*Chapter Nine*
Puzzling Dreams
Harry woke up sweaty. He had had another dream. This one wasn't like the others for some reason. It was...it was...just different. Harry looked to where Sirius had lay down just the other night, but he wasn't there. Harry looked around. Everyone was still sleeping. What time is it? Harry asked himself. He decided to go to the Great Hall for breakfast anyway. He found a great surprise when he got there. The Great Hall was packed. Everyone was eating breakfast already. Everybody. "Hey Harry! Come sit over here," Ron shouted. "No! Over here!" Hermione shouted from the Slytherin table. Why is Hermione at the Slytherin table? Harry asked himself.
As Harry was trying to decide where to sit, someone yelled, "No! Over here, Potter" Harry looked over to see Draco Malfoy smiling and beckoning Harry to come over. He was sitting at the Hufflepuff table. Harry stepped back. This was too weird. He bumped into something; actually, somebody. Harry did not dare to turn around. "Hi, Harry," said a familiar voice. Harry turned around and found himself staring eye to eye with Peeves. Only this was not the ghost Peeves. This was real, with flesh and everything; a human; a solid form. Harry's mouth dropped open. "Could you please get out of my way?" he said politely. "W-who are you?" Harry said.
"A lot of people call me Peeves, so I guess you could too. Although I don't really like the name," "W-what's your real name?" Harry asked. "Peter Lomstarger," Peeves said. "Okay, Peter," Harry said as he stepped out of his way. Peter smiled. "Thanks Harry. You're a great guy," he said as he walked toward a table. For a second there, Harry had forgotten about the craziness around him. Harry looked around, but everyone was gone. He heard a sound behind him. It sounded awfully familiar. It was a raspy, wheezy noise. Harry stepped away and turned around at the same time. There, standing in front of him, was a dementor. Harry ran. For some reason, he wasn't going anywhere. But the dementor was. Isn't this the time when the dream ends? Harry thought.
The dementor came closer, it's mouth wide open. Just then Harry thought of something. He took out is wand. Luckily he still had it from last night and had forgotten to put it away. "Expecto Patronum," Harry shouted with his wand pointed at the dementor. The raspy, wheezing sound turned louder and louder until the dementor was nothing at all. Harry panted, out of breath. He looked around and found a shock. There were four more dementors crowding around him. Getting closer, and closer, and closer.......
"Arrrggghhh!" Harry shouted as he leaped out of bed. He landed on Sirius who was on the floor. Sirius grunted and said something, but Harry muffled his voice. Harry realized that he was sitting on Sirius and got up. "I-I'm sorry, Sirius," Harry said. "Never mind that. What happened, Harry? Another dream?" Harry didn't dare to tell him. "Harry.... I-I have to tell you something…especially after that conversation that you overheard. You must listen carefully and don't panic," Sirius said. It was hard not to panic once you were told not to. "O-okay," Harry said. "Your mother and father were very special. Not only because they were great wizards and witches, but also something else. You see, it kind of runs in the family: something that senses great evil. You have your scar. Some other members of your family have other things.
I thought that you might have something else that senses evil as well as your scar and have talked to Dumbledore about it. He agrees that it is possible. As you can see, you have had some nightmares. Nightmares that obviously have evil in them. I-" Just then somebody stirred in their bed. It was Ron. He opened his eyes and stretched. "Oh, hi there Harry. Hi, Sirius," he said. He seemed quite happy. "Oy, how long have you been up," he said as he stretched again. "Is it time for breakfast yet?" Ron asked. There's the Ron I know, Harry thought. "Almost, I think," Harry said. "Well then. Let's get down to the Great Hall!" Ron said eagerly. This shout made everyone stir in their beds. One by one, each of the boys in their beds woke up. "Jeez Ron...what time is it?" Seamus Finnigan said.
"That's Ron for you. Always thinking of food," Fred said. "Yep," George said sleepily. Ron blushed. "Am not!" Ron shouted. "Let's just get down to the Great Hall," Harry said. "Yeah. Now that we're awake," Seamus said, glancing at Ron. He looked at Harry. "Hey, Harry. Wasn't there someone by your bed just a minute ago?" Fred said. Harry looked toward where Sirius had stood. He wasn't to be seen. "No, not that I know of," Harry said. "Yeah," George said sleepily again. Fred hit him with a pillow. George hid under his blankets. Ron came over with his pillow and slammed it on George. George got out from under his covers. He took out his pillow from under his head and slammed it against Ron's head. Pieces of candy flew everywhere from George's pillow.
