A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I got tired of waiting for my friend to return the book, and you give such encouraging reviews, so I decided to make use of my memory to write this chapter. If there is any mistakes, please do not flame me for it. I do not have a photographic memory, you know. I just try to remember as much as possible. Also, this chapter is almost double the length of the other chapters, to make up for the short chapter 4. That said, please enjoy this chapter, and leave your comments and suggestions in the review box. Thanks also to those who had reviewed the other chapters, especially Gray Skinner, who had given many valuable suggestions. Thank you.

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros. Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

What Dreams may come

Chapter 5

The Awakening of Harry Potter

  "YOU?!!" Harry cried, surprise and shock written all over his face.

  "Me…" The man in the turban said, not even looking at Harry, he just continued to stare at the mirror.

  "But… I thought… Snape…?" Harry sputtered, clearly too shocked to say anything resembling sense.

  "Yes… he does seem the type, does he? Compare to him, who would dream of po…poor, st…sta…stammering pro…professor Quirrell." The man in the turban said in an amused tone. Turning to face Harry, he gave Harry an evil smile.

  "But…but Snape tried to kill me…" Harry said, beginning to regain his senses.

  "No, no, no. I tried to kill you. I would have succeed too, if not for Snape murmuring the counter-curse." Quirrell spat out angrily. Harry just stared at him, speechless with shock at this revelation. Turning his attention back to the Mirror, Quirrell began to examine the surface carefully.

  "Where is it?" Quirrell whispered to himself, completely ignoring Harry now. "Where is the Philosopher's Stone?" He walked around the Mirror, tapping it. "What is the secret of this Mirror? Do I have to break it open?" Returning to the front of the Mirror, Quirrell peered deeply into the face of it. "I see myself presenting the stone to my master, but how do I get it?"

  Throughout all this, Ginny had looked, first at Harry, who seems to be only about eleven, and at Quirrell in amazement. Suddenly, she noticed a strange hissing sound that seems to come from all round the room. She was about to ask Star as to the source of that sound when it spoke.

  "Ussssse the boy…." That voice hissed. Ginny instantly recognized that voice. It was older, and sounded far more evil, but there can be no mistaking it. It was the voice of Tom Riddle, also known as Voldemort.

  Quirrell turned towards Harry and pointed his finger at him.

  "You, boy. Get over here!"

  Harry, instead of obeying, began to back up the stairs. Quirrell made a pulling motion, and dragged Harry, struggling, as if on an invisible rope, towards him. Once Harry reached him, Quirrell placed a vice-like hand on Harry's shoulders, effectively holding him in place in front of the Mirror.

  "Tell me, what do you see?" Quirrell ordered, his voice tight with suppressed excitement. He too was peering at the Mirror, and so did not see the pocket of Harry suddenly bugle out, as if something had been placed into it. Ginny, however, noticed, and wondered what it is.

  "Well, boy? Tell me now! What did you see inside?" Quirrell demanded, trying to look over Harry's head.

  "I… see myself holding the House Cup… I have won the House Cup for Gryffindor…" Harry said hesitantly. Quirrell, on hearing that, pushed Harry away in disgust.

  "He isss lying…" Voldemort hissed, his voice echoing around the small chamber.

  "Come back here, boy!" Quirrell made a grab for Harry, but Harry managed to stay out of reach.

  "Let me… ssspeak to him…" Voldemort hissed, his voice growing a little weaker.

  "But master, you are not strong enough." Quirrell protested.

  "I have… strength enough… for this…" Voldemort replied.

  Without another word, Quirrell turned his back towards the Mirror and began unwinding his turban. Yard after yard of yellow material fell at his feet, and when he finished, his head seems unusually small. Ginny, from her position just behind Harry, was able to see over Harry's head at the Mirror. What she saw reflected on the Mirror shocked her so much that she shrank away from that horrible image, burying her head in the shoulder of Star. Star patted Ginny's head with her free hand, the other used to hold Ginny to her.

