Where the fireplace had once been was now a magnificent gothic archway. There were various ruins etched into the creamy marble it was made of. Harry looked before him and was relieved to see a bed, albeit a bit taken aback. It was magnificent. The room was fit for a king. Decorated in the colours of the founders, it was rich and warm. He was standing in the centre where the Hogwarts crest was proudly displayed in the middle of the thick creamy carpet. And to Harry's tired body, the thing he had been looking for all night. The bed. It was beautifully carved. Each post of the bed had a different animal at the top, and the hangings were made of cream, edged on each side by cording which displayed the each houses colours. The sheets were made of silk, and there were thick warm blankets covering him. He sank down into the bed and he was asleep before his head hit the pillow, still wearing his robes and holding onto the cane. The lighting in the room magically dimmed as Harry drifted off with one last thought in his head "if this is what the rooms they gave me I wonder what Dumbledore's place is like.
"Kill the Spare" Voldemort bellowed and the sickening flash of green light hit Cedric, and he fell to the floor. Voldemort began to laugh almost manically. "So, Harry, how do you like seeing your friends die? I can do it again. The scene replayed its self, only this time instead of Cedric it was Cho. "How about this time. I will stop when ever you ask, all you have to do is tell me." Voldemort said.
"I will never ask you for anything." Harry replied coolly. 'this is only a dream' he reminded himself. Voldemort then replayed the scene in the Chamber of Secrets with Ginny, only he changed the ending. Ginny had died. He looked at Harry to see some emotion, and though Harry was raging inside he refused to give Voldemort the pleasure. "Honestly I would think you remembered how that actually turned out. I distinctly remember that you failed" he replied to the unanswered question.
"No, well, what about this?" Voldemort challenged and the scene changed again, it was the Burrow. And it was surrounded by Death Eaters. Harry could hear Molly screaming, and the green flashes of light. No one managed to leave the house as it burnt down. Harry felt his heart break, but he kept his mask up. For some reason he felt it was essential for everyone's safety that he did not reveal his feelings. If Voldemort knew what would hurt him it was just like signing their death warrant.
"Honestly, I would think you could do better than murdering a few Weasleys. I would think the Malfoy's would have let you know that they are even more worthless than their second hand robes." Harry drawled, doing his best Draco impression, sounding calm and almost sickening himself with his words. Voldemort was furious. He couldn't get to Harry.
"Ahh, but I haven't brought out your precious mudblood." As Voldemort turned Harry began to laugh, and imagined Voldemort in the pink tutu. However, as this was a dreaming world it was possible. Voldemort turned around even angrier, "What did you do?" He screamed, and lifted his wand to shout out a curse, but Harry in his mind changed it into a feather duster, and Voldemort stood there brandishing a feather duster in a pink tutu when a death eater entered the room.
The deatheater caughed covering up a laugh. "My Lord, you must wake."
"What is it, can you not see that I am buisy?" He asked brandishing his feather duster menacingly at the Death Eater. Harry turned it into a wooden spoon as he scolded the Death Eater. It was reminincent of Mrs Weasley scolding George and Fred. As he uttered' Crucio'. Voldemort first became aware of the wooden spoon problem. He became even more angry. "Do you think this is funny?" he shouted "Stand before your lord." He shouted. He proceeded to beat the Death Eater with the wooden spoon until it broke.
The death eater fell to the ground and when it was over said "thank you my lord, I have come to tell you that there is a weak link surrounding Karakoff the Trator."
'Crucio' he shouted out of habit. "Why do you mention such things in front of the boy?' Spat out Voldemort, forgetting that he was not armed.
"Forgive me my lord, I do not see anyone." And he told the truth because despite Harry's ability to change things in the dream world he was unable to wake up, so he made himself invisible. Voldemort looked around and didn't spy Harry. Assuming he had awoken he looked angry.
Just then the world swirled and blackened, and as the colours changed and refocused he was in a room, a circle of death eaters. Voldemort was sitting in his throne. They dragged in a very brused little man that Harry did not know..
"Where is Karakoff.." Said Voldemort. "Not quick enough with your answer." 'crucio' Harry's scar burned as the man writhed on the floor. "Where is he" he continued
"I am not aware, my Lord" said the trembling man.
