don't think..." Sirius paled.
"I don't think so, I made him promise not to. I want you to go to the Gryffindor common room as a dog, and if he's still there, talk to him. If he's not there..." Dumbledore's words faded to nothing as he looked at something on his desk
"What? What is it?" Sirius asked.
Dumbledore held up the familiar piece of parchment that was the Marauders Map. He spoke to Sirius in a confused tone, "Sirius, he's down in the dungeons."
"He's WHAT?"
"Wait, Snape is there too."
"What the heck is going on down there?" Sirius asked.
"Harry's dot... it's fading..." Dumbledore said suddenly.
"Shit!" Sirius screamed out, bolting for the door as Dumbledore chased after him.
~~~
Ron ran through the hallways searching for the familiar gargoyle Harry had pointed out before. Harry had mentioned that you needed a password to get through. "Canary Crème, Phoenix Feather, Air Akhmarova... come on! Draco Dormiens, Nomar Garciaparra? Golden Snitch! Please! Let me through!" Tears of frustration began to fall from Ron's eyes. He angrily punched the gargoyle and yelped in pain.
Suddenly, Sirius came hurtling out of the door, followed by Dumbledore. "Mr. Weasley! What is the..." Dumbledore's voice filtered off when Ron stuffed Harry's note into Sirius's hands.
Sirius's hands began to shake as he read the note. "Oh no, it can't be, NO!" Sirius screamed as Dumbledore snatched the note from his hands. Sirius ran off towards the dungeons.
Dumbledore quickly read the note, "Mr. Weasley, take this map and find Professor Lupin. Have him meet us in the hospital wing."
Ron nodded, too scared to say anything as they both ran off in opposite directions.
~~~
When Harry went limp in Snape's arms, Snape's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. He frantically searched for a pulse, and let out a cry of relief when he felt a weak and erratic flutter beneath his fingertips.
Snape took out his wand and recited, "Ennervate." To his great dismay, nothing happened. Silently he stood up and looked at the book Harry had been using to make the potion. It was opened up to the sleeping potion chapter. Snape bent over and sniffed the cauldron in which Potter had mixed the Couchesoliel Potion. His greasy hair fell over his face. He brushed it away impatiently.
"Not enough unicorn hair," observed Snape. "Otherwise, you did quiet a thorough job, Potter. You would have been dead if you had done it slightly more efficiently. As it is, you were about a milligram or so off." Snape took another whiff of the cauldron, then looked up as the door was opened, not a hesitant creak, but a
full-fledged thrust. The door hit the wall and rattled on its hinges, as the
flickering torchlight from inside the dimly-lit dungeons framed for a
Split-second an exceptionally angry Sirius Black. He growled then flung
himself at Snape.
Too surprised to fight back, Snape was knocked to the floor and pinned
there by Black, who began to punch every part of him he could reach. Snape
was startled to see tears coursing down the man's face, which was distorted
with lines of anger and frustration.
"YOU BASTARD!" Sirius shouted. "How could you? How could you stand by and let him do this!"
"Sirius..." Snape began, Sirius cut him off, and stopped punching him for the moment.
"You don't know the half of it Severus. I spent all those years in Azkaban trying desperately not to go insane. Hoping, wishing, dreaming, and living to see him. He was my world, my all, my everything. He is the last and only link to the purest and best people I have ever known. James and Lily trusted me with something too beautiful for me to handle. My world is gone... he's gone..." At that moment, Dumbledore came in. He grabbed Sirius by the back of his robes and pulled him off of Snape.
As Sirius struggled in the air, two feet above the ground, Snape stood up and wiped his heavily bleeding nose on the sleeve of his robe, attempting to appear dignified.
"Damn it, Black, you haven't lost him yet. Although if your attack had succeeded, I could be dead and all hope for your precious Potter would be lost, as I am the only person in this vicinity qualified to make an antidote," Snape spat.
"You should have tried to stop him!" argued Sirius, glaring at Snape with utmost revulsion.
