They tried to wake him, but couldn't. Ron shook him, and Hermione, hearing the cry down in the common room, had run straight into the boys dorm, ignoring Seamus's outraged cries, and Neville's scramble to cover up his pyjamas.

"I can't wake him, Hermione." Ron said urgently.

"I don't think you can." She said softly. "Not until the dream is over."

"I'll stay with him." Ron told her.

"I'll stay." She insisted softly. "You need to get Dumbledore." She reached out to Harry, grasping one hand in hers, and with the other gently stroking his scar. It seemed to soothe Harry, although not wake him, and he still muttered in his sleep. Ron left them like that, the other boys in the dorm understanding something dangerous and bizarre was happening, that Harry needed her.

*************************

Finally Harry awoke, and Hermione led him down to breakfast. He looked pale and shaken and grey and she wanted to get some hot sweet tea in him before he slipped entirely into shock. Ron and Dumbledore, having been to the dorm earlier, and found Harry in Hermione's arms, still sleeping, were waiting for him.

"I have told Mr Weasley everything." Dumbledore told Harry as he arrived. Ron smiled at Harry, as pale as he was.

"So it was Ginny last night?" Ron asked. Hermione made to shush him, but Harry nodded.

"What's going on?" Harry asked, grasping at the mug of tea Hermione had conjured up and drinking deep.

"Voldemort's testing you." Hermione said instantly, and Dumbledore nodded.

"I take it you relive the events as they happened every night, only with a different ...."

"Dying friend?" Harry said harshly, though he regretted speaking to Dumbledore that like that almost instantly. "Yes sir."

"And every night you still battle Voldemort, and win?" Dumbledore asked.

"I didn't win the first time." Harry said miserably. "I didn't defeat Voldemort."

"Harry, you got away alive." Hermione said gently. "Against Voldemort with his full power, that is a victory."

Dumbledore nodded approvingly.

"I believe Voldemort is trying to find your weakness. He believes it lies in your friends. I believe he will test you until he finds something - or someone- that will break you. That will push you to the point where you no longer have the strength of mind or will to fight him."

"He won't find it." Harry insisted fiercely, and the shadows under his eyes darkened the green until his eyes were almost black.

"Indeed. But he will try."

"You mean Harry has to go through this every night?" Ron cried, as Hermione said,

"I can mix up a potion for dreamless sleep."

But Harry cried,

"No!"

They looked at him in surprise, except Dumbledore, who nodded to him, supportingly.

"Thank you." Harry said, glancing at Ron and Hermione. "But I have to face him sooner or later. Let him test me. Now I know why, I can take it. I won't fail." He said darkly, and Hermione shivered, as if someone had walked over her grave.

***********************

And he didn't. Night after night he dreamed, night after night he watched his friends die, and yet still he put his friends from his mind and fought and escaped Voldemort. His cheeks became sunken, the shadows under his eyes deepened into black circles, he lost so much weight his cloak hung off him in heavy folds, yet never once did he take up Hermione's offer of a dreamless sleeping potion. Every morning he greeted them with one word..the name of the friend who had died in that night's dream, and no more was said between them about the nights. Ron continued to try to make Harry laugh, Hermione continued to try to improve Harry's grades, but Ron's jokes seemed forced, and eventually Hermione just did Harry's work as well as their own. And still the nights and the dreams went on, as if there were no end to the friends that could be killed.
One late November afternoon, while the sun shone in a clear blue sky, but the air was sharply cold, Harry stood by the window in Dumbledore's office, staring down at the field below. Ron had borrowed his broomstick, and was trying various Quidditch moves, with Hermione holding a book, and occasionally shouting out instructions.

"Last night it was Cho." Harry said softly. "If I can take that I can take anything." He said through gritted teeth.

"And the night before?" Dumbledore gently enquired.

"Neville. And before that Seamus, and before that..I forget. There have been so many." Harry said tiredly. "There can't be any more."

"There is one." Dumbledore said, joining him at the window. Harry looked up, puzzled, then followed Dumbledore's gaze to the field where Hermione stood, her cloak and hair flying in the wind, intently watching Ron, comparing his flight to the picture in the book and frowning.

"Hermione?" Harry said wonderingly. "Why have I never dreamt of Hermione?" and suddenly he felt a wave of cold wash over him, and he wrapped his cloak more securely around himself.

"Perhaps because she is Muggle-born, and Voldemort considers those beneath notice. She may not even have occurred to him."

"But you think.."

"I think.." Dumbledore said gently. "I think maybe he has finally realised she is important to you. And maybe tonight he will test how important."

"I won't fail." Harry said, no his voice shook. "I will not!" he insisted, and he left. Dumbledore stood at the window watching the boy and girl on the field until Harry joined them, draping his arm round Hermione's shoulder as she showed him the book.

"But, child, which test will you not fail? For there will be more than one tonight." Dumbledore murmured to no-one in particular. On his perch, Fawkes cried, just once, ruffled his feathers, and settled down to sleep.