A/N: A whoo and a hoo! Finally! The 5th book is due out on 21st July! **victory dance around room** Let's just worth it's all the hype, eh...?
Disclaimer: In the words of my good friend Silvermoon, "Ass."
Dedication: Everyone out there **taps screen** who encourages me with this. Thanks guys!
Harry Potter and the Crystal of Dreams.
Madam Pomfrey certainly didn't look too happy about discharging Harry in the morning. In fact, Harry was quite sure he'd never seen her quite so annoyed in all the five years he'd been at the school.
"Can't see what Dumbledore thinks he's doing, demanding to see you like this." She clucked as Harry got changed into clean robes and stepped out from behind the curtains around his bed. "Absolutely outrageous...no concern for my patients whatsoever..."
Harry glanced over at Shannon, who was watching him as she absently stirred her cornflakes around the bowl on the tray in in front of her. She blinked when she realised he was looking at her, then smiles slightly, looking back down at her breakfast.
"You'd better leave now then." The nurse said, flapping her hands at him. "Let me at least care for my other patient."
As Harry exited, he just saw Shannon roll her eyes at Madam Pomfrey's back, making him leave faster so that neither heard him crack up into a laughter fit. However, this soon ceased when he thought of the Crystal, stowed safely in his pocket, and of how he was going to be expected to explain everything.
All too soon, he found himself approaching the now familiar gargoyle...to see Dumbledore waiting for him. That surprised him, and he unconciously slowed, apprehensive at the grave expression on the headmaster's face.
"Harry." The man nodded. "How are you feeling today?"
"Uhh...OK, I guess." Harry wasn't exactly sure what he was expected to say or do. He slipped his hand into his pocket, gripping the Crystal tightly, as though scared it would disappear.
"Follow me, please. I think we need somewhere possibly less public to talk." Dumbledore turned to the gargoyle at this point, which leapt aside when he gave the password ('Spearmint Polos'). No more words were exchanged during their ascent of the winding stairs, or during their entrance of Dumbledore's office. In fact, the silence remained even after they sat in the two chairs on either sides of the desk, and for several long moments as Dumbledore surveyed him from over his glasses. Eventually, it was the headmaster who broke the silence.
"Harry, you understand that I already have Miss Parks's version of the events that happened last night. However, I also need yours to verify with the details." Harry nodded. "Take all the time you need to explain, but please make sure that there is nothing omitted or left out."
And so Harry began to tell the Professor about the encounter, starting with how he had found the Portkey broom abandoned by the lake.
(A/N: I swear Silvermoon, you twist this and I'm gonna kill you! Nyah!Hehe...)
*****
Shannon was staring up at the ceiling, counting the cracks in the paint out of sheer boredom. One...two...three...by the time she'd gotten to fifty, she figured it was pointless and that she should probably suggest redecoration to save any more fed up patients the trouble.
It was then that she heard footsteps and looked around quickly to see Madam Pomfrey approaching with an irate expression. Shannon made a sensible decision for once and chose not to say anything. This proved lucky, because the nurse's bad temper was even more pronounced by her words.
"You have a visitor, Miss Parks, although I do hope you'll keep it short. You need rest."
She nodded. "I'll try not to run over time. Thanks very much."
The nurse merely pursed her lips and moved back over to the main door, opening it to allow someone to enter before she stormed into her office.
Shannon's face darkened as she watched her father close the door and approach, even though she could see the regretful expression he wore as he pulled up a chair.
"How are you?" he asked quietly, probably not wanting to disturb the peace of the ward.
"Just fine." she snapped, still annoyed with him. Then just for spite, she quoted, "Madam Pomfrey is an excellent nurse."
He had the grace to look guilty. "Look, Shannon, I'm sorry if I seemed...harsh, earlier on, but I want you to understand that I only have your best interests at heart. I couldn't bear to loose you, you know that. Especially not to someone like You-Know-Who."
Shannon looked at him, frowning slightly as she watched him run a hand through his hair. "Dad? Can we talk?"
"Of course, Shannon. What's the matter? We're all here for you."
There's no point in stumbling over this, she thought. Now or never...
"I want to talk about Mam."
Her father froze, lowering his hand, and blinked. For a second, he was motionless in apparent shock, but then he managed to say shakily, "Shannon, maybe we should discuss this some other-"
"No." She remained firm and resolute. "I want to talk about her now. I..." She lowered her voice slightly. "I NEED to talk about her now, Dad. Please?"
She watched him for a moment, until he sighed and ran his hand through his hair again.
"OK." he said. "Where shall we start?"
*****
"...and then I became uncioncious and...that's it."
Harry sat back in his chair, running his tongue over dry lips and feeling a little drained. It had taken him more effort than he had thought it would to explain, but he was sure he hadn't left anything out.
