It took Harry almost four hours to fall asleep, so when Ron woke him
up the next morning, for breakfast, Harry was still tired. The dreams he
had didn't help much either. Most of the time he couldn't remember them,
but when he did remember he would have rather forgotten.
Harry and Ron walked down the stairs to find that Hermione and Ginny were already eating breakfast and discussing the letters McGonagall had dropped off when she came by that morning to report to the Order.
Harry grabbed his letter, glanced through list, and set it aside. He could worry about that later, he still had two weeks before he needed to head to Diagon Alley and get his things for this year.
"So who's going to be our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Harry asked. "I'm interested to know who we'll have this year."
"Then you will be interested to hear that no one wanted the job," Lupin said as he walked through the kitchen door.
Hermione glanced up from her conversation with Ginny. "You mean we don't have a teacher? But we need that class! Especially now. Plus, the teacher could help us with D.A."
"I never said you didn't have a teacher," Lupin said calmly as he picked up some bacon. He took a bite and glanced at the anxious faces around him.
"No guesses?" he asked them.
Ron groaned. "Please, please don't tell me that Snape finally got the job."
All of the heads in the room snapped to Lupin, each face full of fear. Lupin laughed at this display and shook his head slightly. "He is a rather unpleasant man, isn't he?" he asked the group.
"Is he the new teacher?" Ginny asked. "I hated having him for Potions, and I bet I'd hate him even more if he taught Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. "That's no way to talk about your teacher, not to mention a member of the Order."
Ginny looked at her plate grumpily. "Well he is horrible. It's not my fault," she grumbled, her face beginning to turn pink.
"Yes he his, Ginny," Lupin agreed, "But he's not your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
"Then who is?" Harry asked finally.
Lupin looked at all of the students and said, "I am."
"What?" asked Ron, his jaw dropping.
"That's great!" Ginny shouted as she hugged Hermione.
"Why?" asked Harry softly.
Lupin looked seriously at Harry. "Like I said, no one wanted it. I told Dumbledore that if worse came to worse I would take the job, on the condition that I spent every full moon away from the school. A few days ago, when there still was no teacher, Dumbledore approached me and asked if I would take the job, so I agreed."
"That's wonderful!" Hermione exclaimed. "Will Dumbledore let you help us with D.A?"
Lupin looked at his plate and began to eat his eggs, which were probably cold by this point. "We will have to see about that," he said simply and with that the conversation was obviously over.
At that moment Tonks walked in and said softly to Mrs. Weasley, "Annette didn't sleep well last night, so she won't be down for breakfast."
Lupin jerked slightly and ended up spilling some of the pumpkin juice he was drinking. Tonks looked at him in surprise and Lupin smiled as he tried to clean it up. "Looks like your clumsiness is catching Tonks."
"Goodness, I hope not!" Tonks said jovially. "Mine might disappear and what would I do then?"
"Live longer?" Lupin asked, and Tonks left laughing.
Harry exchanged looks with the others and silently mouthed "Annette?", but from the blank stares and shrugs it seemed he wasn't the only one left in the dark.
Harry ran as fast as he could toward the arch. If only he could run faster, but right as he reached it he slipped. His hands reached out to stop his fall, but he only ended up pushing Sirius through the veil.
"No!" Harry yelled as he hit the ground.
With a gasp Harry sat up in the bed and looked around. Trembling slightly Harry pulled his knees up to his chest, and tried not to wake Ron.
"I didn't kill him," Harry muttered into his knees. "It was Bellatrix. It wasn't me." But all the same he still felt responsible somehow. Shaking his head Harry climbed out of bed and decided to head down to the kitchen, maybe something to drink would help.
Harry crept down the stairs, trying not to make a sound, while he considered just having water, or actually making tea. He carefully pushed open the door, hoping it wouldn't squeak, when he suddenly stopped as he noticed the blond haired girl was sitting at the table with her back to him. He started to slowly back out, not wanting to disturb her when she said, "Having problems sleeping too, Harry? Why don't you take a cup of tea too. I've found it helps sometimes."
After the shock of hearing her American accent wore off Harry began to wonder how she knew he was standing there. "How did you know it was me?" he asked curiously as he walked around toward the other side of the table.
The girl didn't say anything, and just poured another cup of tea for Harry to drink. She sighed, "You would think that in times of sorrow one would dream of happier times. Why is it we always dream of what gives us sorrow?" she asked her tea.
Harry stiffened slightly. "How did you know I was having bad dreams?"
