Clear as Mud Chapter 1 - Visions and Dreams

A/N: This story is my first fic, so I'd appreciate it if you'd review - even if you are flaming. But please try to make it constructive criticism, because otherwise it's no help to me whatsoever. I have the first two chapters written, so if it's telling you that I only have one chapter up just wait 5 minutes and the second one will be up! I know that I hate reading stories where the author never updates, especially when they are longer, so I promise that I will update regularly, and will give notice if I am away for some reason. That's all for now!

Disclaimer: This whole world belongs to JK Rowling, and I only own characters that you don't recognize (if I decide to add any), and they will only be small parts, so! Read on!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Clear as Mud! Of course I understand! It makes perfect sense that you should need my help after completely ignoring me for the past 14 years of my life!" Ginny hissed at her older brother, Ron.

"Ginny, please, it's important," Ron pleaded. "It's... it's about Harry."

Ginny winced - she shouldn't have got so angry...

"What's wrong with him?" she asked, the fury in her voice vanquished, and replaced by concern, and a fair amount of regret for blowing up at her brother like she had.

"He... I don't know," Ron scratched his head. "He just hasn't been eating or sleeping for weeks now. He uses concealing charms to cover the bags, but he's losing a lot of weight. Something's troubling him, and the last time he was like this was after the Tri-wizard Tournament last year. After he returned from.. you know."

Ginny nodded, and looked down at the ground. She remembered only too well how hard it had been for Harry over the Summer. One of the only times he'd spoken to her was when they'd both been kept up with nightmares one night at The Burrow, and they'd both been discussing Voldemort and his plans. It was tough on Ginny, with Tom Riddle returning, and she knew that both her and Harry were prime targets for attack.

"The only other time I've seen him this bad was when he had that crush on Cho Chang, and he was trying to get over her. At least I think that was what it was. He never actually spoke to me about that. He seemed to be avoiding me whenever I said I'd heard him mumbling in his sleep. It was as if he thought he would have been saying something that I wouldn't want to hear.

"So naturally, I listened hard for what he was saying this time, and all he ever says is 'tell her, tell her' or 'I can't hide it much longer, she'll find out, or he'll find out'. He's tossing and turning all of the time as well. As if he's squirming. Not really in much pain, although he clutches his scar occasionally."

Ginny's eyes bugged at the last bit.

"His scar hurt? You have to tell Professor Dumbledore! It could mean that Voldemort is planning an attack! Or... What?"

Ron continued to stare at her as if she was mad.

"You... you said the name..." he muttered.

Ginny scowled, heavily.

"I always have," she said angrily. "You just never spoke to me about anything important before. It was as if you thought I'd snap in two at the mention of anything bad! Hello! I've met Tom Riddle! I've been in the Chamber of Secrets! But you still won't trust me!"

Ginny took a few steadying breaths, regaining her composure.

"And you still need to see Dumbledore! He needs to kn-"

"I've spoken to him already," Ron said. "He told me not to worry, and that Harry's scar would probably hurt more than it used to, and more frequently. He said that if it gets bad, to tell Harry to come and see him, but a good way to tell would be if he said anything in his sleep about Voldemort, because he would probably be having one of his visions. I told him about what he'd been saying in his sleep, but Dumbledore just smiled, said not to worry about that, but get you to speak to him. When I asked why, he just said that 'Ginny and Harry have shared a few experiences - like the one in the Chamber of Secrets, and have strong bonds because of it. They need to talk about it, amongst other things...' Honestly. I swear that man can't give a straight answer to save his life. I asked him what 'other things', and he just replied that 'most people close to Harry could make an educated guess, could they not, Ronald?' I hate it when he calls me that. It's even worse than 'Mr. Weasley'"

Ginny just stared. Surely Dumbledore couldn't mean what she thought he did, could he? Not after so long... Hermione would have noticed, surely... But then, maybe she had.

"Ginny, where are you going?" Ron called after his sister. "It's half an hour 'till curfew!"

"I have to find Hermione! I need to ask her something!" Ginny called as she dashed out of the Portrait Hole.

"But-"

Ginny didn't hear the rest of what her brother said, as the Fat Lady swung shut with an audible click.

She didn't hear her brother mutter under his breath: "Rather you than me, sis. It's Transfiguration homework tonight..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hermione!" Ginny whispered into her friend's ear in the library, five minutes later.

Hermione looked up from her homework, and glared at Ginny.

"I am trying to complete an essay on 'The Dangers and Possible Uses of Self- Transfiguration' and it's going to take me ages! I could really do without the interruption, Ginny," Hermione scolded.

"But... Hermione, this is about... it's about Harry..." Ginny began, not really knowing how to phrase the awkward question that was coming.

Hermione surprised Ginny, by leaping up.

"What's wrong with him? Is he OK? He should never have been allowed to go out to Quidditch practice! Anyone could get him!" Hermione raved, sounding very much like Mrs. Weasley.

"Hermione," Ginny said, startled. "Harry's fine! Well... he's not in any immediate danger, anyway."

"Oh, Ginny, you scared me!" Hermione said, carefully picking up her chair that had clattered to the floor when she'd jumped up. "So what's so important that you had to come barging in here, scaring me like that, and disrupting my work?" Hermione said, going back into prefect mode.

"It's just that... well, Ron said that Harry hasn't been sleeping well, and when Ron saw Dumbledore about it, Dumbledore just said that I should speak to him, but-"

"Have you spoken to him?" Hermione asked seriously, but Ginny was sure that she could see a glimmer of humour in Hermione's eyes.

"No, I haven't," Ginny said, still trying to use her Seer skills to try and read Hermione.

"Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed. "Don't use your You-Know-What skills to do that!"