Dumbledore had remained silent and still throughout this talk, never once removing his gaze from Harry's and rarely blinking. However, now he stood, face even more grave than ever as he paced away from the desk before suddenly turning back to Harry.
"And the Crystal now?"
Harry pulled it out of his pocket at this request. "I've still got it." He hesitated when Dumbledore did nothing but watch him, and hesitantly set it on the desk. With a flicker of what Harry thought could have been weariness darting through his eyes, Dumbledore sat back down and took up the Crystal. He examined it briefly, turning it over with his long fingers, before setting it back down and resting his chin on clasped hands to watch Harry.
"Harry, look at this object and tell me what you see."
That question confused Harry, but he did as he was told and stared at the Crystal. It was just as it had appeared to be earlier- a fairly small, roughly cut prism of clear, hard crystal imprisoning smokey wisps of magic...
Which seemed to be growing bolder and darker right in front of his very eyes.
He gave a small, startled cry, looking back up at Dumbledore with wide eyes. "The...the smoke in it. It's getting more powerful."
Dumbledore nodded slowly. "Correct, Harry. This is one of the things which makes it so dangerous."
Harry looked back down at it, noticing with even more shock that the smoke was growing paler now.
"You see, the Cristal de Reves- or, in English, the Crystal of Dreams- contains a physical magic. It has so much of this that it almost has its own mind- it can direct, to some extent, what becomes of it and the way it is used. And right now, I would safely guess that it is attempting to find its way back to Voldemort for even more ill use."
Harry took in a sharp breath. "Can it do that? Find Voldemort again, I mean."
"It depends on whether or not Voldemort would intend to use it again. I am sure that the Crystal could find him again and that he could soon find it, although if he would want to or not would remain to be seen."
"So what do we have to do?"
"There are...certain spells which could be used to withdraw the physical magic and either weaken or destroy it- we hope for the latter. However, these spells are extremely dangerous and require the teamwork of many skilled Aurors. After all, without its magic, the Crystal is just any other crystal."
"But..." Harry frowned. "If it can cause this much trouble, why wasn't it destroyed years ago?"
Dumbledore look more solemn than ever, and there seemed to be an unusual sadness about him as he replied, "Humans are strange beings, Harry. They are driven by their greed and lust for power, and through this they allow many things to happen which will, perhaps without them meaning it to, affect others in terrible ways."
Harry looked around the office, feeling as though this was all too much to take in at once. He was still tired from the lack of sleep he had gained, worn out from explaining, and worried over too many things. He looked back at Dumbledore.
"What's going to happen then?"
"I shall see that the Crystal is destroyed as soon as possible- preferably within the next few days. It is urgent that I call together all of my most trusted and skilled Aurors to see to the task. There will, of course, have to be a meeting about what we propose to do, so I shall have to arrange that for today."
Harry wondered if Chloe would be among them, and hoped that she was alright.
"As for now..." Dumbledore sighed, looking at Harry seriously. "I think it would be best for you to go and see your friends, Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley. They are most worried about both you and Miss Parks, and it would do them good to be reassured that you are both alright. You also need to get some more rest- I daresay that you are extremely tired."
Harry remembered Ron and Hermione and felt a sudden wave of guilt. "Oh...yeah, I really should." He made to stand then paused. "Professor, are you sure that the Crystal can be destroyed?"
Dumbledore gave the tiniest hint of a smile. "Yes. Anything is possible. We just have to find the most suitable method."
Harry nodded and then stood up. "OK then."
He walked over to the door, ready to open it, when Dumbledore suddenly called, "Harry? A final word."
Harry turned with a dreadful apprehension. "What is it?"
Dumbledore was grave again. "Harry, you must remember that as one of, if not the most, Voldemort's prominent targets, anyone in association with you is at danger. Please understand that I am not saying that you must cut all ties with everyone you have ever spoken to and go into hiding, but if the time were ever to come that you did need to hide...well, I am saying that if it was vital for safety all round, you must do what is necessary. Do you understand?"
Harry nodded, frowing in confusion. "Er...yeah. I think so."
The headmaster nodded. "Good. Now head to your common room and talk to your friends. They are desperate to see you, I am sure."
"Thanks." Harry exited, shutting the door behind him and leaving Dumbledore alone in the relative quiet of his office. The man sighed and drew a blue quill towards him, which he stood point upright on a piece of parchment. It stood there and began to scribble down the words he dictated.
*****
Phew! That took me an entire night to write after Silvermoon told me to "update your story, dammit!" Heheh, so there ya go. Review please...I have been seriously review deprived lately, and the next chapter is gonna take a lot of encouragement to write, believe me! **chews nails nervously**
Oh, and Silvermoon? Did ya get the polo reference? Lol. What can I say, I'm an addict!
