The BrianCrystal Chronicles

by cathykcool

Sequel to Heir of Voldemort. *Chapter 28 up* Havoc has been bestowed upon your favorite clan of insane(in every sort of way) bunch of older and younger Hogwarts Members. Losing someone is hard, but will Cate live through this ordeal?

28. Dreaming

(Brace yourself. It's LONG beyond all reason. I somehow managed to type this all amidst my busy schedule. So enjoy! Be prepared for anything. It actually might confuse you a wee bit if you don't pick up my small hints in the foreshadowing thing. Any-whooo. Without further ado.)

Chapter 28: Dreaming

On a dark and lonely hill that overlooked all the other hills for many miles, there stood a gray house. The paint was peeling, and the windows were broken, and the woodwork was beginning to decay. In the large yard, with the rusty metal fence as a border, the grass grew high, as no one ever trimmed it. Behind the house there was a cemetery, which was large, and held many magnificent headstones. An eerie fog was ever hovering around the whole premises, and not many dared to visit their deceased loved ones.

Alone the house stood atop the hill. As has been started before, very few dare to go near the house. The cemetery and the fog is not the cause of this, but instead a rumor. A rumor (or is it a legend?) tells of an old woman who dresses in black at all times. It tells of her long white hair that is drawn back into a bun, and it tells of the pointed black hat that sits atop the woman's head. But more importantly it tells of her eyes. Eyes that were a bright hazel green color, with small flecks of red that accented them. Those who looked into her eyes were lost forever, physically and mentally.

But her eyes are not always the key to her power. The Legend tells that those who look upon her live a half-life, cursed and lonely, even if you see nothing of her eyes. They say that she is neither living nor dead. Her piercing hazel eyes, pale white skin, silvery hair, and clothing of billowing black are more than capable of looking upon. But there was always something else. No one was ever able to put a finger on what it was though. They were never the same after seeing her.

Legend tells that she lives atop the great hill with her husband, a man with an equal sense of foreboding. It is an unfortunate event for people to find out that their loved ones are to be buried in the cemetery. People of lesser importance are laid to rest there, and it is said that the pair guards them forever more.

But what no one ever came close enough to find out was that the woman's area of Black Magic was not concealed deep in her eyes, but that most affected by her Evil have never laid eyes upon her at all. She alters their dreams, and frightful nightmares, and visions scar many for life.

This woman is called the Dream Witch. It is believed that only her husband knows her true name. But it is always possible that there are others. Not a soul knows if she has an heir, or even a child. They don't even know if she is real or not.

~*~

Deep in the gray house, a light flickered. In the night, it shone through one of the broken windows, lighting up a strip of the lawn that was not maintained (just like the rest of the lawn). Inside the house, on one of the lower floors, the Dream Witch stood in front of a large cauldron with a spell book open, and many jars that held ingredients for her potion sat on shelves near her.

The Dream Witch's thin lips were curled into a wiry smirk, and strands of thin ashen hair fell in her face. The red flecks accented her hazel green eyes, and they darted across the room. Looking into the book, and looking up again, she carefully poured a silvery liquid into the cauldron. It bubbled, and then the Dream Witch spoke. Her voice was chilling, low, and raspy.

"One the past forever haunts, the future plagues another. The two are bitter enemies, and nothing seems in common. Look deeper then, and you shall see, the terror settled in." With those words, she threw the root of a plant into the potion, and it turned red, and shone on her face, creating the illusion that her pale face had turned a deadly red. "The past can never change, my friend, but holds so many clues. The future still may alter but for better or for worse? For the two shall see the haunting secrets that future holds, and past."

She uttered words that were too ancient and too magical to be translated. The potion bubbled, and it seemed to be less in amount than it had been before. This potion sat over no fire at all, but still it seemed exceedingly hot and unable to touch. Beads of sweat dripped down the Dream Witch's face, as she spoke the next part of her rhyme.

"To the two it seems but naught a dream, and very wrong they are. More frequent episodes shall come, and odd enough they are. To learn the past and future us a dangerous affair, two alone they are cursed, and no control they have. The only way they can escape is to never have a lie-down."

The potion was neon green now, and it seemed that there was barely any at all left. The Dream Witch was breathing heavily and the wrinkles that fell across her primeval face were very much visible. She poured another liquid into her concoction, and this one was a deep amber color.

"All their lives they've been hunted, and narrowly escaped. But this shall linger always, as long as they shall live. For this the two shall have to thank. the one who exists no more, in this world or the next. The Dream Witch from the past."

The Dream Witch cackled, and into her potion she poured a two small vials filled with blood. The potion bubbled some more, and there was a sudden bang. Smoke filled the large room, and the shadow of the Dream Witch was cast upon the wall. As the smoke cleared, the red in her eyes was seen vividly, and she looked into an empty cauldron.

"It worked." She breathed, and then as her eyes rolled back into her head, she swayed uneasily. Her old bones not holding her up any longer, she fell to the floor, no longer conscious.

~*~

Nicolas watched Cate closely. She was the only one in the room, aside from him. Her dark eyes darted all around, and looked up, down, left, and right. Occasionally her gaze pierced him, and he felt a pain deep in his heart.

But more often, she cried. She cried for no reason, he thought. He knew nothing of her life. Nothing. His time in the caged space gave him time to think, though. Cate was pregnant, and he wondered where the father to the baby was. Perhaps he is dead. Thought Nicolas. I should think the Lady would then have yet a reason to shed tears.

"Just tell me!" Cate shouted. "And your suffering will end!" Her dark eyes were glinting gold, and she shuddered suddenly, and began to breathe harder. Her voice was shaky, and her fists were clenched.

"I know not of what you speak, Catherine." Nicolas answered. He truly did not know what she wanted. "I am suffering not at the moment. Only in my heart."

Cate started to shake all over. She too was suffering in her heart. Shouting foul words, she pointed her wand at Nicolas, and he instantly felt pain up his left arm. As he rolled up a tattered sleeve, he found that there was now a long bloody cut running up it.

"Think it over again." Cate said. With that, she left the room in tears, a shaky mess. Nicolas sighed. Was he forever bound to a life like this? He was beginning to think he was, when he heard the window creak open.

"Who doth go there?" He called, looking at the window with his gray eyes. He shook his head, wondering if his eyes deceived him. A small girl hoisted herself up, and fell forward on the floor. Her hair was dark brown, and her eyes were a deep chocolate color flecked with small bits of gold. She stood up, and dusted herself off. She seemed very short. Nicolas watched her curiously. He saw a bit of a resemblance between the girl and Cate.

"Okay." She said, wrinkling her nose. "First of all-Who are you?" She looked at him closer. "And why d' you smell so rotten?"

Nicolas raised his shaggy eyebrows. "I am Nicolas Turner. I have been feeding the pigs their daily slop, by order of my mother. Whom, might I ask, are you?"

"Err." Paige said stupidly, looking around for pigs. She considered it a blessing that she saw none. "I'm Paige Pugnare. Why do you talk so funny? What year are you from, 1020?"

"Correct you are, young lady." Nicolas said. Paige's jaw dropped. She scratched her head, and looked at him again, her mouth still open.

"Well then." said Paige. "Did my mother lock you in this here cage- thing?" Paige asked, not daring to touch the bars. She was still giving Nicolas a strange look, and keeping a safe distance from him. "Do you want me to let you out, oh strange one?"

Nicolas nodded eagerly. Paige was looking around the room for a key of some sort. He decided that he liked her much more than Cate. She seemed cheerful and sweet. Paige decided to talk to him while he looked for the key to the cage.

"Well, I'm not much like my mother, thank God. I'm more like my dad, I suppose. I miss him so much! Oh, did you know that he was killed? Then he came back as a ghost, and then something else happened to him. My mother's a wreck, I think there's something wrong with her, and she's also pregnant. That leaves me to watch Jack, he's my little brother, and he turns 2 years old this August. But he usually bothers the dog, and is relatively easy to entertain. My sister is like my mum, though. She's evil, I tell you. She tied me to the Christmas tree, and it caught on fire, and my mum wasn't happy. Other than that, I've had a good Christmas. My sister's name is Felicity, and I also have an older brother named Ethan. He's in his 6th year at Hogwarts. He likes to cause all sorts of trouble, and his friends are my mother's twin brother and sister, Brynn and Bryce Black and some boy by the name of Mac. It's a long story of how this all came to be and such. I might explain it later."

Nicolas nodded, pretending to know what Paige was rambling on about. "What is your age, my young lady?" He asked. Paige smiled, and stopped burrowing through a desk to answer him.

"Oh. I'm nine." She said. Nicolas wondered is she was going to stop talking. But as she started her search for the key in the closet, she began rambling again. "Don't tell anyone this, or I'll have you put back in this cage. But, my best friend is Nita Potter. My mother hates her mother, Meagan. They fight all the time, and there are all sorts of complications and whatnot. But we aren't supposed to be friends. I just hate that! It's so unfair and all. I wish my mother wasn't such a control freak! I can't wait until she has the baby. By the way, the baby is going to be a girl, and her name is going to be Faye. Anyway. I think she'll be much less crabby. But I wish my daddy were back! I miss him too, but everyone fusses over my mother! Just because she's a wreck, doesn't mean they should ignore me!"

Paige flopped over on the floor, starting to cry. Nicolas stared at her. He'd managed to catch a few words of what she had been saying. "There, there, little one. 'Twill all be okay. Just keep joyful, and time shall mend all."

Paige wiped the tears from her eyes, and smiled at Nicolas. "Can I call you Nick?" She asked.

"If that be your wish," Nicolas said to her. "I've been taught what a nickname is." He said as knowledgably as possible.

"Interesting." Paige said, starting her search for the key again. "That's a little weird. Your nickname is Nick." She shrugged. "Oh well."

Nick cocked a brow at Paige, and tilted his head. She giggled, and quickly went back to her search for the key. All while still rambling on endlessly. "You see, my other friends are Bridgett, Dominic, and Max. And of course Nita. I'm related to Bridgett and Dominic, but it's a complicated situation. Max is Mac's little brother. Mac is my brother's friend, and he's also Brynn boyfriend. We met Ricardo Cortez, we call him Rico, but he's a slime ball. None of us like him. He thinks he's so great. But he's just a big loser. Oh!" Paige gave a squeal as she pried up the floorboard and held up a golden key. Nick smiled at her. "I found it!"

"Go on then, put it in the keyhole!" Nick urged. Paige stuck her tongue out at the corner of her mouth, as she always did when she did tasks of the sort. She turned it slowly, and the door to the cage sprang open and Nick walked out quietly. "Your mother mustn't know I'm free."

"Ah, she won't. Not at the moment. She's gone someplace. She never returns shortly, either. One time she left us for days. She took my father too. We were left with my grandparents. I'll tell you, that's quite an experience." Paige said, quietly opening the door and motioning for Nick to follow her. "I lived with them for nearly a year. My mum and my dad were both at Hogwarts. They took Jack with, because he was just a tiny baby then. But now he can do quite some damage."

Nick hardly heard anything Paige had said, for the beauty of the mansion astounded him he found himself in. There were many gorgeous portraits on the walls. It seemed that they were moving. Back in 1020, the pictures did not move. They stood still, but the magical colors were beautiful, in his opinion. But this was beyond anything.

Paige gave him an odd look as he marveled at the beauty of the walls in her home. She had to drag him away from the portrait of a beautiful summer day that looked as if it were from the past. Nick nearly gasped as he saw the completely marble staircase. He reached out and touched it, then ran his hand over it. He liked the smooth feeling. He was used to the rough wood that was in his house.

"Oh come on." Paige urged him on, grabbed his arm and leading him down the first flight of stairs. "Don't tell me you've never seen a mansion like this before."

"Begging your pardon, young lady, but I have seen a mansion that nearly replicates your residence exactly." Nick said thoughtfully. "I've only laid eyes upon the interior of the manor once, and that was with Sir Godric Gryffindor. Tell me, Paige, how old is your home?"

Paige shrugged. "I dunno." She said, not really caring. "My grandfather says it's over a thousand years old, and that it's been kept nice because of magic. He knows all the secret passageways in this place, even though he didn't grow up here. This is my grandmother's old home, and she passed it on to my mother, and she and grandpa built a new mansion across the road."

Nick looked around thoughtfully. His legs were getting tired from going down all the steps. The end of the last flight neared, and at the bottom a magnificent floor was laid. It was many marble colors, and it was very well polished. Paige jumped the last few stairs, and slipped on the floor, and was rubbing her bottom as Nick set foot in the room.

"Err." Paige said, pulling herself to her feet. "This is the ballroom." She didn't need to explain anything to Nick. It all looked so familiar to him. The pillars seemed to be made from gold, and the ceiling seemed to reach to the sky. A stunning chandelier was hanging from it, and the many diamond facets made the light seem to gush out from it. The walls were painted splendidly. Nick stared in awe. This place was definitely familiar.

"D'ya want something to eat?" Paige offered softly. She was sick of him staring at her house. Nick just shook his head. At that moment he abruptly took off in a dash into the living room. "Hey!" Paige shouted, sprinting off after him. "Where do you think you're going?"

When Nick finally stopped running, Paige had followed him into the dining room. He was looking at one of the pillars closely, and appeared to be examining it. He gasped, and motioned for Paige to come and look at what he'd found.

"Oh, what is it? Paige groaned, walking around the pillar to see what Nick was amazed by. There was something carved into the marble. It was difficult to read but she was able to make it out. Godric Gryffindor it read. Paige raised her eyebrows. Nick pointed lower on the pillar, to a spot near the bottom. Paige ducked down, and read the small letters that had been carved there. NT.

"This manor once belonged to Godric Gryffindor. Those are my initials. I carved them with a dinner knife while he was currently not present." Nick whispered excitedly.