Ginny giggled at the odd looks from passers-by as Hermione said that.

"Don't laugh! You are abusing your talent!" Hermione whined half-heartedly. "It's not fair! You have an advantage!"

Ginny smiled.

"I know it's not fair, but neither is it fair that you are keeping something from me, especially when it is about me! And if you think feeling the Cruciatus curse every time Voldemort goes on a killing spree, then your not as clever as I thought you were," Ginny muttered into Hermione's ear.

Hermione gasped.

"Ginny, I didn't realize you felt your visions! I mean, I thought you just had to watch them, which is bad enough! Does Dumbledore know that you feel them?" Hermione tried to keep her voice quiet, but she couldn't keep the shock from her voice.

"No! Hermione, stop fussing! Dumbledore doesn't need to know! And how could you keep that from me?!" Ginny hissed.

"Oh, Ginny, how could I tell you? It wouldn't be fair on-" Hermione started.

"Ron always takes my stuff! And he never even asks! The twins aren't this bad! And I don't see what is unfair about telling me that Ron has nicked my owl again! He has Pig! Why wont he ever use him!" Ginny said loudly, receiving a reproving glare from Madam Pince, the Hogwarts librarian.

"Oh - right! Yes! But I promised I wouldn't say! Sorry!" Hermione was relieved. She thought Ginny had found something worse than that. She was surprised that Ginny hadn't already realized that Ron had taken her owl; he had sent a letter to Sirius with it three days ago, now.

"Hermione," Ginny warned. "There's something else, isn't there? Tell me!"

Hermione sighed resignedly.

"Look, Ginny," she said wearily. "You should talk to Harry about it, I'm not the one to tell you. No! Stop it!" Hermione cried, squeezing her eyes shut in vain. "I mean it, Ginny! Go and talk to Harry! You have a lot to discuss."

Ginny sighed, and stopped reading Hermione. It took too much effort when their eyes were closed, anyway. She should ask Dumbledore about training for that...

"Ginny! Were you even listening to what I was saying?" Hermione glared angrily.

"No," said Ginny bluntly. "I was thinking. I need to go and find Harry."

"Well!" Hermione exclaimed sarcastically. "Someone give the girl a medal! She finally got it!"

Ginny giggled as Hermione transfigured one of her numerous quills into a medal, and pinned it on to Ginny's bag.

"Well," Ginny said. "I'm off. But I still don't know what exactly I can do to help."

"You do, and you know it. I'm not falling for the 'I saw Ron stealing my owl again' line, because I heard you arguing with him about that yesterday before breakfast. So you know exactly what's going on, Virginia Weasley!" Ginny smiled weakly at Hermione's look of irritation as she remembered her and Ron's argument the previous morning.

"Well, all I really saw was some conversation with you and Harry, him looking rather awkward. I didn't concentrate hard enough to actually hear what was being said. Last time I tried that, I passed out."

"You mean you can see what's going on? How did I not know that?!"

"Why would I tell you about my secret weapon?" Ginny teased. "And you know perfectly well that Ron doesn't mean it. He loves you really."

"Ginny!" Hermione cried, flushing pink. "That's private!"

"Oh, get over it, Hermione. That's the only way I could see what you were talking with Harry about. It goes through what is troubling your mind most at the moment... and Harry would be offended! 'Oh, let's see, benefits of Self-Transfiguration has loads of uses!' Putting your homework before your friends! You should be ashamed!" Ginny joked.

"It's not life or death, you know!" Hermione said in defense. "It's between you and him! And... Ginny?" Hermione asked nervously.

"What's up? Are you alright?" Hermione was touched by the extreme concern in her friend's voice, but she had to ask a serious question, which could bring up all sorts of bad memories.

"I'm fine, Ginny," Hermione then hesitated. How could she phrase this? She had to try. "When have you tried to listen to someone's memories? Was it... was it in the chamber of secrets?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Yes," Ginny replied sadly. "I tried to read Voldemort's memories fully, when I found something about him talking to an old warlock. That's why I was out cold when Harry arrived. I heard a bit of the conversation, and it was his transformations to become immortal. He could only have been in his fourth year, or something. He was just too young to be doing...that."

Hermione didn't know what to say. She was used to Ginny calling him Voldemort, but Ginny had never told her about reading Voldemort. Hermione couldn't imagine how horrible those transformations must have been, and Ginny had to feel them as well as see them.

"Ginny, you are going to come with me. We will go and see Dumbledore, then go back to the Common Room and you can talk to Harry. Look, it's almost past curfew!" Hermione steered Ginny out of the library quickly, who was putting up an uncharacteristic struggle. None.

As Hermione gave the password (courtesy of being Gryffindor prefect, along with Harry), she was startled to see that Ginny had tears gently rolling down her cheeks.

"Oh, Ginny," Hermione soothed. "I can't even begin to imagine what this must be like for you."

"No one could. Well, except Harry, maybe," Ginny looked up at Hermione, and gave her a watery smile. "He's the only other person I've told about being a Diviner. Oh, Hermione! I'm sorry! I haven't even told Dumbledore! I didn't know how!" Ginny sobbed. As they got to the top of the revolving staircase, Hermione stepped forward and knocked on the door, trying to comfort Ginny all the while.

"Come in!" a voice called from the other side of the door.

Ginny looked up at Hermione. That definitely wasn't Dumbledore. That voice sounded as if it belonged to a man in his mid-thirties, or something.

Ginny and Hermione entered the room, their hands clasping their wands in their robes, just in case.

They were right, the man behind the desk was not Dumbledore. And neither was the young woman sitting next to him.

"Oh, my..." Ginny gasped. "You... you're... you can't be!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Good? Bad? Or just plain ugly? You tell me! Review, please!