Chapter Two
The Nightmare and the Invisible Letter
Harry suddenly awoke in his dormitory. Not sure why he woke, he sat up. There was a loud THUD, as something collided with Harry's head and he fell back on to his pillow. Everything went black for a moment and then, it started to fill with a dim yellow light. Harry focused his eyes as best he could without his glasses. He was starring at dirt and stonewall, he looked to the sides; it was a long, narrow, tunnel that seemed to go on, either end, for miles. Harry looked squinted again, only seeing the light from torches, and many tall dark doors, that were placed along the walls. Every door was about eight feet from the next with torches on either side. There was a quiet noise of voices, far in the distance to his left. Harry walked toward the muffled noises slowly. Soon they distinctly became words, thought he couldn't understand them. Now, Harry came to a door along the left wall where the voices seemed to be coming from, he could just make out the dialogue. "May I speak with you, my lord? Privately." It was a soft, obedient voice. There was a further sound of shuffling footsteps and someone leaving to, what must have been, a side room. The door Harry looked at was a large wooden door, which had a large hole in the bottom, where the door met the doorway. "I fear, my heart is far too big, my lord. It is so easily swayed. And I, fear it is that now, I love you, as well as serve you." Said the same voice, soft, sorrowed. It sounded like a young woman, nearly in tears. "Why do you say this?" This voice was male, very deep and creepy cold. There were constant Pops in the back round of the hushed voices, which sounded like a loud fire. The woman's voice spoke again, "You, you know I will do anything you say, my lord." "My dear Ivivien." The man let out a very small laugh, as though he didn't believe her. "Would you, kill Renée? Would you kill your own sister? As she defies me." the last words were most disgusted. There was a shaky inhale of breath, then a tensioned voice, releasing the air. "If that is what you wished my lord. I will do anything to make you happy." This time the first voice was very sure of its self and seemed relieved. The male voice was much more stern now and in this sounded very familiar to Harry, "Prove your loyalty, my dear, and I shall prove mine." His voice went back to a hush and Harry couldn't hear much more. "How shall I prove myself to you? Oh, I love you my lord, tell me, tell me anything!" The woman's voice was anxious yet still very shrill. There was a pause. "Wormtail!" The man sounded and Harry looked stunned, "My new servant shall give you your task. I will be waiting." and with and slightly louder CRACK, the man's voice didn't come again. Harry laid his head to the cold floor looked through the hole in the door. He was shocked; Harry only got a glimpse as the man disappeared into the fire. A short stubby man came into the room. His nose very pointed, with small watery eyes, which became narrow at the site of the woman. ~Wormtail! ~ Thought Harry immediately. He wanted so badly to go bursting through the door, and do something so horrible to the little man. ~You dirty rat! ~ Harry wanted to scream and knock down the door at the very site of him. The man, Peter Pettigrew, better known as Wormtail, had sold Harry's parents to Lord Voldemort, 15 years before. The man who Harry thought was Wormtail had sweaty short blond hair and rosy cheeks on either side of his long pointed nose. Disapprovingly, he took one look at the tall lady and walked back into the side room he had emerged from. Moments later, the short man had come back, his shoes squeaking at every step. ~The man from before, ~ Harry thought, although rather young and strong looking, ~must have been The Dark Lord himself, Lord Voldemort. ~ It was all that made sense to Harry, he couldn't see whom the female was before there was a silence from the crackling fire. Everything faded away. He stood in only darkness, nothing around him, no four-poster, no dormitory, and no tunnel walls that he could reach. Harry stood up, noticing that there was no floor, beneath him, everything was pitch black. Harry couldn't understand why he wasn't falling, as he lay there on a floor that did not exist. Harry tried to stand on the area he was lying on, though it was very hard not knowing what way was truly up. Taking a step to what he thought was forward Harry tumbled through the nothingness. There was a longer pause and then the young man spoke again, with his voice more crackly cold, as if ice daggers were tumbling down and clashing against something hard in Harry's ear. "Would you kill yourself for me, Ivivien? Would you willingly surrender all of your being, if it pleased me?" There was a silenced moment. "Then you would forgive me for anything I do, that may harm you?" Another pause of sound, though now flames were alive in the distance of the voice. Harry was back right were he was before, lying on the floor in front of the wooden door with a hole in the bottom. The only difference was Wormtail's squeaky shoes, were gone from the room's sound. Harry was sure the woman must have been nodding to Voldemort's requests as he listened. "Loquor Vero!" a strange sounded and a large, green, flash of light came through the hole in the door. Harry jumped and sat up straight, temporarily blinded. Starring at the whole, as quiet and stiff as a statue. The man's voice, who Harry was sure was Voldemort, was explosive and intent, "Tell me your deepest hatred. Your most unworthy desire! What made you suffer the most? What do you wish to be rid of far beyond any other?" Harry rubbed his eyes as the focus came slowly back and he bent down on his hands and knees again. He looked through the hole in the door. It was a large room, though darker than before, with many cluttered pieces of furniture and the only thing to light the room now, was a blazing emerald fire. Harry was sure, before, there were several candles lit around the room, and the fire was yellow. Not many pops or quiet crackles came from the green fire. In front of the emerald flames stood a young man, with pure black hair and a sharp face, it was as Harry had thought, Voldemort. There was no mistaking the face he had come to see so many hard times before. There was also another figure, the woman Harry had been hearing, suspended in mid air, with her back to Harry. Her hair seemed to bounce off the vibrant waves of green light awkwardly, almost as though it were silver or translucent. Her voice sounded like Professor Trelawney's trance. Harry had experienced this once in his third year to Hogwarts. "I, have, only, one, wish, of, cruel, desire. only, one, who, hurt, me, beyond, all, others." "This one must be killed. No one will ever get away with injure you again!" Voldemort seemed profoundly insulted by what the woman had said. "Now, my Ivivien, tell