Disclaimer: In the words of my good friend Silvermoon, "Ass."
Dedication: Everyone out there **taps screen** who encourages me with this. Thanks guys!
Harry Potter and the Crystal of Dreams.
Madam Pomfrey certainly didn't look too happy about discharging Harry in the morning. In fact, Harry was quite sure he'd never seen her quite so annoyed in all the five years he'd been at the school.
"Can't see what Dumbledore thinks he's doing, demanding to see you like this." She clucked as Harry got changed into clean robes and stepped out from behind the curtains around his bed. "Absolutely outrageous...no concern for my patients whatsoever..."
Harry glanced over at Shannon, who was watching him as she absently stirred her cornflakes around the bowl on the tray in in front of her. She blinked when she realised he was looking at her, then smiles slightly, looking back down at her breakfast.
"You'd better leave now then." The nurse said, flapping her hands at him. "Let me at least care for my other patient."
As Harry exited, he just saw Shannon roll her eyes at Madam Pomfrey's back, making him leave faster so that neither heard him crack up into a laughter fit. However, this soon ceased when he thought of the Crystal, stowed safely in his pocket, and of how he was going to be expected to explain everything.
All too soon, he found himself approaching the now familiar gargoyle...to see Dumbledore waiting for him. That surprised him, and he unconciously slowed, apprehensive at the grave expression on the headmaster's face.
"Harry." The man nodded. "How are you feeling today?"
"Uhh...OK, I guess." Harry wasn't exactly sure what he was expected to say or do. He slipped his hand into his pocket, gripping the Crystal tightly, as though scared it would disappear.
"Follow me, please. I think we need somewhere possibly less public to talk." Dumbledore turned to the gargoyle at this point, which leapt aside when he gave the password ('Spearmint Polos'). No more words were exchanged during their ascent of the winding stairs, or during their entrance of Dumbledore's office. In fact, the silence remained even after they sat in the two chairs on either sides of the desk, and for several long moments as Dumbledore surveyed him from over his glasses. Eventually, it was the headmaster who broke the silence.
"Harry, you understand that I already have Miss Parks's version of the events that happened last night. However, I also need yours to verify with the details." Harry nodded. "Take all the time you need to explain, but please make sure that there is nothing omitted or left out."
And so Harry began to tell the Professor about the encounter, starting with how he had found the Portkey broom abandoned by the lake.
(A/N: I swear Silvermoon, you twist this and I'm gonna kill you! Nyah!Hehe...)
*****
Shannon was staring up at the ceiling, counting the cracks in the paint out of sheer boredom. One...two...three...by the time she'd gotten to fifty, she figured it was pointless and that she should probably suggest redecoration to save any more fed up patients the trouble.
It was then that she heard footsteps and looked around quickly to see Madam Pomfrey approaching with an irate expression. Shannon made a sensible decision for once and chose not to say anything. This proved lucky, because the nurse's bad temper was even more pronounced by her words.
"You have a visitor, Miss Parks, although I do hope you'll keep it short. You need rest."
She nodded. "I'll try not to run over time. Thanks very much."
The nurse merely pursed her lips and moved back over to the main door, opening it to allow someone to enter before she stormed into her office.
Shannon's face darkened as she watched her father close the door and approach, even though she could see the regretful expression he wore as he pulled up a chair.
"How are you?" he asked quietly, probably not wanting to disturb the peace of the ward.
"Just fine." she snapped, still annoyed with him. Then just for spite, she quoted, "Madam Pomfrey is an excellent nurse."
He had the grace to look guilty. "Look, Shannon, I'm sorry if I seemed...harsh, earlier on, but I want you to understand that I only have your best interests at heart. I couldn't bear to loose you, you know that. Especially not to someone like You-Know-Who."
Shannon looked at him, frowning slightly as she watched him run a hand through his hair. "Dad? Can we talk?"
"Of course, Shannon. What's the matter? We're all here for you."
There's no point in stumbling over this, she thought. Now or never...
"I want to talk about Mam."
Her father froze, lowering his hand, and blinked. For a second, he was motionless in apparent shock, but then he managed to say shakily, "Shannon, maybe we should discuss this some other-"
"No." She remained firm and resolute. "I want to talk about her now. I..." She lowered her voice slightly. "I NEED to talk about her now, Dad. Please?"
She watched him for a moment, until he sighed and ran his hand through his hair again.
"OK." he said. "Where shall we start?"
*****
"...and then I became uncioncious and...that's it."
Harry sat back in his chair, running his tongue over dry lips and feeling a little drained. It had taken him more effort than he had thought it would to explain, but he was sure he hadn't left anything out.