  A head was reflected. A head impossibly aged, with wide red eyes, like two red-hot coals, set in that head, and no nose to speak of. Just two slits, to represent nostrils. This head was set at the back of Quirrell's own, the flash melting into each other so completely that no separation could be seen between the two head.

  "You ssssee me now, mere vapor and spirit. Even lesssser than a ghost. All thanksss to you…" Voldemort began, his burning eyes boring into Harry's own terrified gaze, through the reflection of the Mirror. "But let us ceassse this meaninglessssss pattering. Why don't you hand over the Philosopher'sss Sssstone in your pocket, then I kill you, and we'll call it quitsss for you destroying my body…" Voldemort said in the calmest possible voice, as if he expects no resistances whatsoever.

  Ginny pulled away from Star to stare incredulously at the reflection of Voldemort's face. "What sort of bargain this that?!!" She demanded of Star. Star merely smiled, shrugged her shoulder, and gestured for Ginny to continue watching.

  Harry had taken out what Ginny assumed to be the Philosopher's Stone, a blood-red hunk of stone, from his pocket. On seeing it, Voldemort could not contain his look of greed and gee. Harry looked at the Stone in his hand for a long moment, as if contemplating Voldemort's 'offer'. Finally, Harry slipped the Stone back into his pocket, took a deep breath, and said one word.

  "No"

  Voldemort seems shocked at his 'offer' being refused.

  "No?" He said quietly. "You dare sssay 'No' to Lord Voldemort?"  His eyes were bugling out dangerously, and his voice was filled with malice. Harry swallowed, (Ginny could see his throat move), but nodded.

  "No matter." Voldemort's face suddenly smiled an evil smile. "I will take it off your corpse then! Quirrell! Get him!!"

  At Voldemort's order, Quirrell leaped forward, grabbing hold of Harry by the neck. Ginny, on seeing that Harry was in danger, momentarily forgot that what she was seeing wasn't real, but a memory. She rushed forward from where she was seating and tried to jump on Quirrell's back, 'tried' being the keyword. Quirrell being only a memory, Ginny simply sailed right through him and landed on the ground face first on the other side of the struggling pair. Star ran up to where Ginny lay in a heap and helped her up.

  "Are you ok?" Star asked, a little worried.

  "Yeah, sure. I'm fine." Ginny dusted herself off before continuing. "Sorry about that just now. I just seemed to lost my head."

  "It's ok. These things happen." Star replied with a little smile. "I don't think you need to worry though." Star pointed towards the two fighting to make her point.

  As Ginny looked over, Qiurrell's hands started to smoke. He gave a great yell and released Harry in a hurry.

  "You fool! Why did you let go?" Voldemort screamed.

  "It hurts, master!" Quirrell sobbed, nearly crying from the burns on his hands, which were all red and swollen.

  Harry looked at Quirrell's pain-fill face, then at his hands. Coming rather quickly to the conclusion that his touch was what caused Quirrell such torture, Harry spring forward and pressed his hands against  Quirrell's face. A fresh round of howling escaped Quirrell's mouth.

  On the place where Harry had his hands pressed, something happened. Slowly, the flash on Quirrell's face turned to stone. As soon as it is formed, however, it began to crumple. Harry leaped back to avoid the falling pieces of Quirrell, but it was too late for Quirrell. With increasing speed, the flaks of stones fall off Quirrell, disappearing when it touches the floor. A shining light blazed forth from within Quirrell, lighting up the room far more than the touches did.

  Harry turned around when the last of Quirrell hit the floor, and bend to pick up the Philosopher's Stone, which had dropped out when he and Quirrell were struggling. As Harry turned the Stone in his hands, he heard a sound as if a wind had risen in that small chamber. Ginny, standing just beyond the remains of Quirrell, gave a gasp as she saw a gray-colored spirit rise from the remains and streaked round the room. As Harry turned around, the spirit of Voldemort zoomed towards the Stone and Harry, passing through Harry as if there is nothing there, before disappearing up the stairs. Harry's face turned pale, and he wavered on his feet before collapsing, the Stone falling from his grasp onto the floor.