me this name, and they will soon feel the pain they deserve." His voice didn't match his face, both were partly furious, but his voice was much more deadly cold and hard, than his complexion. "The, one, who, has, done, worse, to, me, than, any, other. the one, who must, die. his son! His dear FAMILY'S SON!!!" "As you wish my love," Voldemort grinned with a very satisfied, evil look in his eye. Harry was sure about that look, the one right before he cast the spell to cause his own death! "My dear, poor, sweet Ivivien, tell me the name and it is done." Voldemort looked quite pleased with this and had great triumph in his creepy voice. The woman whispered, and Harry tried to read her lips, but couldn't. Harry noticed that Voldemort was holding his wand at his side, and shuttered as he raised it angrily. "POTTER!" the woman screeched and Harry froze. "JAMES POTTER-" the woman screeched louder, and it echoed in Harry's ears. He rolled away from the door and seemed to fall off the edge of the floor he was lying on. THWACK! Harry had rolled off his bed and hit the floor like a rock. Panting, Harry was lost, and very dizzy. Ron sprang up quickly at the loud noise. "You okay Harry?" Ron asked anxiously looking through the gap in his curtains. Harry tried to recall all of what had just happened. Muttering quietly, Harry stood up, ".the one who must die. his son! His dear family's son.?" Harry was still out of breath, and now, he heard the screeching voice of the woman, "POTTER! . JAMES POTTER-" Over and over this played in his head, till Ron had forced Harry down onto his bed. "Harry, what's wrong? Tell me! What happened? . Did you hit your head on something? Our new shelves?" Ron questioned looking at the shelf over Harry's bed. "Is, is that what it is?" Harry asked squinting at the bookshelf. "I suppose that must have been what happened." Answered Ron. ~But it seemed like it hit me. I didn't hit it, did I? . But I guess that wouldn't make sense, a bookshelf trying to hit someone.~ Harry tried to laugh at the thought, while Ron looked at him bewildered. The sun had just peeked over the forest and was now blinding both Ron and Harry through the window. "Should we go to breakfast? I think it is about time for the early birds." Said Harry, looking down the staircase to the landing that over looked the common room. Harry stared closely, half asleep, and then he realized something strange; the door was open. "Did you forget to close the door last night, Ron?" "No, I don't think so." Ron said looking over at the door, "But I don't remember doing it either and I wasn't really paying attention." Ron and Harry shrugged then looked over at the three faces staring at them from across the room. Dean, Seamus and the boy, from the night before, chosen for Gryffindor. "Christopher. Theodore.? What are you doing in our dormitory?" Ron spit out, before thinking. Dean didn't take a second glance at Christopher, and Seamus starred at both of them, wondering why Ron and Harry looked so unhappy. Dean looked back at Christopher now for his second scan of what Harry was staring at. He jumped with a small yell, "Your not Nev-" Dean stopped mid way in his sentence and realized why Harry and Ron looked so unhappy. "Of course he's not Neville. Neville is still down in the Hospital Wing. I heard he would be back to classes today. This is Christopher Theodore, everyone." Announced Seamus to the gloomy looking crowd. "Er.uh." said Christopher looking around at the room which was staring at him. "Did someone say, something about breakfast?" The room broke into quiet laughs and everyone got dressed for the day. "If Neville is coming back today, then where will Christopher sleep?" asked Dean while everyone began to get ready. "I don't know." Answered Seamus thinking about it all himself. "I wouldn't worry about it." Said Ron, "Madam Pomfrey will probably keep him for a few more nights. You know how she is." Walking into the common room there was a small cheer for the new Gryffindor. Most the common room went down together and followed behind Christopher asking lots of questions, about where he was from, what it was like there. Sitting at the Gryffindor table, across from Hermione whom had already come to breakfast, were now Harry and Ron. Hermione was consumed in her book, Creatures of the Mysterious Wood. "We had Care of Magical Creatures two days ago, Hermione." Ron argued for her to put the book down. Hermione glared from over her book but in the end she decided she couldn't get anything done till she went to the library. Harry and Ron were at an angle facing the Hufflepuff table and they were talking about the classes they would have next. "Hey, Harry, Hermione, do you know where that girl from yesterday is? Kari." Ron began to ask, stopping in shock as he starred across the table. Hermione had just pulled her bushy hair into a loose ponytail, and now she stared at Ron questionably. "Something. wrong?" asked Harry, breaking the silence that stood between them. Ron's jaw dropped slightly and his eyes looked far off to the distance. He was starring directly in Hermione's direction. Hermione ducked, thinking it wasn't her he was starring at. Hermione was right, Ron's gaze didn't change after Hermione hid half way under the table. He didn't even twitch. Ron was watching the young Veela-like girl, trying to figure out the conversation she was having with the Hufflepuff girl next to her. Kari was talking as quickly as she could it seemed, stopped every so often to correct her speech, which would slip into French. Kari turned to the boy whom was sitting on the other side of her. Jealous, Ron looked away, and to Harry who had been trying to get his attention for the past few minutes. Harry diverted his attention to his toast, as Ron turned back to see what Kari was telling the boy. "She seems to keep staring over here doesn't she?" said Hermione out of the blue, who was now watching the Veela girl too. Harry, Ron and Hermione were all watching now, though they tried not to look it. Kari had slipped off into French again, she seemed to have given up trying to speak English, as she now curved her hands to make two circles and then placed them over her eyes. "Oh glasses," said the boy and Kari nodded. Now she made a zigzag mark on her forehead, clearly a thunderbolt. Ron looked at Harry as Kari point in their direction and Harry ducked his face behind the tall plate of waffles. "Harry Potter?" the boy asked looking at the set. Kari shook her head at the boy, whispered something in his ear, while making an upside-down "U" shape, with her finger pointed in the same direction. Neither Harry nor Ron had seen this motion though. ~Why do they always like Harry? Why is it always about Harry Potter? ~ Ron thought jealously but realized that Hermione was eyeing him, almost as though if he said what was in his head, she'd bite it off. Kari and the boy were getting