Chapter 30

       "Harry! HARRY! WAKE UP HARRY!" Ron was yelling at Harry, who was screaming on the floor of the great hall, and shaking Harry. "WAKE UP YOU! GET UP! UP!" Ron slapped Harry a couple of times and threw some ice water on him but Harry wouldn't get up. "Maybe a howler would work…"

"Probably not, Mr. Weasley." Dumbledore says with a sigh. "His sleep is enchanted and deep it will not end until whatever the Jewel… thing on his wrist wants  him to see is over."

Harry was in the nightmare world again. Ron was slapping him while telling him he was useless. And again Harry could feel it.

"Rich Potter, always thinks he's better." Same line the nightmare Ron always used. "Always…"

Harry did something new though. "I do not."

"Yes you do."

"Do not."

"YES YOU DO!"

"NO I DON'T!"

"I know you don't." The mysterious voice says. "Follow my voice and then follow me."

"No Harry don't." The nightmare Ron says sounding like the normal Ron and pinning Harry against the wall. "Don't follow him he kills people. Like you." Even though the nightmare Ron made that biting remark he still kept Harry pinned back.

"You told the Snake you wouldn't… going to break your word again Potter?" Drake sneers.

"Don't break your word Harry. It's an awful thing to do." Hermione's cold voice comes in and they are all pinning him down but very hard like he can't breathe and Harry shoots up screaming.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Harry and Ron scream as Harry sits up screaming into Ron's ear.

"Oh watch where you're screaming Harry." Ron says crossly rubbing his ear.

"Sorry." Harry mutters weakly scrunching down.

"No it's ok don't be sorry Harry you didn't do anything. I hope…" Ron says a little louder than he normally would. "I'm going to get my ear checked by Madam Pomfrey."

"Ok Ron." Hermione says. "That looked like a bad one you should put it in your Dream Catcher Harry."

"Ok Hermione. You're right." Harry gets up to go.

"You should follow him Hermione in case he faints again." Dumbledore says so only she hears him.

"Ok sir." Hermione says. "Let me help you Harry. In case you faint again."

[So he hasn't told them what's on my wrist? A shame. Hermione probably knows all about it.] Harry thinks totally to himself to keep the snake out of his thoughts.

"Ok. I'm gonna go put this in the Dream Catcher we're here." Harry says after a few minutes of walking in silence.

"Ok. I'll wait down here." Hermione says.

"No you don't have to I think I'm gonna just take my dreamless sleep potion and lie down. Dumbledore says this is the only dose I get for about a month or two so I want to enjoy it with a long sleep." Harry smiled at the thought of a dreamless sleep and hurried up to his dorm. Hermione almost felt bad about leaving the note.

[Maybe I should have waited.] Hermione thinks.

 "Hermione." Harry's voice comes from upstairs, sort of scared, and he gets to the bottom.

"Yes Harry?" Hermione says.

"I… I… have something to… show. Show you. But… not all of it… I can't show you all. Too private for all to be shown... Sorry…" Harry says.

"Ok. I understand. No apologies Harry. You're always apologizing for nothing lately." Hermione says.

"Sor… uh… ok here." Harry says.

Harry takes out the Dream Catcher mutters a phrase and a password and shows Hermione several of his general nightmares from the snake. A small bit of the James one but stops it halfway.

"No that next one is horrid can't let you see it sorry Hermione." Harry says. "It feels good to show someone though."

"I thought it might Harry. Go on and get some sleep. We'll talk tomorrow." Hermione says.

"Thanks Hermione. I'll see you tomorrow." Harry says.

"Ok. Goodnight." Hermione says and goes up to her room too.

Artemis finally arrived. A tanned fellow, he was so tall he almost made Falcore look small. He had dark brown eyes that had a slight twinkle to them and could quite betray what Artemis was feeling even if Artemis tried to hide it hard. His hair was a long dirty (semi-literally) blonde tangle which fell below his shoulders but not by much. His hands were rough as though he'd worked with them all his life which he indeed had.

He apologized endlessly for being so late saying he'd accidentally went over the allotted stopping point for Magic Carpets and was held until he could convince them he wasn't trying to illegally import it.

"I lost a bloody brilliant carpet though." Artemis said finishing his story.

"Sorry to hear that. I lost a surfboard once." Andre says earning a look from Artemis and Alexander looks at Artemis apologetically and like 'he's-smarter-than-this-really'.

"Well," Artemis starts. "We should get to work right?"

"Yeah." Alexander says. "Let's get to it."

"Get to what now?" Andre says.

Alexander rolls his eyes. "I'm not Falcore you bloody git."

"Oh ok." Andre says and Falcore rolls his eyes.

Drake's walking down the hall the next day, Saturday, whistling and stops suddenly, "Am I doing that again?" Drake wonders aloud.

