Chapter Fifteen: Room of Torture and Delight

I gave her a hug and turned around at the sound of Professor McGonagall's voice.

"So then you understand what I'm saying? You know what this means?" I had silenced both Roxeanne and myself to listen to what McGonagall and Madame Pomfrey had to say.

"Yes, Minerva. I understand completely. With Potter gone, well..."

"Yes. Yes, I know. We don't know what might happen." The professor told the nurse. I turned to Roxeanne and saw that she was listening as closely as I was.

"Are you hearing this?" I whispered to her. She only nodded. "I never thought about what could happen with him... gone. You-know-who might rise again!"

"No kidding! Hush! Here they come." We both turned to different positions and were trying hard to make it look as if we weren't listening.

"Here you are ladies." Said Madame Pomfrey as she handed us two glasses filled with a yellow, mucky liquid.

"What's this?" Roxeanne asked in disgust.

"You want to sleep tonight? Then drink!" She said, shoving the glasses in our faces.

"Ugh... alright." I said, slowly drinking it. "Oh! This is so disgusting!" It tasted like swallowing your own vomit... only worse.

Roxeanne nodded in agreement, almost gagging, having just swallowed down hers.

"Right. Now, up to bed, both of you. That'll kick in quick." We both nodded and headed up to the Gryffindor Tower. "Now, Minerva. What does Dumbledore have to say about all this?" That was the last thing I heard as Roxeanne and I walked farther away from the hospital wing.

"Roxeanne..." I yawned. "Did you hear them?"

She yawned too. "Yeah. You think something'll happen?" She slurred.

I just shrugged, much too tired to respond. I walked up the staircase with one arm holding me up, slumping on the railing. "This... sleeping stuff works... fast." I said, leaning back one of the walls. "Hold on a minute."

"What?"

"Just... wait. I'm tired."

"Me too. Let's get to bed, then!" She said, turning around to look at me. "Ugh. Krystal!" She shouted, seeing me asleep on the floor. "Wonderful," she spoke to herself. "Just perfect." She tried to drag me off. The common room entrance wasn't too far off. She was just as tired as I was though, and fell to the floor asleep.

Some time later, I awoke in a strictly black and white based room. One side of the room was emitting a bright, white light. The side that I was on with Roxeanne was much darker, though. I looked down and noticed that I was no longer in my school robes, but in a white outfit that resembled that of a painter. I saw Roxeanne was wearing the same thing.

"Pst! Roxeanne!" I hissed, nudging her arm. "Wake up. C'mon!" I stood up and brushed off the clothes I had on as Roxeanne started to wake up. As soon as she opened her eyes she realized that we shouldn't be there. She jerked up right away.

"Wha-" She began, but I cupped my hand over her mouth. I was staring at the other side of the room that was so bright that it felt like I was staring into the sun. Although it was near impossible to see over there, I did notice something - or some one.

"You see that?" I asked her in a hushed voice. She moved forward more and I noticed she had to squint as well.

"What is that? Or... who?"

"I think it's a person. Look at the shape of the... er... body." I pointed. The only reason we could see, even a vague shape, was because although the light around the person was bright, he or she was wearing a black outfit. I was still pointing but immediately lowered my hand when I saw that the person was moving. "What's it doing?"

Roxeanne rolled her eyes. "It's walking. Calm down."

"Easy for you to say. Nothing ever scares you!" It was true, as well. Roxeanne was so much braver than myself in so many ways.

"Not true. Just calm down 'cause you're getting me nervous, alright?!" She hollered in an anxious voice.

"Hello?" The other person spoke. It was a boy.

"Oh good job! He heard you!" I hissed at her.

"Hello?" He asked again.

"H-Hello?" I said in a meek voice. I cleared my throat and spoke louder. "Hello? Who's there?" The boy moved forward, to about halfway across the room. He was squinting to see through the darkness just as we were squinting to see through the light.

"I won't hurt you." He assured us. I know that voice, I thought. Oh my God... I-It can't be, can it?!

"H-H-Harry?" I asked in a very unsure voice.

"Krystal?!" The boy called back.

"HARRY!" I yelled, running forward. I was about four feet away from him when I ran into something that caused me to fall. "What the hell?" I stood up again and put my hand out ahead of me. There was some kind of barrier - maybe a clear wall - that was stopping me from going any farther. I put both of my hands up on the glass. I could see Harry perfectly now and I just stood there, gaping at him. "Y-You're alive." I said. I could see him but I couldn't believe it. "You're alive! Roxeanne!" I called her over. "Roxeanne! It's Harry! He's alive, Roxeanne! He's alive!"

"Harry?" She asked in amazement. She walked forward, too. "Oh my God! Harry!" She said, slamming on the invisible wall ahead trying to get his attention.

"I can see you!" He shouted. "What happened?!" I was in tears.

"Are you okay?!" I asked.

"I'm fine! Are you? What happened? How'd you get here? How'd I get here?!" He asked us.

"I don't know! We fell asleep! Harry - you were dead! What's going on? How are you... here?"

"I don't know! The last thing I remember was... seeing a white light. I heard some people fighting - a real struggle and then I was knocked out. I woke up here." He said. It sounded as if he was still wondering what had really happened. "Er - Krys? Er, well, Malfoy is here. He told me... Well, he told me that you -" He paused and took a breath in. "That you tried to kill me."

"Oh, no. Harry, I tried killing Lucius! I swear I'd never want to hurt you! You jumped ahead of me and the spell hit you!" I took a few minutes explaining what had happened. Harry, much like Roxeanne, didn't remember anything that happened while having his temporary dark side. Almost immediately after I finished explaining, a cold rush of air came sweeping into the room. Looking up, I could tell that Harry felt it, too.

"What was that?" Roxeanne breathed.

"I don't know." I said, shrugging. I looked around and saw nothing different. "Harry, you felt that?" I asked him.

"Yeah." He said quietly. "What was it?" As soon as he said these words, Draco Malfoy stepped out. It looked as if he was walking right out from one of the walls.