  "Harry!" Ginny cried, running towards him. She fell to her knees besides him and tried to hold Harry, but her hands keep going through him. A tear of frustration appeared in her eyes as her attempt to hold Harry's limp body grew more and more frantic. Star walked over and place a hand of comfort on Ginny, but Ginny paid no heed to her. The tear ran down Ginny's cheek, gathering at her chin, seemingly catching every bit of light inside the room. It fell off Ginny's chin, a bright diamond hanging mid-air for a moment, before falling. Ginny had a moment to notice that her tear had landed on Harry's body instead of through Harry on the floor, and that at that moment, her hands actually brushed against Harry, before a flash of light suddenly busted forth from the tear, so bright Ginny had to shield her eyes.

  When the light finally died down enough for Ginny to lower her arm, she found that they were back in the round room, three doors this time arranged equally around it.

  "Ugh… Wha…what happened?" Harry stirred, murmuring to himself. During that one instant of brightness, Harry had apparently grown up, going from an eleven year old in the chamber to his true age of fifteen. He opened his eyes, blinked a couple of times before his eyes focus enough to make out the burred form above him. When he could see, however, it was to behold Ginny's worried face.

  "Are you alright, Harry?" Ginny asked, concern written all over her voice and printed on her face. She helped Harry up to a sitting position.

  "Congratulations." Star's voice floated from behind Ginny, a moment before Star herself stepped into view. "You have successfully synchronized your though waves together."

  "Huh? Who are you? What are you talking about? And why is Ginny here? For that matter, what am I doing here? And while you are at it, you might as well tell me where this place is as well." Harry demanded.

  "Calm down, Harry Potter." Star replied. "As to your questions, this place is Tel'anran'rhiod, the legendary land of dreams. I am called Star at this particular time and place, and Ginny is here because of a wish she made, as well as a wish you made.

  "Oh, that's right. Did you wish on a shooting star earlier? 'Course Star here is that shooting star." Ginny interrupted, waving a hand towards Star.

  "Huh? Land of dreams? Shooting stars? Wishes? What's going on?" Harry asked, confused. "Wait, don't tell me," He said quickly, seeing Ginny's mouth beginning to move. "I am dreaming, right. And if I pinch myself, it wouldn't hurt, right?" Before anyone could stop him, Harry's hand had already gathered a small knob of flash on his legs and twisted it. Harry blinked another couple more times before giving one big yell of pain. Seeing that, Both Ginny and Star could not resist a laugh.

  "Hey! I thought you said this is a dream, so why does pinching still hurts?" Harry asked, rubbing the sore portion.

  "I did not say this is a dream, Harry. I said that this is the land of dreams. Here, it is the same as the real world outside. If you get hurt here, you get the injury on your body in the real world too." Star explained.

  "Oh…" Harry tries his best to understand this, but Ginny, seeing his confused look, said:

  "You don't need to understand, Harry. Just treat this place as if you are really here, that would be enough."

  "Ok… " Harry decides to accept this for the time being. "So, you are that shooting star I saw earlier tonight."

  "Yes…" Star replied.

  "No wonder I found your voice so familiar. You are the one who told me to make a wish, right."

  "That's right."

  "And Ginny is here because of a wish she made?"

  "Right again."

  "What could she wish that would send her here, in my dreams?"

  "That, you would best ask her yourself." Star replied.

  Harry turned to Ginny, who had already turned bright red at the mention of her wish. "Well? What did you wish that would send you to my dreams?"

  "Well…ahhh… that's… ahhh… I wished… I wished to be able to help you!" Ginny said this whole sentences in a hurry. Somehow, Harry had no problem understanding her.

  "So you wish to help me?" Harry asked, his eyes softening sightly.

  Ginny, still blushing like crazy, decided to take the plunge.