"I came in here to find him drinking that potion, and make no mistake, I
TRIED to stop him, but NO, Potter knows EXACTLY what he's doing. He says to forgive what he's done, and he collapses as I try to get him to tell me what he's taken. Blame your godson, Black, blame yourself for not taking the appropriate steps to thwart his intents when you noticed the signs. Don't take out your self pity on me."
Sirius dropped to his knees beside Harry and put his forehead to Harry's forehead, willing him to open his eyes. "Albus, his scar is burning hot," Sirius said, glancing up at Dumbledore.
"Peculiar," Dumbledore whispered, while tracing the scar with his finger.
Sirius gently picked Harry up. "Sirius, we could just levitate him to the hospital wing," Snape said softly.
"I know we could," Sirius called out, walking swiftly out of the potion's classroom and towards the hospital wing. Dumbledore and Snape followed silently behind him.
~~~
Harry walked wordlessly through a gray mist towards a bright light in his path. "Harry..." A familiar woman's voice called out.
"Mum! Mum? Where are you?" Harry frantically yelled.
"Harry," Lily continued to say. Harry saw a dark silhouette of two people before a white light.
He began to run to his parents. "Come on, Harry, you're almost there!" Harry's father encouraged.
"Mum? Dad?" Harry said again, reaching out to them, happiness pulsing through him. His parents reached out their hands and Harry was just about to grasp them when someone pulled him away. "NO!" Harry screamed out in frustration. The light was suddenly extinguished, and Lily and James vanished.
Harry heard maniacal laughter from behind him. He turned around in fury, only to meet Voldemort face to face. "Surprised to see me, Potter?" Voldemort hissed.
Harry looked confused, "How can you be here if I'm dead?"
"You're not dead, not yet. You are in a dream. I have come to settle my score. After all, who will help you in your dreams?"
"Sirius! And... and... Lupin, Dumbledore will find a way..." Harry said slowly, trying to keep his voice as steady as possible.
"You are dead to them and have caused their own downfall. While everyone mourns the boy who lived, I will be able to advance and rise up to power." Harry shook his head in wonder.
"By taking your own life, you have taken the lives of everyone you love, you have killed them. So, you see, you were wrong, Potter. Your mother died for you, and you, you died for no one," Voldemort sneered.
Cold reality overtook Harry. He had made a horrible mistake! He needed to get back to Hogwarts! He had to warn the others... Harry's thoughts were cut short when Voldemort reached inside his robes and pulled out his wand.
"Crucio," Voldemort muttered as Harry heard the familiar stirring of the magic in the air around him. Harry fell to his knees as the full force of the curse hit him.
~~~
Dumbledore led the way, keeping a pace that was not too fast, for the benefit of Sirius. 'He's not taking this too well,' thought Dumbledore. 'I do hope he doesn't do anything rash.'
'He has to live, he can't die, he can't, I couldn't take it if he left me,' Sirius thought.
'He has to live, he has to, he's our only hope!' thought Snape. 'I have to be able to save him.'
Finally they reached the hospital wing. It was dark and silent, except for a light that showed under the door of Madam Pomfrey's office. Evidently, Remus had not yet arrived.
"Poppy!" called Dumbledore.
The group heard a high pitched peal of laughter, and several heavy objects falling in her office. She finally emerged, her robes askew, and her hair tousled.
"What can I help you with, headmaster?" Madam Pomfrey asked, trying to smooth out her robes.
Dumbledore stepped back to reveal Sirius holding Harry. Madam Pomfrey blanched. "What happened? Quickly, get him into bed!"
"I'll go owl Benjamin," Dumbledore announced, turning to leave.
"No, don't bother Albus, I'm right here," Benjamin said, emerging from Madam Pomfrey's office, his hair a little tousled as well.
"This is no time for fraternizing," Snape said in a silky voice, not looking up from his potions book.
Dr. Bentley glared at Snape, and looked over at Dumbledore, "So, what do you need me for?"
"It's Harry, Ben," Dumbledore said, making his way towards the bed.
"What? Is it a relapse of wizard's fever?"
"No."
"Well, what happened then? Was it You-Know-Who?"
"Harry made an attempt at his own life," Dumbledore painfully admitted.
"Oh Great Knights of the Round Table!" exclaimed Benjamin as he examined Harry. "How did this happen?"