into a big discussion now but the noise had risen. It was to a level so it was hard to hear Neville, as he clamored into the Great Hall dropping books and knocking over a suit of armor. It seemed as though the rest of the school had joined the morning feast, though most the boys from Slytherin, and Gryffindor were making excuses to get up and get a better view of the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables. Lily and Ambrosia were sitting opposite each other, mimicking each other's movements, at the Ravenclaw table. Each look like the mirror image of the other, scooping from the same plate and eating at the same time, even smiling and talking were well on queue. Kari also had a large audience, most the Gryffindor table was watching her and whispering about why, they think, she pointed out Harry. Harry nudged Ron and signaled that maybe then should leave. Ron nodded and tilted his head toward the door, while looking at Hermione. She took the hint and finished her last bit of eggs. They stood up and started there way out of the great hall. Hermione stopped and tapped on Ron and Harry's shoulders just before the door. She pointed at the beginning of the owls that had just swooped into the room. Loads of owls poured in, some with small packages, and some so big it took six owls to hold it up. Hedwig flew down to Harry, with a small letter in her beak, and perched on his arm. It had no return address and said nothing on the front but: Harry J. Potter, Lord of the Light, Written in a lush green emerald color, like the ones he got from Hogwarts ever year. But he was at Hogwarts this time. A large set of four owls came down with a long heavy package, for Ron. The note on the front said: Ron Weasley, Come and see us soon! We've got a surprise for you. `Fred and George P.S. Don't have it all in one day! Hermione also received a few letters, from a large barn owl. One held a letter from the Daily Prophet, another from Hagrid. The last letter was in a black envelope, with white writing. It read, in very neat handwriting: To: Hermione Granger
From: Skandranon Rashkae Harry looked over Hermione's shoulder. "Who's Sk-an-dra-non?" asked Harry slowly, making sure he pronounced the name according to the way it was written. Hermione jumped slightly pulling the letter out of sight and stuffing it behind the other two. "No one you know." She said simply. She had a small smile on her face as she knelt beside Ron helping him pick up his package. Harry blinked shoving his letter into his pocket, thinking he'd read it later. It took all three of them to lug Ron's package back to the Gryffindor table, where he opened it. First there was a thin layer of white fluff. But at the first glint of what was underneath, Ron ripped the entire sheet off. This, suddenly revealing a bright display of colors, that seemed to catch everyone's eye, for a moment. The package was loaded with candy, chocolates, and every kind of sweet Harry had ever seen, plus more he hadn't. "Who sent this to you again?" Harry said bedazzled in a trance. Ron's grin seemed far too wide for the voice to be coming from him, "My brothers, Harry. My brothers got a job or two in Hogsmead. I asked them to send me a few samples from the candy shop. I didn't think they'd send me the whole store!" There was a sudden streak of wind that gusted by there heads. Causing a slight stir, as people looked for the cause of the whirlwinds. Harry, Ron and Hermione looked up quickly as the wind settled and a falcon appeared on Kari's outstretched arm. "Thank you, Ivy." She said taking two letters from the bird's beak and replacing them with a large strip of bacon. The falcon slowly walked sideways up Kari's arm as she turned the first letter over and opened it.
Kari looked it over, then pulled a small quill from her pocket and signed it near the bottom. She gave it back to the bird and said, "Take this to Dumbledore, Ivy." With that the falcon dropped what was left of the bacon into its tiny claw, spread its small sharply pointed wings, swooped down the table and disappeared again. "I didn't know she had a falcon, did you?" questioned Hermione after several moments. There was no replay because their attention was suddenly shifted to the Slytherin table where a very loud scream was just released. There was a boy, the one who screamed, wand out, pointed at the spot where Maverlot and Draco were sitting. The student was directly across the table from them. Maverlot grinned quietly starring at the person who had jumped up. "What's the matter? Is someone afraid of my little Orpheious?" The student stood there shaking, still with their wand pointed at Maverlot. "That- that cat of yours was just the size of one of those big, stupid, tigers and it tried to kill me!" The boy was making faces and waving his hands about. Oddly enough, there was no cat in site other than Crookshanks who had just strolled into the opposite end of the room. "Orpheious wasn't going to kill you!" Maverlot got up and walked over to the boy, pulling out his own wand and pointing it to his throat, with the most angered disgusted look on his face. "And don't you ever insult Orpheious, again! He's not the stupidly weak one!" The only professor left in the room was Snape. He was watching the matter closely. "Shouldn't you be spending your time making friends rather in enemies, Moonrild?" He said over the silence of suspense. "Not if your time is spent successfully scarring your enemies into doing the same as your friends do." Maverlot's grip on his wand tightened greatly as he spoke, "Or if the time is spent getting rid of your enemies when they are weak." Just then a kitten sized black thing poured off of Maverlot's head and hung upside down off of his robe sleeve, pulling his wand down, to face the floor. It claimed back up his arm and back onto his head where it lied down making his tussled hair flatten, again. It blended in with his hair, as it had before, with only its two bright blue eyes staring out from the back of Maverlot's head. "You're lucky," he mumbled walking back to his seat, "Orpheious doesn't hate you, yet." Everyone resumed talking as though nothing had happened, but with a lot more noise and gossip running about the room. Draco leaned over to Maverlot's side and whispered something to him, which Harry, Hermione nor Ron could hear. Hedwig had been waiting patently on the table for her reward. Irritated, she flew up onto Harry's arm and nibbled on his fingers. "Ouch! Okay, okay." Harry said pulling off a few strips of bacon and placing them in front of her. Which she gladly gulped down and flew off. Ron hastily replaced the fluffy sheet of white hastily and quickly shut his box. He grabbed the front end and Harry and Hermione helped him lug it up to the common room. After it was, what Ron though was, safely tucked away, they returned the common room, to sit and relax. "So, who's this Skandragon