"Oh." Paige said dully. "Well isn't that interesting."

Nick stared at her for a moment before pulling her back up. "You're very fortunate to have such a place of residence. This house was very much similar to that of a magnificent castle."

"Okay." Paige said dismally. Then a thought seemed to cross her mind. "I've got to show you to Nita! I've got a person from the past. But first I have to teach you some tricks. and the way you've been talking the whole day has been annoying me. Too many fancy words. Follow me!"

Nick didn't need to follow Paige. She was dragging him off someplace. On the way to the place she was taking him (he didn't know where) he saw an interesting event. There was a small child and a dog. Then there were suddenly two dogs. When he looked back again, the small child was back, and the second child was gone. He didn't say anything to Paige; this was probably an everyday occurrence in her life.

"That's just Jack and Padfoot." Paige said, noticing he looked back. "Nothing exciting." Jack giggled, as he toddled over to the edge of the room and watched Paige drag Nick by. "But just come on. This will be fun."

~*~

"She thinks at night she can escape, the horrors of the world. To live alone, and die alone, is that what fate may hold? But night comes fast, and she shall see just how wrong she was. Her dreams will haunt her, torture and taunt her, so sleep is no escape. Escape however is a key that makes her lead her life. Soon sleep will become a dream gone horribly wrong."

The Dream Witch looked out her window, into the distance. She was watching nothing in particular, but was just staring into the distance. The sun was setting behind the hills and the trees, and an orange light engulfed the entire sky. The Dream Witch watched the sun set. The sunset was quicker than usual, as if she had been forcing the sun to go down.

Her peculiar eyes surveyed the room she was inside, and she quickly grabbed a black cloak off the coat rack, which held three more black cloaks, and a silver one. Looking around again, she threw the cloak over herself, and made out the door quickly.

The Dream Witch held out a wand, and light instantly poured out. She walked down the rigid stone path that must have been well kept at one point, and opened the rusty gate. It creaked, and she shut it slowly. Then she dashed as quickly as her old body would allow for her to do to the other side of the hill. To the cemetery.

A sharp metal fence enclosed the Graveyard as well as her house. The grass grew long here too, and after she had opened the gate, she walked through it. Dodging many graves, careful not to step upon or harm any in a way, she came to a halt at a large headstone, and the light dimmed down. This grave was in better condition than the other graves. The grass near it was trimmed, and flowers grew near it. There was no mold on the stone, but in the dark the words written upon it were not visible. The Dream Witch then did something most unexpected. She dropped to her knees and wept.

~*~

Cate groaned, and held her stomach. She didn't feel well again. Sitting in the kitchen, she looked barely able to move. There were several empty plates in front of her. She looked to her large belly, and started to talk to it.

"I've spent 9 months with you already!" she said to her stomach. "If it hadn't been for that stupid prank of Meagan's, you would have already been born! But oh no. your life had to start all over again! Who thought up the complications of being an heir, anyhow? Now I must suffer through another two months of being pregnant! I can hardly move as it is!"

She gave a massive grunt as she stood up. "Now where have my children gotten to?" She made a disgusted face, just thinking of where a 1½ year old and a 9 year old could have gone.

Cate looked out the kitchen window to the setting sun. "Darling Paige had better be home before it's dark." She sighed. "Or she's in for it this time."

~*~

'Nita!' Paige mind-waved. 'I'm coming over, and I'm bringing someone over with me. Is your room clear?'

'What?' Nita responded. 'Yeah. Just a second.' Nita looked out the window. There was no sign of the twins. She had gotten the windows sound proofed by her parents a while ago as well. Ah, the marvels of modern magic. 'Okay. Come on over.'

A second later, Paige appeared with Nick at her side. "Lookit this!" She squealed. "Look what I taught him to do! Come on, Nick. Do your thing!" She elbowed poor Nick in the side as well, just for a touch. Nita stared.

Nick rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. "Wazzzzup, dawg?" He said dully. Nita fell to the floor laughing. It looked as if she could hardly breathe. With Nick's accent, the words sounded extremely funny. Paige stood up taller, proud of herself.

"I've been teaching him modern phrases." She said as intelligently as possible, after one had taught a boy from the year 1020 to say "Wazzzzup, dawg?" and then looked at Nita. "Oh, and by the way, his name is Nicolas Turner. But his nickname is. Nick!"

"I. Know!" Nita said between laughs. Her glasses had fallen off her face, and Nick and Paige were just blurry figures now. After a bit she managed to pull herself together, and she stood up to explain. "He was here at my house for a bit. My mother cleaned him up, but he still insisted that he wear those hideous clothes he's got on."

"Why was he here?" Paige asked, but she didn't give Nita a chance to reply. "My mum had him locked up in a cage! I let him out, and I've taught him how to talk like us now!"

"Yeah, dude!" Nick said. He was trying to sound as much like Paige and Nita as possible. Just listening to Paige talk for a half an hour, he swore he had learned every word in the modern English dictionary.

"You taught him how to say the word dude?" Nita asked, fighting a laugh. Paige nodded. She still seemed rather proud. "So why was he at your house again?"

"Uh." Nita said, but Nick interrupted her.

"I stand right here, yet ye two young ladies talk of me as if I am merely a project and not here at all." Nick said, falling back into his old accent and way of speech.

"Well, Nick." Paige shrugged. "You are a project."

Nick gave a fluttering sigh. A little girl was dragging him around because she had freed him from his cage, and she taught him strange words, and her friend laughed at he. Somehow, the deal just didn't seem fair to him.

"For your information, your mother," he turned to Nita. "Managed to get me here, and your mother," He looked at Paige, "has bound me to her forever."

"Oh." Paige shrugged. "That explains things." It didn't, really. Both girls were entirely confused and befuddled. "But I suppose we best get back home. It's starting to get dark out, and my mother will have my head if I'm gone, and so is Nick. I'll see you later Nita!"

Nita waved, as Paige and Nick disappeared. Then she went back to sulking about the news of Angelina being a deaf Squib. She had been looking forward to teaching the three babies magic before the twins got to them. But it now seemed as if only two of them were going to learn magic now."

~*~

Tiira sat in the living room of her house with Venire and their son. Venire sat straight in an emerald armchair, and the young boy was on the floor, playing with a set of magical blocks. There was a small castle constructed near him, and he gleefully toppled it over.

"The people at the bottom of the hill have a little girl." Tiira informed her husband, as the two watched their son play. "She's four. He's just a year older than her." She nodded towards the little boy. "I went for a visit today. A woman with long straight light brown hair answered. I couldn't help but noticed the bruises on her arm. I introduced myself, and then the little girl stepped out from behind her mother. Oh, she was a pretty child. The mother seemed like a sweet person; slightly shy perhaps, and the little girl looked afraid. I was about to set up a play date, our children being the only ones in the area, when a tall man with sandy blonde hair and gray eyes stepped forward. He quickly informed me that the little girl couldn't play, and then he slammed the door in my face. I didn't know what to do, so I left. But I just don't know, Venire. There seems to be something horribly wrong at that household."

Venire sighed, and looked at Tiira. "Tiir, I have told you zis before. Do not meddle in ze affairs of ze other people. Zey can be dangerous." His dark brown eyes were focused entirely on her now. "Wit ze baby on ze way, and our son, nothing should happen to you."

Tiira half smiled at him. "I guess you're right." She said softly. "But I feel so bad, because the little girl probably lives in an abusive home. and the mother could have a better husband. I want that for everyone, Venire. I want everyone to love someone like I love you. Love is a powerful emotion."

Venire said nothing, but he smiled at her. Then they both went back to watching their son play, and commenting on how good he was at everything. They were a happy family. Tiira and Venire didn't deserve to die. But at the moment, they were alive. They lived vividly, and they answered the door when they heard someone knocking.

The little boy hid behind his parents' legs. There was something terrifying at the door. In front of Tiira and Venire stood a pair of vampires, and what appeared to be their son. Tiira stood breathless, clutching the golden necklace she wore. She had suddenly gone very pale, and all the light in her hazel eyes was gone.

The young vampire stepped into the house, and Tiira and Venire's little boy peered around their legs at him, his dark brown eyes wide with fear. He was shaking, and the vampire's black eyes were starting to make him feel queasy. He took off as fast as his five-year-old legs could carry him, leaving his parents with the pair of Vampires and their son.

With a poof, the young vampire boy disappeared, and a bat flew around Tiira's had, then headed off in another direction. Tiira stared at the couple of vampires, and Venire pulled his wand from his pocket. Tiira's hand still clutched her golden necklace. The charm, or whatever was on it was tucked beneath her shirt.

"Don't make me take it out!" She cautioned. "Or you'll be sorry you came here."

The pair looked at her, and bared their fangs. Tiira's hazel green eyes brightened, and she pulled the necklace out. What was on the end of it could not be seen, for there was such a blinding flash of light that the night sky was illuminated, and everything was completely visible, much as it is in the daytime.

The vampires shrank in fear of daylight, and they seemed to disband on the spot. Tiira tucked the necklace back in her shirt, and looked shakily at her husband. "They aren't gone for good. They just can't take much light." But they both sighed in relief, not noticing the absence of their son yet.

The little boy had gone to a dark corner on the other side of his house, near the back door. He hugged himself tightly, and tried to stop from shaking. He'd seen vampires before and had come to the conclusion that they were scary. He heard the sound of wings flapping, and it was gradually getting louder and louder.

Soon there was a bat in the room, and within a minute, the bat was transformed into the vampire boy. The boy looked straight at him, with his black beady eyes. His hair was also black, as were his clothes, apart from the bit of red on his shirt and cape. His skin was pale white, and it reminded the little boy of snow.

"My name is Regere." He hissed. His voice was chilling. The little boy said nothing to him. He just continued to shake in fear and sit in his corner. "You can be my friend. We can live forever, you know." He bared his fangs, and the boy screamed, pushing Regere the vampire boy aside, and making a break for the door.

The little boy wasn't sure if Regere was following him as he ran away. Soon he looked back and his house seemed very far away. But that was all right with him. There were vampires there. He just kept running. Looming closer to him was a gray house with peeling paint that sat atop the largest hill in the area. He saw a rusty metal fence, and made his way to the gate. It creaked as he opened it.

Quite out of breath, as it had been a long run for a five year old, he walked slowly up the beaten path. The door to the house was open slightly, so he pushed it open. Slowly peering inside, he discovered that the house was a wreck. An eerie light was at the end of the hallway. This place was scary too. He was just about to turn and run back home when-

"What have I here, my poor little dear?" A low raspy voice said. It sent shivers down the boy's spine, and he turned to face a pale old woman with white hair who was dressed from head to foot in pure black. He stood gaping, trying to say something, but he couldn't. But the old woman had more to say. "You're supposed to be here, in fear, yes in fear. My future I hold in your hands my dear. When you're dead and gone, hope still lives on, in another close to you. Much do you hold on your now small shoulders."

The little boy screamed, and tried to turn around and leave, but he backed into the wall instead. The old woman watched him for a moment, and a thoughtful expression crossed her face. She drew a knife, and a small vial, and she cut his arm. Blood dripped out and fell into the vial. The little boy screamed louder.

Just as the boy thought the woman was going to kill him for sure, or maybe cook him in the oven, the door flung open, and hit the wall with a crack. Tiira was standing at the door with Venire at her side, and she looked livid. She pushed the old woman aside, and gathered her son in her arms.

"Leave him alone. Don't take out your grudges on him! He's innocent!" Tiira shrieked at the woman. "Because I'm not like you doesn't mean you can take my son! You have no right! I'm no longer your child!"

"I haven't any business with you, Tiira my child." The old woman said. "Nor your son, but with events concerning your son's future."

"I see your riddle!" Tiira yelled. "If you dare mess with his dreams, his mind, or anything at all, I'll finish you off. Parent or no parent, I still hate you. You tried to ruin my life long ago. Leave my child alone."

"Very well." said the old woman. Her hazel green eyes were flashing red. "Then another's life shall become a living Hell. It already is, and always shall be, but you Tiira brought it upon you and me."

Tiira turned on her heels and left. Venire shot a glare at the old woman, and quickly followed his wife. The old woman was left alone. "Then the Dream Witch shall begin a new project." She cackled evilly, and left the hallway, reciting riddles and rhymes to herself.

~*~

Cate woke up, breathing hard. Her dreams were starting to come back. Her dream had again involved Tiira, Venire, and their little boy. There were also three vampires and an old woman. This time she didn't have Bellum to comfort her. She couldn't help feeling that this dream had something to do with her as well, though she was not in it. It was a strange feeling.

But she wasn't the only one who was having strange dreams. Someone she now hated with all her heart was having other dreams. Different dreams, in every way. Somehow they held more of a terror.

~*~

In the large living room in the Potter house, the entire Potter family sat happily, chatting with each other. A large Christmas tree stood in the background, bedecked with fancy ornaments, and glowing candles. But everyone present seemed older. They seemed a few years older.

Neil sat by himself in a corner, looking around nervously, pretending to read a book. Nita and the twins were playing Wizard's Chess and were engaged in a verbal battle over whether or not Jo and Jess had cheated. The triplets appeared to be about 5 years old now, and they were busy stacking the gifts under the tree into large piles. Harry held a small child in his arms, and Megan was talking to Crystal.

"I can't believe my 7th year is nearly half over!" Crystal squealed. "Then after this. I'll be on my own in the world!"

"No. you'll always have us, darling." Meagan smiled at her. "No matter what."

"Well, I'm glad of that." Crystal said. She gave Neil a strange look. He was now watching her closely. As soon as he noticed that she saw him, he went back to pretending to read his book.