"He tried to make a fatal concoction of Couchesoleil by replacing unicorn horn with unicorn hair," Dumbledore explained quickly.
"What Potter didn't know is that in order for Couchesoleil to be fatal, it needs double the amount of hair then horn," Snape explained.
"What do we do next?" Benjamin asked.
"Well, I need to know exactly how much unicorn hair he took before I attempt an antidote. The fastest way I can see this is by a blood sample." At these words, Madam Pomfrey disappeared to retrieve the needed materials to draw blood.
"Sirius? Are you okay?" The doctor asked, finally registering that Sirius was standing next to him. Sirius was very pale and his eyes conveyed his tortured soul. Suddenly, his eyes glowed with anger.
"You! This is all your fault!" Sirius exclaimed, taking a threatening step towards Dumbledore.
"SIRIUS!" Lupin shouted, grabbing a hold of Sirius as he entered the hospital wing.
"Don't stop me..." growled Sirius.
"Padfoot, don't. You'll regret it." Lupin said, gently, but firmly leading Sirius away from Dumbledore.
"He ignored the warning signs! Harry admitted that he... oh Moony..." Sirius's voice wavered slightly. Lupin pulled him into a tight brotherly hug.
"Sirius, we all ignored the warning signs. Harry hid them so well, and it happened so fast," Lupin whispered.
"But... But he isn't dead yet!" Ron cried out from Harry's bedside. He had entered unnoticed with Lupin. "Are you all nutters? What has happened, has happened. Discuss your regrets later. The past is the past, deal with the present before it becomes the unimaginable future."
"Tonight is the night you alone, Mr. Weasley. You are not overshadowed by your older brothers," Dumbledore quietly announced as everyone stood staring at Ron.
Madam Pomfrey returned with the materials needed to take a blood sample. Dr. Bentley took a needle and placed it on Harry's forearm before pushing it in. Sirius grimaced slightly as the doctor began to draw blood. All of a sudden, Harry began to writhe and shudder on the bed.
"What are you doing to him?" Sirius screamed.
"It isn't me, it's something else. It's almost as if he's having a seizure, but this is no seizure!" said Benjamin quickly, withdrawing the needle once he had the blood sample.
"Hmm... look at his scar," Lupin said quietly. The scar on Harry's forehead was bright red and blistered. Professor Lupin traced a finger on the scar, a warm buzzing filled his ears, "Crucio, Crucio, Crucio..." it taunted him. Lupin hissed in pain and withdrew his finger, noticing a blister forming on his finger from where he had touched the scar. "He's under the Cruciatus curse..."
"How can this be?" Demanded Dr. Bentley.
"Voldemort must be in his dreams," Lupin answered.
"But- but- that's impossible!" Ron shouted out.
"A type of dark magic called Reves can be used to inhabit peoples dreams."
"He'll surely lose the battle without anyone to help him! He'll die in his sleep," said Dr. Bentley.
"There must be some way," Lupin trailed off, deep in thought, "Wait! I've got it... a dream catcher will counteract the dark magic Reves. Sirius and I will be transported into Harry's dream and battle Voldemort."
Dumbledore spoke up, "Are you sure? I mean, a dream catcher is highly dangerous."
"I'm willing," Sirius announced.
"As am I," Lupin said, standing beside Sirius.
"Very well, Poppy, go with Mr. Weasley here and collect a single strand of hair from everyone Harry cares about. You have permission to wake anyone you need to. Severus, in the mean time, start making the antidote to the Couchesoleil. Sirius and Remus, all I ask is that you prepare yourselves," Dumbledore ordered. Everyone filed out of the room except for Sirius and Lupin, who both sat on opposite sides of Harry. Benjamin pulled Dumbledore into Madam Pomfrey's office.
"HOW THE HELL COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED?" Ben yelled containing his anger no longer.
"I don't know..." Dumbledore said calmly.
"What do you mean you don't know? There had to have been warning signs... You are not a stupid man, Albus!"
"I regret the tone you take with me, Bentley."
"Even I can tell he hasn't been eating, surely you must have noticed that!" Ben exclaimed as he recklessly rambled on.