person, Hermione? Where'd you meet him?" Ron said out of curiosity and trying to change the subject from his package. "He's no one you know, and his name is Skandranon, not Skandragon." She sounded thoroughly irritated with the mispronunciation. "So, who is he?" Ron demanded. "And why don't we know him? Is he someone from your muggle school or something?" "Nonsense Ron. If he was from my old school, why would he send an owl?" countered Hermione still avoiding the original question. "Hermione! Who is he?" Harry said simply and slowly as though it was urgent. She knew it wasn't. "He is Skandranon Rashkae. He's my friend and that's all you need to know." Hermione said very straight forward. "Now, if you'll excuse me I have to go see what he wrote me before its time for Arithmancy." She stood up and started toward the staircase. "Hermione-!" Ron started to argue but Harry held up his hand to cut him off. "We won't get anything out of her right now." Harry said simply and Ron knew he was right. "Well, what about you Harry? Who sent you that letter?" Ron asked, changing the subject again. "I'm not sure myself." Harry then pulled the letter from his pocket and stared at it unsure. He starred at the writing as though he knew something about it, but was unsure what. Harry turned the envelope over, where it was sealed with emerald wax and a fancy script "P" as the imprint. Harry placed his hand over the wax "P", touching its smooth impression. He seemed to have faded into a trance starring at the letter. Words a voices came to him in a mix and then suddenly he heard his father's voice, telling Lily to run while there was still time. "Well are you going to open it, or are we just going to sit here so you can gawk at it?" Ron interrupted. Harry was suddenly sucked back with the first word out of Ron's mouth. Harry lifted the flap of the envelope. He looked inside and pulled out a small piece of parchment, folded four times. It was old and looked as though it had been opened and closed many times before it was placed in the envelope. He opened it gently, so as not to tare or rip the edges. He looked at one side then flipped it to the other and starred, dumfounded at the letter. Ron finally gave up the suspense and ripped it from Harry hands. "What is it?" "It's. nothing." Harry said plainly sounding confused himself. Ron turned the paper over, and over. He examined the two sides of the ordinary blank piece of paper. "Invisible Ink?" He asked curiously handing the paper back to Harry. "I'm not sure. Wonder why I got it." "And from who." Ron added quietly. "Well let's see, shall we?" Ron pulled out his wand a tapped the paper, "Aparecium!" The paper remained the same. Harry shrugged, "Nothing gained, nothing lost." "Maybe," said Ron pulling out a quill and filling it a little in ink. "Here you do it Harry, its your letter." Ron encouraged him handing over the quill. Harry took the quill and wrote out I am Harry Potter on the top corner of the page. The words sank into the page as though being soaked up in a sponge. A long time passed as they both sat silently and wondered. There were a few students going in and out of the common room, obviously puzzled by the boys. It wasn't until Hermione came down from her dormitory that either of them spoke. "What's the matter with you two?" she asked as she sat down next to them. "Bad news? Did something happen?" Hermione urged. Ron shrugged while Harry just starred at paper. "It's," Ron found himself trying to explain, ".nothing." "What do you mean by nothing?" Hermione asked leaning over Harry's shoulder to get a look at the letter. "And why are we "reading" a blank piece of paper? Does it have some sort of importance?" "I think it does." Harry answered. "This is the letter I got this morning, the one that said Harry J. Potter, Lord of the Light." Harry added, recalling the memory. "Did you try writing on it-?"Hermione began. "And the invisible ink spell, yes. Harry! Maybe you have to use a fraise like the Marauder's map." "Good idea Ron!" complimented Hermione. Harry pulled out his wand and taped the paper, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." On what Harry though was the backside of the paper words appeared in emerald colored ink. Which read: The Marauder's Map. Harry was very confused, he taped the paper again but this time said, "The Marauder's Map," Directly under nether the words The Marauder's Map it read I solemnly swear I'm up to no good. But as the new words appeared, the old ones soaked into the page as though the sponge had taken them too. "Wow!" Responded Ron wide eyed. "Brilliant, Harry!" said Hermione patting him on the shoulder. "Do another!" The new words soaked back into the page and Harry tried again. But no matter what he said, no more words appeared. They all sat and starred at it for a long while. "Hey Harry!" Ron suddenly jumped, and Hermione and Harry looked up. "Hedwig would know who sent it. Just ask her to send a reply back to the same person who gave you that." "That's a good idea, Ron! Why didn't I think of that before?" "Because it won't work." Hermione interrupted. "Why not? Pig did it." Argued Ron. "Did pig personally know the person you were replying to? Had Pig met them with you before, possibly know them by name?" Inquired Hermione. "Yes. But they only met once for twice," he tried to prove his point, "and that was ages ago." Hermione gave him a look and he seemed to accept defeat. "Well. we should at least try." Ron insisted, hesitantly. Hermione looked over toward the clock and replied, "Not unless you want to be late to Divination. You have to get started. I have Arithmancy right now." Hermione sighed giving a wave and slowly leaving the dormitory as Harry and Ron packed up everything for the morning classes. "Oh and one more thing." Hermione said sticking her head back inside the common room entrance. "Don't forget there are no after noon classes today. It's the weapons presentation today." She seemed disappointed about the classes canceled but thrilled with the new class, all at once. Harry and Ron nodded and followed her out, making their long way up to the Divination classroom. "I think we're going to be late anyway." Ron mumbled as they both claimed the stairs to the North Tower. "I wonder what she's going to "teach" us this year." Replied Harry scuffling his feet on the platform before the long spiral staircase. "We're late, Harry." Announced Ron as they reached the top of the tight spiral steps. They came to the latter and looked up to the trap door which had a small piece of paper on to it. Harry climbed the latter half way and read the paper allowed. "Divination Room, temporarily moved to the Great Hall." "Wonderful," muttered Ron. "Now we're going to be doubly as late!" Both boys were rather tired and unpleased at the uninformed change. Nonetheless, they started there way back down all the sets of stairs, to the Great Hall.
