He awoke in a sweat, this time it was not his scar that caused the
pain. Harry could feel his heart swelling to unnatural sizes and
palpitating at speeds that mortified him to his core. He forced his eyes to
open. The emerald balls searched the room swiftly, as though seeking out
the answer to the cause of the rapidity of his heart rate. Then it came
flooding back to him.
He was standing on a barren cliff. The wind was whirling around him, blowing the tall grass like wheat in a field. His glasses had fallen from his eyes and he was searching for them, his arms outstretched, skimming the ground lightly. Then he felt it, a hand was on his, but a hand like no other he had felt before. It was warm and soft, and it instantly caused a torrent of warmth, similar to the effects butterbeer had on a bitter winter day, to course through him. He looked up and he felt his eyes clearing, then he saw her. Her ivory skin was glowing in the light of the setting sun. Her silvery-blonde hair was slowly blowing away from her face. He could see her deep azure eyes staring unblinkingly at him, blazing into his. Then she smiled. Her gleaming white teeth seemed to be even more perfect than he had remembered. Her laugh came next, it rippled through him like a volt of lightning, and, for a moment, he wished he could feel that forever. But then he heard her speak, and he knew; this was what he wanted forever.
" "Arry, I 'ave missed you." She reached a warm hand to his face, stroked it slowly and leaned forward as though to kiss him. He allowed himself to move towards her, closing his eyes. But she instead vanished, and he was alone on the cliff. Alone, hazy eyed, and eerily cold again. Then a green light began to burst from inside his body, it split him in pain and he fell to the ground. He heard his glasses break beneath his body. Then, above him, somewhere he could not see, he heard another voice. A voice that he could never mistake for its penetrating hiss and rasp: Voldemort.
"You will not escape me this time."
Harry tried to banish the memory. Was Fleur okay? Was Voldemort as near as he felt? Harry did not know what to make of it. He tried to stand, but his legs buckled beneath him and he fell to his bedroom floor. Harry wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. He could feel it welling inside of him. He needed Ron and Hermione. He longed for Sirius' guidance. But he was too old, he thought, to let them know what was going on. Harry stood at last to his feet and walked weakly to the window.
He looked out at the moon. It was massive and glowing brilliantly in the sky as though it knew something that Harry didn't, and Harry knew the moon was right. He surveyed the land, this land seemed like a foreign country to him. He recognized that it was not his world, but he still tried to glimpse something familiar. Through the sky flew something small and white. It was swiftly approaching his window.
"Hedwig!" He almost screamed her name, a slight relief breaking through his aching. She bobbed in and perched herself on his arm, a piece of parchment tied securely to her claw. He pulled her through the window and set her into her cage, she squawked with triumph. Harry went to the floorboard which underneath held all his treasures. He broke off a piece of the mint bar he had received from Mrs.Weasley and put it into the cage for Hedwig to nibble on. She nipped his hand in gratitude and commenced devouring the morsel.
Harry turned his attention then to his letter. He unrolled it hastily, he knew it was probably nothing, quite possibly a list of school supplies from Hogwart's, but that would be something, he thought. It was not a letter from Hogwart's. It was in fact a letter from Ron.
"Ron!" He exclaimed, and a crooked smile spread across his charming face, he had almost forgotten he had sent him a letter.
Harry,
Sorry it took so long to write, I am sure you missed Hedwig. Mum has received word from Dumbledore regarding your visit this summer. YOU CAN COME! He says that it is quite okay for us to fetch you now. Mum wanted to send some cakes and things with Hedwig, but she says she'll just stuff you once we have gotten you. Don't worry about the muggles, we can handle them. We'll be arriving on Friday at 6 pm. Best if the muggles are out of the house, remember what happened last time? Talk to you soon!
Ron
Bugger, P.S. I heard from Hermione, she is back in England and will also be staying over for the remainder of the summer as well. Told me she did not see Krum, good to know she can remain dependable, was worried for a bit.