"Yes, I noticed, and I went to Gryffindor common room to talk to him!"
"Well, what did he say?"
"He told me he wanted to die, to be with James and Lily," Dumbledore admitted.
"DIDN'T THAT WORRY YOU IN THE SLIGHTEST?"
"Yes, it worried me, Ben. I made him promise that he wouldn't do it. A wizard's promise is strictly kept, as you know."
"Yes, but did he meet your eyes?" Benjamin asked.
"I don't... at least I don't think..." Dumbledore broke off.
"By not meeting your eyes, it was a false promise! False promises are never meant to be kept! You should know this, Albus, Harry truly is his father's son!"
"That is ENOUGH Ben. Do not make me lose my temper, I have little patience for your words! We do not have time for argument. You're either with me or not, though I must say if you're not, there's no hope."
Ben folded his arms across his chest and glared at Dumbledore, "Of course I'm with you."
~~~
Harry tried not to scream as waves of pain crashed over him. The Cruciatus curse was like never ending white-hot pain. It seemed like an eternity before Voldemort released Harry from the clutches of the curse.
Harry fell weakly to the ground as he glanced up at Voldemort. "Probably wondering why you're here and not with your parents I suppose," Voldemort said almost lazily. He smiled an evil smile, "Don't you know that wrong decisions bring you to the wrong places?"
Harry quietly and unnoticeably felt beneath him. 'He WON'T win, I will fight!' Harry thought desperately as he clutched his wand.
~~~
"Sirius? Remus? Are you ready?" Dumbledore asked as they gathered by Harry's bedside. Sirius and Lupin both gave a cautious nod. Dr. Bentley stood next to Dumbledore and held two sleeping potions in his hand. Sirius and Lupin sat on opposite sides of Harry's bed.
"Three points make a triangle. A triangle is the strongest polygon. Remus, Sirius, and Harry make the three points of a triangle. Sirius, grab Remus' hand with your left hand and Harry's with your right. Remus hold Harry's hand with your left," Dumbledore watched as their linked hands formed a circle.
"A triangle may be strongest, but a circle never ends. You are both triangle and circle now. "The rope I will use to bind the three of you together has been woven from strands of hair from everyone Harry cares about. As a final end to this rope I will use a strand of hair from both of you," Dumbledore cut a strand of hair from Sirius and Lupin and tied it into the rope. He then wove the rope around their arms in the pattern of a dream catcher. When done, he took out three phoenix feathers.
"These feathers represent your dream, your life, your journey. Are you ready for the challenge set before you?" Dumbledore asked, placing the feathers in the middle of the dream catcher.
"Yes," Sirius and Lupin said together. Dr. Bentley approached Lupin and held the sleeping potion to Lupin's lips so he could drink it. He then did the same for Sirius.
"For the love of James and Lily, for the love of Harry," Lupin murmured, before falling asleep.
"I will avenge James' death!" Sirius muttered, before falling asleep as well.
All was quiet as he watched them. They all looked so...innocent. Dumbledore smiled sadly. "Good luck, my friends..."
~~~
AN: please r/r! I live for them!
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and anything related to him belongs to JK Rowling
THANKS TO COQUI MY BETA WHO WENT INSANE ON MY STORY BECAUSE I WAS SICK AND MOST OF IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE. PLEASE READ HER STUFF!
Harry Potter
And the
Bad Dreams
Chapter 5
The Dream Catcher
Ron sat upright, sweating. It had been a dream that had woken him, a dream full of pain, anger, and frustration. Ron scrunched up his forehead, deep in thought. The dream, it had been about, "Harry," Ron whispered.
He grabbed his wand and climbed out of bed. He stumbled in the darkness towards Harry's four-poster. With one hand he moved the curtain way, revealing an empty bed. "Lumos," he said quietly. Harry had left a note right on his pillow. Ron glanced at it, not worried; Harry did stuff like this all the time.