"I am not your Lord, I have not accepted you as my child." Countered Voldemort. "Why did you bring me this useless piece of filth?" continued Voldemort when he released the man. "Were you mocking?" 'crucio.' He shouted and cursed four of the Death Eaters present. "Did I not give you specific instruction?"
"Forgive me, My Lord, but I believe he has useful knowledge" whimpered one of the Death Eaters
"Do you dare question me?" replied Voldemort. 'temptra' he shouted and the man rolled around on the floor in agony. "Lucius, I know you have a vendetta against him. And I will give him to you to dispose of. Just make sure it is long and painful." Voldemort smiled. One of the death eaters stepped out of the circle and picked up his prize. "That is all, you may go." The death eaters filed out of the room quickly, and the vision faded as Voldemort paced around his room.
Harry woke up with his scar throbbing, and a few drops of blood trickling down his forehead. This was far more than just a nightmare. Despite his current mistrust in the man he had to tell Dumbledore. Sighing he looked at his bare wrist before he remembered he didn't have a watch. He had only been asleep for an hour and a half, but it seemed both like fifteen minutes and eternity, he was more exhausted than he had been before. Harry 'perhaps madam Pomfry will give me a sleeping potion' he thought, but as he looked around he realized he wasn't in the Hospital wing any more. There was no Madam Pomfry to give him such a draught, and Harry didn't want to worry her and have her keep Harry in the hospital wing yet again.
While Harry debated obtaining a dreamless sleep, he realized that he had to use the loo. As Harry looked around the plush room he remembered his hunt for a bed which had gone on earlier. He slid softly out of the sheets and walked with his toes squishing into the deep carpet, towards a door on the opposite side of the room he hadn't noticed before, guided by unseen instinct.
This time, however, Harry had guessed correctly, for when he walked up to the door it opened revealing another enormous bathroom. He walked over behind a frosted glass screen and found the toilet. He relieved himself, then surveyed his surroundings. There appeared to be a circular pool in the centre of the bathroom. To the south of that was a hot tub. Across the pool from the Hottub was an enormous bath. All three were flush with the black mica flecked granite floor. The ceiling again enchanted to show the sky. On the far wall were three doors. Two pure, slightly aquamarine tinged glass one each end, the centre one made of cedar. The left purely glass one was a shower, but it was an enormous square, a grown man could have lay down in it, obviously designed for more than one person, and it appeared that there were jets that could be turned on to spray from every angle, but as Harry stood at the door the shower began resizing itself and now was appropriately created for one person. Harry shook his head and closed the door, opening the next. The cedar door revealed another sauna, this was a bit smaller than the one he had discovered earlier. The warmth was inviting and Harry removed his robes and sat in it for a bit, perspire softly beading his brow and torso before he began thinking and with the thinking came the memories of the summer, the beatings the rapes, and then the memories from the vision, the cries and tortures and the screams. He got up and left the sauna slightly shaky, and forwent opening the last door, instead diving in the pool to clean off, and rubbing down with one of the towels that appeared next to it. Getting out and getting dressed. His curiosity getting the better of him, as he could think of no reason for the third door he opened it and a waft of faintly scented steam escaped. 'ah, a steam room.' Curiosity satiated he wandered back to the bedroom. And then decided to go and find a book in the library that he could read until morning.
Harry wasn't quite sure how to leave the room, but remembered appearing in the centre of the crest on the carpeting, so he walked back there, but nothing happened. He began to get worried, but the more he thought about it, the less likely walking across the carpeting would get him back to the room. As Harry thought to himself what was different, he remembered his overwhelming desire to find a bed last night. So he walked back to the centre of the rug and thought about every aspect of the great room, the fireplace, and especially the sofa, and wished to be there. When he opened his eyes he was actually standing on the sofa its self. Harry smiled to himself, ah, so that is how it works. What he didn't know was that the standard way out of the room was to push the crest on the fireplace. Harry had apparated.
As Harry wandered around he found the place more immense than he had ever thought. He walked toward the library. Harry really wanted to explore the whole living area, but didn't have the energy, his body was aching, and his mind was pleading to be realised from the pain of his nightmares, his guilt. As he wandered through the shelves in the library he worried about his friends, the future, and how much more pain he would inflict on others. As he walked through the tall shelves they began to remind him of the walls of the Labyrinth, so he grabbed a random book, and scurried out of the library, and back to the Great Room. He flopped down on the soft, suede sofa, not risking a return trip to the bed, which might end with another nightmare. He opened the book, a large dusty Tome, and began to read.