The girl's blue eyes looked up and Harry was shocked by the fact that he thought he knew her. "I didn't. It's just that that is the reason I can't sleep either." She looked at the confusion on his face and smiled slightly. "Let me guess. You think you know me from somewhere?"
Harry nodded and the girl shook her head ruefully. "Then I can bet you met my mother. You don't know how many times I've been called Lavena by one of the members of the Order, or told that I was the spitting image of my mom."
Harry sat down and picked up his tea. "Well you know my name, but I don't know yours. I do know it isn't Lavena, now, though."
The girl smiled at Harry over her tea cup. "My name is Annette Calder."
"Oh!" Harry said with mild surprise. "You're the girl who wasn't sleeping well. Did you move here with your parents, or are you just here for the holiday break?"
Annette looked at her tea cup, which was now empty and replied, "We've moved." She looked at Harry, who finished the rest of his tea quickly, and said, "Come here Harry, I know something that might help you sleep better."
Harry stood and walked towards Annette, wondering what it was, as she pulled out her wand. "Now I want you to think of nothing Harry. This is very important. Clear your mind of everything and concentrate on darkness."
Harry closed his eyes and tried his best to think of nothing. After about fifteen seconds Harry's mind no longer concentrated on anything and silence resounded in his ears.
"Nihil Somniane," Annette said softly, and Harry felt as though he had just submerged himself in a warm bath. He opened his eyes and looked at Annette.
"Now, if you were truly thinking of nothing, that is what you will dream of. Nothing." She smiled as she pocketed her wand and placed the two tea cups by the sink. "It's a shame you can't cast that spell on your self. Then maybe I would have no trouble sleeping either."
"I'll cast it for you if you like," Harry offered, feeling guilty that he would sleep easier while she wouldn't.
"It's alright Harry. They say dreams are when the unconscious mind remembers. Maybe mine will remember happier times tonight." Annette must have seen the concern on Harry's face because she then said, "Thank you though. It was a kind thought and maybe I will sleep better knowing someone wants me to." And with that she left the kitchen.
Harry stood alone in the kitchen for a moment while he reflected on what had happened. He still didn't find out how Annette had known it was he who had walked into the kitchen, and not someone else. Harry yawned, and the question was pushed out of his mind as he began to walk back to his bed, and hoped this spell Annette had cast, really would help.
A.N. Alas that I still have found no way to own any of these characters except for Annette, Scott, and Lavena. And the spell is mine too. So ha! Also, any and all requests/suggestions shall be kept in mind.
Harry and Ron walked down the stairs to find that Hermione and Ginny were already eating breakfast and discussing the letters McGonagall had dropped off when she came by that morning to report to the Order.
Harry grabbed his letter, glanced through list, and set it aside. He could worry about that later, he still had two weeks before he needed to head to Diagon Alley and get his things for this year.
"So who's going to be our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Harry asked. "I'm interested to know who we'll have this year."
"Then you will be interested to hear that no one wanted the job," Lupin said as he walked through the kitchen door.
Hermione glanced up from her conversation with Ginny. "You mean we don't have a teacher? But we need that class! Especially now. Plus, the teacher could help us with D.A."
"I never said you didn't have a teacher," Lupin said calmly as he picked up some bacon. He took a bite and glanced at the anxious faces around him.
"No guesses?" he asked them.
Ron groaned. "Please, please don't tell me that Snape finally got the job."
All of the heads in the room snapped to Lupin, each face full of fear. Lupin laughed at this display and shook his head slightly. "He is a rather unpleasant man, isn't he?" he asked the group.
"Is he the new teacher?" Ginny asked. "I hated having him for Potions, and I bet I'd hate him even more if he taught Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. "That's no way to talk about your teacher, not to mention a member of the Order."
Ginny looked at her plate grumpily. "Well he is horrible. It's not my fault," she grumbled, her face beginning to turn pink.
"Yes he his, Ginny," Lupin agreed, "But he's not your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
"Then who is?" Harry asked finally.
Lupin looked at all of the students and said, "I am."
"What?" asked Ron, his jaw dropping.
"That's great!" Ginny shouted as she hugged Hermione.
"Why?" asked Harry softly.
Lupin looked seriously at Harry. "Like I said, no one wanted it. I told Dumbledore that if worse came to worse I would take the job, on the condition that I spent every full moon away from the school. A few days ago, when there still was no teacher, Dumbledore approached me and asked if I would take the job, so I agreed."
"That's wonderful!" Hermione exclaimed. "Will Dumbledore let you help us with D.A?"
Lupin looked at his plate and began to eat his eggs, which were probably cold by this point. "We will have to see about that," he said simply and with that the conversation was obviously over.