Harry suddenly awoke in his dormitory. Not sure why he woke, he sat up. There was a loud THUD, as something collided with Harry's head and he fell back on to his pillow. Everything went black for a moment and then, it started to fill with a dim yellow light. Harry focused his eyes as best he could without his glasses. He was starring at dirt and stonewall, he looked to the sides; it was a long, narrow, tunnel that seemed to go on, either end, for miles. Harry looked squinted again, only seeing the light from torches, and many tall dark doors, that were placed along the walls. Every door was about eight feet from the next with torches on either side. There was a quiet noise of voices, far in the distance to his left. Harry walked toward the muffled noises slowly. Soon they distinctly became words, thought he couldn't understand them. Now, Harry came to a door along the left wall where the voices seemed to be coming from, he could just make out the dialogue. "May I speak with you, my lord? Privately." It was a soft, obedient voice. There was a further sound of shuffling footsteps and someone leaving to, what must have been, a side room. The door Harry looked at was a large wooden door, which had a large hole in the bottom, where the door met the doorway. "I fear, my heart is far too big, my lord. It is so easily swayed. And I, fear it is that now, I love you, as well as serve you." Said the same voice, soft, sorrowed. It sounded like a young woman, nearly in tears. "Why do you say this?" This voice was male, very deep and creepy cold. There were constant Pops in the back round of the hushed voices, which sounded like a loud fire. The woman's voice spoke again, "You, you know I will do anything you say, my lord." "My dear Ivivien." The man let out a very small laugh, as though he didn't believe her. "Would you, kill Renée? Would you kill your own sister? As she defies me." the last words were most disgusted. There was a shaky inhale of breath, then a tensioned voice, releasing the air. "If that is what you wished my lord. I will do anything to make you happy." This time the first voice was very sure of its self and seemed relieved. The male voice was much more stern now and in this sounded very familiar to Harry, "Prove your loyalty, my dear, and I shall prove mine." His voice went back to a hush and Harry couldn't hear much more. "How shall I prove myself to you? Oh, I love you my lord, tell me, tell me anything!" The woman's voice was anxious yet still very shrill. There was a pause. "Wormtail!" The man sounded and Harry looked stunned, "My new servant shall give you your task. I will be waiting." and with and slightly louder CRACK, the man's voice didn't come again. Harry laid his head to the cold floor looked through the hole in the door. He was shocked; Harry only got a glimpse as the man disappeared into the fire. A short stubby man came into the room. His nose very pointed, with small watery eyes, which became narrow at the site of the woman. ~Wormtail! ~ Thought Harry immediately. He wanted so badly to go bursting through the door, and do something so horrible to the little man. ~You dirty rat! ~ Harry wanted to scream and knock down the door at the very site of him. The man, Peter Pettigrew, better known as Wormtail, had sold Harry's parents to Lord Voldemort, 15 years before. The man who Harry thought was Wormtail had sweaty short blond hair and rosy cheeks on either side of his long pointed nose. Disapprovingly, he took one look at the tall lady and walked back into the side room he had emerged from. Moments later, the short man had come back, his shoes squeaking at every step. ~The man from before, ~ Harry thought, although rather young and strong looking, ~must have been The Dark Lord himself, Lord Voldemort. ~ It was all that made sense to Harry, he couldn't see whom the female was before there was a silence from the crackling fire. Everything faded away. He stood in only darkness, nothing around him, no four-poster, no dormitory, and no tunnel walls that he could reach. Harry stood up, noticing that there was no floor, beneath him, everything was pitch black. Harry couldn't understand why he wasn't falling, as he lay there on a floor that did not exist. Harry tried to stand on the area he was lying on, though it was very hard not knowing what way was truly up. Taking a step to what he thought was forward Harry tumbled through the nothingness. There was a longer pause and then the young man spoke again, with his voice more crackly cold, as if ice daggers were tumbling down and clashing against something hard in Harry's ear. "Would you kill yourself for me, Ivivien? Would you willingly surrender all of your being, if it pleased me?" There was a silenced moment. "Then you would forgive me for anything I do, that may harm you?" Another pause of sound, though now flames were alive in the distance of the voice. Harry was back right were he was before, lying on the floor in front of the wooden door with a hole in the bottom. The only difference was Wormtail's squeaky shoes, were gone from the room's sound. Harry was sure the woman must have been nodding to Voldemort's requests as he listened. "Loquor Vero!" a strange sounded and a large, green, flash of light came through the hole in the door. Harry jumped and sat up straight, temporarily blinded. Starring at the whole, as quiet and stiff as a statue. The man's voice, who Harry was sure was Voldemort, was explosive and intent, "Tell me your deepest hatred. Your most unworthy desire! What made you suffer the most? What do you wish to be rid of far beyond any other?" Harry rubbed his eyes as the focus came slowly back and he bent down on his hands and knees again. He looked through the hole in the door. It was a large room, though darker than before, with many cluttered pieces of furniture and the only thing to light the room now, was a blazing emerald fire. Harry was sure, before, there were several candles lit around the room, and the fire was yellow. Not many pops or quiet crackles came from the green fire. In front of the emerald flames stood a young man, with pure black hair and a sharp face, it was as Harry had thought, Voldemort. There was no mistaking the face he had come to see so many hard times before. There was also another figure, the woman Harry had been hearing, suspended in mid air, with her back to Harry. Her hair seemed to bounce off the vibrant waves of green light awkwardly, almost as though it were silver or translucent. Her voice sounded like Professor Trelawney's trance. Harry had experienced this once in his third year to Hogwarts. "I, have, only, one, wish, of, cruel, desire. only, one, who, hurt, me, beyond, all, others." "This one must be killed. No one will ever get away with injure you again!" Voldemort seemed profoundly insulted by what the woman had said. "Now, my Ivivien, tell me this name, and they will soon feel