There then was a knock at the door. It was a very fast, and loud knock. Meagan motioned for everyone to stay and continue talking, and that she would get the door. She made her way to the entryway, and hummed as she pulled the door open. She looked forward, and there was no one there.

"Hm. That's strange." She said. She was about to leave, when she looked down. At the doorstep there was a small bundle. Meagan gasped, as she picked the bundle up. There was a baby inside that looked less than a month old. "Oh my God." She choked out, as the baby opened its tiny eyes. They were emerald green. The baby looked up at her, and its eyes turned purple. Megan nearly dropped the minuscule child.

"Harry!" she called. "Come here! Quickly!" She unwrapped the baby from the bundle, and discovered that there was a note inside. The baby was definitely a girl, judging by the pink clothing, and the way she looked.

With the baby close to her, she quickly read the note, and her face went pale. Her mouth was completely open. Harry was at her side now, with an older baby in his own arms. She handed him the note, her hand shaking as she passed it to him. She looked towards the corner, and 8 curious children were peering around it. She stared at them all.

Harry gasped, and nearly dropped the toddler in his own arms. "There's no possible way!" He said. "There just can't be!"

There was another knock at the door. Meagan lunged, and pulled it open quickly. She faced a very dazed Cate and Bellum, along with a small girl who was clinging to Bellum's legs. She looked at Meagan with a pair of hazel eyes, and then quickly hid behind Bellum, and all that was visible of her head was a bunch of thick, wavy, dark brown hair.

The whole Potter family stared at Cate and Bellum. Cate held a letter in her hands, and she looked at Meagan, who held the baby. Cate didn't look as if she were ready to kill Meagan. In fact, she looked as if she were looking to her for help.

"You- you got a letter?" Harry stammered. Cate and Bellum nodded. The little girl that was close to Bellum started to bawl. She howled into Bellum's robes, and he kneeled down to comfort her.

"Faye, there's nothing to cry about, sweetie!" He said softly, patting the small girl gingerly. "Daddy's here for you."

"Then it's true." Cate said softly to Meagan. Meagan nodded. Cate looked at the Potter children. "May I see the baby?" She asked. Meagan handed her the small child, and Cate started to cry. Faye howled louder, and Bellum hugged her tighter.

"One of my children has got a lot of explaining to do." Meagan said. She looked at the children. They all cowered back. Each one had an equal look of terror on his or her face. Cate rocked the baby, while biting her lip nervously. Faye's crying made the baby start to cry as well.

"Bellum, take her home." Cate said to Bellum. "I'll discuss this with the Potters."

Bellum looked at her and shook his head. "No. I've got to be here."

"I'll take Faye." Crystal offered, stepping forward from around the corner, and tripping over Neil, who was frozen where he was standing. "Maybe I can make her calmer."

"Thank you." Bellum said. "I don't think it'll work. She's cried non-stop since she was little. But we might as well try."

"To the living room." Meagan pointed at her children. "We all have something to discuss."

Cate handed her the baby once more, and wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry about this." Cate said. Meagan gave her a look that told her quite plainly that everything was fine.

"There's nothing to be sorry about." Meagan told her. "Perhaps we should be happy of this event." Cate bowed her head, and followed everyone into the living room where everyone sat, waiting the verdict of this strange event.

~*~

Meagan woke with a start, and hopped out of bed. Harry was still asleep. It was a strange dream she had just had. She shook her head, telling herself it was only a dream. Taking a few deep breaths, reminding herself that it was only a dream. But she still wished that she knew what the note with the baby in her dream had said. She wished the dream had made any sense at all to her.

"Only dreaming." She repeated to herself. "You've had weird dreams before Meagan. why would they worry you now?" With that she slid back into bed and drifted off into another uneasy sleep.

~*~

Felicity tapped her short red fingernails on the table softly and glared across the Great Hall at Crystal. Blick and Malicia were on both sides of her, and enforced her glare with two more death glares of their own.

"Really, what is their problem?" Crystal sighed, looking at Brian, Fred, and George so she didn't have to look back at Felicity. The boys were all arguing over some small thing as the usually did.

"McGonagall does not have false teeth!" George argued. Crystal rolled her eyes. The three boys were still oblivious to the fact that she had said something.

"Yes she does!" Brian said in defense. "I saw her take them out after class once. Right, Crystal?" He looked over to her, and found that she seemed again not to be paying attention to him. "Crys?"

"Oh." Crystal said, pretending she hadn't been paying attention. The boys had ignored her for a few moments. She was only returning the favor. "Did you say something, Frostbite Boy?"

Brian turned red. "My frostbite has gone away now. My mum decided she was sick of my whining, so she healed it." He stuck his nose in the air, and crossed his arms. Everyone laughed.

"Well, the bell's going to ring soon." Fred said. "Are we going to be on time for class today?" The Modern Day Marauders were only on time for class if they felt like it. Except for Snape's class. They were careful not to be late for that.

"We've got Snape this morning." Crystal groaned, still feeling Felicity's steely gaze upon her. "It might be best if we were on time for that one."

The four sighed heavily. Just the thought of class with Snape was enough to ruin their day. But the picked up the bags, and joined the rush that led to the flooded hallways full of people trying not to be late for class.

A few seats down, Neil sighed to himself, and picked up his books. He had been reading one of them while he had been eating his breakfast, and found that it was too good for him to put it down. Throwing a few things into his bag, he slung it over his shoulder, and walked off, with his nose still in his book.

"Your brother is seriously strange," said Brian, eyeing Neil closely. "Now he's reading and trying to get to class at the same time. He's going to trip over his own feet, and when he does, I'll laugh at him."

"He's not strange." Crystal said, pausing to search for words. "He's just a little. different." She shrugged, looking at Neil again. Then she flinched as she caught a glance of where Neil was wandering, with his eyes still focused on his book. "He's going to run straight into Felicity!"

And indeed he did. Papers flew everywhere, and both Felicity and Neil fell to the ground. Crystal slapped her forehead, wondering what Felicity was going to do to her poor younger brother. He was her only brother too, so she hoped whatever was going to happen wouldn't be too terribly twisted. But Felicity only grumbled, and glared at Neil as Blick quickly pulled her to his feet. She looked back at him once before she headed off down the hall in the opposite direction.

Neil groaned, and pawed around for his glasses. He found them in front of them, and as he put them on. Crystal came into focus, and she handed him his bag. Brian, Fred, and George were gathering the spilled contents of it.

"Isn't she awful!" Crystal fumed as she pulled him to his feet. She placed her hands on her hips and glared in the general direction of Felicity. No one said anything in reply. "Honestly! Running into you like that and not even telling you she was sorry! Someone needs to teach her manners!"

"It's okay Crystal." Neil said, staring at his older sister. It seemed that she disliked Felicity so much that even the little things she did were worth complaining out loud about. "I'm fine. Nothing's wrong with me."

"Whose side are you on anyway?" Crystal asked him. Brian rolled his eyes and handed Neil his bag. Everyone around them could practically feel the hatred between Crystal and Felicity.

Neil stared at Crystal for a bit more, then preceded to walk down the hall. There was no escaping Crystal though. He discovered that she and her friends were close behind him. "Why do you hate her so much, anyhow?" He asked her, as long as the subject of conversation was on Felicity.

Crystal was at a loss for words momentarily. "Because." She said lamely. "She's just so similar to her mother. She'll end up just like her mother and we don't want that! We're just natural enemies."

"Maybe you just misjudged her." Neil shrugged. Crystal opened her mouth and successfully achieved the look of a fish out of water. "It's not like you've ever even talked to her or anything."

"Oh, and you have?!" Crystal shot back. She hated being quarreled with, especially by her own younger brother. "You can't judge people either, Neil. Just keep your shady little opinions to yourself and we'll pray you grow up to be a normal person."

Neil shrugged, and kept on walking, as Crystal turned off at the corner. He heard Brian whispering to either Fred or George (he couldn't tell the difference). "Neil 1, and Crystal 0!" He chuckled, then there was a screech, and Neil had to chuckle, wondering what Crystal had done to Brian.

He pulled out his book, and started to read again, on his lonely road to class. Instead of his usual bookmark, something else marked his page. It was a note scrawled in a small neat handwriting. He knew whom this note was from instantly. Felicity didn't just bump into him for no reason.

I want my mirror. Read the note. Meet me at the gazebo in the sky. Midnight. Neil gave a fluttering sigh. He had left the mirror there. Felicity had obviously made the assumption that he had taken it. He wondered if she had even gone to see if it was there herself.

But nonetheless he was going to meet her. Perhaps she had something interesting to say. Wondering if she'd try and throw him off the edge this time, he soon found himself right where he didn't want to be. In front of the door that led to Professor McGonagall's class.

~*~

Many believe that the shadows hide secrets. In most cases, that statement proves itself true. Shadows can hide true identities and what lurks there is usually wicked and can strike at any moment. Some fear the shadow, but others thrive upon its secrecy.

In a particularly shadowed spot near an abandoned house there stood a man. His form was visible, but none of his facial features. It was impossible to tell who he was. But his hair was clearly messy, and it stuck up in certain places. He wore glasses, and was also visibly skinny. He paced the area nervously, as if waiting for his own doom.

Then a woman's form appeared out of nowhere. She was shorter than the man, and her voluptuous body was a clear shadow, due to the fact that her clothing was tight. Her hair seemed to be slightly fanned out, and it fell beyond her shoulders. The man stopped pacing when he saw her, and quickly hurried over to her.

"It's been too long." The man said, taking her hand. "I've lived without you too long."

"And I without you." The woman said. Her voice was soft and soothing. When she spoke, the man seemed to settle down instantly. "I'm sorry I chose this path now. I could have been with you. It's all I want, and all I ever wanted."

"But we can't be with each other." The man sighed, squeezing her hand tighter. "The world won't allow us to. Everything is so against us. We aren't even on the same side. You're bad, and I'm good. I would have joined you."

The woman had had her head bowed the entire time, but now she raised it, probably to look into the man's eyes. She kissed him softly on the lips, and took his other hand. "I know you would have." She whispered tenderly in his ear. "But I couldn't let you do that. I couldn't let you ruin your life like I ruined mine so long ago."

"But I still love you." The man said. He kissed her forehead, and the woman bowed her head again. "I love you more than anything. Do you still love me, or in our time apart have you found another to bestow your affection on?"

"I still love you!" The woman cried, suddenly breaking out into tears. The man bit his lip and pulled the woman close to him so she could cry on his shoulder. He ran his fingers through her hair, and whispered soft words in her ear.

"What about-" he started.

"He's dead. And you know it!" The woman sobbed. "He's dead and it's entirely my fault. But it's okay." She lifted her head up to look the man in the eyes again. "I never loved him. It was in the past. I love you. I've spent all these years loving you."

"Then why did you just leave?" The man asked, with a small hint of anger in his voice. "Why did you leave your family? They need you. You could have at least stayed for your children."

The woman was still crying, but she didn't break her gaze into the man's eyes. "Because I had to." She choked. "I had to. There was no escape this time. Nothing anyone could have said or did would have kept me out of prison, or away from a Dementor's Kiss. I ruined my life."

"I would have stood by you, no matter what. If you had died, I would have died as well. I haven't seen you in 10 years. I'm still willing to go with you." The man gave the woman a shake, and she looked at him.

"I told you this already. I won't let you ruin your life. Faye was still little when I left. She always cried when I was around. I remember it well. It was summer. I couldn't stand it any longer. I'd had enough of my father trying to help me, and my mother's constant fretting. I just wanted to escape. Why did I pledge myself to him? There was a pain in my heart when I left, and I could hear Faye crying. It was awful, and I don't know why I didn't come back. I don't know why I didn't go to you."

"I always pictured you as a smart person." The man said in reply. "That was one of the few moments where your intelligence failed you. Besides, you couldn't have gone to me. I was caught up in family troubles as well."

The woman swallowed, and kissed the man again. If the expression on her face had been visible, it would have showed complete sadness. "Speaking of which." the woman said slowly. Then she lowered her voice even softer as she spoke her next words. "How did Meagan take it?"

There was an awkward silence as the man searched his mind for the correct words to use. He took the woman's hands yet again, and squeezed them tightly. "I'm still in shock that I'm still alive." He said. The woman flinched.

"I'm so sorry." She said. "I'm sorry for everything. I broke everything. It just shattered. In my family and yours. I've never said sorry to anyone in my life that I recall, especially a Potter. But now I wish more than anything that I wasn't who I am. It means I can't have you." Letting go of the man's hands, she put her own hands around his neck and kissed him. His hands found their way to her waist, and soon the two were crying together.

"I can't say goodbye to you." The man blubbered. "But I can't just let you go without a goodbye like last time." He touched the woman's face, and wiped a tear that was running down her cheek. "Just stay for a while longer. I need more time with you!"

"I can't." The woman said. "Our paths have taken us to separate roads. I said I'd love you forever, and I will. But they say if you love someone, you have to let them go. It's for your good. You can't go with me."

"I know I can't." The man said. "I'm just asking you to stay for the night with me. I missed you so much. I missed the smell of your hair, and your soft skin. I can see the curves of your body when I close my eyes. I just need to be with you for a night. Can you pretend for a night that nothing is wrong in our lives, and that nothing ever has been?"

The woman swallowed and managed to choke out, "I think I can."

With that, the two disappeared, and a fog closed in upon where they had stood. The shadow was all they had. Pretending to be what she was not was the only way the woman could be with the man she loved. There are many like that. If not for the shadows that masks the face of the truth, many things would not be possible.

~*~

"Crystal! Crystal wake up!" Brian said frantically, giving Crystal a shake. Her eyes fluttered open, and he came into focus. She realized that she was on the floor of the dungeon, and there was a circle of people around her. Brian had a tight grip on her arm, and was kneeled next to her on the grimy floor. Once he realized she was conscious he promptly let go of her arm.