At that moment Tonks walked in and said softly to Mrs. Weasley, "Annette didn't sleep well last night, so she won't be down for breakfast."
Lupin jerked slightly and ended up spilling some of the pumpkin juice he was drinking. Tonks looked at him in surprise and Lupin smiled as he tried to clean it up. "Looks like your clumsiness is catching Tonks."
"Goodness, I hope not!" Tonks said jovially. "Mine might disappear and what would I do then?"
"Live longer?" Lupin asked, and Tonks left laughing.
Harry exchanged looks with the others and silently mouthed "Annette?", but from the blank stares and shrugs it seemed he wasn't the only one left in the dark.
Harry ran as fast as he could toward the arch. If only he could run faster, but right as he reached it he slipped. His hands reached out to stop his fall, but he only ended up pushing Sirius through the veil.
"No!" Harry yelled as he hit the ground.
With a gasp Harry sat up in the bed and looked around. Trembling slightly Harry pulled his knees up to his chest, and tried not to wake Ron.
"I didn't kill him," Harry muttered into his knees. "It was Bellatrix. It wasn't me." But all the same he still felt responsible somehow. Shaking his head Harry climbed out of bed and decided to head down to the kitchen, maybe something to drink would help.
Harry crept down the stairs, trying not to make a sound, while he considered just having water, or actually making tea. He carefully pushed open the door, hoping it wouldn't squeak, when he suddenly stopped as he noticed the blond haired girl was sitting at the table with her back to him. He started to slowly back out, not wanting to disturb her when she said, "Having problems sleeping too, Harry? Why don't you take a cup of tea too. I've found it helps sometimes."
After the shock of hearing her American accent wore off Harry began to wonder how she knew he was standing there. "How did you know it was me?" he asked curiously as he walked around toward the other side of the table.
The girl didn't say anything, and just poured another cup of tea for Harry to drink. She sighed, "You would think that in times of sorrow one would dream of happier times. Why is it we always dream of what gives us sorrow?" she asked her tea.
Harry stiffened slightly. "How did you know I was having bad dreams?"
The girl's blue eyes looked up and Harry was shocked by the fact that he thought he knew her. "I didn't. It's just that that is the reason I can't sleep either." She looked at the confusion on his face and smiled slightly. "Let me guess. You think you know me from somewhere?"
Harry nodded and the girl shook her head ruefully. "Then I can bet you met my mother. You don't know how many times I've been called Lavena by one of the members of the Order, or told that I was the spitting image of my mom."
Harry sat down and picked up his tea. "Well you know my name, but I don't know yours. I do know it isn't Lavena, now, though."
The girl smiled at Harry over her tea cup. "My name is Annette Calder."
"Oh!" Harry said with mild surprise. "You're the girl who wasn't sleeping well. Did you move here with your parents, or are you just here for the holiday break?"
Annette looked at her tea cup, which was now empty and replied, "We've moved." She looked at Harry, who finished the rest of his tea quickly, and said, "Come here Harry, I know something that might help you sleep better."
Harry stood and walked towards Annette, wondering what it was, as she pulled out her wand. "Now I want you to think of nothing Harry. This is very important. Clear your mind of everything and concentrate on darkness."
Harry closed his eyes and tried his best to think of nothing. After about fifteen seconds Harry's mind no longer concentrated on anything and silence resounded in his ears.
"Nihil Somniane," Annette said softly, and Harry felt as though he had just submerged himself in a warm bath. He opened his eyes and looked at Annette.
"Now, if you were truly thinking of nothing, that is what you will dream of. Nothing." She smiled as she pocketed her wand and placed the two tea cups by the sink. "It's a shame you can't cast that spell on your self. Then maybe I would have no trouble sleeping either."
"I'll cast it for you if you like," Harry offered, feeling guilty that he would sleep easier while she wouldn't.
"It's alright Harry. They say dreams are when the unconscious mind remembers. Maybe mine will remember happier times tonight." Annette must have seen the concern on Harry's face because she then said, "Thank you though. It was a kind thought and maybe I will sleep better knowing someone wants me to." And with that she left the kitchen.
Harry stood alone in the kitchen for a moment while he reflected on what had happened. He still didn't find out how Annette had known it was he who had walked into the kitchen, and not someone else. Harry yawned, and the question was pushed out of his mind as he began to walk back to his bed, and hoped this spell Annette had cast, really would help.
A.N. Alas that I still have found no way to own any of these characters except for Annette, Scott, and Lavena. And the spell is mine too. So ha! Also, any and all requests/suggestions shall be kept in mind.
