CHAPTER ONE-
Harry pushed his hair out of his face and the sigh turned into a yawn. He hadn't gotten a decent night of sleep all summer, whether it was guilt over the Third Task or nightmares about the Third Task or being made forcibly aware of Voldemort's actions every other week or so. It was always something... and the dream he'd had last night had completely wiped him out. He had the feeling he looked like one of those starving, sleep deprived children on muggle relief posters, just a little older and wearing baggier clothes.
He yawned again and tilted his head back against the wall of the compartment. His uncle had had an early business meeting in London and had reluctantly brought Harry along so he could meet his train. He'd been on platform 9 3/4 for an hour before the Hogwarts express had arrived. There had been some disturbing people loitering around the station. They hadn't done anything while he'd been there, but the looks on their faces...well, he hadn't taken the time to try and sleep and the noise hadn't been the reason why.
Now he was on the express, in the usual compartment, and he felt so run down he couldn't help stretching out on the seat and falling asleep.
//'Kill the spare.'
No! Don't hurt him, this isn't his fault!
'We know...it's yours. Now...'
No, please! Please, I'll do anything, just don't hurt him... God, Cedric, I'm sorry...
'Oh, I see... interesting predicament you're in, brother, but really, a pawn isn't such a sacrifice in the grand scheme of things...if you make the loss count.'
He wanted to protest but the taste of honey was thick and sour sweet in the back of his throat.//
"Harry!"
He heard his name through the fog over his mind and the smell of honey started to fade.
"What's the matter, Weasley? Something wrong with the boy wonder?"
The smell suddenly rushed back up and he was drowning in it, throat itching and overwhelmed with the sickly sweet aftertaste.
"Stuff it, Malfoy! Harry, wake up!"
"Language, Mr. Weasley. Take care Gryffindor doesn't start the term with a negative number of points."
The cool, ice-edged tones cut through the honey, but when something jarred him he wasn't completely aware and he rolled to the left, hit the floor and had his wand out before he'd opened his eyes completely. When he did the wand lowered and he collapsed against the seat, annoyance and apprehension foremost in his exhausted brain. Brilliant, he thought, rubbing his temples, not only am I loosing my bloody mind, I just threatened a teacher by accident. God hates me.
"Harry?"
He winced at the hesitant tone and tried to smile reassuringly at Hermione. "Sorry...bad dreams." He tried not to think about his teacher and his...Malfoy, for want of a better term, standing just to the side of the car, as they had obviously been for at least part of his dream. He wondered if this had been one of his louder ones. "Did I scream?"
"Er...only a bit." Ron said, calming down at Harry's somewhat normal tone.
"Oh...that's good then. I must've only disturbed a few people, then, and not the whole train." Ron, oddly, did not look comforted. Neither did Hermione, come to think of it.
"Yes, and I happen to be one of those people, Mr. Potter. In the future, please do try and keep it down."
Snape's voice, despite the fact that he was vaguely sure he had been insulted in some way by it, brought an odd wave of relief and Harry sighed, eyes sliding half shut. He wanted to ask Snape to say something else, even insult him, he didn't care. He just wanted to stay relaxed. Instead, "Yes, professor." he murmured tiredly, and wondered when his life had gotten so complicated. He swallowed, trying to get rid of the thick taste of honey.
Harry pushed his hair out of his face and the sigh turned into a yawn. He hadn't gotten a decent night of sleep all summer, whether it was guilt over the Third Task or nightmares about the Third Task or being made forcibly aware of Voldemort's actions every other week or so. It was always something... and the dream he'd had last night had completely wiped him out. He had the feeling he looked like one of those starving, sleep deprived children on muggle relief posters, just a little older and wearing baggier clothes.
He yawned again and tilted his head back against the wall of the compartment. His uncle had had an early business meeting in London and had reluctantly brought Harry along so he could meet his train. He'd been on platform 9 3/4 for an hour before the Hogwarts express had arrived. There had been some disturbing people loitering around the station. They hadn't done anything while he'd been there, but the looks on their faces...well, he hadn't taken the time to try and sleep and the noise hadn't been the reason why.
Now he was on the express, in the usual compartment, and he felt so run down he couldn't help stretching out on the seat and falling asleep.
//'Kill the spare.'
No! Don't hurt him, this isn't his fault!
'We know...it's yours. Now...'
No, please! Please, I'll do anything, just don't hurt him... God, Cedric, I'm sorry...
'Oh, I see... interesting predicament you're in, brother, but really, a pawn isn't such a sacrifice in the grand scheme of things...if you make the loss count.'
He wanted to protest but the taste of honey was thick and sour sweet in the back of his throat.//
"Harry!"
He heard his name through the fog over his mind and the smell of honey started to fade.
"What's the matter, Weasley? Something wrong with the boy wonder?"
The smell suddenly rushed back up and he was drowning in it, throat itching and overwhelmed with the sickly sweet aftertaste.
"Stuff it, Malfoy! Harry, wake up!"
"Language, Mr. Weasley. Take care Gryffindor doesn't start the term with a negative number of points."
The cool, ice-edged tones cut through the honey, but when something jarred him he wasn't completely aware and he rolled to the left, hit the floor and had his wand out before he'd opened his eyes completely. When he did the wand lowered and he collapsed against the seat, annoyance and apprehension foremost in his exhausted brain. Brilliant, he thought, rubbing his temples, not only am I loosing my bloody mind, I just threatened a teacher by accident. God hates me.
"Harry?"
He winced at the hesitant tone and tried to smile reassuringly at Hermione. "Sorry...bad dreams." He tried not to think about his teacher and his...Malfoy, for want of a better term, standing just to the side of the car, as they had obviously been for at least part of his dream. He wondered if this had been one of his louder ones. "Did I scream?"
"Er...only a bit." Ron said, calming down at Harry's somewhat normal tone.
"Oh...that's good then. I must've only disturbed a few people, then, and not the whole train." Ron, oddly, did not look comforted. Neither did Hermione, come to think of it.
"Yes, and I happen to be one of those people, Mr. Potter. In the future, please do try and keep it down."
Snape's voice, despite the fact that he was vaguely sure he had been insulted in some way by it, brought an odd wave of relief and Harry sighed, eyes sliding half shut. He wanted to ask Snape to say something else, even insult him, he didn't care. He just wanted to stay relaxed. Instead, "Yes, professor." he murmured tiredly, and wondered when his life had gotten so complicated. He swallowed, trying to get rid of the thick taste of honey.