Ron did a double take when he saw that Harry had addressed the letter to Sirius. Was Harry mad? If anyone had seen the note, it could've blown Sirius's cover. Ron's hands trembled slightly as he continued to read the note. 'Only way to save you... I love you...' Ron's heart went cold, and he felt bile rise up in his throat. A huge sense of panic swept over him as he rushed out of the room in search of Professor Dumbledore.
~~~
Dumbledore silently regarded Sirius, who was sitting in front of him. Sirius looked very tired and stressed out, and what Dumbledore was about to tell him would not help his situation.
"So, you summon me here at about 3 in the morning. Am I permitted to ask why?" Sirius asked while yawning.
"Sirius, Severus and Minerva told me that Harry has stopped eating. Lupin has told me that while he was in his class, Harry repeatedly rubbed his scar. He hasn't been sleeping, I was in the Gryffindor common room when he walked in at 2 in the morning. Nightmares plague his heart and soul," Dumbledore said softly.
"How can I get through to him if he won't let me?" Sirius whispered, his throat constricting.
"Sirius, he seemed really distant. He said he wanted to kill himself."
"You don't think..." Sirius paled.
"I don't think so, I made him promise not to. I want you to go to the Gryffindor common room as a dog, and if he's still there, talk to him. If he's not there..." Dumbledore's words faded to nothing as he looked at something on his desk
"What? What is it?" Sirius asked.
Dumbledore held up the familiar piece of parchment that was the Marauders Map. He spoke to Sirius in a confused tone, "Sirius, he's down in the dungeons."
"He's WHAT?"
"Wait, Snape is there too."
"What the heck is going on down there?" Sirius asked.
"Harry's dot... it's fading..." Dumbledore said suddenly.
"Shit!" Sirius screamed out, bolting for the door as Dumbledore chased after him.
~~~
Ron ran through the hallways searching for the familiar gargoyle Harry had pointed out before. Harry had mentioned that you needed a password to get through. "Canary Crème, Phoenix Feather, Air Akhmarova... come on! Draco Dormiens, Nomar Garciaparra? Golden Snitch! Please! Let me through!" Tears of frustration began to fall from Ron's eyes. He angrily punched the gargoyle and yelped in pain.
Suddenly, Sirius came hurtling out of the door, followed by Dumbledore. "Mr. Weasley! What is the..." Dumbledore's voice filtered off when Ron stuffed Harry's note into Sirius's hands.
Sirius's hands began to shake as he read the note. "Oh no, it can't be, NO!" Sirius screamed as Dumbledore snatched the note from his hands. Sirius ran off towards the dungeons.
Dumbledore quickly read the note, "Mr. Weasley, take this map and find Professor Lupin. Have him meet us in the hospital wing."
Ron nodded, too scared to say anything as they both ran off in opposite directions.
~~~
When Harry went limp in Snape's arms, Snape's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. He frantically searched for a pulse, and let out a cry of relief when he felt a weak and erratic flutter beneath his fingertips.
Snape took out his wand and recited, "Ennervate." To his great dismay, nothing happened. Silently he stood up and looked at the book Harry had been using to make the potion. It was opened up to the sleeping potion chapter. Snape bent over and sniffed the cauldron in which Potter had mixed the Couchesoliel Potion. His greasy hair fell over his face. He brushed it away impatiently.
"Not enough unicorn hair," observed Snape. "Otherwise, you did quiet a thorough job, Potter. You would have been dead if you had done it slightly more efficiently. As it is, you were about a milligram or so off." Snape took another whiff of the cauldron, then looked up as the door was opened, not a hesitant creak, but a
full-fledged thrust. The door hit the wall and rattled on its hinges, as the
flickering torchlight from inside the dimly-lit dungeons framed for a
Split-second an exceptionally angry Sirius Black. He growled then flung
himself at Snape.
Too surprised to fight back, Snape was knocked to the floor and pinned
there by Black, who began to punch every part of him he could reach. Snape
was startled to see tears coursing down the man's face, which was distorted
with lines of anger and frustration.
"YOU BASTARD!" Sirius shouted. "How could you? How could you stand by and let him do this!"
"Sirius..." Snape began, Sirius cut him off, and stopped punching him for the moment.