"What happened?" Crystal groaned, sitting up slowly. Brian pulled her to her feet, and Crystal found that she felt slightly faint. By the look in Brian's eyes something weird had happened. She remembered two people talking in the shadows. They hadn't seen each other for a long time, in what she gathered. Their images popped back into her mind and she felt a shock go through her body. Those people just couldn't be who she thought they were.

"You passed out!" Brian said, glaring at the onlookers in the dungeons. They were totally silent, and staring at Brian. "Lucky Snape isn't here, or we'd be in a good deal of trouble."

"It seems, Mr. Black, that Lady Luck is not with you today." Said a slimy voice from behind Brian. Crystal was giving him a look that told him exactly who was behind him. The person he least wanted to be behind him in any occasion, and especially this one. Severus Snape was ready to give out a detention and take points from Gryffindor.

Brian turned around slowly, not wanting to face Snape. Snape wore a wiry grin on his face, and he seemed to smell his fear with his exceptionally large hooked nose. "Just kidding, Professor." Brian said weakly.

"Take your seats, all of you!" Snape barked. "And for disrespect to a Professor Mr. Black has lost Gryffindor another 20 points. Also note, Gryffindors that yet another 20 will be taken as none of you were in your seats when I entered the room. If I recall correctly, the bell rang five minutes ago. Is that right, Miss Potter?"

Crystal nodded. "What was that?" Snape barked at her. Crystal didn't want to lose more points for Gryffindor, so she responded quickly out loud. Her head hurt and she didn't feel too well. But there was no way of getting away from Snape. She was going to have to suffer through Potions class. As if she hadn't hated it enough..

~*~

"No!" screeched the Dream Witch, who had been watching everything through a mirror on the wall. "The girl is not supposed to see! She should not see what is to be!"

The Dream Witch's eyes turned a lurid red, and the green disappeared entirely. "Nothing should go wrong with my spell!" Her old bones creaking, the old woman left the room that contained a large cauldron, the mirror, and other magical artifacts, and set off to find a curse to make things right.

Crystal having that dream clearly infuriated her. Something was not right.

~*~

Amidst the stars and the clouds, the Gazebo in the sky seemed so peaceful. The moonlight seemed to make it shine, and the platform was bright. In the middle of it, on the ground, there sat a mirror. It was golden and looked old.

Neil Potter gave a sigh as he picked it up. Felicity hadn't seen for herself that it was there all along. Neil looked around in a circle. She wasn't there yet. But that gave him time to sit by himself and think. But he couldn't think. Not when the temptation to look in the mirror kept growing.

He closed his eyes and raised it. When he opened them again, his father's reflection stared back at him. He jumped. It was weird. He wondered why Felicity wanted it back. Perhaps it was valuable? Or was what she saw in it more of a value to her?

"Tell me, Neil..." Said a soft voice. "What do you see when you look into that mirror?" Neil didn't need to turn around to tell who had asked him that question. He blushed scarlet and was too embarrassed to turn around and face Felicity himself. He looked into the mirror again, and his father's reflection smiled at him.

"I see my father." He said slowly, as if an unseen force had gradually pushed him into saying it. "And what do you see, Felicity?" He found that he was now standing, and he had turned around. A little surprised, his eyebrows were raised, and Felicity gave him a funny look.

"I see my mother." She said, bowing her head. "Do you know what this mirror shows you?" She asked. Neil noticed that she was shivering, wearing only red silken pajamas. Neil shook his head. "It shows you who you desire to be, or be like. I feel shadowed by my mother, and I suppose my desire to be better than she was has turned into a desire to become more like her."

Neil didn't say anything. He really did want to be like his father, but he didn't want to be exactly like him. He handed Felicity her mirror, and she smiled. "I knew you didn't have it." She said. "In fact, I came and got it. But I put it back."

"Why?" Neil asked, a slightly bemused.

"Because I was curious to hear what you saw." Felicity answered. "It's an interesting thing, and you can tell a lot about a person if you know who they idolize. Already I can tell that you want to be a brave person. You want to be loved by most people, and you have a sense of adventure hidden behind that shy look you've got."

Neil bit his lip. It was almost as if she had read his mind. But he would have known if she had. Any mind reader could sense his or her own mind being read. She seemed to automatically feel what he was thinking. "I can tell things about you too." He said. Felicity nodded for him to continue. "I can tell that you want to be known by all. You want people fear you. No, I take that back. I was wrong. You want people to love you. You want attention, and you want to fall in love. You want what your mother had with your father more than anything. But you're determined not to make any mistakes. Not like your mother did."

Felicity smiled. "You're pretty good at this." She said. "It's taken me a long time to learn the way people think. I can tell what you want, what you like, and everything you think about. And I don't have to read your mind. I can sense it. Everyone probably could, if they taught themselves."

"Um, thank you, I guess." Neil said, squaring his shoulders and blushing. It was indeed as if her eyes could see straight to his soul. He believed that she was complimenting him.

Felicity gave a colossal sigh and sat down on the ground, lookin out into the endless array of stars. Just out of curiosity, Neil tried to sense what she was thinking. This time it wouldn't work for him.

"I can let you feel my emotions only if I want to. If I don't want you to know what I'm thinking, then I won't let you pull the trick." She stated. "Control is something that needs to be practiced. Take my father, for instance. He never learned how to control his powers, so he never used them."

Neil sat down next to her. Now he felt safe while she was around him, instead of the usual frightened feeling he felt before. She really was just a normal person. "I still can't get over the fact that you don't talk to your own friends." Neil said to her.

"I told you before, they aren't the talking type. I don't know anyone who is. I can't talk to my mother, oh no. She's an insane wreck at the moment. I could talk to my dad. He was so. good. Everything he did was a comfort, and he reminded me how life really was worth living. He's got a way with Jack, and my mother is always calmer. I miss him, Neil. I miss my father."

"Well we both seem to have problems." Neil sighed. "One of the triplets." He cut off. He didn't know if he wanted to tell Felicity. But he did anyways. "Is a squib. That and she's also deaf. It'll make life hard around the house. I feel so bad for her. I feel bad because I have power, and she doesn't. She won't have the privileges that we do."

"Well at least she's still around." Felicity shivered. Neil took notice again that she was wearing only thin pajamas. "I'm sure you'll find a way to sort everything out."

"D' you want my cloak?" Neil offered shyly. Felicity shrugged, and eagerly took his cloak as he handed it to her. "It is January. I suppose you should have dressed a little warmer."

"Yeah. it's a fault on my part." Felicity said, sounding much more content now. "Oh, and thanks."

"No problem." Neil shrugged.

Felicity gazed at him for a moment. "Why are you so nice? I've spent all this time bickering with your sister, and I knocked you down today. Yet you seemed sympathetic to the fact that I was cold, and offered me your cloak."

"It's just the way I am." Neil said. "I feel that it's my duty to be nice to those that need a little help."

"You're just a nice person." Felicity said. "I sometimes wish I could be like that. But are you happy? Does it make you feel content that you can always help people, no matter how bad the situation?"

"Yes." Neil said. "I suppose I am happy. A little lonely, perhaps, but happy." He looked at Felicity and smiled. "I never figured you were a lonely person. But it seems that we have more in common than we bargained for."

"I suppose." Felicity shrugged. "I've honestly enjoyed your company. I never would have thought. you being a Potter and all. But I guess I can't just judge everything from a distance."

There was a long silence, and no one said a thing. Up in the sky, there were no sounds, and neither Neil nor Felicity dared to disturb the peace at the moment. The night sky was clear and black. The stars glistened like diamonds in the sky, and the clouds around the gazebo seemed to be swirling around them.

"This is how life should feel." Felicity said. "Not a care in the world. It should be serene and beautiful. But I've learned that nothing is perfect. But this place comes pretty damn close."

"Yeah," said Neil. He had been thinking the same thing. If only his life would be a bit more peaceful it would be better. "But I suppose I'll get going. It's late and I have Potions tomorrow. I guess I'll see you around sometime."

"Goodbye." Felicity waved as Neil disappeared. She sighed deeply, and a few seconds later, she was vanished as well.

~*~

In a castle fashioned of stone Tiira sat by herself and looked out the window of her room. From her window, the Eiffel Tower was visible. Tiira looked younger now. She appeared to be about 16 or 17, but that wasn't all that seemed different about her. She didn't seem happy. There was no smile on her face, or brightness in her hazel green eyes.

She sighed heavily and picked up a framed photograph of a couple. It was in black and white, and was of a man and a woman. The woman had light hair, and the man's hair looked dark.

"Oh, why can't you be like you seemed to be back then?" Tiira asked the picture quietly. "Mom and dad." She gave a miserable sigh and flopped over on the bed in her room. The world seemed to spin, and she had to sit up to escape the dizziness.

"Tiira!" Called a voice from outside her door. "Your father wants you."

"Tell him I don't care!" Tiira yelled, hoping she yelled loud enough for her father to hear her. The person outside the door sighed loudly.

"He says he needs to see you." The person said, starting to get frustrated. "Now!"

"Go away, Vir!" Tiira hissed. "I'm not coming out! If my father wants me, then he can come and get me!"

"Fine then." Vir replied. "I'll tell your father that you're being your usual pretentious little self and are refusing to come out of your room for an unknown reason."

"Then go!" Tiira shrieked. "I don't care."

She crossed her arms and stared out the window again. Several minutes later, without warning, Mors Vox appeared in front of her. Tiira stuck her nose in the air and ignored him. His red eyes were focused on her. "I told you I don't want to see you!" Tiira spat.

"You cannot deny your own father a visit." Mors said in his usual chilling voice. "You haven't been yourself lately, my child. You haven't any desire for creating terror. You refused to kill the innocents. There's something wrong. What happened to the daughter I used to have?"

"Mother killed her." Tiira said hatefully. She turned away from Mors, and picked up the photo. "And what happened to these people?" She asked him, suddenly spinning around and shoving the picture in his hands. "What happened to the handsome young man and pretty woman that used to be my parents? All your evil ways have changed your appearance. Look at you now. Your skin is ghostly white, and your eyes are red. They used to be brown. And mother looks as if she's an old lady already! Do you think I want to be like you? Do you think I want to marry a slime ball like Vir? Do you think I want to age before my time comes? That's what your evil does to you. You're not even human any longer. You're a monster! And you're my father! Well not anymore!"

Tiira spat right in his face, and marched out the door. She was leaving. She was never coming back to the castle. She needed to find something pure. Something good. Earlier that month, she had been Tiira the evil daughter of Mors Vox. Now she was different. Something inside her yearned to be good. Something wanted to make a difference in the world.

"Tiira, where are you going, without my knowing? The world is not a place for one with such a pretty face." Said a low raspy voice that would have sent shivers down the spines of most people. Tiira halted, as she faced a white haired woman with pale skin who was draped in all black. Her eyes were a haunting hazel green with flecks of red.

"Leave me alone, mother!" Tiira screamed. "Just face it, mother. I'm not like you any longer. I'm not evil. I'm not the Dream Witch or the legendary Mors Vox. My name is Tiira Vox, and I shall never degrade myself to your level again. I'm sick of all the crap that goes on here. This place is depressing. I want to be happy. Don't you?"

The Dream Witch stared at her daughter thoughtfully. "Then go, Tiira. Desert your path to greatness and you shall be sorry one day. Walking off the path may prove deadly. You're only taking the shortcut to your death."

So she left. Tiira sprinted as fast as her legs would carry her to get out of the castle. She couldn't stand the dark putrid place any longer. She had no idea where she was going, but she was leaving. She was going to do good in the world. She'd try to make right what her parents had made wrong.

She was panting heavily as the city of Paris loomed closer to her. She could hardly run any longer. Her legs ached and there was a sharp pain in her side. But she had to keep running. She was going to get away. That meant running until she could run no more.

Tiira decided not to go directly into the city. There were too many people that would stare at her. The countryside was a better choice. It was much more secluded, and beautiful. It was peaceful and serene. It was also a good enough place for her to pass out from exhaustion.

When she woke, she heard voices. No! She thought. They found me! I don't want to spend the rest of my life in that castle! But when she opened her eyes, she discovered that there was only one person. One voice. A handsome man with dark brown eyes and blackish brown hair was kneeled over her, dabbing her forehead with a damp cloth.

"Ah, you're alive, miz!" He said with a heavy French accent. Tiira was still too exhausted to speak. "I thought zat zere was no hope for you."

Tiira struggled to keep her eyes open. The man seemed fully aware of fact that she was hardly awake. He opened her mouth and poured some sort of cold liquid down her throat. Tiira instantly felt energy returning to her.

"Who are you?" She asked him. She didn't want to sound rude, but it was the first thing that came to mind. She had to make sure he wasn't one of her father's men that had been sent after her.

"Who are you?" He asked her in reply. "I believe zat you should tell me first, as I did save your life, miz."

Tiira sighed. "My name is Tiira." She said. That was all she was going to tell him. He raised his eyebrows, and nodded at her.

"Bonjour, Tiira. My name is Venire." He smiled at her, and pushed her back down as she tried to sit up. "And you, Tiira, are still too weak to move about ze house."

"No." Tiira said. "I feel fine."

"But you nearly died." Venire objected. "Ze dead middle of ze summer iz no time to run until you collapse. Please, let me take care of your for a few days. It iz my wish."

Tiira smiled back at him. She rather liked him. He was sweet. Far sweeter than anyone she had ever talked to in her life. If she stayed with Venire for a while, she could see how good people went about life. She was sure he was good; he saved her life.

"Fine, Venire. You may take care of me." She smiled. He beamed back at her. "As long as you promise you'll be good company. Tell me stories about the world, and kiss me goodnight before I go to sleep."