The magic contained in this book is not within the sphere of the common wizard. This book, therefore, is not accessable to all. It is protected by an encryption spell. The contents will only be visible to those privledged beholders who meet it's qualifications. . If the following pages are illegible please secret this book somewhere safe that he for whom this is intended will be able to benefit from it's knowledge.
Thank you,
Merlin
Harry nearly dropped the book when he read 'Merlin.' As he thought about the rest of the complex he found himself in, he realized that Harry was disappointed. If he couldn't read the book he would have to trudge all the way back to the library and grab another. But as he turned the page and expected jibberish, the book glowed for a second and there he found a table of contents. Now thoroughly interested Harry flipped through the entire tome and found every word in place. 'Must not be a very selective encryption' thought Harry, not noting, or choosing to ignore the singular 'he for whom this is intended.' He opened to the first chapter, which was on wandless magic. Harry smiled when he read the title, knowing several ways in which this could be useful in a battle with Voldemort and his cronies, and also how it would be essential while he still needed the walking stick. For Harry had not realized that the staff he carried with him would have capabilities far beyond his wand when the elements of it's construction were put together.
Through out the night Harry practiced. He had mastered nearly everything in the chapter. Much of the review he had given himself over the summer was paying off. He could perform nearly every spell they had learnt up to year three wandless. Most of the spells had been weak at first, except for the moving spell. He could, and had, moved everything in the room, wand free and without an incantation. In addition, he was able to do a few things not covered in any spell book he had yet read. For example, he could conjure orbs of fire and water, create a pearlescant barrier around himself that was supposed to make him invisible, Harry wasn't very good at that though he couldn't tell because there was no one in the room to test it out on, but he had learned many other things he knew would come in handy, at least to prank Sirius. A clock on the mantle chimed six times, breaking Harry's concentration and, having lost the distraction of new spells, the memories of everything that had been going on came flooding back. He got up off the couch and walked over to the mantle, pressing his hand against the crest. He put the book on his bed, and undressed leaving his clothes on the end of the scarcely slept in bed. Then he went to take a shower.
The warm jets came from every direction and were soothing to Harry's beaten body. Suprizingly there were no real scars from the beating, aside from the yellowing of his skin where the bruises had been, and the several bones that were still healing. Harry decided to end the luxurious shower early so he could quickly jump into the hottub. He hobbled over, causing himself great pain, as he had left the cane against the wall. After three steps he called it to himself, and then used it to aid him in the several meter walk. As he sank into the hot steaming tub he smiled. At least he felt warm here. As quickly as his reverie began it ended. He had to meet Professor Snape in less than an hour and he wanted to say goodbye to Sirius and Remus.
He slowly clambered out of the hot tub, summoned his cane and one of the large fluffy robes on the heated racks, and put it on, tying it in the center. He hobbled back into the bedroom, where he proceeded to dress. Unsure of the day's travel plans he was uncertain whether to wear muggle or wizarding clothing. However, he decided that muggle clothing was better suited to most types of travel, so he put on a pair of the 'distressed' jeans, a pair of shoes made by the same designer. Diesil. Odd name for a company Tied his shoes and then put on a black tee-shirt and a white collard shirt, and a black belt. Everything he was wearing was courtesy of Severus Snape, and it all looked perfect. Yet Harry was terrified of seeing the man. He was concerned that the conversation Severus had over heard would ruin their fragile relationship. Hearing the bells chime again, this time only once, he knew that it was 6:30 and thus Harry wanted to get to Sirius' as soon as was possible. He folded the robes he had worn the day before, and put everything in his trunk. He then walked over to the crest and tried to think about the great room, but found himself focused on the portrait Remus had described. When he opened his eyes, he wasn't in the great room, he was in the hallway outside of the portrait. Harry wrote this off as some special property of the crest.
He stood outside of the portrait unsure what to do. "Robin?" he said in an attempt to wake the portrait. The man still snored. Harry repeated "Robin Goodfellow[1]" a bit louder this time, and the man choked on his snore, and then sat up looking around, apparently not seeing Harry. "I am Harry Potter, I am here to see Remus Lupin." Harry said clearly.
"If you are Harry Potter, why do I not know you?" Said the portrait questioningly. "Where did you come from? Are you an apparition? A Ghost? Or one with amazing skill and luck?" asked Robin "I am Robin Goodfellow the hobgoblin, otherwise known as Puck." He said conspiratorially "Have you been sent by Oberon?"