"You don't know the half of it Severus. I spent all those years in Azkaban trying desperately not to go insane. Hoping, wishing, dreaming, and living to see him. He was my world, my all, my everything. He is the last and only link to the purest and best people I have ever known. James and Lily trusted me with something too beautiful for me to handle. My world is gone... he's gone..." At that moment, Dumbledore came in. He grabbed Sirius by the back of his robes and pulled him off of Snape.
As Sirius struggled in the air, two feet above the ground, Snape stood up and wiped his heavily bleeding nose on the sleeve of his robe, attempting to appear dignified.
"Damn it, Black, you haven't lost him yet. Although if your attack had succeeded, I could be dead and all hope for your precious Potter would be lost, as I am the only person in this vicinity qualified to make an antidote," Snape spat.
"You should have tried to stop him!" argued Sirius, glaring at Snape with utmost revulsion.
"I came in here to find him drinking that potion, and make no mistake, I
TRIED to stop him, but NO, Potter knows EXACTLY what he's doing. He says to forgive what he's done, and he collapses as I try to get him to tell me what he's taken. Blame your godson, Black, blame yourself for not taking the appropriate steps to thwart his intents when you noticed the signs. Don't take out your self pity on me."
Sirius dropped to his knees beside Harry and put his forehead to Harry's forehead, willing him to open his eyes. "Albus, his scar is burning hot," Sirius said, glancing up at Dumbledore.
"Peculiar," Dumbledore whispered, while tracing the scar with his finger.
Sirius gently picked Harry up. "Sirius, we could just levitate him to the hospital wing," Snape said softly.
"I know we could," Sirius called out, walking swiftly out of the potion's classroom and towards the hospital wing. Dumbledore and Snape followed silently behind him.
~~~
Harry walked wordlessly through a gray mist towards a bright light in his path. "Harry..." A familiar woman's voice called out.
"Mum! Mum? Where are you?" Harry frantically yelled.
"Harry," Lily continued to say. Harry saw a dark silhouette of two people before a white light.
He began to run to his parents. "Come on, Harry, you're almost there!" Harry's father encouraged.
"Mum? Dad?" Harry said again, reaching out to them, happiness pulsing through him. His parents reached out their hands and Harry was just about to grasp them when someone pulled him away. "NO!" Harry screamed out in frustration. The light was suddenly extinguished, and Lily and James vanished.
Harry heard maniacal laughter from behind him. He turned around in fury, only to meet Voldemort face to face. "Surprised to see me, Potter?" Voldemort hissed.
Harry looked confused, "How can you be here if I'm dead?"
"You're not dead, not yet. You are in a dream. I have come to settle my score. After all, who will help you in your dreams?"
"Sirius! And... and... Lupin, Dumbledore will find a way..." Harry said slowly, trying to keep his voice as steady as possible.
"You are dead to them and have caused their own downfall. While everyone mourns the boy who lived, I will be able to advance and rise up to power." Harry shook his head in wonder.
"By taking your own life, you have taken the lives of everyone you love, you have killed them. So, you see, you were wrong, Potter. Your mother died for you, and you, you died for no one," Voldemort sneered.
Cold reality overtook Harry. He had made a horrible mistake! He needed to get back to Hogwarts! He had to warn the others... Harry's thoughts were cut short when Voldemort reached inside his robes and pulled out his wand.
"Crucio," Voldemort muttered as Harry heard the familiar stirring of the magic in the air around him. Harry fell to his knees as the full force of the curse hit him.
~~~
Dumbledore led the way, keeping a pace that was not too fast, for the benefit of Sirius. 'He's not taking this too well,' thought Dumbledore. 'I do hope he doesn't do anything rash.'
'He has to live, he can't die, he can't, I couldn't take it if he left me,' Sirius thought.
'He has to live, he has to, he's our only hope!' thought Snape. 'I have to be able to save him.'
Finally they reached the hospital wing. It was dark and silent, except for a light that showed under the door of Madam Pomfrey's office. Evidently, Remus had not yet arrived.
"Poppy!" called Dumbledore.
The group heard a high pitched peal of laughter, and several heavy objects falling in her office. She finally emerged, her robes askew, and her hair tousled.