"Oh I know whenever that happens… Donna is around. Show yourself If you are near Donna." Drake says.

"Paranoid I see." A cold voice says behind him.

Drake turns around and sees Snape. "Oh, hello Professor."

"Be gone with you, and take *Snape snickers* Donna with you." Snape says coldly.

"Certainly." Drake says looking behind Snape. "Come on Donna."

"Ok Draco." Donna's voice comes from behind Snape as she floats through him and he shivers from the cold looking murderous.

When they are out of earshot… "Ha, ha! Oh that was good Donna." Drake says.

"Thank you. I think…" Donna says.

"Now Donna why is it whenever you're around I hum or sing or whistle?" Drake asks.

"Well I liked music therefore when I'm near since I'm more times invisible than not whoever I'm trying to reach starts to whistle or hum or sing. Although they only hum or whistle or sing a song they like or which fits their mood." Donna says.

"Oh. So I was whistling 'The First Noel' why?" Drake asks.

"Well it's just your favorite Christmas Carol. I can't believe you don't remember. Well, actually after considering you getting drunk a lot and being in Alkabaz I can." Donna says.

"Oh. Oh yeah." Drake smiles staring ahead blankly lost in a long old memory. "Stupid Black Death. If they hadn't done what they did to my parents… I'd never have joined."

"I knew it." Donna says.

"You know a lot what are you? Psychic now?" Drake says.

"No I'm the one who's psychic now, Drake." Hermione says walking up behind them. "A new ghost and I didn't know about it."

"Well this one's here on unfinished business Hermione, but it will be hanging around for a long while afterwards… and before too if she still hasn't done what she's here to do." Drake says.

"Oh." Hermione says. "You to apparently know each other."

"Errr… Yeah. Not under any good circumstances though." Drake says. "This is the American Minister Of Magic's oldest daughter Donna McVeigh, former surname was Alexander… if you want to look up this M.O.M. his first name was Thomas."

"Oh…" Hermione says. "Then why is she talking to you shouldn't she hate you."

"I thought so but apparently not…" Drake says.

"Of course not, in fact I'm here to forgive my killer…" Donna says with a smile then her face falls. "Uh oh said too much. Well I must be off." Donna then turns invisible and Drake starts whistling again heading to the Great Hall and forgetting about poor Hermione.

"Hmm. All the samples are in order why isn't the Snakesbane liquid absorbing them…" Alexander says.

"Something's wrong…" Artemis says. "Are the samples too old perhaps?"

"Yes. That must be it. We will gather more tomorrow night under the full moon. On another note… Is Lupin's cure ready?" Alexander says.

"Yes it is he is coming today." Artemis says.

"Good, good. Well I must be off, Rosalyn will kill me if I'm not back soon." Alexander says.

"Ok, take care friend." Artemis says.

"Oh… where did Alexander say he went?" Rosalyn thinks aloud.

"I went to 'The Lab'. Why?" Alexander says walking in the door but suddenly he screams. "OH! Wards are up… AH! Dang Dark Mark…" Alexander yells and shuts the wards down. "Oy! I've got to remember the wards, and having this stupid Mark. I wonder if Falcore has figured out how to remove this dang thing or a better ward."

"What does the ward do?" Rosalyn asks.

"Well it extremely burns the mark and holds you back by it." Alexander says.

"Oh." Rosalyn says.

"There is a 'hatred' ward too. It prevents anyone with bad intent or who hates us from entering." Alexander says.

"Oh well that's good." Rosalyn says. "Is breakfast over?"

"I don't know but it is 10 o'clock." Alexander says.

"Oh. So it probably is over… We'll just have to raid the kitchens." Rosalyn says with a smile.

"Ok. Let's go I have to leave again when Remus arrives at 'The Lab'." Alexander says.

"Worthless Potter… Never be anything more than a golden boy because of your feat at the age of one and now the public has turned on you." A cold voice says.

"Always strutting around right Potter." The voice of Snape says again.

"I DO NOT STRUT!" Harry says.

"Of course you do." A chorus of Ron, Drake, Hermione, Cedric, Bertha, the old man, Lily, and James say.

"No I don't…" Harry says sounding a little unsure though.

"Yes you do…"

"NO!"

"YES!"

"NO I DON'T"

"YES YOU DO!"

"NO I DON'T!" Harry screams.

"I know." The 'nice' voice says. "Follow me."

"Ok…" Harry says shakily and like he has no choice.

"Breaking your word again Potter?" Cedric's voice rings out stopping Harry in his tracks. "I thought you were noble… After all your idiotic nobleness got me killed. What happened to it?? You lose it??" Cedric says.

Cedric then goes over and shoves Harry into the wall. Harry just gets up and starts to follow the voice.