Dumbledore had remained silent and still throughout this talk, never once removing his gaze from Harry's and rarely blinking. However, now he stood, face even more grave than ever as he paced away from the desk before suddenly turning back to Harry.
"And the Crystal now?"
Harry pulled it out of his pocket at this request. "I've still got it." He hesitated when Dumbledore did nothing but watch him, and hesitantly set it on the desk. With a flicker of what Harry thought could have been weariness darting through his eyes, Dumbledore sat back down and took up the Crystal. He examined it briefly, turning it over with his long fingers, before setting it back down and resting his chin on clasped hands to watch Harry.
"Harry, look at this object and tell me what you see."
That question confused Harry, but he did as he was told and stared at the Crystal. It was just as it had appeared to be earlier- a fairly small, roughly cut prism of clear, hard crystal imprisoning smokey wisps of magic...
Which seemed to be growing bolder and darker right in front of his very eyes.
He gave a small, startled cry, looking back up at Dumbledore with wide eyes. "The...the smoke in it. It's getting more powerful."
Dumbledore nodded slowly. "Correct, Harry. This is one of the things which makes it so dangerous."
Harry looked back down at it, noticing with even more shock that the smoke was growing paler now.
"You see, the Cristal de Reves- or, in English, the Crystal of Dreams- contains a physical magic. It has so much of this that it almost has its own mind- it can direct, to some extent, what becomes of it and the way it is used. And right now, I would safely guess that it is attempting to find its way back to Voldemort for even more ill use."
Harry took in a sharp breath. "Can it do that? Find Voldemort again, I mean."
"It depends on whether or not Voldemort would intend to use it again. I am sure that the Crystal could find him again and that he could soon find it, although if he would want to or not would remain to be seen."
"So what do we have to do?"
"There are...certain spells which could be used to withdraw the physical magic and either weaken or destroy it- we hope for the latter. However, these spells are extremely dangerous and require the teamwork of many skilled Aurors. After all, without its magic, the Crystal is just any other crystal."
"But..." Harry frowned. "If it can cause this much trouble, why wasn't it destroyed years ago?"
Dumbledore look more solemn than ever, and there seemed to be an unusual sadness about him as he replied, "Humans are strange beings, Harry. They are driven by their greed and lust for power, and through this they allow many things to happen which will, perhaps without them meaning it to, affect others in terrible ways."
Harry looked around the office, feeling as though this was all too much to take in at once. He was still tired from the lack of sleep he had gained, worn out from explaining, and worried over too many things. He looked back at Dumbledore.
"What's going to happen then?"
"I shall see that the Crystal is destroyed as soon as possible- preferably within the next few days. It is urgent that I call together all of my most trusted and skilled Aurors to see to the task. There will, of course, have to be a meeting about what we propose to do, so I shall have to arrange that for today."
Harry wondered if Chloe would be among them, and hoped that she was alright.
"As for now..." Dumbledore sighed, looking at Harry seriously. "I think it would be best for you to go and see your friends, Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley. They are most worried about both you and Miss Parks, and it would do them good to be reassured that you are both alright. You also need to get some more rest- I daresay that you are extremely tired."
Harry remembered Ron and Hermione and felt a sudden wave of guilt. "Oh...yeah, I really should." He made to stand then paused. "Professor, are you sure that the Crystal can be destroyed?"
Dumbledore gave the tiniest hint of a smile. "Yes. Anything is possible. We just have to find the most suitable method."
Harry nodded and then stood up. "OK then."
He walked over to the door, ready to open it, when Dumbledore suddenly called, "Harry? A final word."
Harry turned with a dreadful apprehension. "What is it?"
Dumbledore was grave again. "Harry, you must remember that as one of, if not the most, Voldemort's prominent targets, anyone in association with you is at danger. Please understand that I am not saying that you must cut all ties with everyone you have ever spoken to and go into hiding, but if the time were ever to come that you did need to hide...well, I am saying that if it was vital for safety all round, you must do what is necessary. Do you understand?"
Harry nodded, frowing in confusion. "Er...yeah. I think so."
The headmaster nodded. "Good. Now head to your common room and talk to your friends. They are desperate to see you, I am sure."
"Thanks." Harry exited, shutting the door behind him and leaving Dumbledore alone in the relative quiet of his office. The man sighed and drew a blue quill towards him, which he stood point upright on a piece of parchment. It stood there and began to scribble down the words he dictated.
*****
Phew! That took me an entire night to write after Silvermoon told me to "update your story, dammit!" Heheh, so there ya go. Review please...I have been seriously review deprived lately, and the next chapter is gonna take a lot of encouragement to write, believe me! **chews nails nervously**
Oh, and Silvermoon? Did ya get the polo reference? Lol. What can I say, I'm an addict!