Harry's half-smile grew rapidly in a full on grin. He was so relieved by the news of finally being rid of the Dursley's, and the terrible grapefruit diet, and the solitude of his tiny, plain bedroom; that he nearly forgot about the ominous dream he had just awakened from. He lay down on the bed and fell head long into sleep once again.
He was standing on a barren cliff. The wind was whirling around him, blowing the tall grass like wheat in a field. His glasses had fallen from his eyes and he was searching for them, his arms outstretched, skimming the ground lightly. Then he felt it, a hand was on his, but a hand like no other he had felt before. It was warm and soft, and it instantly caused a torrent of warmth, similar to the effects butterbeer had on a bitter winter day, to course through him. He looked up and he felt his eyes clearing, then he saw her. Her ivory skin was glowing in the light of the setting sun. Her silvery-blonde hair was slowly blowing away from her face. He could see her deep azure eyes staring unblinkingly at him, blazing into his. Then she smiled. Her gleaming white teeth seemed to be even more perfect than he had remembered. Her laugh came next, it rippled through him like a volt of lightning, and, for a moment, he wished he could feel that forever. But then he heard her speak, and he knew; this was what he wanted forever.
" "Arry, I 'ave missed you." She reached a warm hand to his face, stroked it slowly and leaned forward as though to kiss him. He allowed himself to move towards her, closing his eyes. But she instead vanished, and he was alone on the cliff. Alone, hazy eyed, and eerily cold again. Then a green light began to burst from inside his body, it split him in pain and he fell to the ground. He heard his glasses break beneath his body. Then, above him, somewhere he could not see, he heard another voice. A voice that he could never mistake for its penetrating hiss and rasp: Voldemort.
"You will not escape me this time."
Harry tried to banish the memory. Was Fleur okay? Was Voldemort as near as he felt? Harry did not know what to make of it. He tried to stand, but his legs buckled beneath him and he fell to his bedroom floor. Harry wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. He could feel it welling inside of him. He needed Ron and Hermione. He longed for Sirius' guidance. But he was too old, he thought, to let them know what was going on. Harry stood at last to his feet and walked weakly to the window.
He looked out at the moon. It was massive and glowing brilliantly in the sky as though it knew something that Harry didn't, and Harry knew the moon was right. He surveyed the land, this land seemed like a foreign country to him. He recognized that it was not his world, but he still tried to glimpse something familiar. Through the sky flew something small and white. It was swiftly approaching his window.
"Hedwig!" He almost screamed her name, a slight relief breaking through his aching. She bobbed in and perched herself on his arm, a piece of parchment tied securely to her claw. He pulled her through the window and set her into her cage, she squawked with triumph. Harry went to the floorboard which underneath held all his treasures. He broke off a piece of the mint bar he had received from Mrs.Weasley and put it into the cage for Hedwig to nibble on. She nipped his hand in gratitude and commenced devouring the morsel.
Harry turned his attention then to his letter. He unrolled it hastily, he knew it was probably nothing, quite possibly a list of school supplies from Hogwart's, but that would be something, he thought. It was not a letter from Hogwart's. It was in fact a letter from Ron.
"Ron!" He exclaimed, and a crooked smile spread across his charming face, he had almost forgotten he had sent him a letter.
Harry,
Sorry it took so long to write, I am sure you missed Hedwig. Mum has received word from Dumbledore regarding your visit this summer. YOU CAN COME! He says that it is quite okay for us to fetch you now. Mum wanted to send some cakes and things with Hedwig, but she says she'll just stuff you once we have gotten you. Don't worry about the muggles, we can handle them. We'll be arriving on Friday at 6 pm. Best if the muggles are out of the house, remember what happened last time? Talk to you soon!
Ron
Bugger, P.S. I heard from Hermione, she is back in England and will also be staying over for the remainder of the summer as well. Told me she did not see Krum, good to know she can remain dependable, was worried for a bit.
Harry's half-smile grew rapidly in a full on grin. He was so relieved by the news of finally being rid of the Dursley's, and the terrible grapefruit diet, and the solitude of his tiny, plain bedroom; that he nearly forgot about the ominous dream he had just awakened from. He lay down on the bed and fell head long into sleep once again.