"What can I help you with, headmaster?" Madam Pomfrey asked, trying to smooth out her robes.
Dumbledore stepped back to reveal Sirius holding Harry. Madam Pomfrey blanched. "What happened? Quickly, get him into bed!"
"I'll go owl Benjamin," Dumbledore announced, turning to leave.
"No, don't bother Albus, I'm right here," Benjamin said, emerging from Madam Pomfrey's office, his hair a little tousled as well.
"This is no time for fraternizing," Snape said in a silky voice, not looking up from his potions book.
Dr. Bentley glared at Snape, and looked over at Dumbledore, "So, what do you need me for?"
"It's Harry, Ben," Dumbledore said, making his way towards the bed.
"What? Is it a relapse of wizard's fever?"
"No."
"Well, what happened then? Was it You-Know-Who?"
"Harry made an attempt at his own life," Dumbledore painfully admitted.
"Oh Great Knights of the Round Table!" exclaimed Benjamin as he examined Harry. "How did this happen?"
"He tried to make a fatal concoction of Couchesoleil by replacing unicorn horn with unicorn hair," Dumbledore explained quickly.
"What Potter didn't know is that in order for Couchesoleil to be fatal, it needs double the amount of hair then horn," Snape explained.
"What do we do next?" Benjamin asked.
"Well, I need to know exactly how much unicorn hair he took before I attempt an antidote. The fastest way I can see this is by a blood sample." At these words, Madam Pomfrey disappeared to retrieve the needed materials to draw blood.
"Sirius? Are you okay?" The doctor asked, finally registering that Sirius was standing next to him. Sirius was very pale and his eyes conveyed his tortured soul. Suddenly, his eyes glowed with anger.
"You! This is all your fault!" Sirius exclaimed, taking a threatening step towards Dumbledore.
"SIRIUS!" Lupin shouted, grabbing a hold of Sirius as he entered the hospital wing.
"Don't stop me..." growled Sirius.
"Padfoot, don't. You'll regret it." Lupin said, gently, but firmly leading Sirius away from Dumbledore.
"He ignored the warning signs! Harry admitted that he... oh Moony..." Sirius's voice wavered slightly. Lupin pulled him into a tight brotherly hug.
"Sirius, we all ignored the warning signs. Harry hid them so well, and it happened so fast," Lupin whispered.
"But... But he isn't dead yet!" Ron cried out from Harry's bedside. He had entered unnoticed with Lupin. "Are you all nutters? What has happened, has happened. Discuss your regrets later. The past is the past, deal with the present before it becomes the unimaginable future."
"Tonight is the night you alone, Mr. Weasley. You are not overshadowed by your older brothers," Dumbledore quietly announced as everyone stood staring at Ron.
Madam Pomfrey returned with the materials needed to take a blood sample. Dr. Bentley took a needle and placed it on Harry's forearm before pushing it in. Sirius grimaced slightly as the doctor began to draw blood. All of a sudden, Harry began to writhe and shudder on the bed.
"What are you doing to him?" Sirius screamed.
"It isn't me, it's something else. It's almost as if he's having a seizure, but this is no seizure!" said Benjamin quickly, withdrawing the needle once he had the blood sample.
"Hmm... look at his scar," Lupin said quietly. The scar on Harry's forehead was bright red and blistered. Professor Lupin traced a finger on the scar, a warm buzzing filled his ears, "Crucio, Crucio, Crucio..." it taunted him. Lupin hissed in pain and withdrew his finger, noticing a blister forming on his finger from where he had touched the scar. "He's under the Cruciatus curse..."
"How can this be?" Demanded Dr. Bentley.
"Voldemort must be in his dreams," Lupin answered.
"But- but- that's impossible!" Ron shouted out.
"A type of dark magic called Reves can be used to inhabit peoples dreams."
"He'll surely lose the battle without anyone to help him! He'll die in his sleep," said Dr. Bentley.
"There must be some way," Lupin trailed off, deep in thought, "Wait! I've got it... a dream catcher will counteract the dark magic Reves. Sirius and I will be transported into Harry's dream and battle Voldemort."