the pain they deserve." His voice didn't match his face, both were partly furious, but his voice was much more deadly cold and hard, than his complexion. "The, one, who, has, done, worse, to, me, than, any, other. the one, who must, die. his son! His dear FAMILY'S SON!!!" "As you wish my love," Voldemort grinned with a very satisfied, evil look in his eye. Harry was sure about that look, the one right before he cast the spell to cause his own death! "My dear, poor, sweet Ivivien, tell me the name and it is done." Voldemort looked quite pleased with this and had great triumph in his creepy voice. The woman whispered, and Harry tried to read her lips, but couldn't. Harry noticed that Voldemort was holding his wand at his side, and shuttered as he raised it angrily. "POTTER!" the woman screeched and Harry froze. "JAMES POTTER-" the woman screeched louder, and it echoed in Harry's ears. He rolled away from the door and seemed to fall off the edge of the floor he was lying on. THWACK! Harry had rolled off his bed and hit the floor like a rock. Panting, Harry was lost, and very dizzy. Ron sprang up quickly at the loud noise. "You okay Harry?" Ron asked anxiously looking through the gap in his curtains. Harry tried to recall all of what had just happened. Muttering quietly, Harry stood up, ".the one who must die. his son! His dear family's son.?" Harry was still out of breath, and now, he heard the screeching voice of the woman, "POTTER! . JAMES POTTER-" Over and over this played in his head, till Ron had forced Harry down onto his bed. "Harry, what's wrong? Tell me! What happened? . Did you hit your head on something? Our new shelves?" Ron questioned looking at the shelf over Harry's bed. "Is, is that what it is?" Harry asked squinting at the bookshelf. "I suppose that must have been what happened." Answered Ron. ~But it seemed like it hit me. I didn't hit it, did I? . But I guess that wouldn't make sense, a bookshelf trying to hit someone.~ Harry tried to laugh at the thought, while Ron looked at him bewildered. The sun had just peeked over the forest and was now blinding both Ron and Harry through the window. "Should we go to breakfast? I think it is about time for the early birds." Said Harry, looking down the staircase to the landing that over looked the common room. Harry stared closely, half asleep, and then he realized something strange; the door was open. "Did you forget to close the door last night, Ron?" "No, I don't think so." Ron said looking over at the door, "But I don't remember doing it either and I wasn't really paying attention." Ron and Harry shrugged then looked over at the three faces staring at them from across the room. Dean, Seamus and the boy, from the night before, chosen for Gryffindor. "Christopher. Theodore.? What are you doing in our dormitory?" Ron spit out, before thinking. Dean didn't take a second glance at Christopher, and Seamus starred at both of them, wondering why Ron and Harry looked so unhappy. Dean looked back at Christopher now for his second scan of what Harry was staring at. He jumped with a small yell, "Your not Nev-" Dean stopped mid way in his sentence and realized why Harry and Ron looked so unhappy. "Of course he's not Neville. Neville is still down in the Hospital Wing. I heard he would be back to classes today. This is Christopher Theodore, everyone." Announced Seamus to the gloomy looking crowd. "Er.uh." said Christopher looking around at the room which was staring at him. "Did someone say, something about breakfast?" The room broke into quiet laughs and everyone got dressed for the day. "If Neville is coming back today, then where will Christopher sleep?" asked Dean while everyone began to get ready. "I don't know." Answered Seamus thinking about it all himself. "I wouldn't worry about it." Said Ron, "Madam Pomfrey will probably keep him for a few more nights. You know how she is." Walking into the common room there was a small cheer for the new Gryffindor. Most the common room went down together and followed behind Christopher asking lots of questions, about where he was from, what it was like there. Sitting at the Gryffindor table, across from Hermione whom had already come to breakfast, were now Harry and Ron. Hermione was consumed in her book, Creatures of the Mysterious Wood. "We had Care of Magical Creatures two days ago, Hermione." Ron argued for her to put the book down. Hermione glared from over her book but in the end she decided she couldn't get anything done till she went to the library. Harry and Ron were at an angle facing the Hufflepuff table and they were talking about the classes they would have next. "Hey, Harry, Hermione, do you know where that girl from yesterday is? Kari." Ron began to ask, stopping in shock as he starred across the table. Hermione had just pulled her bushy hair into a loose ponytail, and now she stared at Ron questionably. "Something. wrong?" asked Harry, breaking the silence that stood between them. Ron's jaw dropped slightly and his eyes looked far off to the distance. He was starring directly in Hermione's direction. Hermione ducked, thinking it wasn't her he was starring at. Hermione was right, Ron's gaze didn't change after Hermione hid half way under the table. He didn't even twitch. Ron was watching the young Veela-like girl, trying to figure out the conversation she was having with the Hufflepuff girl next to her. Kari was talking as quickly as she could it seemed, stopped every so often to correct her speech, which would slip into French. Kari turned to the boy whom was sitting on the other side of her. Jealous, Ron looked away, and to Harry who had been trying to get his attention for the past few minutes. Harry diverted his attention to his toast, as Ron turned back to see what Kari was telling the boy. "She seems to keep staring over here doesn't she?" said Hermione out of the blue, who was now watching the Veela girl too. Harry, Ron and Hermione were all watching now, though they tried not to look it. Kari had slipped off into French again, she seemed to have given up trying to speak English, as she now curved her hands to make two circles and then placed them over her eyes. "Oh glasses," said the boy and Kari nodded. Now she made a zigzag mark on her forehead, clearly a thunderbolt. Ron looked at Harry as Kari point in their direction and Harry ducked his face behind the tall plate of waffles. "Harry Potter?" the boy asked looking at the set. Kari shook her head at the boy, whispered something in his ear, while making an upside-down "U" shape, with her finger pointed in the same direction. Neither Harry nor Ron had seen this motion though. ~Why do they always like Harry? Why is it always about Harry Potter? ~ Ron thought jealously but realized that Hermione was eyeing him, almost as though if he said what was in his head, she'd bite it off. Kari and the boy were getting into a big discussion now