Venire chuckled. "I think I can do zat." He looked at the clock on the wall. "Ze time has come for your goodnight kiss. It iz nearly midnight." Tiira smiled at him, and he leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips.

He leaned back, but Tiira pulled him closer to her and kissed him again. "You deserved a kiss more than I did." She said. "I owe you something, don't I?" Venire was breathless. Tiira released him, and he stood up slowly.

"Wow." He breathed. For a few seconds he looked as if he'd won the Quidditch Cup with an amazing play at the end of the game. "I'll be looking forward to zat every night now." With that, he stumbled off to a room of his own, seemingly quite delighted.

Tiira smiled. She definitely liked being good so far. The small bed she was laid upon was comfortable. The small room was cozy and homelike. Home like the home she never had. And she found that she couldn't wait until morning, where she could talk more to Venire. He was so different than everyone she had met before. He was better.

~*~

Cate opened her eyes and looked up at the velvet scarlet canopy above her bed. She'd just had another dream about Tiira. It was starting to drive her crazy. She needed to know who Tiira Vox was, and the last name of her husband. Perhaps the little boy was still alive! She could find him, and make a connection between her and his parents.

But how was she going to do this? She didn't know much. She'd only had three dreams that involved Tiira. But the hill where Vir killed her was so intolerably memorable to her. It had been the hill where she had gone to be alone when she had to escape the world as a child.

But at the moment, Cate wasn't going anywhere. She didn't have the strength to pull herself out of bed. The sun was starting to rise, and she could hear Paige moving about the upper floors, doing whatever she did. Cate gave a huge groan, and mumbled something about being pregnant, and drifted off to sleep again.

~*~

Tiira appeared to be feeling much better at the moment. Her wavy light brown hair was clean, and her hazel eyes were shining. She had changed from her old attire, and was wearing a long white dress. Tiira had always been fond of the way she looked. She was determined not to turn like her parents did.

At this moment she sat on the grass in front of Venire's house. It wasn't a large house, but it was comfortable, and the yard was beautiful. The French countryside was more beautiful than anything Tiira had ever seen in the castle. It was undisturbed, and looked as if no one had ever set foot there before. Wild flowers grew in the grass, and the sky was a light blue. The clouds were like cotton balls that seemed so soft she almost wanted to travel up and take a catnap on one.

"It's good to see zat you like ze yard." Said a deep French accented voice from behind Tiira. Tiira smiled, and her whole face lit up when she sprang to her feet to greet Venire. "You seem much happier."

"Because I am!" Tiira said gleefully. "It's wonderful here! You're so lucky to have such a beautiful world. All this righteousness surrounds you, and everything is content in its place. Even the soil seems wonderful. This is what my life was missing."

Venire looked into her eyes. "It's not always beautiful, Tiira." He sighed. "I once lived with my family. Zey were kind, and good. But we fought sometimes. Soon ze bickering became a constant affair in family life. Two years ago, I wished zey would all die. I wished that I would never have to see them again." He paused, and tried to swallow so the lump in his throat would go away.

Tiira laid her hand on his arm, and the two sat on the grass. "Go on Venire. I want to know what happened." Tiira had a strong feeling that her family had something to do with this. Venire was silent, so she put her hand on his. It seemed to give him courage enough to go on.

"Zen zey were killed." He said shortly. "I narrowly escaped ze wrath of Mors Vox myself. Take it as a lesson. Be careful what you wish for. Now I live here alone. I had to learn to take care of myself. I was only 16 when zey all died. Ever since, my life has been lonely."

Tiira squeezed his hand, and he squirmed. To her it seemed that Venire was shy, and very sweet. She was unable to imagine him hating his family so much that he wished they were dead. He was too righteous for that. But she knew the feeling. She knew how it felt to hate her family.

"I just wanted to get away." Tiira said. "I'm sorry, and please don't hate me for this, but my family is the root of your plight. I haven't properly explained to you who I really am, or why I ran away." She sighed, and bit her lip. "My name is Tiira Vox. I'm the daughter of Mors and Sommeil. I'm sorry they caused this dilemma. That's why I left. I didn't want to be like them. I want to be good. I want to bring good to the world."

Venire wriggled a little bit. He had actually taken a liking to the daughter of the people that had killed his family. But there was something about Tiira that was so different. He couldn't imagine that she was the daughter of Mors Vox. She was too beautiful, and too lovable.

Tiira looked away, wondering what Venire thought of her now. He probably hated her now that he knew about her parents. They had ruined everything again, and they weren't even there! It wasn't fair for her to be born into a family like that. She was their only child, and they had concentrated everything on her. They were trying to make her exactly like they had been. Just when she had finally met a single human being that she had actually liked, their evil ways had interfered. Venire was so caring, so sweet and gentle, he was handsome, and wonderful. What would he think of her now?

A gentle hand on her shoulder answered the question that had started to set her mind on fire. "It's okay." Venire whispered. "It wasn't your fault. You did nothing. It makes me happy to see you want to be good."

Tiira closed her eyes as the tears flowed down. Venire looked concerned when he realized that she was crying. "What is the matter?" He asked. Tiira smiled at him, wiping the tears from her face.

"Nothing is the matter. On the contrary, everything is wonderful." She touched his face, and then drew her hand back. "I'm crying for joy. I've never cried for the cause of happiness. Thank you. Thank you for not holding anything against me."

"I couldn't do such a thing." Venire said, putting his hand on hers. "I don't feel lonely any longer. Zat's what good does. It forgets the past. I'd like very much if you'd stay for a while longer." He offered shyly. "I'll show you more good. I'll show you what love is."

Tiira smiled. Not once, had her parents told her they loved her. No one had even used the word love in the castle. She didn't know what love felt like, or what it truly was. "I'd like that very much."

"So would I." Venire beamed shyly. He selected a pink wildflower and picked it. Tiira's eyes sparkled, and he put it in her wavy light brown hair. "You're still prettier zan ze flower," he said.

"Thank you." Tiira breathed, not knowing what to say. So at a loss for words, she leaned forward slowly and kissed him softly. "I know it's not time for my goodnight kiss, but I just didn't want to wait." She said, kissing him again. To her, this was true happiness.

~*~

Cate awakened once more, annoyed, sad, and angry all at once. These dreams were eating away at her. What was the purpose? Why was she dreaming about two people that she knew had to already be dead? There had to be a purpose, and she was going to find out what it was.

She gave a grunt and a groan, and managed to drag herself out of bed. Then she felt a sudden rage. Tiira seemed determined to be good, when she had lived a life of evil. Why would she want that? Evil always managed to take whatever is dear to good people.

Then she felt a hint of jealousy. Or was it a pang of heartache? Venire reminded her of Bellum. He was there for Tiira, and he was so sweet and caring. Something inside Cate wanted to murder every happy thing in sight. Bellum had always been there for her, through thick and thin. Now he was gone.

The desire to kill something grew. He was gone. Dead and gone. There was nothing she could do about it. Voldemort's promise now seemed too good to be true. Because it was. She realized it now. But there wasn't much she could do. But a little ray of hope was still alive inside her. It was only a false hope, but Cate had convinced herself that it was real.

But she was going to find out who Tiira and Venire were, and what they did. She was going to find the little boy they had, if he was still alive at all. Then hopefully, the dreams would go away.

~*~

"Deeeeeeeeeeeeeeetention!" Bryce chirped happily. Along with Brynn, Mac, and Ethan he stood in front of Professor McGonagall's door, and was rapping upon it hastily. Each person looked blissfully excited.

A few moments later, McGonagall answered. Bryce supposed it had taken her a while to get from her desk to the door. Her hair was now completely white, and the wrinkles on her face had only seemed to multiply.

"Proof that ignorance is bliss, Mr. Black." She clucked, letting the four eager detention-goers into the Transfiguration classroom. Brynn quickly dropped to the floor sitting Indian-style.

"This will be so much fun, Professor!" She squealed. "Can we stay the whole night? We'll have a slumber party! Just, me, you, the boys, and the creepy paintings on the walls!" Brynn looked at a picture of a wrinkled old man wearing some sort of bathrobe. She didn't know why anyone would want something like that on his or her wall, more so McGonagall.

McGonagall said nothing. She pointed to the black board and handed each mischievous 6th year a piece of chalk. "You're to copy all of chapter 25 in your book on the blackboard for me. Word for word, so I can use it as a reference as I give my lesson tomorrow. Any questions?"

Bryce raised his hand. McGonagall made an irritated face. She pointed to him, and glared, hoping he wasn't going to ask a dumb question like he always did. In class he'd asked her if she knew what head lice tasted like. Another time, when he crossed paths with her in the hallway, he'd asked her what Snape's feet tasted like.

"What does chalk taste like?" He asked, holding out his piece of chalk. McGonagall's face turned red in anger, and she glared at Bryce.

"Taste it for yourself!" She hissed. Bryce shrugged, and proceeded to put the entire piece of chalk into his mouth. She watched in disgust as he chewed, and finally swallowed. Mac, Brynn, and Ethan cheered.

"Hm. it tastes like white." Bryce said finally. "Can I have another piece?"

McGonagall rolled her eyes, and kept the rest of the chalk to herself. Mac curiously nibbled his piece and shrugged, taking a larger bite off the end. Brynn and Ethan were surveying chapter 25 already, wondering what they could do with it.

"Changing animals into humans is a very difficult skill to learn, and is illegal under most circumstances." Brynn read aloud softly. Ethan grinned. Bryce, who was after the chalk she carried with her, was now chasing McGonagall around the room and Mac was rearranging McGonagall's desk.

Changing Professors into humans is a very easy skill to learn. Brynn wrote neatly on the blackboard. They are much like dangerous animals, and only the most skilled of students should attempt this feat. It is completely legal according to this textbook, and schools everywhere should encourage this skill.

Ethan snickered, watching McGonagall try and steal the chalk back from Bryce, who had gotten it away from her easily a bit ago. He thrust a piece in his mouth and chewed. Mac was presently turning all the desks upside down. Ethan picked up the textbook and read the next line.

"Though the transformation is only temporary, it is considered unusual punishment in many countries around the world, and can earn up to two years in prison. This skill is not taught to the common populace, and is learned only by specialists, who put the skill to good use, for their countries' purposes." He read.

The transformation from a Professor into a human being is permanent. One may never again see the crabby old bat who used to hand out homework like Halloween candy, or the Professor who gave detentions to the most innocent of students. They will function like normal humans, and will be much more pleasant than you knew them before.

"How was that?" Ethan asked Brynn after he was done writing his piece.

"Very good. Detentions to the most innocent of students, Eath?" Brynn laughed. "We aren't' innocent.'

"Well, we can pretend." Ethan shrugged. "Bryce almost looks innocent at the moment, due to the fact that he is no longer moving. You could pretend that Mac is innocently rearranging the reminder signs to read rude words off."

Brynn shrugged, and went on to write some more. This skill is now taught to students everywhere, and the British Ministry of Magic encourages the use. The use of this extraordinary spell will forever change the education system.

While Mac occupied McGonagall with Fillibuster's Fireworks, Brynn and Ethan filled the blackboards with other nonsense that had nothing to do with the lesson at all. Words such as 'Rubber Ducky,' 'Crayons,' and 'potpourri' filled the blackboard.

"We're done." Brynn said as innocently as she possibly could to McGonagall, who dodged a firework. "Is there anything else you'd like us to do?"

"NO!" McGonagall shouted. "Just sit still in a desk! Sit still!"

Brynn and Ethan made an effort to drag the unconscious Bryce to a desk, but they then realized that the desks had been overturned. So they made their way to McGonagall's desk, and hoisted Bryce up on top of the desk. Brynn parked herself in McGonagall's chair, and Ethan obtained the seat that was assigned to "special" students who were either not paying attention or were causing trouble. Ethan was used to this seat. He sat in it a great number of times.

Mac, who wasn't enthralled by the fact that McGonagall had threatened to turn him into a slug, eventually joined them and they sat, smiling as sweetly as possibly as they could. McGonagall was frightened by this unusual behavior, and let them go from their detention early, wondering if she was losing her mind.



~*~

Meagan felt herself drifting little by little off into an uneasy sleep. Harry was snoring beside her, and all three triplets were asleep for one moment since they had been born. She could no longer keep her eyes open.

A great primordial castle emerged from the blackness beneath her eyelids, and it felt as if she were flying closer to it. The stones were crumbling to pieces, and the moat beneath the drawbridge was all but empty. In an instant, the inside was visible, and it looked just as old and decayed as the outside did.

What appeared to be a throne room was bedecked with black and burgundy banners that held images of bats and drops of blood coming from their fangs. There were two large thrones at the head of the room. Both had been tall and magnificent at the height of their use, but were now molded wood with torn velvet cushions and golden arms.

The throne room was large, but by no means was it empty. There were two groups of people; both appeared different. The first group was fully clad in all black. Each person had pale white shin, and black hair. A man was situated at the front, wrapped in a black cape. He grinned and bared fangs. The entire group followed his lead. They were all vampires.

The second group was made up of normal people who were considered rather normal compared to the vampires. They were all spaced a few good feet apart from each other, and they were greatly outnumbered by the vampires. At the head of this group stood Bellum Pugnare, staring the vampire straight in his black eyes.

Meagan stood to the side, biting her lip, and looking around constantly. A man and woman with dark red hair stood near each other, looking nothing short of terrified. Meagan's gaze finally fell on the thrones, and rested there for a while. It wasn't the thrones that was worthy of holding her gaze, but who was on the throne that caught her attention.

With her head fallen on her own shoulder, and her skin painted a ghostly white, Meagan hardly recognized the woman as Cate. She was dressed from head to toe in vampire garb, and the long sleeves of her dress touched the floor. She was not awake, but surely was not dead, judging by the rising and falling of her chest. Her lips were blood red, to match the middle piece of her long black dress.

