-CHAPTER SEVEN-

Hallow's Eve Celebration

The air was cold and fresh, barely blowing the fallen leaves on the ground. Trees of all colours stood tall, casting shadows in the dimly light darkness.

"My Lord!" Said a voice, sounding weak and tired.

"What is it, Wormtail?" Replied another, an indistinguishable tone of menace in the calm voice.

"I have just received word he will be going to Hogsmeade this weekend," Said Wormtail, catching his breathe.

"I know of this already," The cold voice replied.

Wormtail looked up, and blinked confused. "You do?"

"I do," Said the voice slowly. "I have more eyes than any other wizard Wormtail. You should know that by now,"

"I..I apologize my Lord," Said Wormtail, his voice cracking.

"And so you should," The voice paused, as if in thought, and then calling into the darkness it said, "Malfoy,"

"Yes my Dark Lord?" Came the cold voice of Lucius Malfoy.

"Prepare the others. My time draws near,"

*

On Halloween morning, Harry awoke early, breathing heavily. He had awoken from a terrible dream, his hands still clutching his scarred forehead. It had been burning fiercely, as if a cattle iron was being pushed into him.

He sat up quietly, grabbed his glasses from his bedside table and then looked around the room. Ron, Neville, Dean and Seamus all slept quietly (or in Neville's case snored loudly). And then looking out his window he realized the sun had just begun rise.

Harry sat in his bed, his hand still on his scar as he thought about going to see Professor Dumbledore. Harry had, had nightmares that this before. Dumbledore had explained that the pain in Harry's scar was associated with his 'nightmares' of Voldemort because, in fact, they were not nightmares at all.

They were visions of what Lord Voldemort was doing, and whenever he felt strong hate to Harry his scar would cause him pain. Harry felt as if he had just swallowed a large chunk of ice, merely thinking of Voldemort. He was alive, and thriving. His DeathEaters returning to him one, by one, ever since the end of the school year last year...

Harry paused, looking back at the rising sun and calculated he had another hour or so before he had to get up, and that Dumbledore himself was probably still sleeping.

Unable to go back to sleep, Harry got dressed and then was heading down the stairs when he saw Skye entering the common room through the portrait hole of the Fat Lady.

Her cheeks were bright pink from being out in the cold fall air. And her red and gold scarf was wrapped tightly around her neck, and it looked as if she had already been up for a few hours. Looking up she saw him, and then smiled. "Mornin' Harry,"

"Mornin'," He replied walking down the rest of the stairs curiously. "Where've you been?"

"Oh. I went out for my morning walk.  I do it every morning. Helps to clear my head, so I can think of new Quidditch plays," She explained. "You?"

"Couldn't sleep," Harry replied quickly.

"Alright then," She nodded. "See you later," She said, and then headed up the stairs.

*

Trudging slowly Harry, Ron, Alexa and Skye climbed the tightly rounding stairwell up to Divination class.

"You know," Said Alexa as she stepped onto the tiny landing. "You'd think she'd predict that you get so bloody dizzy on this thing that she'd find an easier way for us to get to her class,"

The silver ladder leading through the circular trap door on the ceiling was already in place, which meant there must already be students up in the classroom. The room was dimly light in a crimson colour, as usual. A red head from Ravenclaw sat in her seat, saying something and gestured to her "Predicting the Unpredictable," book, while Professor Trawleney pointed to something on one of the pages. A few other Ravenclaws sat with her, quite interested in what she was saying.

"Ahhh...Mr. Potter, I knew you'd be coming back this year," Said the bespectacled woman smiling as she greeted them.

("Of course she did," Ron whispered in a hushed tone to Alexa. "She saw our schedules on the first day,")

"Miss Dumbeldore, I trust you've been keeping off of that new broom you bought?"

"Yes Professor,"

Trelawny nodded, and left them to greet other students as they came into the room.

"You think she see you were flying it this morning?" Alexa said with a small laugh.

"Oi! Skye! Alexa! What's up with you lot?" Said a Ravenclaw girl from across the room.

"Ruby! Good to see ya mate!" Said Skye as she walked over to the group of Ravenclaw students. But she only had a short moment to talk with them before Professor Trelawney started the class.

She stood infront of the blazing fire, and adjusted her glasses before she began, "Welcome my children, to Divination. We will be covering more advanced methods of Divination this year. We will be working on two large subjects this year.

