The dream was back.
It started out exactly as it had before - Erin, standing alone in the forest. The man came and dismounted the unicorn, then walked to her side.
"Erin," he murmured.
"Bryan," she said. "Wind-Runner," she added to the unicorn.
This time, however, Bryan did not raise his hands to the hood of his cloak. Instead, he looked upward at the stars. "You're in Slytherin, or so I heard."
"Yes," said Erin, suddenly weary. "I don't know why."
"You'll know soon," said Bryan. Before Erin could question him, he continued on. "Erin, whatever happens, you must not give in."
"What?" asked Erin, confused.
"Trust me," said Bryan, moving a step closer.
"What are you talking about?" Erin asked desperately.
"It will get better," he said softly. "Trust me."
Then the unicorn rode past, and he was gone.
Erin woke up. This time, instead of feeling uneasy like before, she felt strangely comforted. "It will get better," the man had said. "Trust me."
Of course, Erin thought as she pushed the covers off, it would be a lot easier to trust him if I knew who he was. Yawning, Erin pulled on her robes. Getting up only four hours after she had gone to sleep was usually not a good idea, but Erin wanted to be up early. She needed to talk to Harry.
Yesterday, she'd sent a note to him using one of the school owls. She'd told him to meet her by the Whomping Willow at six a.m. Would he be there?
He was. Erin, spotting him all the way across the lawn, ran joyfully to the tree. Harry smiled at her energy as she plopped down beside him.
"Hi," she said, suddenly awkward.
"Hi," he said back. Harry pulled a schedule out of his book bag. "We've got Magical Creatures with Hagrid today, and after lunch we have Potions together."
"Oh," said Erin. This wasn't what she'd expected. Harry, seeing her bewildered look, put down his schedule.
"Look, Erin," said Harry. "If you're worried about me not liking you because you're in Slytherin, don't worry. Sure, Malfoy's a prat, Snape's downright evil, and the others aren't much better, but - "
"Thanks, Harry," said Erin sarcastically. "Downright comforting."
Harry grinned and pulled her into a one-armed hug. "Don't worry. It'll work out okay. Did you know the Sorting Hat almost put me in Slytherin?"
Erin looked back at him, shocked. Harry nodded. "Said it would, what was it, 'help me on the way to greatness'. Now, Slytherin isn't for me, but I bet that it'll definitely help you on the way to greatness."
Tears in her eyes, Erin hugged Harry again. "Thanks, Harry."
"No problem. And thanks to my wonderful tutoring, you won't have any problems in school."
"Okay, Harry, that's going a bit far."
"Just kidding."
It started out exactly as it had before - Erin, standing alone in the forest. The man came and dismounted the unicorn, then walked to her side.
"Erin," he murmured.
"Bryan," she said. "Wind-Runner," she added to the unicorn.
This time, however, Bryan did not raise his hands to the hood of his cloak. Instead, he looked upward at the stars. "You're in Slytherin, or so I heard."
"Yes," said Erin, suddenly weary. "I don't know why."
"You'll know soon," said Bryan. Before Erin could question him, he continued on. "Erin, whatever happens, you must not give in."
"What?" asked Erin, confused.
"Trust me," said Bryan, moving a step closer.
"What are you talking about?" Erin asked desperately.
"It will get better," he said softly. "Trust me."
Then the unicorn rode past, and he was gone.
Erin woke up. This time, instead of feeling uneasy like before, she felt strangely comforted. "It will get better," the man had said. "Trust me."
Of course, Erin thought as she pushed the covers off, it would be a lot easier to trust him if I knew who he was. Yawning, Erin pulled on her robes. Getting up only four hours after she had gone to sleep was usually not a good idea, but Erin wanted to be up early. She needed to talk to Harry.
Yesterday, she'd sent a note to him using one of the school owls. She'd told him to meet her by the Whomping Willow at six a.m. Would he be there?
He was. Erin, spotting him all the way across the lawn, ran joyfully to the tree. Harry smiled at her energy as she plopped down beside him.
"Hi," she said, suddenly awkward.
"Hi," he said back. Harry pulled a schedule out of his book bag. "We've got Magical Creatures with Hagrid today, and after lunch we have Potions together."
"Oh," said Erin. This wasn't what she'd expected. Harry, seeing her bewildered look, put down his schedule.
"Look, Erin," said Harry. "If you're worried about me not liking you because you're in Slytherin, don't worry. Sure, Malfoy's a prat, Snape's downright evil, and the others aren't much better, but - "
"Thanks, Harry," said Erin sarcastically. "Downright comforting."
Harry grinned and pulled her into a one-armed hug. "Don't worry. It'll work out okay. Did you know the Sorting Hat almost put me in Slytherin?"
Erin looked back at him, shocked. Harry nodded. "Said it would, what was it, 'help me on the way to greatness'. Now, Slytherin isn't for me, but I bet that it'll definitely help you on the way to greatness."
Tears in her eyes, Erin hugged Harry again. "Thanks, Harry."
"No problem. And thanks to my wonderful tutoring, you won't have any problems in school."
"Okay, Harry, that's going a bit far."
"Just kidding."