"What do you want with her, Regere?" Bellum inquired softly. His teeth were gritted, and he now had his hands balled up into fists. He was speaking to the vampire at the head of the group, whom was called Regere. Regere said nothing in reply, but started to pace, walking in front of Bellum to anger him.

Meagan's eyes darted to Regere, and he stared back at her. But he turned his gaze to the throne, and watched Cate breathe. This seemed to anger Bellum. "I asked you a question." He said loudly now. "It would do well for you to answer it."

Regere pursed his lips, and uncrossed his arms, thus unwrapping himself from his black cape. He looked to Bellum, and replied this time. "I need a bride. She suits me perfectly. She is beautiful, and powerful. You haven't any idea what a great vampire she'd make."

Bellum's nostrils flared, and he stepped closer to Regere. "You can't take her." He said sternly. "I won't let you." Regere sneered at him.

"Who are you to stop me, mere mortal?" He said smoothly. "Though you have power, it amounts to nothing next to mine. She belongs on a throne. A throne where she will rule all good and evil alike. No one will fear her, but rather they will love her. In less than an hour, all her memory of you will be gone. She will have no idea you exist. She will know no other life than this."

There was a loud blast, and a table broke to a million pieces. Bellum bit his lip and glared. "Then we'll settle this once and for all." He said angrily. "You've got my children, and my wife. Did you expect me to accept this, you miserable waste of space? I'm not a child. I no longer fear you. Tell your kin to be gone. We'll settle this ourselves."

Meagan stepped forward and put a hand on Bellum's shoulder. "I won't let you do that. He'll kill you." She said. She had never dealt with a vampire, but was more than ready to. Bellum merely shook his head. "This isn't just your battle." She said sternly. "It concerns all of us."

"No." Bellum said. "This truly is beyond your power." Regere smirked, as if he found the situation funny.

Meagan frowned. "But you can't-"

"Go find my children." Bellum interrupted. "Take Ferre and Ridere." He gestured to the red haired man and woman. "Please, just listen to me this one time. It's the most you can do. They're locked in the dungeons. You'll have to deal with the rest of these vampires. Faye can't handle this any longer. Just save the children. I'll take care of Regere."

Meagan opened her mouth as if to object. But she closed he mouth as she looked at Cate sitting slumped on the throne. This was more Bellum's battle than it was hers. She removed her and from his shoulder, and motioned for Ridere and Ferre to follow her. The three were soon bolting at full speed down the aged halls, closely pursued by a cluster of vampires.

"One of us will meet their end." Regere said to Bellum, tossing a sword to him. He kept one to himself. "Preferably it will be you. Your pathetic powers are of no use against me. I'm not human."

"That's not to say you don't have weaknesses." Bellum replied, his eyes darting again to Cate. "Besides, who are you to judge my powers?"

~*~

"Meagan!" Harry gave Meagan a good shake. "It's your turn with the triplets." Megan groaned, and opened her eyes. She was clammy and had been breathing heavily. She sat up and looked at Harry, who was looking back at her strangely. "Are you okay?"

Meagan shook her head and stood up. She clicked her fingers and the lights came on. She yawned and walked over to the three bassinets with the babies. "I'm fine." She replied groggily. "Just a funny dream. I suppose it's a side effect of getting very little sleep at night."

And perhaps it was. But one was never able to tell what magical forces alter daily life when you're considered abnormal in the wizarding world.

~*~

The Dream Witch sat alone in a tall straight chair near the fire in her beaten gray house on the hill. Rain was beating down on the surviving windows in the house, and it poured in through the broken windows. Lightning flashed, and the Dream Witch started to shake.

At the exact moment when lightning flashed, and thunder boomed, the door to the living room flung open and crashed against the wall. Several old pictures that hung on the wall fell to the floor, the glass frames shattering. The Dream Witch didn't bother to turn around and face the tall white skinned man that had entered the room. She could feel his red eyes searching her mind for her thoughts.

"You're having her killed!" The Dream Witch shrieked suddenly. She sprang to her feet and faced Mors Vox, who seemed stunned at her sudden quickness. "Our own child! Our daughter! You're arranging to have her killed!" This was the first and only time the Dream Witch had not spoken in a rhyme or riddle.

"She could not be brought back." Mors said softly, his voice making the Dream Witch cringe. "But we're taking her son. Vir will have seen to this already. Tiira will live no more, nor will her pathetic righteous husband. But the boy will have power beyond what any of us can imagine. It would be a waste to leave him. Tiira is no longer a use to me."

"So you have her killed?" The Dream Witch now screamed at him. The fire behind her suddenly grew, and the room began to grow hot. "Your own flesh and blood. You're having her destroyed. And you haven't even the courage to do it yourself! You couldn't bring yourself to kill your child, could you Mors?"

Mors's eyes flashed in anger, and he stared at the Dream Witch. "Sommeil." He hissed. "I had a more important task to take care of. Tiira isn't the only one who will die tonight. You let her go, then you fled yourself. You're to blame for her death."

The Dream Witch gasped, as realization struck her solidly. "I do not die, Mors." She said. "You know that. I can be killed, but I'll roam the world as a spirit until my death is uncovered. I'll haunt you forever. Our grandson's destiny will be changed drastically. Remember that just because I am a spirit does not mean I cannot alter the course of events that take place. It also means that I can still concoct potions, and I'll mess with your dreams."

"You do not speak in a rhyme, Sommeil." Mors said smoothly, in his chilling tone of voice. "I see no riddle behind this. But I know the truth. You will remain as a spirit, though I know you cannot leave this property. Here your spirit will stay until the mystery of your death is uncovered. Goodbye, my wife."

Mors Vox, raised his wand slowly, and the Dream Witch started to shake violently. She knew there was no way for her to defend herself, for her magic did not work like that. Her magic was used for the purpose of other people, and did not work for her own defense.

Then time stood still. Mors's mouth was starting to open, and he was about to say the incantation for Death. But all was still at the moment. The Dream Witch was frozen with a look on her face that was not terrified, but ready to take her death. Her life would not end here. She would haunt the cemetery and the house on the hill forever. or until her death was resolved. Whichever event came first.

For a few moments longer they were frozen still, and as time resumed, Mors uttered the fatal words, and disappeared. Indeed, this was not the end of the Dream Witch. it was only the beginning.

~*~

Sirius watched Cate sit on the couch, trembling and weeping all at once. There were dark circles under her eyes, as if she hadn't seen sleep in a long time. He sighed softly, and rose from his chair. From the floor, he picked up a blanket, and wrapped it around Cate, as he took a seat next to her. She stopped trembling almost immediately, but she jumped by reaction to his touch.

"Life will go on, Catie." He said softly, patting her shoulder. "It's been months now. Do you honestly believe Bellum wants you to be a wreck? Do you believe that he wants you to cry, and ignore the needs of your children for him? He'd want you to go on, and try to live our life. Get off the couch, Cate." He urged.

"I can't." Cate sobbed. "I can't live knowing that he won't. He should be here, not me. He was a good person. Everyone loved him. The children. I can't leave the past behind. You haven't seen the person you loved the most die! You weren't there to witness it."

"I'm watching you die right now, Cate." Sirius said. "You're slowly dragging yourself to your death. You're killing yourself slowly, and all of those close to you. What about your unborn daughter? Do you think this is good for poor little Faye? Cate, tell me Bellum's last words."

Cate's eyes flashed dangerously, and she pushed Sirius to the floor. "Stay the Hell away from me!" She shrieked. "Just stay out of my life! You had no trouble doing it before! You can't help me! You'll never have a place in my heart. Stop telling me it's going to be okay, because it isn't! You can tell everyone to stop trying as well. Nothing can replace the empty spot in my heart. The only one who occupied that space is gone! Just leave me alone before I do something to you!"

Sirius bit his lip, feeling hurt inside. He shook his head, and cast a sorry glance at Cate before he left her to howl and cry alone. Paige stood watching at the door, and she was crying herself. He walked slowly towards her, and wrapped her up in a hug.

"Things will even out eventually, Paigie." He said. "Your mother will come back to reality sometime."

"I just want my daddy back!" Paige cried. "When mum was crabby, or if Jack was crying he always had a way of fixing things. If I was in trouble, he got me out of it. When I felt bad, he made me feel better. I know you try, grandpa, but mum just doesn't adapt well to other people. But I'm glad you're here. I don't know what we'd do without you."

Sirius patted his shoulder. He thought that Paige was probably much like Cate would have been if she'd had a decent family to live with when she grew up. Paige tried as hard as she could just not to cry at every moment of the day. She tried to bring cheer back to the house, but just couldn't reach her mother.

Sirius could no longer take this. It was bad enough with just Cate sitting there as a horrible mess. But Paige was too young, and had been so happy before. Now she was just walking the line between happiness and sadness. Little Jack didn't have anyone but Paige to care for him at the moment.

He could not stand it any longer. He was going to change things, even if it meant his life would have to come to an end. Misery was taking over, and he wasn't about to let it take control. He, Sirius Black, was going to alter the course of the evil.

~*~

Felicity sighed, as she stopped paying attention to the lecture Professor Binns was giving. History of Magic was so dull. Blick looked as if he were sleeping with his eyes open, and Malicia was watching the other students in the classroom intently, probably picking out a victim for the latest curse she was going to test.

Felicity looked out the window, and watched the large flakes of snowfall. It was now nearly February, and it seemed to snow more than ever. She had liked the snow when she was little. Happy memories filled her mind, and she quickly made herself think of something else. Happy was not the way she felt at the moment.

She felt a surge of anger towards everyone. But most of her anger was concentrated on her mother. She hated her mother, and loved her mother all the same, much like she did herself. Ariana Malfoy was also at the top of her Hate List. Because of Dolere Malfoy.

The Dark Mark on her arm felt as if it were on fire. Was it because of her sudden anger? Malicia and Blick didn't seem to be bothered by it. "Miss Pugnare?" A voice cut into her thoughts. Professor Binns was floating a few feet in front of her.

"Oh." Felicity said, coming back to reality. "The Troll Act of 1657." Professor Binns looked please, and he went back to his lecture. Felicity was glad of her ability to know things without even having to pay attention.

She still had Neil's cloak. Why that thought popped into her mind at that particular time, she did not know. Perhaps she'd bump into Neil again. Now that she thought of it, talking to Neil again sounded rather nice. He had an understanding that she didn't understand.

But she needed to write Neil another note without Blick or Malicia knowing about it. Blick seemed to have woken up, and was now watching her intently. She looked back at him, and he squirmed. He was still slightly nervous around her.

Ever since she had kissed him over the Christmas Holiday, he seemed a little more uptight around her. It was as if he had a crush on her, but he didn't want her to even think about it. To Felicity, he was just Blick. He was just simply there, with her to toy with.

For the sheer monotonous feeling of History of Magic, Felicity scooted slightly closer to Blick without Binns knowing, and she watched Blick's face go red, and his shoulders square up. But this was enough fun for Felicity. The bell was going to ring soon. She watched the clock, and shoved her belongings into her bag.

The bell rang and she soon hurried out of the classroom. But no sooner than she was out the door when she crashed into someone, and all her belongings were sent flying every which way.

"Midnight." Whispered Neil Potter, leaning forward to pick up his book. "I want my cloak." He whispered again, reaching for his glasses. Felicity got up quickly, and gathered the contents of her bag. Now she wouldn't have to take time to write another note for Neil.

"Did she run into you AGAIN?" Crystal said angrily, pulling Neil to his feet.

"No." Neil said. "I crashed into her. I wasn't paying attention."

"There's something wrong with you upstairs, if you get what I mean." Crystal shook her head. "Next you'll be saying Voldemort is completely not at fault for anything."

Neil sighed, and let Crystal ramble on some more. Brian shook his head as well, but quickly moved on as he passed Neil. When Neil had played with his mind, it had been more than enough weird mind games for him.

~*~

"Hello, my good Professor." Mac said to Snape, at the start of their detention in the Dungeons. "How are you this fine evening? Lonely, perhaps? Well, your problem is solved!"

Much to Snape's exasperation, Brynn, Bryce, Mac, and Ethan had a whole song and dance number planned for this detention. It ended with a loud bang, and a few bottles of potions shattered. "Lonely No More!" Brynn said. "That's what we've called this song!"

"How thoughtful of you, Miss Black. Perhaps you should bend your thoughts on something more important, such as intelligent conversation, perhaps." Snape hissed. Bryce mocked him behind his back. "And I know what you're doing, Mr. Black!" Snape added, wheeling around to face Bryce, who had on his best 'Angry Snape' face.

When he turned around to face Bryce though, Brynn and Ethan mocked him. He then circled around to face Brynn and Ethan while Bryce and Mac mocked him this time. This procedure went on for nearly half an hour, when Snape decided he'd had enough.

"You're to scour the floors until they're so clean you can lick them!" He ordered, handing each 6th year a toothbrush and a large bucket of soapy water. Bryce raised his hand. Snape knew what was coming. A stupid question, probably about what something tasted like. "What, Mr. Black. Please grace me with an intelligent question."

"What does the floor taste like, when you should be able to lick it when it's clean?" Bryce asked, lowering his hand. "And how do you know?"

"Would you rather lick the floor clean? Without the toothbrush first?" Snape snapped. Bryce shook his head, and handed Snape his toothbrush.

"I think you need this more than the floor does, Professor. Too bad I haven't got any toothpaste handy." Bryce smiled at Snape, and then had to dodge a vial of some foul green potion that was thrown at him.

Brynn scrubbed the floor slowly, spelling out small sentences as she cleaned. On one area of the dungeon floor, "Snape licked the floor clean," was scrubbed out. Mac spent his time drawing pictures of Snape being violently attacked by a rabbit.