"First term will be entirely devoted to dream analysis. After that we will be working on what muggles call "Tarot" cards. By the way Miss Strattus, beware the dark,"

The red head Ravenclaw girl gulped, her dark green eyes wide with fright then nodded slowly. "Now," Said Professor Trelawney. "Dreams are a very powerful source of predicting your future. Especially if you have an inner eye, like myself. While you might not know what is going to happen to you, your super conscious does.

"I want you all to pull out a piece of parchment and describe your dreams from last night. Yes Miss Starlest?"

"What if we didn't dream last night?" Asked the Ravenclaw girl Skye had been talking to earlier.

"Don't be silly. You dreamed last night; you were probably just too tired to remember it. In that case, describe your most recent dream you've had,"

Harry pulled out a spare parchment and his quill, but stopped when he realized what his last dream had been. There was no way he was going to write down he had dreamt of Voldemort, Wormtail and Lucius Malfoy. That was too perfect of an opportunity for Professor Trelawney to point out how dreadful of a death Harry was going to have this year.

And so... he did the next best thing. He made up a dream about giant chocolate frogs chasing him through Hogsmeade.

"Now, I want to divide into pairs. Hand your parchment to your partner, and they will interpret your dream according to pages twenty one to thirty five of Predicting the Unpredictable. I shall move among you, to help and instruct,"

"Alright then," Said Ron turning to Harry, and handing him his parchment. Harry did the same.

"Chocolate Frogs?" Ron commented in dubiously. "I thought you said you saw-"

"Shh!" Said Harry looking around the room. "I can't very well right down what I saw can I?"

"Oh," Said Ron disappointedly. "I s'ppose your right. But, it would've been a laugh to see what Trelawney would say about it,"

"It would be the usual," Said Harry drearily, and then opened his book. "Let's see... You've got... Percy becoming a teacher at Hogwarts?!"

"It was a nightmare," Said Ron. "Just bloody awful,"

*

After History class Harry pushed his way through the corridors, leaving Ron and Hermoine in the Gryffindor Common Room. Harry thought about his dream, and felt the hard feeling in his throat instantly. Despite the feeling he ran through the details over and over in his head, as to not forget. Voldemort knew Harry was going to Hogsmeade... Wormtail had told him so... Voldemort's time was coming... Harry didn't even want to think about what that might mean.

Harry walked right up to the gargoyle guarding the entrance to Dumbledore's office and stopped abruptly. Then he remembered he didn't know the password.

"Cockroach Clusters?" He tried hopefully. (It had been the password last year)

The gargoyle did not move.

"Hmm...Ok... Fizzing Whizzbee? Chocolate Frogs? Acid rocks? Oh c'mon! This is bloody ridicules! Can't you just let me in? I need to see him! It's urgent!"

The gargoyle still did not move.

Harry felt the strong urge to kick the stone statue, but refrained himself, remembering the pain it had caused he had done so the year before. "Oh bloody hell! I don't know! Vomit flavoured Bertie Bott's every flavoured bean!"

The gargoyle awoke and moved out of the way. Harry blinked at the statue confused. "Vomit flavoured? I thought he hated Bertie's beans..."

Harry rushed through the gap in the walls, and stepped into the spiral staircase which moved excruciatingly slowly. Finally, it brought him to the polished oak doors. He knocked slowly, unsure of what to do.

The old doors swung open, and Harry stepped into the circular room. It was covered in pictures of previous Headmasters and mistresses of Hogwarts, all of who were smiling and waving at Harry.

Fawkes, Professor Dumbledore's phoenix flew over to greet him, his stunning gold and scarlet plumage displayed to its best.

"Harry," Said Dumbledore who sat at his desk. "What seems to be the problem?"

Harry sat down in a chair in front of Dumbledore's desk, and Fawkes returned to his perch next to the door.

"Professor... I... I had a dream last night....A dream...of Lord Voldemort,"

Harry saw a flicker of surprise in Dumbledore's shiny eyes. "I see.... Continue,"

"Peter Pettigrew, I mean Wormtail, or at least I think it was Wormtail told him that we were going to Hogsmeade tomorrow,"

"And... And then Lucius Malfoy showed up. And Voldemort told him to go 'prepare the others.' because 'his time had come'. And when I woke up, my scar was burning, just like before,"

Dumbledore said nothing, and simply looked at him.

