When Harry awoke, he had a feeling of foreboding. It was an odd feeling, having felt it before, he had finally decided it felt like having your spleen ripped out, the old fashioned way. He got out of bed and got dressed in his robes for classes. He walked down to the Gryfindor common to find no one there with the exception of Diedre.
"Where is everyone? Am I late?" Harry asked, worried. Diedre sat there, not turning, sitting with a mug of something warm in her hands and staring at the flames in the fireplace. Her eyes seemed to reflect, like that of an animal's, thus bringing back that eerie feeling she had given off to Harry earlier. She then began to make odd squeaking noises, snuffing a bit but mainly just squeaking. She then reluctantly withdrew her eyes from the sight of the flames, set her cup down on a near table, and looked at Harry.
"Late? No, you're early if anything, it's only two in the morning." She said, back to being her monotone self.
"That's weird, I feel rested… Are you ok, Diedre?" Harry said, she had zoned out again, looking back at the flames. Diedre then began to speak, but not to Harry. Not to anyone in particular, not even herself.
"Someone's coming, " Diedre said, her ears perking in attentiveness. The void within her eyes seemed to suck in the flames now. " He crawls from the shadows. Save the boy, they say, for he will hold the key to the bottle, But Diedre, they say, can't do anything to escape her fate for not even the boy can save her…Nobody can save poor little Diedre from herself…. Who would want to, they ask, That's fine, Diedre doesn't want to be saved anyways, It's only a matter of time before she turns on them, only a matter of time before he comes for her, to break her, but she must save the boy, save the boy they say, The dark one will find you yet, they say, he'll find you, and he'll steel yourself from you…. No one can save you now, little girl, save the boy…." She faded as she toppled over from the chair to the floor, revealing a mouse sitting in the chair. It scurried down, jumping up and down, side to side and squeaking frantically. Harry began to stoop down to one knee to check on her but noticed the mouse had gone to a furious stance with its fur bristled up, warding him away.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt her." Harry said, hoping that the mouse could understand him. The mouse waited a moment before easing up and then scurrying away to under the chair somewhere. Harry rolled Diedre over, calling her name quietly so as not to wake the others. Her eyes had swayed to the back of her head, showing only white slits. Harry decided it was best to go for help. He ran up the stairs to the Gryfindor Boy's lodgings, where he woke up Callain Mkeevry, the new Gryfindor prefect.
"Huh? Wha-what es et, 'arry?" Callain asked drowsily in a Welch accent.
"The new girl, Diedre, Hagrid's niece, she's down in the commons!" Harry said frantically.
"Now 'arry, nobidy likes a tattiltayl…" Callain began, thinking that he was over reacting.
"No, you don't understand!" Harry said, pulling Callain from his bed. Callain was the only one who knew where Professor Mcgonagol's chambers were. He followed Harry down the steps to the Gryfindor commons where he saw the collapsed girl near the fire.
"My gyod, 'arry! Why din't you say sometheen'?" The prefect said, rushing to Diedre's side and checking her vitals. " Well, she's still breathing but I' bettyer go an' gyet the Professor…" He said as he ran out of the commons and into the hall way. A few minutes later he came back followed by Professor Macgonagal, Snape and Dumbledor. They checked for magical doings to Diedre but found her to be just unconscious. After a few minutes of speculation from the professors, Professor Madrick rushed in followed by the school nurse. She conducted for him to perform a levitation spell and they walked out of the room, following the unconscious, floating body of Diedre Devi. Harry turned to Callain.
"Where are they taking her?" He asked.
"To the 'ospital wing, is my gess…" Callain said, seeing the worried look on Harry's face, " Look, 'arry, don't worry about 'er, shey'll be foine, gyet some slep" And with a pat on Harry's back, he went up to bed. Harry followed suit moments later and went upstairs to his bed where he found he couldn't sleep. He kept thinking about what Diedre had said; who was coming? Was he the boy she was meant to protect? And what was her fate that she kept saying she couldn't escape from? And why couldn't she escape? These questions plagued Harry until it really was time to get up, where Harry redressed in his robes and went to class.
* * *
During Potions, Harry couldn't concentrate and he didn't have to try for long before he was called to Professor Dumbledor office. When he arrived, Dumbledor ushered him to sit down. This worried Harry and he immediately assumed that there was something wrong with Diedre.
" What's wrong? Did something happen to Diedre?" Harry asked in fear that not only had failed Hagrid but also may have lost a friend in the process.
"Oh, no, Diedre's fine, in fact you can go visit her in a moment if you'd like." Professor Dumbledor said. " I called you down here because she says she might have said one of her predictions to you, is this true? Did she start saying things about someone coming, to you?" Harry nodded and Dumbledor sighed. "I was afraid so, well then, I assume you've told someone about it already?" Harry shook his head; he hadn't even relayed the fireside incident to Ron and Hermione yet. "No? Well, that's good, but as we've talked about before, being a secret, the rest of the school will know shortly any ways. But let me explain about it at least…." He went and sat at his desk and composed himself. " You see, Diedre is something we would call a Magical Prodigy. You see, she started showing powers when she was three or so, a burden for any child… She's seen things no child should ever have to see, family members' death and such the like, and she's taken it in stride, the only problem is, since she's had her powers ever since she was little, she no longer has a challenge set before her, hence such a bleak vision of the world . She's gone against Voldemort's entities and minions trying to recruit her at every turn but has never gone to the dark forces. She's strong, but she has foretold of Voldemort coming back again, which she got from the prediction that you saw, understand? The boy was you I'm afraid, and she has sworn to protect you. She's known of parts of this for a long time, and at the death of her parents, they asked her to do so. Another burden for the young lady to carry you see, one of many as you can tell. So, make it easier on her and try to stay out of trouble this year, ok?" Harry nodded and Dumbledor escorted him to the door. " Oh, one more thing Harry before you go, there's something you must know that must remain a secret, do you understand? It's imminent that you don't tell anyone, because if you do, if could mean the lives of you, your friends and even Diedre." Harry nodded and Dumbledor continued. " She must leave the Gryfindor commons once a month but I'll leave it to her to tell you why should she choose." And at that Harry left to go to the hospital wing.