Ethan had been assigned to reorganize the potion shelves in alphabetical order. He had scrambled the letters so that the letters S, N, A, P, E, I, Z, G, Y were all next to each other. "I don't know my alphabet!" He claimed, when Snape swooped down upon him, clearly getting the message of what he had meant to spell out. "Seriously, Professor! I was never taught the alphabet!"

"That would explain your inability to correctly write anything down on paper, Mr. Pugnare." He growled, sending Ethan off with a toothbrush to join Mac and Brynn. Brynn had now written, "Snape is a greasy loser" out on the floor, and Mac had scrubbed a picture of Snape eating snails on the floor as well.

Bryce, however, was sitting still, paying close attention to what Snape was doing. "You've found your purpose in life, Mr. Black." Snape grinned. "Perhaps I shall have you play guinea pig to all my newly concocted potions! The Attention Potion seems to have been working well so far." Bryce nodded. "Let's have a look at what the Dancing Potion does."

This was one mistake on Snape's part. As he poured this potion down Bryce's throat, Bryce immediately jumped up on his desk, and began the song/dance number all four 6th years had performed at the beginning of the Detention. Snape shook his head, and brought forth the next potion.

"Pink potion." Snape snickered, pouring the small pink vial of potion down Bryce's throat. To his surprise, nothing on Bryce turned pink. But Bryce looked about the room in wonder.

"Hey, everything is PINK!" He said. "Why, Professor, your hair looks simply spiffing when it's pink! And your robes, your skin, your teeth, your shoes." Bryce named off everything in the room as being pink. Snape shook his head.

"That is the end of your Detention." Snape said, an hour later. The room was practically in ruins, and Snape's hair now really was pink. Brynn, Mac, and Ethan were dragging Bryce out of the room, and singing their newest Snape song. "Two hours with the four of them was two and a half hours too long."

~*~

Nicolas looked around nervously. He had gone back to the room where Cate had locked him in a cage. Paige had given him the spare key, and he kept it tucked in his pocket. He could free himself whenever he wanted, but was afraid of what Cate would do if she found out he was loose.

She had only brought one small meal up to him, but Paige had given him plenty of junk food. She stayed, explaining the various sweets she gave to him, and telling many stories in the process. Once, she had brought Jack up with her, and let him meander about the room. There was something decidedly strange about Jack, Nick thought.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and Cate leaned against the doorframe, looking livid. Nicolas knew what that meant. It was time for his daily dose of torture. But at the moment, Cate didn't look as if she could even move from her spot.

Nicolas said nothing to her, hoping that she might be too tired, or sick, or whatever to even notice he was there. Cate gave a low moan, and her wand dropped to the floor. Her dark brown eyes were dull, and they rolled back into her head, and slowly closed. She slumped down against the doorframe, and flopped over on the floor.

"Cate?" He asked softly, addressing her the way he had seen everyone else address her. There was no answer, and she seemed to be unconscious. "Cate?" He asked a little louder. Now he was convinced that something was wrong.

Nick reached into his pocket, and fingered the key for a few seconds, before he decided to let himself out. The door to his cage creaked, and he tiptoed over to Cate, expecting her to wake up at any given moment, and strangle him. But Cate showed no signs of moving at all. He kneeled down next to her, and checked to make sure she was still breathing. She was, but barely.

He took a look at her. There was no way he, a scrawny boy, could move her. He was going to have to find someone in the extravagant mansion to help him. "Ye good residents!" He called. That didn't seem to work, as there was no reply. "HELLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPP!"

His shout for help seemed to draw up a more pleasing result. "What is it?" Came an irritated yell from the second floor. A few seconds later, a strange man appeared in front of the doorframe. He looked at Cate, and then looked at Nicolas. "Who are you?" He asked skeptically, bending down to examine Cate quickly. "And what did you do to her?"

"I am Nicolas Turner, and I come forth from the year 1020. Catherine Black has taken me captive." He gestured to the cage. "And who art thou?"

"Sirius Black. Her father." Sirius sighed. "This is the second time today she's blacked out. Did she just look at you for a moment, and then slowly drop to the floor?" Nick nodded. "Well, I'm taking her to the doctor, no matter how much she stresses that she can't go. There's nothing she can do about it now, and I'm not waking her up. Go find the children in this house and mind them."

Before Nick could say anything in reply, Sirius disappeared with Cate. Sirius was a familiar name to him. He had to rack his brain for a moment to recall where he had heard it. Meagan had said his name when she first came to his time. Sirius, Harry, James, and Remus. Sirius was one of Meagan's friends. Cate was his daughter? This was too weird. As if being trapped in a future world wasn't enough for him.

~*~

The Dream Witch walked down a well-kept street. The sign read "Privet Drive." She looked very out of place, walking amidst the brightness in her robes of black, and a hood that covered all of her white hair and cast a dark shadow over her face.

In front of the house that was numbered 4, she came to a halt. She stared at the windows, as if she could see through the curtains. She rustled, as several people stared at her. It didn't stop her from trying to see through the curtains of Four Privet Drive.

At last, a tall skinny blonde woman with a neck like a giraffe came out of the house, waving a rolling pin. Behind her were two boys. One was chubby, blonde, and was eating a cookie. The other boy was small and skinny, with glasses too big for his thin face. Green eyes peered back at the Dream Witch behind the large glasses. She noticed that the boy's messy black hair needed trimming. Both boys appeared to be about five years old.

"Be gone, FREAK!" The woman shouted, waving the rolling pin again. The Dream Witch said nothing, but gazed at the small boy from under her cloak. He seemed to be able to look back at her. There was a sort of understanding between the two, and the Dream Witch turned and left. She would be back later.

As she had planned, later in the evening the small skinny boy was sitting alone in the backyard of Four Privet Drive. As he saw the Dream Witch approach, in her mass of black, and hidden face, he didn't run, but rather looked happy to see someone other than the people he lived with.

"Hello, Harry Potter." The Dream Witch said softly. "Are you lonely?"

The small Harry Potter gazed at her in wonder, and he nodded, wondering how she knew his name. He stood up from the chair he had been sitting upon, and walked closer to the Dream Witch.

"I promise all your problems will go away." She said. "Not now, but later, if time does not sway. Will you help me, for just a small price to pay?" The Dream Witch reached out a ghostly white, but very solid hand and touched Harry's arm. He nodded. Perhaps she was going to give him a lollipop? He never got sweets, and Dudly always did.

"Very good," The Dream Witch said, pulling a lollipop from within her pocket. Harry smiled and eagerly took it. It was as if she had read his mind. He unwrapped the lollipop and put it in his mouth. It was good! It was so very good, and such a rare treat. He was never going to tell anyone about the woman who gave him candy. Not ever. "Now will you pay me, a very small fee?" The Dream Witch said, and Harry nodded, just happy to have sweets. The Dream witch drew a shiny knife and nicked Harry's thin arm. Blood started to drip out, and she caught the drops in a small vial. Harry winced, ready to cry. But he didn't want to wake Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. In a second though, the blood pain was gone, and he looked down at his arm, which was healed completely.

The Dream Witch handed him another lollipop, and then disappeared, waving at him. He had never seen her face, but he saw her red and green eyes. For nights, it haunted him as a nightmare, but he had no one to comfort him. He tucked his other lollipop in his pocket to save for another day. Sometime when Dudly wasn't around.

~*~

"As far as I can tell, she's fine." The Doctor said as Cate slowly drifted back into reality. Sirius noticed her waking, and stepped back, expecting to be blasted out of the room. "The baby seems to still be coming along fine as well. I cannot find a cause for the blackouts though."

"Of course I'm fine." Cate aid, trying to sit up, and recalling the events of the dream she'd had. That old cloaked woman had drawn blood from two small boys. Tiira's son, and Harry Potter.

Sirius leapt forward and pushed her back down gently as she started to sit up. "I know you're the best Doctor in the world, but I'm not sure." He said to the doctor. The doctor sighed, and ran his fingers through his gray hair.

"Listen, please." He said softly. "For nearly 17 years I have had your daughter as a patient. Taking care of your entire family and hers is so time consuming that your two families are my only patients. I know what happens in her body when she's angry, when she's happy, and when she's pregnant. She always has dreams, and if I may assume, I'd bargain that she's just had another."

Cate tried to speak, but found that she could not. So she nodded, to show the doctor was right. "And something similar happens to her oldest daughter. She blacks out when she's feeling evil. It's a psychological flaw, and nothing can be helped. Remember that Cate is physically perfect, but there is something that has been flawed in her mind."

The doctor crossed his arms and glared at Sirius. Sirius sighed, and nodded. "Now you can go home." He snapped his fingers, and Cate found that she could suddenly move much easier, and speak as well. "Remember, Cate, that you are due to have your child March 12th. Just relax, and try not to become too stressed."

Cate nodded. She really didn't like the doctor too much. She always had the sinking feeling that if she went to the Doctor's office, they would find something wrong with her, or with her baby. Sirius pulled her up, and she exited the hospital with him, not saying much about anything."

~*~

Neil sighed, looking out into the endless array of stars that appeared so close to him now. He looked at his watch. It was 12:01. There was a small rustle behind him, and he said, without looking back, "You're late. It's 12:01."

"Not by my watch," Felicity replied, tossing Neil his cloak as he turned around to face her. "Yours must be fast." Neil laughed, and draped his cloak over his shoulders, glad to have it back.

"If you care to know, I had to travel to the Greenhouse without it. I nearly froze, and everyone asked me where my cloak was. I had to tell them that I couldn't find it, and I looked like an idiot without it."

"Well, you are the one who lent it to me." Felicity shrugged. "And at least you've got it back now." She crossed her arms under her own cloak. She had dressed warmer this time.

A sudden urge to look into Felicity's memories came over Neil. He then remembered that she could tell if he was going to play with her mind. Just by looking at Felicity, Neil could tell she already knew what he was going to do. "Well, can I then?" He asked, feeling it better to ask before he went ahead into her memories.

"Can you what?" Felicity asked, her dark brown eyes flashing gold, and catching the light of the stars. She was going to make him say aloud that he wanted to play mind games.

"See your memories." Neil said shortly. Felicity pursed her lips. Oh come on. Neil thought. Just let me have a peek! With a careful glance, to Neil, Felicity nodded.

"I suppose." She said. Neil smiled, and looked directly into he deep brown eyes. Neither person blinked, and they both seemed to be connected by an unseen chain. Felicity tried to look away, but she couldn't. Neil tried to blink, but found that something was wrong. This wasn't working! It was as if neither of them had any control over their bodies now.

Felicity tried to yell, as she landed next to Neil softly in a small room that was white from ceiling to floor, with no windows or doors whatsoever. "What the Hell was that?" She managed to choke out. Neil looked completely stupefied.

"I- I don't know!" He said. Something was wrong, and he hadn't been able to get inside Felicity's mind. "It didn't work!"

Felicity didn't say anything after that, but looked at him with a new curiosity. "Okay. Neil said finally, unable to hold his gaze back at her any longer. "We're going to try this again. Just relax your mind. Don't think about anything. Now look into my eyes."

Neil half expected Felicity to look the opposite way, and fill her head with many thoughts, but she looked into his emerald green eyes, standing perfectly still. She was now unable to blink, and Neil felt the connection again. He couldn't move either.

The two landed hard on the gazebo platform, and were thrown backwards to the ground. Neil stood up, still a slight bit stunned. Felicity pulled herself to her feet, and looked at Neil curiously again.

"What did you just do?" She asked. She didn't order him to explain, but she merely asked, and quite nicely at that.

"I tried to get into your memories." Neil said, pacing around. "But I couldn't. Something weird happened." Felicity nodded, and watched him pace. There was now something weird about her too.

"Well, we should go back to Hogwarts now." Neil said finally. Felicity nodded, and waved. "Goodbye." He said, as she disappeared. That was one mind trick he wouldn't try again for a long time.

~*~

"It's adventure time!" Bridgett said, putting a metal cooking pot on her head, and looking to Paige, Nita, Dominic, and Max. They all stared at her. Paige grabbed a spoon and hit the pot with it. There was a ringing noise, and Bridgett swayed, looking rather dazed. "That was some adventure! When are we going to visit the purple kitties again?" She said, and then fell over on the floor.

Nita took the metal cooking pot off her head, and took the spoon from Paige. "That's enough of that, you two." She said, putting the items on the counter. They were all gathered at Max's house, and were running out of things to do.

"I bet Reeky Rico would like a visit." Max said. "We haven't tormented him in a good while." It had been since the party celebrating the birth of the Potter triplets that they had all been together.

"I don't even want to go near that piece of slime." Bridgett said, standing up. "I saw him more than I cared for during the Christmas Holiday. His sister and my brother are dating, and my parents decided it would be nice if the Cortez family came over. Of course, it was total chaos. Brynn hates Reina, and I hate Rico. It was the most chaotic thing to happen over Christmas, apart form the snowball fight."

The other four 9 year olds shrugged, and headed out the back door, off to pay Ricardo Cortez a visit. Bridgett gave a frustrated sigh, and followed them across Max's yard to the Cortez house. Paige beat Nita to the door, and knocked. A tall tanned woman with sleek black hair answered.

"Is Rico there?" Paige asked her cheerfully. The woman looked at her.

"RICARDO!" She shouted, with a heavy Spanish accent. "You have visitors!" She turned to the five children at her door. "Just a minute, children." Paige smiled at her, as the woman went off to fetch her son.

Bridgett shuffled, and pulled her cloak tighter around her. She laughed, as she realized that Dominic's mittens were clipped to his sleeves, so he couldn't lose them. Nita's glasses were now covered with what seemed to be frost, and Max's nose was bright red. Paige was shivering. She'd forgotten to bring a cloak.

