CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Mystyk's Nightmare

"Nooo!" Mystyk sat bolt-up in bed, sweat the size of pearls running down her now sweaty forehead. Opening her eyes, she liked wildly about her empty dorm room, her breath coming out in gasps as she tried to orientate herself on her whereabouts.

"It was just a dream...it was just a dream..." she chanted to herself once she realized that she was in her bedroom all alone. She folded her knees up and pulled it closer to her chest, rocking back and forth on her bed as she began to sob. "It was just a bad dream...it was just a very bad dream..." she repeated to herself as her sobs gave way to a dam of tears that didn't stop flowing.

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"Aaargh!" Harry hissed and his hand flew up to cover his scar that is suddenly burning his forehead.

"Harry, are you alright?" Hermione asked worriedly, clutching her arms around her best friend's and leading him on the corner of the store where the two of them are picking out a gift for Mystyk. She cast an apologetic look at the store owner and the other shoppers and dropped her voice to a whisper, "What is it?"

"My scar...it's burning." he hissed, clenching his eyes tightly.

Hermione gasped. "How bad is it this time?"

"Same as last year--or maybe worse." he hissed, his eyes starting to tear-up from the pain he's experiencing.

"Oh no...let's get you out of here, Harry." she quickly wrapped her arm around his shoulder and started to lead him out of the store.

"No. Not yet. I still need to buy Mystyk's gift."

"But your scar--"

"It hurts, I know. But I won't get another chance to buy her a Christmas present." he reached for his moneybag inside his robe and handed it to Hermione, "Buy her the necklace and earrings for me, please? I don't think I'll be able to face the cashier with my scar burning like hell."

Hermione gave him a fleeting look. She knew how stubborn he could be and without further arguing with him, she took his moneybag and purchased the charmed necklace with a heart pendant and the pair of earrings he had been eyeing before he and Ron joined her at the Three Broomsticks for butterbeer. As soon she paid for her purchase, she led Harry out of the store and looked for Ron. She told him what happened and the three of them ventured back to school.

What Harry didn't tell his friends (and probably he wouldn't bother mentioning for a while) is that before he felt his scar burn, he had a flash. Something like a dream only he had it while he was awake and browsing at the store. In it he saw Mystyk aiming her wand at him and giving him the Avada Kedavra curse. Only...only Mystyk didn't look like the Mystyk he has come to know over the course of the past few weeks. She looked different in his vision. And he noticed someone hovering on a broomstick behind her, but he couldn't quite figure out who that person was. But he had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach before he felt himself explode that whomever that person was behind Mystyk, Harry knew him. He knew him very well.

And that's what scares him the most.

Somebody's going to use somebody close to him to do him in.

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~*~ okay, another short chappie, but i just thought it's high time i start unraveling more and more of what's the secret behind Mystyk Rydel. again i don't know how many times i have asked this from you, but please, please, PLEASE review what you think of the story so far, thanks a million! ~*~