Seamus gasped. "You've been hiding out on us, George!" he said. He grabbed a handful. Ron was about to say something, but decided not to. George closed his eyes and seemed to drift off to sleep again. "Take all you'd like," George said. Maybe it was just Harry, but it looked as if he had a smirk on his face. Seamus took one out from its wrapper. He put it in his mouth and started coughing. He spit the candy out. Only it wasn't candy. It was a big ball of fur. "Yuck!" Seamus yelled. "A hairball?!?!" he said, looking angrily at George. George chuckled. Fred burst out laughing. "The first victim," Fred said in between breaths. "What do you call it?" Harry asked excitedly. "Well, we haven't named it yet. We didn't want to until we were sure of what it did," Fred said. "Now we do," George said, grinning. "We were up all night last night, trying to put the finishing touches.
This thought struck Harry quite hard. Last night. Had they known that he had left the common room? "Well, let's get to the Great Hall," Ron said. They all left except George, Fred, and Harry. They stayed behind. "So Harry," Fred said. "Wandering Hogwarts yesterday?" George asked. Harry was shocked. They did know. "Umm-I......" Harry started to say. "No problem," Fred said quietly. "We'll keep it a secret," George said. "Yeah. After all, we do it too," Fred said with a grin. Harry felt like a whole load was lifted off his shoulders. "Thanks, you guys," Harry whispered. They started for the Great Hall when Harry remembered Sirius. "Uh...I think I'll stay behind for a while," Harry said. "Okay, just don't eat the candy," Fred said. Harry smiled. "I'll be sure not to," Fred and George left and Harry stayed.
"Sirius," he whispered. A silvery gray cloak appeared and so did Sirius. "So those are the Weasley twins," Sirius said. It was a statement. Not a question. He chuckled. "Very inventive minds," Sirius said as he chuckled once more. "Well, no time to tell you about you-know-what. You have to get to class," he said. "Right, right," Harry said as he walked out. Harry bumped into Professor Flamel in the hall. "Oh-hello, Harry," Professor Flamel said. "Is Sirius in there?" "Y-yes, sir," Harry replied. He knew why he was asking for Sirius. But would Sirius tell that Harry had heard the whole conversation last night while he was wandering Hogwarts? He would be in serious trouble. Dumbledore might understand, but Harry wasn't sure about Headmaster Mult. He just wasn't the same as Dumbledore. Nobody was. Why did he have to accept the deal? Why...it wasn't fair…
Puzzling Dreams
Harry woke up sweaty. He had had another dream. This one wasn't like the others for some reason. It was...it was...just different. Harry looked to where Sirius had lay down just the other night, but he wasn't there. Harry looked around. Everyone was still sleeping. What time is it? Harry asked himself. He decided to go to the Great Hall for breakfast anyway. He found a great surprise when he got there. The Great Hall was packed. Everyone was eating breakfast already. Everybody. "Hey Harry! Come sit over here," Ron shouted. "No! Over here!" Hermione shouted from the Slytherin table. Why is Hermione at the Slytherin table? Harry asked himself.
As Harry was trying to decide where to sit, someone yelled, "No! Over here, Potter" Harry looked over to see Draco Malfoy smiling and beckoning Harry to come over. He was sitting at the Hufflepuff table. Harry stepped back. This was too weird. He bumped into something; actually, somebody. Harry did not dare to turn around. "Hi, Harry," said a familiar voice. Harry turned around and found himself staring eye to eye with Peeves. Only this was not the ghost Peeves. This was real, with flesh and everything; a human; a solid form. Harry's mouth dropped open. "Could you please get out of my way?" he said politely. "W-who are you?" Harry said.
"A lot of people call me Peeves, so I guess you could too. Although I don't really like the name," "W-what's your real name?" Harry asked. "Peter Lomstarger," Peeves said. "Okay, Peter," Harry said as he stepped out of his way. Peter smiled. "Thanks Harry. You're a great guy," he said as he walked toward a table. For a second there, Harry had forgotten about the craziness around him. Harry looked around, but everyone was gone. He heard a sound behind him. It sounded awfully familiar. It was a raspy, wheezy noise. Harry stepped away and turned around at the same time. There, standing in front of him, was a dementor. Harry ran. For some reason, he wasn't going anywhere. But the dementor was. Isn't this the time when the dream ends? Harry thought.
The dementor came closer, it's mouth wide open. Just then Harry thought of something. He took out is wand. Luckily he still had it from last night and had forgotten to put it away. "Expecto Patronum," Harry shouted with his wand pointed at the dementor. The raspy, wheezing sound turned louder and louder until the dementor was nothing at all. Harry panted, out of breath. He looked around and found a shock. There were four more dementors crowding around him. Getting closer, and closer, and closer.......