"Err... And that's all,"

"I see," Said Dumbledore quietly. He got up from his seat and began to walk up and down his desk. He did this for what felt like hours until Harry spoke up.

"Err... Professor?"

"Terribly sorry Harry. Have you had any other dreams of Voldemort since last year?"

"No. I thought that when-I-err…"

"When Voldemort came back into power that you were no longer connected to him through your scar?"

Harry nodded.

"Hardly true Harry. You are now just as much, if not more so, connected with Lord Voldemort,"

"Oh,"

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, and Harry realized it was the end of the discussion. He got up to leave, then turned, "Professor, could I ask you a question?"

"You could,"

"About Skye?" Harry finished.

"Ahh," Said Dumbledore, his benign smile returning to his old weathered face. And then slowly he replied, "Yes, you could,"

"Why isn't she allowed to play Quidditch? Madame Hooch said she was forbidden. And today in Divination Professor Trelawney asked if she was keeping off her Lightning Strike,"

Dumbledore's light blue eyes held Harry's gaze for a moment and then he replied, "That, Harry, is a matter for Skye to discuss with you herself,"

The tone in Dumbledore's voice signalled the end of the discussion. Harry nodded, and then turned back around to leave. But before he reached the oak doors Dumbledore called to him.

"Oh and Harry,"

"Yes Professor?" Harry asked hopefully.

"Enjoy the feast tonight,"

*

"So what did Dumbledore say?" Asked Ron eagerly as Harry walked into the Common Room. Obviously, he and Hermoine had not moved from where he had left them.

"What did who say?" Came a voice from the stairwell leading to the dormitories. Harry looked up and saw Amy, Skye and Alexa from atop the stairwell.

"Professor Dumbledore," Harry explained. "I went to see him..." His voice trailed off.

"About your not being able to sleep?" Skye finished, although it was more of a question than anything else. "He told me why that happens,"

"Why what happens?" Asked Alexa confused.

"It's a long story Lex," Said Skye dismissively, although the other blond seemed disappointed with the answer.

"We were just heading down to the feast. You lot want come with us?" Amy offered after descending the stairs.

"Sure," Harry replied numbly.

"We've got to make sure not to stuff ourselves too full," Said Alexa after they had all climbed through the portrait hole. "With going to Hogsmeade n' all tomorrow,"

"I don't know," Said Skye slowly. "I was thinking of just staying here and studying. You can never be too prepared you know," Harry saw her side long glance to Hermoine as they came down another stairwell. Hermoine seemed to be completely dishevelled, as if actually contemplating staying at Hogwarts to study. Skye smiled, "I'm just jokin' with you Hermoine. I'm not all study-study. It's not like my life revolves around class. Can you imagine how positively dreadful my life would be?"

"Well," Said Hermoine stiffly. "My life is all, 'study-study'. And unlike some people, I do need to study in order to get good-"

Hermoine was interrupted as she tripped down the last few steps of the stairs nearly knocking her head on the marble floor.

"Hermoine, are you alright?" Ron asked as the group rushed down to her.

"I'm-I'm fine," Hermoine said while steadying herself. Someone laughed, several someone's. Turning back around Harry saw Malfoy who stood in-between Crabbe, Goyle and Jin Chang. Harry grasped his wand from inside his robes.

"Ooops," Said Jin, a vicious smile playing on her lips.

"Watch your step Granger," Malfoy drawled.

"Why don't you watch where you're going Malfoy," Said Amy calmly, coming to Hermoine's defense.

"Did you hear something?" Said Malfoy looking around, his fellow Slytherins laughed and then his eyes locked with Amy's. "Oh. It's just Elddir," He paused, then jumped the last few steps.

"Shove off Malfoy," Harry warned.

Malfoy's eyes cut to harshly Harry. He stepped forward, his face a mere few inches away from his own. "Or what, Potter?"

As much as Harry urged to words to come out, he could only glare. Malfoy grinned cockily to acknowledge he had won, but then Hermoine spoke. "Let's just go. I'm fine. They're not worth our time,"

Chang stepped forward challengingly, to face Hermoine. "Say that again to my face, Mudblood,"

Hermoine looked as if she was doing all in her power not to cry. Harry felt his blood boil, and looking at Ron's face so did he. They both went to pull out their wands, but Alexa and Amy held them back.