but the noise had risen. It was to a level so it was hard to hear Neville, as he clamored into the Great Hall dropping books and knocking over a suit of armor. It seemed as though the rest of the school had joined the morning feast, though most the boys from Slytherin, and Gryffindor were making excuses to get up and get a better view of the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables. Lily and Ambrosia were sitting opposite each other, mimicking each other's movements, at the Ravenclaw table. Each look like the mirror image of the other, scooping from the same plate and eating at the same time, even smiling and talking were well on queue. Kari also had a large audience, most the Gryffindor table was watching her and whispering about why, they think, she pointed out Harry. Harry nudged Ron and signaled that maybe then should leave. Ron nodded and tilted his head toward the door, while looking at Hermione. She took the hint and finished her last bit of eggs. They stood up and started there way out of the great hall. Hermione stopped and tapped on Ron and Harry's shoulders just before the door. She pointed at the beginning of the owls that had just swooped into the room. Loads of owls poured in, some with small packages, and some so big it took six owls to hold it up. Hedwig flew down to Harry, with a small letter in her beak, and perched on his arm. It had no return address and said nothing on the front but: Harry J. Potter, Lord of the Light, Written in a lush green emerald color, like the ones he got from Hogwarts ever year. But he was at Hogwarts this time. A large set of four owls came down with a long heavy package, for Ron. The note on the front said: Ron Weasley, Come and see us soon! We've got a surprise for you. `Fred and George P.S. Don't have it all in one day! Hermione also received a few letters, from a large barn owl. One held a letter from the Daily Prophet, another from Hagrid. The last letter was in a black envelope, with white writing. It read, in very neat handwriting: To: Hermione Granger
From: Skandranon Rashkae Harry looked over Hermione's shoulder. "Who's Sk-an-dra-non?" asked Harry slowly, making sure he pronounced the name according to the way it was written. Hermione jumped slightly pulling the letter out of sight and stuffing it behind the other two. "No one you know." She said simply. She had a small smile on her face as she knelt beside Ron helping him pick up his package. Harry blinked shoving his letter into his pocket, thinking he'd read it later. It took all three of them to lug Ron's package back to the Gryffindor table, where he opened it. First there was a thin layer of white fluff. But at the first glint of what was underneath, Ron ripped the entire sheet off. This, suddenly revealing a bright display of colors, that seemed to catch everyone's eye, for a moment. The package was loaded with candy, chocolates, and every kind of sweet Harry had ever seen, plus more he hadn't. "Who sent this to you again?" Harry said bedazzled in a trance. Ron's grin seemed far too wide for the voice to be coming from him, "My brothers, Harry. My brothers got a job or two in Hogsmead. I asked them to send me a few samples from the candy shop. I didn't think they'd send me the whole store!" There was a sudden streak of wind that gusted by there heads. Causing a slight stir, as people looked for the cause of the whirlwinds. Harry, Ron and Hermione looked up quickly as the wind settled and a falcon appeared on Kari's outstretched arm. "Thank you, Ivy." She said taking two letters from the bird's beak and replacing them with a large strip of bacon. The falcon slowly walked sideways up Kari's arm as she turned the first letter over and opened it.
Kari looked it over, then pulled a small quill from her pocket and signed it near the bottom. She gave it back to the bird and said, "Take this to Dumbledore, Ivy." With that the falcon dropped what was left of the bacon into its tiny claw, spread its small sharply pointed wings, swooped down the table and disappeared again. "I didn't know she had a falcon, did you?" questioned Hermione after several moments. There was no replay because their attention was suddenly shifted to the Slytherin table where a very loud scream was just released. There was a boy, the one who screamed, wand out, pointed at the spot where Maverlot and Draco were sitting. The student was directly across the table from them. Maverlot grinned quietly starring at the person who had jumped up. "What's the matter? Is someone afraid of my little Orpheious?" The student stood there shaking, still with their wand pointed at Maverlot. "That- that cat of yours was just the size of one of those big, stupid, tigers and it tried to kill me!" The boy was making faces and waving his hands about. Oddly enough, there was no cat in site other than Crookshanks who had just strolled into the opposite end of the room. "Orpheious wasn't going to kill you!" Maverlot got up and walked over to the boy, pulling out his own wand and pointing it to his throat, with the most angered disgusted look on his face. "And don't you ever insult Orpheious, again! He's not the stupidly weak one!" The only professor left in the room was Snape. He was watching the matter closely. "Shouldn't you be spending your time making friends rather in enemies, Moonrild?" He said over the silence of suspense. "Not if your time is spent successfully scarring your enemies into doing the same as your friends do." Maverlot's grip on his wand tightened greatly as he spoke, "Or if the time is spent getting rid of your enemies when they are weak." Just then a kitten sized black thing poured off of Maverlot's head and hung upside down off of his robe sleeve, pulling his wand down, to face the floor. It claimed back up his arm and back onto his head where it lied down making his tussled hair flatten, again. It blended in with his hair, as it had before, with only its two bright blue eyes staring out from the back of Maverlot's head. "You're lucky," he mumbled walking back to his seat, "Orpheious doesn't hate you, yet." Everyone resumed talking as though nothing had happened, but with a lot more noise and gossip running about the room. Draco leaned over to Maverlot's side and whispered something to him, which Harry, Hermione nor Ron could hear. Hedwig had been waiting patently on the table for her reward. Irritated, she flew up onto Harry's arm and nibbled on his fingers. "Ouch! Okay, okay." Harry said pulling off a few strips of bacon and placing them in front of her. Which she gladly gulped down and flew off. Ron hastily replaced the fluffy sheet of white hastily and quickly shut his box. He grabbed the front end and Harry and Hermione helped him lug it up to the common room. After it was, what Ron though was, safely tucked away, they returned the common room, to sit and relax. "So, who's this Skandragon person, Hermione? Where'd