  "Well…it's because you seemed so sad, so lonely, last term, when we returned from Hogwarts. I just want to help you, you know, take away a little of your worry and pain…"

  "I see…" Harry was a little awed at the extent of Ginny's wish, not for Herself, but for him. "But why would you want to waste a wish on me?"

  "It's not a wasted wish, Harry. I really like you, you know." Ginny said quietly.

  "Ginny…"

  "I wanted to be your friend, you know. But you were always with Hermione and Ron that I feel out of place when I want to talk to you. And the crush I had on you at that time didn't help matters too." Ginny had no idea why is it she found it easy to confess her feels here. Perhaps it's because here in the dream world, she had Harry's complete and total attention. Perhaps it's because here, there is no one to hear her pour her heart out. No matter what, Ginny discovered that she had lost her customary shyness around Harry and that she can tell him all that she had longed to tell him since the last time she saw him in the flash, at King's Cross.

  "So now you don't have a crush on me anymore?" Harry asked, a little disappointed. While it was annoying sometimes, it was rather flattering to have someone had a crush on you. Besides, Ginny was rather attractive, in her own way. He had never really taken notice of her before, being occupied with studies and other events like the Triwizard Tournament.

  "I don't know… I don't think so." Ginny said honestly. "I mean, it's the first time I had a crush on anyone. But since I can talk to you now without blushing or embarrassing myself, it should show that I had gotten over the crush, don't you think?"

  "I wouldn't know. I had only one crush that I know of… You know Cho Chang?" Harry asked.

  "Fifth year Ravenclaw? I think so. Isn't she the girlfriend of Cedric?"

  A nod.

  "You mean, you had a crush on someone else's girlfriend?" Ginny was surprised at this revelation.

  Another nod. "But I didn't know that when I asked her for the Yule ball."

  "Surprise, surprise. Harry Potter likes Cho Chang." Ginny sang out, glad for a chance to tease Harry.

  "Stop that." Harry said, laughing. It felt good to laugh again, after so long. Ginny continued to sing it another few times before she obligingly stopped. "When I saw her at the farewell feast, somehow I don't think I can ask her out anymore."

  "Why's that?" Ginny asked, curious.

  "She's obviously still grieving over Cedric's death. It'll feel weird if I ask her out so soon…" Harry trailed to a stop, still feeling responsible for the death of Cedric.

  "Can you tell me how he died?" Ginny, feeling the change in the atmosphere around, asked, in hope of being able to help Harry heal from this wound. "It might help, you know."

  "I… I guess so…" Harry answered, wanting the comfort that was available when he tell it to Ginny, yet feeling that he shouldn't tell, as it is his punishment to carry this guilt alone.

  "You can do better than that, you know." Star said from behind them, having kept silence all along, in respect of their conversation.

  "Oh? How?" Ginny asked.

  "Well, this is Harry's dream after all. He can show it to you, if he so chooses." Star explained.

  "Is that so? Then let's go. I'll show you." Harry answered. He remembered that feeling of release, of cleansing when he had told Dumbledore what happened. All summer he didn't have a chance to talk to any witch or wizard, and it had stored inside him for so long that he would be glad to tell what happened to him to anyone who would understand. Besides, Ginny was the first to ask him to tell it, when he was ready to tell. He had not told Hermione and Ron because that time the wound was still too fresh, he wasn't ready to speak of the horrors that he had seen. Now, he is ready.

  Ginny, noticing that Harry's hands were shaking, asked: "Are you sure you want to show it." After all, Harry had already lived through it once, and visited it many more times in nightmares. To ask him to show her again seems a little selfish.

  "Yes. I'm sure." Harry got up to his feet and extended a hand to Ginny to help her up. Facing one of the doors marked 'fourth year, Hogwarts' Harry strolled forward, stopping only to open the door. When it was open, Harry gave one final warning.

  "It will not be pretty. Are you sure you want to see it."

  Ginny nodded. "If you are willing to show it, I'm willing to see it. To help you heal this wound."

  "Alright then. It's through this door."

  With that, the three of them stepped into the door together…