Dumbledore spoke up, "Are you sure? I mean, a dream catcher is highly dangerous."
"I'm willing," Sirius announced.
"As am I," Lupin said, standing beside Sirius.
"Very well, Poppy, go with Mr. Weasley here and collect a single strand of hair from everyone Harry cares about. You have permission to wake anyone you need to. Severus, in the mean time, start making the antidote to the Couchesoleil. Sirius and Remus, all I ask is that you prepare yourselves," Dumbledore ordered. Everyone filed out of the room except for Sirius and Lupin, who both sat on opposite sides of Harry. Benjamin pulled Dumbledore into Madam Pomfrey's office.
"HOW THE HELL COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED?" Ben yelled containing his anger no longer.
"I don't know..." Dumbledore said calmly.
"What do you mean you don't know? There had to have been warning signs... You are not a stupid man, Albus!"
"I regret the tone you take with me, Bentley."
"Even I can tell he hasn't been eating, surely you must have noticed that!" Ben exclaimed as he recklessly rambled on.
"Yes, I noticed, and I went to Gryffindor common room to talk to him!"
"Well, what did he say?"
"He told me he wanted to die, to be with James and Lily," Dumbledore admitted.
"DIDN'T THAT WORRY YOU IN THE SLIGHTEST?"
"Yes, it worried me, Ben. I made him promise that he wouldn't do it. A wizard's promise is strictly kept, as you know."
"Yes, but did he meet your eyes?" Benjamin asked.
"I don't... at least I don't think..." Dumbledore broke off.
"By not meeting your eyes, it was a false promise! False promises are never meant to be kept! You should know this, Albus, Harry truly is his father's son!"
"That is ENOUGH Ben. Do not make me lose my temper, I have little patience for your words! We do not have time for argument. You're either with me or not, though I must say if you're not, there's no hope."
Ben folded his arms across his chest and glared at Dumbledore, "Of course I'm with you."
~~~
Harry tried not to scream as waves of pain crashed over him. The Cruciatus curse was like never ending white-hot pain. It seemed like an eternity before Voldemort released Harry from the clutches of the curse.
Harry fell weakly to the ground as he glanced up at Voldemort. "Probably wondering why you're here and not with your parents I suppose," Voldemort said almost lazily. He smiled an evil smile, "Don't you know that wrong decisions bring you to the wrong places?"
Harry quietly and unnoticeably felt beneath him. 'He WON'T win, I will fight!' Harry thought desperately as he clutched his wand.
~~~
"Sirius? Remus? Are you ready?" Dumbledore asked as they gathered by Harry's bedside. Sirius and Lupin both gave a cautious nod. Dr. Bentley stood next to Dumbledore and held two sleeping potions in his hand. Sirius and Lupin sat on opposite sides of Harry's bed.
"Three points make a triangle. A triangle is the strongest polygon. Remus, Sirius, and Harry make the three points of a triangle. Sirius, grab Remus' hand with your left hand and Harry's with your right. Remus hold Harry's hand with your left," Dumbledore watched as their linked hands formed a circle.
"A triangle may be strongest, but a circle never ends. You are both triangle and circle now. "The rope I will use to bind the three of you together has been woven from strands of hair from everyone Harry cares about. As a final end to this rope I will use a strand of hair from both of you," Dumbledore cut a strand of hair from Sirius and Lupin and tied it into the rope. He then wove the rope around their arms in the pattern of a dream catcher. When done, he took out three phoenix feathers.
"These feathers represent your dream, your life, your journey. Are you ready for the challenge set before you?" Dumbledore asked, placing the feathers in the middle of the dream catcher.
"Yes," Sirius and Lupin said together. Dr. Bentley approached Lupin and held the sleeping potion to Lupin's lips so he could drink it. He then did the same for Sirius.
"For the love of James and Lily, for the love of Harry," Lupin murmured, before falling asleep.
"I will avenge James' death!" Sirius muttered, before falling asleep as well.
All was quiet as he watched them. They all looked so...innocent. Dumbledore smiled sadly. "Good luck, my friends..."
~~~
AN: please r/r! I live for them!
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and anything related to him belongs to JK Rowling