"Arrrggghhh!" Harry shouted as he leaped out of bed. He landed on Sirius who was on the floor. Sirius grunted and said something, but Harry muffled his voice. Harry realized that he was sitting on Sirius and got up. "I-I'm sorry, Sirius," Harry said. "Never mind that. What happened, Harry? Another dream?" Harry didn't dare to tell him. "Harry.... I-I have to tell you something…especially after that conversation that you overheard. You must listen carefully and don't panic," Sirius said. It was hard not to panic once you were told not to. "O-okay," Harry said. "Your mother and father were very special. Not only because they were great wizards and witches, but also something else. You see, it kind of runs in the family: something that senses great evil. You have your scar. Some other members of your family have other things.
I thought that you might have something else that senses evil as well as your scar and have talked to Dumbledore about it. He agrees that it is possible. As you can see, you have had some nightmares. Nightmares that obviously have evil in them. I-" Just then somebody stirred in their bed. It was Ron. He opened his eyes and stretched. "Oh, hi there Harry. Hi, Sirius," he said. He seemed quite happy. "Oy, how long have you been up," he said as he stretched again. "Is it time for breakfast yet?" Ron asked. There's the Ron I know, Harry thought. "Almost, I think," Harry said. "Well then. Let's get down to the Great Hall!" Ron said eagerly. This shout made everyone stir in their beds. One by one, each of the boys in their beds woke up. "Jeez Ron...what time is it?" Seamus Finnigan said.
"That's Ron for you. Always thinking of food," Fred said. "Yep," George said sleepily. Ron blushed. "Am not!" Ron shouted. "Let's just get down to the Great Hall," Harry said. "Yeah. Now that we're awake," Seamus said, glancing at Ron. He looked at Harry. "Hey, Harry. Wasn't there someone by your bed just a minute ago?" Fred said. Harry looked toward where Sirius had stood. He wasn't to be seen. "No, not that I know of," Harry said. "Yeah," George said sleepily again. Fred hit him with a pillow. George hid under his blankets. Ron came over with his pillow and slammed it on George. George got out from under his covers. He took out his pillow from under his head and slammed it against Ron's head. Pieces of candy flew everywhere from George's pillow.
Seamus gasped. "You've been hiding out on us, George!" he said. He grabbed a handful. Ron was about to say something, but decided not to. George closed his eyes and seemed to drift off to sleep again. "Take all you'd like," George said. Maybe it was just Harry, but it looked as if he had a smirk on his face. Seamus took one out from its wrapper. He put it in his mouth and started coughing. He spit the candy out. Only it wasn't candy. It was a big ball of fur. "Yuck!" Seamus yelled. "A hairball?!?!" he said, looking angrily at George. George chuckled. Fred burst out laughing. "The first victim," Fred said in between breaths. "What do you call it?" Harry asked excitedly. "Well, we haven't named it yet. We didn't want to until we were sure of what it did," Fred said. "Now we do," George said, grinning. "We were up all night last night, trying to put the finishing touches.
This thought struck Harry quite hard. Last night. Had they known that he had left the common room? "Well, let's get to the Great Hall," Ron said. They all left except George, Fred, and Harry. They stayed behind. "So Harry," Fred said. "Wandering Hogwarts yesterday?" George asked. Harry was shocked. They did know. "Umm-I......" Harry started to say. "No problem," Fred said quietly. "We'll keep it a secret," George said. "Yeah. After all, we do it too," Fred said with a grin. Harry felt like a whole load was lifted off his shoulders. "Thanks, you guys," Harry whispered. They started for the Great Hall when Harry remembered Sirius. "Uh...I think I'll stay behind for a while," Harry said. "Okay, just don't eat the candy," Fred said. Harry smiled. "I'll be sure not to," Fred and George left and Harry stayed.
"Sirius," he whispered. A silvery gray cloak appeared and so did Sirius. "So those are the Weasley twins," Sirius said. It was a statement. Not a question. He chuckled. "Very inventive minds," Sirius said as he chuckled once more. "Well, no time to tell you about you-know-what. You have to get to class," he said. "Right, right," Harry said as he walked out. Harry bumped into Professor Flamel in the hall. "Oh-hello, Harry," Professor Flamel said. "Is Sirius in there?" "Y-yes, sir," Harry replied. He knew why he was asking for Sirius. But would Sirius tell that Harry had heard the whole conversation last night while he was wandering Hogwarts? He would be in serious trouble. Dumbledore might understand, but Harry wasn't sure about Headmaster Mult. He just wasn't the same as Dumbledore. Nobody was. Why did he have to accept the deal? Why...it wasn't fair…