"There's nothing to prove here Harry," Said Amy. "We're better than they'll ever be,"

Malfoy's face went sour when he heard this. "Do you think I'm scared of you? You filthy, worthless scum?"

"I don't know, but you should be," Amy glared back.

"Why's that? You don't even know you parents! You're nothing more than squib or a Mudblood who got lucky,"

Malfoy saw Harry pull out his wand, and before he could say anything Malfoy raised his own.

"Expelliarmus!"

Harry was thrown back against the wall with a loud thud. Harry quickly rose to his feet his wand raised. Ron waved his wand at Chang who was laughing. "Ferma Bouchalius!"

Light shot out of Ron's wand, blowing Chang back into Goyle who stood behind her. Together they both fell down to the ground, Goyle barely missing hitting his head on the bottom marble step. But Chang was more concerned with her face. She clamped her hands over her mouth in shock, when Harry realized she had no mouth at all! Malfoy looked at her with a look of disgust then turned to Harry, his wand raised.

"Engorgio!" Harry cried first, and he watched as Malfoy's wand hand doubled in size.

"POTTER! MALFOY!" Professor McGonnagal's voice yelled. "CRABBE, GOYLE, CHANG, WEASLEY, GRANGER, SHERMWOOD, ELDDIR and DUMBLEDORE! DECEASE THIS INSTANT!"

Harry turned to see a very angry Professor McGonnagal and a livid Professor Snape storming towards them and froze. Behind them students clustered, curious as to what had been making so much noise. Colin Creevey looked as if he were about to burst with excitement, his camera in hand.

"Fighting in school corridors!" Said McGonnagal looking to each of the Gryffindors. "I am deeply disappointed in all of you!"

"But Professor-" Hermoine began.

"It wasn't our fault!" Ron added.

"They started it!" Alexa said aswell.

"It doesn't matter who started it Miss. Shermwood," Said McGonagall she looked to Snape as he helped up a horrified Jin Chang. She was trying her best to cover her non-existent mouth. "Who did this to Miss Chang?" Snape growled. "Was it you Potter?"

"It was Weasley Professor," Said Malfoy. "They attacked us one our way to-"

"Attack you?!" Ron shouted. "You know very bloody damn well you pushed Hermoine down the stairs!"

Everyone began shouting and arguing at once.

"ENOUGH!" McGonnagal shouted. "It doesn't matter who started it,"

"Ten points from each of you!" Snape growled.

"Ten points?!" Harry echoed. "But-"

"Fifteen from Potter!" Snape snarled, clearly pleased with himself. "And you'll hold your tongue if you don't want it to be twenty!"

Harry looked to McGonnagal pleadingly, but her face was as cold as stone. Professor Dumbledore pushed his way through the crowded corridor, and now stood in-between McGonnagal and Snape.

"Use of magic against other students is forbidden. As Professor Snape has said, ten points from each of you," Said Dumbledore sternly, looking at each of them squarely in the eye. "You will see me tomorrow, first thing to discuss your punishment,"

"Headmaster, I think it be wise to suspend the Gryffindor students from visiting Hogsmeade tomorrow as they started the fight," Offered Snape.

Harry couldn't believe his ears. Snape was suggesting cancelling their trip to Hogsmeade and not Slytherins? Several other outraged Gryffindors from behind the teachers begun to speak loudly amongst themselves.

"Headmaster, I hardly think it fair to place the blame on only one house," Said McGonnagal quickly. "We do not know for a fact which house started it. And seeing as they both accuse the other, do you not think it only just to punish both of them equally?"

"Very well," Said Dumbledore. "The students will be able to attend the outing to Hogsmeade, but they will not partake in the feast tonight with their fellow Housemates. Also, they must accept the deduction of points along with their detentions," Snape opened his mouth to speak when Dumbledore continued, "Which will be decided by myself. You will all return to your respective common rooms and await your head of house, who will bring you your meal. Now," Dumbledore turned around to face the crowd of students. "Return to the great hall to finish celebrating,"

"Ten points each," Said Ron gloomily, after Harry said the password (Libblelix) and the Fat Lady swung out of their way. "That's sixty five points all together!"

Chapter 8:  Tabloids and Tunnels