"Hey I'm not done!" Cedric then shoves Harry very hard in the wall and leaves a dent Harry walks out stumbles and….

"AAAAAAAAAHHH! No! No more!" Harry yells sitting up in an empty hall. "Why won't they let me follow that voice… following the voice will end this. I got to follow that dang voice even though I know it can't be good. Stupid Snake…"

"Harry! What's wrong? What are you doing here?" Hermione says walking up behind Harry.

Harry turns to look at her with his bloodshot eyes and opens his mouth to start to talk but shuts his mouth and runs away.

"HARRY! Harry wait!" Hermione calls after him but he doesn't turn around. "What's wrong with him?"

"Harry slow down!" Falcore says and Harry runs past. "Harry! TEN POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR! What's into him lately… Oh yeah the slimy snake's fangs. Grr. I will get that snake if it's the last thing I do… I guess we might have to sacrifice Harry's hand though… Well if that's all… then, I'll take care of this when it's time. Unfortunately that time is going to come all too soon."

"Alexander he's here." Artemis' voice breaks into the pleasant breakfast Alexander and Rosalyn were having.

"Ok. I got to go, dear. I'll be back in about 3 hours. Have a good day." Alexander says getting up and walking through the fireplace.

"Take my hand and follow me boy!" The nice voice in Harry's nightmare world says in a sort of hard tone and a hand appears. "Don't listen to all of those who are mean to you, Harry, listen to me."

Harry grabs the hand and is starting to be led somewhere but then, quite suddenly; he is slapped and shoved hard out of the grip by the nightmare Hermione.

"Such a weak willed fellow… how'd you ever defeat Imperious if you can't beat this world? Famous Harry Potter… hah! You can't even beat a piece of jewelry. Famous?!?! HAH!" Hermione says.

"I can so beat this stupid world!" Harry says and trips himself shooting awake.

"NO! Not again! Stupid torturing friends. They won't let me even be free of this nightmare world! Next time nothing, and I mean NOTHING, will stop me." Harry says just sitting and, crying and exhausted, falls into a dreamless sleep on the floor of the trophy room.

"Harry! Wake up. You shouldn't be asleep in here." Comes the voice of Andre Huff breaking Harry's slumber.

"Oh shut up it's the first good sleep I've had in forever." Harry says.

"Ok well get up since you're awake or points off Harry. It's evening." Andre says.

Harry grudgingly gets up and runs past Andre.

"HARRY! STOP!" Andre yells. "TWENTY POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR! *Andre sighs* What's up with him? I suppose the snake has finally gotten a secure hold on his mind. Dang!" Andre walks off towards his and Falcore's room after that.

~So you're finally listening boy. Just follow the voice and it's over.~ The Jeweled Snake says

[Yeah whatever… sure.] Harry says suddenly feeling tired. [No… not now… please… I don't want to yet… I want to… No…] Harry's eyes roll back in his head as he faints into another time in the nightmare world.

The minute Harry lands in the nightmare world he trips to make himself wake up.

[I said not yet. I need to eat Snake… And I wi… no… no… I need to eat… please… stop Snake…] Harry falls asleep yet again and trips himself to wake up. [Stop! I'll just keep waking myself up.]

~Fine… go eat boy and then the nightmare's are done.~ The Jeweled Snake says as Harry heads to the Great Hall to eat.

"Food." Harry says and sits down with the other Gryffindors for supper and wolfs down a load of food.

[I'm full.] Harry thinks and suddenly his eyelids start to get heavy again.

~Full? Well, you sssaid you'd eat and then I could make you sssleep… Ssso *in an even hissier sounding whisper* good night.~ The Jeweled Snake says and Harry falls into a deep sleep in the Nightmare World.

"NOOOO! I… not ready… Why'm I… tir'd in this wor…" Harry slurs. "S'posed t' be 'wake…"

"Well that's all part of the 'training' and 'indoctrination' program and also keeping you from tripping yourself." The 'nice' voice says with a harsh edge.

"Trainin… 'doctrination?" Harry says still slurring and confusedly.

"Yes, Harry. I will teach you all you need to know to join me. After all I am the only one you can trust right?" The voice says nice again.

"Righ…" Harry says sounding more drugged than tired now. "Well, le's go wherever we're going…"

"Ok. Take my hand and follow me then Harry." The voice says and Harry does and is led away again.

"Loser Potter who can't keep his word. He's so weak he can't keep his word." All of the voices ever in his mind start chanting in a sing song tone.

"SHUT UP! I'm going to be stronger than any of you when I'm done training with this guy." Harry yells.

When Harry finally awoke he was in the hospital wing 3 days later and he had changed… He had changed into a monster of the worst sort... Slightly unknown to himself, Harry Potter had become a Death Eater.