you meet him?" Ron said out of curiosity and trying to change the subject from his package. "He's no one you know, and his name is Skandranon, not Skandragon." She sounded thoroughly irritated with the mispronunciation. "So, who is he?" Ron demanded. "And why don't we know him? Is he someone from your muggle school or something?" "Nonsense Ron. If he was from my old school, why would he send an owl?" countered Hermione still avoiding the original question. "Hermione! Who is he?" Harry said simply and slowly as though it was urgent. She knew it wasn't. "He is Skandranon Rashkae. He's my friend and that's all you need to know." Hermione said very straight forward. "Now, if you'll excuse me I have to go see what he wrote me before its time for Arithmancy." She stood up and started toward the staircase. "Hermione-!" Ron started to argue but Harry held up his hand to cut him off. "We won't get anything out of her right now." Harry said simply and Ron knew he was right. "Well, what about you Harry? Who sent you that letter?" Ron asked, changing the subject again. "I'm not sure myself." Harry then pulled the letter from his pocket and stared at it unsure. He starred at the writing as though he knew something about it, but was unsure what. Harry turned the envelope over, where it was sealed with emerald wax and a fancy script "P" as the imprint. Harry placed his hand over the wax "P", touching its smooth impression. He seemed to have faded into a trance starring at the letter. Words a voices came to him in a mix and then suddenly he heard his father's voice, telling Lily to run while there was still time. "Well are you going to open it, or are we just going to sit here so you can gawk at it?" Ron interrupted. Harry was suddenly sucked back with the first word out of Ron's mouth. Harry lifted the flap of the envelope. He looked inside and pulled out a small piece of parchment, folded four times. It was old and looked as though it had been opened and closed many times before it was placed in the envelope. He opened it gently, so as not to tare or rip the edges. He looked at one side then flipped it to the other and starred, dumfounded at the letter. Ron finally gave up the suspense and ripped it from Harry hands. "What is it?" "It's. nothing." Harry said plainly sounding confused himself. Ron turned the paper over, and over. He examined the two sides of the ordinary blank piece of paper. "Invisible Ink?" He asked curiously handing the paper back to Harry. "I'm not sure. Wonder why I got it." "And from who." Ron added quietly. "Well let's see, shall we?" Ron pulled out his wand a tapped the paper, "Aparecium!" The paper remained the same. Harry shrugged, "Nothing gained, nothing lost." "Maybe," said Ron pulling out a quill and filling it a little in ink. "Here you do it Harry, its your letter." Ron encouraged him handing over the quill. Harry took the quill and wrote out I am Harry Potter on the top corner of the page. The words sank into the page as though being soaked up in a sponge. A long time passed as they both sat silently and wondered. There were a few students going in and out of the common room, obviously puzzled by the boys. It wasn't until Hermione came down from her dormitory that either of them spoke. "What's the matter with you two?" she asked as she sat down next to them. "Bad news? Did something happen?" Hermione urged. Ron shrugged while Harry just starred at paper. "It's," Ron found himself trying to explain, ".nothing." "What do you mean by nothing?" Hermione asked leaning over Harry's shoulder to get a look at the letter. "And why are we "reading" a blank piece of paper? Does it have some sort of importance?" "I think it does." Harry answered. "This is the letter I got this morning, the one that said Harry J. Potter, Lord of the Light." Harry added, recalling the memory. "Did you try writing on it-?"Hermione began. "And the invisible ink spell, yes. Harry! Maybe you have to use a fraise like the Marauder's map." "Good idea Ron!" complimented Hermione. Harry pulled out his wand and taped the paper, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." On what Harry though was the backside of the paper words appeared in emerald colored ink. Which read: The Marauder's Map. Harry was very confused, he taped the paper again but this time said, "The Marauder's Map," Directly under nether the words The Marauder's Map it read I solemnly swear I'm up to no good. But as the new words appeared, the old ones soaked into the page as though the sponge had taken them too. "Wow!" Responded Ron wide eyed. "Brilliant, Harry!" said Hermione patting him on the shoulder. "Do another!" The new words soaked back into the page and Harry tried again. But no matter what he said, no more words appeared. They all sat and starred at it for a long while. "Hey Harry!" Ron suddenly jumped, and Hermione and Harry looked up. "Hedwig would know who sent it. Just ask her to send a reply back to the same person who gave you that." "That's a good idea, Ron! Why didn't I think of that before?" "Because it won't work." Hermione interrupted. "Why not? Pig did it." Argued Ron. "Did pig personally know the person you were replying to? Had Pig met them with you before, possibly know them by name?" Inquired Hermione. "Yes. But they only met once for twice," he tried to prove his point, "and that was ages ago." Hermione gave him a look and he seemed to accept defeat. "Well. we should at least try." Ron insisted, hesitantly. Hermione looked over toward the clock and replied, "Not unless you want to be late to Divination. You have to get started. I have Arithmancy right now." Hermione sighed giving a wave and slowly leaving the dormitory as Harry and Ron packed up everything for the morning classes. "Oh and one more thing." Hermione said sticking her head back inside the common room entrance. "Don't forget there are no after noon classes today. It's the weapons presentation today." She seemed disappointed about the classes canceled but thrilled with the new class, all at once. Harry and Ron nodded and followed her out, making their long way up to the Divination classroom. "I think we're going to be late anyway." Ron mumbled as they both claimed the stairs to the North Tower. "I wonder what she's going to "teach" us this year." Replied Harry scuffling his feet on the platform before the long spiral staircase. "We're late, Harry." Announced Ron as they reached the top of the tight spiral steps. They came to the latter and looked up to the trap door which had a small piece of paper on to it. Harry climbed the latter half way and read the paper allowed. "Divination Room, temporarily moved to the Great Hall." "Wonderful," muttered Ron. "Now we're going to be doubly as late!" Both boys were rather tired and unpleased at the uninformed change. Nonetheless, they started there way back down all the sets of stairs, to the Great Hall.