"What do you pathetic excuses for humans want with me?" Rico snarled, as he came to the door. Beside him was a boy with a hooked nose, shaggy greasy hair, and dull blue eyes. He eyed up the people at the door.

"Are these. the ones?" He asked Rico. Rico nodded with disgust. "Which one is which?"

"We can introduce ourselves to this piece of filth, thank you." Bridgett said.

"I'm Paige." Paige said, crossing her arms and shivering.

"I'm Nita." Nita said, rubbing her glasses on her cloak, trying to defrost them.

"I'm Dominic." Dominic said, glaring at Rico and the other boy, who were laughing at his mittens being clipped to him.

"I'm Max." Max said irritably. "Your next door neighbor, Rico."

"And I am Bridgett." Bridgett said finally.

"The worst of them all." Rico added.

"And who are you?" Bridgett, Paige, Nita, Max, and Dominic said at once to the boy beside Rico.

"Incidere Snape." The boy said. Bridgett immediately broke out into a laugh.

"Are you related to that awful Professor Brynn, Bryce, and Brian tell me about?" She gasped suddenly. "Please tell me that jerk did NOT reproduce. I dread to think that there are more like him on this planet!"

Incidere glared at her. "You must mean my Great-uncle Severus. He's the Potions master at Hogwarts. Please do tell me you aren't one of Sirius Black's idiotic children. It was a pity that something that stupid has offspring." He pushed a strand of greasy black hair from his face.

Bridgett had gone red in the face and had her fists balled up. "Why I should deck you, Incidere Snape!" She said. "And I think I will!" She lunged forward, but was caught by Paige and Max, who grabbed her in the middle of her lunge. "Let me at em'!" She said. "Ugh. If they weren't holding me back, I'd beat the snot outta you!"

"Oh, I feel threatened." Rico sneered. Nita took careful noticed that he had a bruise on his forehead. It was probably a token from his visit to the Black house with his family. Incidere watched them all coolly with his dull blue eyes. "And if the five of you losers don't mind, Incidere and I have more important things to do than be graced with the presence of Bridgett Black."

"Well, fine!" Bridgett shrieked. "I love you too, Reeky Rico! As soon as I learn any good hexes, you'll be the first person I run towards to try them out!" The door slammed in their faces, and Paige and Max released their grip on Bridgett. "I wonder if my father knows that Snape has a great-nephew." Bridgett said thoughtfully. "Not that he has the heart to care at the moment. Cate is consuming all his time."

Paige nodded. "I just wish my mother could be normal."

"We all do." Nita said. "We all wish our lives were normal."

They all sighed, and could see their breath as they did so. It was too cold to be outside, but they left the Cortez front porch, and got caught up in a snowball fight until noon, when Max's mother insisted they all go home and eat something before they turned into ice cubes.

~*~

Cate could only stand this for so much longer. More dreams that involved Tiira, Venire, and their little boy kept on coming. Each night, and every time she fell asleep during the day she dreamed of them. That nagging feeling in her head was telling her that she had to find out who they all were. Something told her that they involved her in some way.

Cate mentally pieced together all she knew. First of all, she knew that Tiira and Venire were killed the night her mother was killed, and she was left with her cloud shaped scar as a token of her survival. Next, she knew where the hill was. Many a time she had sat upon that very hill where Tiira was murdered to escape her own troubles.

There was an eerie old woman, who was Tiira's mother, and Mors Vox was her father. They had lived in Mors's castle in France. It had been where Cate had met Bellum. That memory created a sharp aching in her heart. The eerie old woman had drawn blood from Tiira's son, as well as Harry Potter.

Everything was so. unrelated. It didn't seem to connect in any way. There had been vampires, but that had nothing to do with anything, either. But Cate was determined to find out what everything meant. She was going to go to the hill.

And that she did. On that cold, lonely night, and the stars were not shining, but the full moon cast an eerie glow about the hilltop. There was a thick fog around the whole area, and a gray house stood atop a hill that was taller than all the others, and behind it was a cemetery with a rusty metal fence.

Cate had heard stories about a woman who lived inside the old run down gray house. She had heard tell of a woman who was called The Dream Witch, and she never went near the house on the hill, afraid of having the old woman putting her under a spell. But it seemed now that she was going to have to go there. She had to check and see if Tiira and Venire's graves were in the cemetery.

Time seemed to pass much to quickly as Cate walked to the cemetery. The house on the hill seemed to be watching her every move. Just as Cate had reached the gate, a low raspy voice called out to her. "Catherine Pugnare." It said. "Why, you used to be a lonely young child that lived on one of my hills."

Cate turned around slowly to face the speaker. An old woman with hazel green eyes flecked with red faced her. She was dressed in robes of black, and her white hair and skin was illuminated by the moonlight. Cate did not know who she was, or what she was doing.

"Who are you?" She asked, opening the gate to the cemetery. The old woman said nothing, but walked up to Cate, and walked through the gate. Cate followed her in the cemetery.

"You must not be quite as lonely any longer." The old woman said, eyeing Cate's growing belly. "You have obviously found someone." Cate kept quiet. The woman knew who she was, but yet she seemed oblivious to everything that happened in the modern world. Didn't she know what had happened in Cate's life? Didn't she know of Bellum, or know that Cate was a famous Quidditch player? "Come, child, and tell The Dream Witch what ails you."

Cate stepped closer to the old woman, who had addressed herself as the Dream Witch. That name sounded so familiar! Why was her mind not remembering where she had heard it? "Do you know of a man and a woman who go by the names of Tiira and Venire?" Cate asked, trying to ignore how the woman seemed so recognizable.

"Follow me, and you shall see." The old woman led Cate to a large well-kept headstone. Cate stared at it for a few seconds, with her mouth open. "Twelve died that night." The old woman said. Cate knew exactly what night the woman was referring to. She could only recall eleven. Vir and his six counterparts, Tiira, Venire, her mother, and the assassin.

Cate studied the headstone, in disbelief. The old woman watched her closely. "I saw them die." Cate told the woman. "It was a dream. Everything was so vivid. I felt as if I had been there. My mother was killed that night too." Cate wiped a tear from her eye. "I also saw Tiira's life before she was married to Venire. She's Mors Vox's daughter. I think her mother's name was Sommeil. She had been evil, but a force of good was stirred inside her. From what I gather, Mors Vox arranged for her to be killed."

"In more way than one, you share much in common with Tiira, don't you?" The old woman said. It wasn't a question, but a riddle, rather. "Indeed her own father arranged for her death, and that of her husband. But he wanted the boy."

Cate stood silent, her eyes still resting on the headstone. The old woman watched Cate with a sense of wonder, and the red in her eyes had died down. "I wonder what became of their young son. I never did find out if Mors got him or not. Something prevented me from that. I often wonder if he is alive, and if he's happy. I can only hope he steered away from the path of evil like his mother."

Cate turned her gaze to the old woman. Her deep brown eyes were filed with tears. "I know what happened to the little boy now." Cate said. The old woman's eyes flashed, and she stepped closer to Cate. "I fell in love with him." She said softly. "I married him, and I've given birth to four of his children. In March, I'll give birth to his daughter. But he is no longer here. Someone who was taught by Mors Vox killed him. Her name was Dolere Virulent, and she married a Malfoy. Indeed he stayed away from the forces of evil. He pulled me away from them."

It was now the old woman's turn to look shocked. Her eyes showed no sign of red, and she looked at Cate. "And he would want me to stay away." Cate sniffled softly. "I'm starting to go back. Have you any idea how hard it is to go on without the person you love the most?"

The old woman did not answer, but she gaped at Cate. "He must have been happy then." She finally said. "To have been loved. It is an emotion I know very little about. It has been too long. Love has turned into hate. I hope your children are as beautiful as you are, my dear. Keep them close to you; never let them stray away. I made the mistake, and it has cost more than one life."

Cate knew what this all meant. There had been a hidden meaning in the dreams all along. She had been much like Tiira in many ways. Everything was linked to Bellum as well. Cate realized that nothing Voldemort did could bring him back. Besides, it wouldn't be what Bellum wanted. He would never have wanted her to turn back to her evil ways, thriving on a false hope that he would return.

"He was happy." Cate said finally to the woman. "I wish Tiira and Venire had been around to see him. Their son would have made them proud. I was lucky to have spent time on Earth with him."

The old woman observed Cate with a look of pure sorrow. "I'm going to go now." Cate said to the woman. "Try and find what you lost, and when you find it, hold it tight and never let it go. You should never let your loved ones go."

The woman's hazel green eyes filled with tears, just watching Cate. Before Cate disappeared, she took one last look at the well cared for headstone. She traced the large uppercase letters with her fingers, and they glowed gold for a few moments. The headstone read Pugnare. With that, Cate was gone.

~*~

In the mansion where Voldemort resided with his many heirs, and several Death Eaters, Cate had been lucky to catch him alone in his chamber, thinking. He looked eagerly to her, and Cate returned the eager look with a cold hard glare.

"The Deal is off." She said shortly. "I have no desire to join you any longer." Voldemort's snake-like eyes stared back at her angrily. He shortly considered killing Cate, or at least hexing her. But she waved her wand at him, to warn him what would happen if he tried anything.

"Then go." Voldemort hissed. "If you wish to live the rest of your life in misery, then so be it. But I have something else you value. This you shall never get back. Like your husband."

Cate disappeared, before she got angry. She knew that was what Voldemort had been trying to do. He was trying to make her angry, and make her rejoin him. But she wasn't going to give in this time. Cate was going to live through this ordeal herself.

~*~

Sirius watched Cate closely. Even since he had come across Nick, he began to wonder. Nick had told his story, and Paige had backed it up. But now Cate sat by herself and sobbed as usual, but she cried out names that were strange to Sirius. They were names he had never heard before.

He hated to see his child so miserable. But it wasn't just Cate. Even little Jack sensed something wicked happening. Sirius wished that his son- in-law had never been murdered. The press was still watching the house, and they occasionally knocked on the door, and were greeted with a hex from Sirius.

Suddenly Cate stood up, and said something under her breath. Sirius watched her disappear, and wondered where she was off to now. Somewhere evil? No, a small feeling in his heart told him it was all right this time. But he made a silent vow to fix Cate's life. He hadn't forgotten his own thoughts. He was going to do something about Cate.

~*~

Cate was once again on the hill, but it was now daytime. There was no fog near the house on the top of the hill, nor was there a sign that anyone at all lived in the house. The cemetery loomed in the distance, with the many magnificent headstones looking at her from their spot on the hill.

A tall black man was mowing his lawn magically nearby, and while he as doing that, he kept a close eye on Cate. He didn't know if he should run our hide when Cate approached him. "Excuse me." She said to him. "Can you tell me the name of the people who live on that house up there?" Cate pointed to the gray house atop the hill.

The man gaped at her for a few moments before he answered her. "No one lives there." He answered shortly. "No one has, and as far as I'm concerned, no one ever will." He looked at Cate, trying to piece together where he had seen her before.

"There's an old woman." Cate said. "I saw her just last night. She was there. In the cemetery." The man looked at Cate as if she were crazy, which of course she was. "She was there, and I talked to her. Tell me who she is!"

The man backed up, then realizing just who Cate was. "Listen, I know you're... well, just listen-No one lives in that house. The person who lived there hasn't been seen in thirty years."

"Then show me." Cate said, her dark eyes flashing. The man shook his head at first, but as her gaze turned hard, and he led way to the gray house, looking petrified beyond all reason.

Both Cate and the man stumbled on the crumbled stone path that led to the front door of the great gray house. The door opened very easily, and Cate and the man found themselves in a dusty entryway. Everything was a wreck, and Cate grabbed the man hard by his sleeve when he tried to turn and run back outside. She stepped over all the rubble, and walked towards what appeared to have been a living room. Pictures had fallen off the wall, and glass was shattered everywhere. A chair stood by an old fireplace, and the cushions that had once been on it were in shreds.

"Someone was killed here." Cate said. The man backed up, wondering if she had been the one doing the killing. "In this very room, in the spots we stand. Someone was killed. The twelfth person." She said silently. "The old woman."

Some unseen force led Cate to a closet in the next room. The man followed, curious to see what she was up to. Cate blew the dust from the handle, and turned it slowly. Nothing could have prepared her from what fell forward when the closet door was opened.

Cate screamed shrilly, and the man screamed loudly. A skeleton in ragged faded black robes had fell to the floor, narrowly missing Cate. The two stared at it in shock, and screamed again. After their screaming had ceased, Cate took a step back, and gulped.

"She was killed as well. The one who haunts this hill is not a person any longer, but a spirit. I know that she dwells in her old form, and is solid. I've also got a guess at who killed her. He also arranged for the death of his daughter, and the capture of his son. Are you familiar with Mors Vox?"

The man nodded. Mors Vox had been a legend to him as well. "They called the woman who used to dwell here The Dream Witch. No one has dared come here, for fear of what she would do to them. But all along she's been dead."

"It doesn't mean she can't be here." Cate said. "I'll bet she's watching us this very moment. But I know what's happened to her. She can go free now. She can choose to have a peaceful afterlife, or she can remain on Earth and haunt her killer."

Cate was aware of this curse. Though she hadn't seen it happen, she was sure that Mors Vox had killed the old woman. This was Tiira's mother. The Dream Witch. Mor's wife. Now that someone knew about it, the Dream Witch's spirit was free.

"Well, you may go now." Cate said to the terrified man. He nodded to her, and took off as fast as his legs would carry him. She sighed, and looked at the skeleton one last time before she disappeared.

(A/N: Okay, all of you who actually bothered to read this ALL! I LOVE YOU! I'd like it if you reviewed, as well! Please, please, please, please!? Hope you like this story so far, and keep reading and reviewing!

Toodles,

Cathykcool)