"No, I am Harry Potter, and I am here to see Remus Lupin."
"Are you part of his merry crew, out to send mischief on my occupants anon?"
"No though I am the son of prongs"
"Ahh, and yet you wish no mischief on my companions. What a sad day for micheviery." said the portrait a little disappointed and swung open.
Harry entered the room, expecting something like where he was staying, but to say that it was not nearly as opulent would be the understatement of the century. It was a very toned down version of the dormitories, There was a small sitting room with two chairs, identical to those in the Gryffindor common room. There was a small fireplace, nearly half the size of Harry's, and two doors. He knocked on the first door. He heard a sleepy mumbling before the person must have returned to their dreams. From Harry's perspective everything looked tiney after being in his own luxuriously appointed chambers.
He tried the second door. Knocking loudly, he heard a growl then a bark, then something come walking toward the door. When it opened there was a big black, sleepy looking dog. When it saw Harry the dog nuzzled him for a second, his tail thumping sleepily against the door, and then it turned around and retreated to the bed room. Harry followed. Again, the room suprized him at its relative sparseness. The carpet wasn't nearly as thick, the bed half the size, it wasn't a feather bed, and the room was a quarter of the size of the room he had been staying in. the bed was the standard dorm size, as apposed to the immensely overgrown bed Harry hadn't slept in last night. When Harry was in the room it looked the same size as a dorm bed, but sitting here, he knew that it was because the room was so large, and that it was far larger than Sirius's. The dog jumped up on the bed and then curled up. Harry sat next to him and patted him on the head, telling him that he'd miss him, and that they would have to do something fun soon.
"Are all the rooms at Hogwarts like this one?" he asked carefully "Oh, well Dumbledore's are a bit nicer, as you would imagine, a few more rooms, better décor, a little larger, though not much." I hear Severus' are nicer than ours too, but then he always was Dumbledore's favorite, after your father. It was always interesting when the two got in trouble after a prank war. Dumbledore often seemed caught between punishing them and laughing. I've stayed in quite a few different rooms though, as we order agents are always shuffled around for security. But theyr all the same, why?" he rambled sleepily.
"Order agents?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow, but before Sirius had a chance to deny anything Harry remembered his dream, and realized he wouldn't have time to tell Dumbledore. "Sirius, could you talk to Dumbledore about something for me?" asked Harry. The big black dog raised an eyebrow and then transformed, now there was a pyjamad Sirius looking a bit ruffled. Harry continued "I had a dream, and my scar hurt, so it wasn't just a nightmare." Sirius looked worried. Harry concisely told him everything that had happened, leaving out the feather duster and the pink tutu, because it would distract Sirius." When he finished it was already 7:00.
"Ahh, Sirius I have to go. Tell Remus I dropped by but he was too buisy snoring to see me off. I can't be late, and you must tell Dumbledore. Also tell him that I think Snape might be in danger." Said Harry in a rush, then gave Sirius a hug. He hobbled out of the room, and towards the door. When the portrait swung open he knew he was late. He closed his eyes, and mustered his strength as he tried to lengthen his stride so he would be there quicker. He kept imagining the portrait as he walked when he nearly bumped into Professor Snape.
"Harry, we're to meet in half an hour. Or are you as incompetent with directions as with reading a watch. Perhaps, you forget that we were to meet outside of your portrait, not mine?" said the professor icely. Harry couldn't believe his eyes. He had walked past his own portrait, yet not a significant amount of time had passed and he felt as if he had only taken several steps. As Severus looked at Harry he noticed the clothes he was wearing and his face softened. He held back a laugh. Snape was wearing a similar pair of jeans, but his tee-shirt was white and his over-shirt black. And where Harry had left his open Snape had his buttoned. Yet it was eerily similar. He remembered Harry's genuine thank you and how poorly those muggles had treated him. "I'll be by in a little while, I want to go grab something from my office, and then I will be up to retrieve your things." He said a bit less frigidly. Harry turned around and began to walk back towards his portrait, still curious how he had passed it.
"Good morning" said Rowina to Harry as they stood before the portrait. "I am sorry you did not have a good night's rest, but I hope that you found what you were looking for in the library?" she asked.
"Good morning, yes I did. Would you mind if I brought the book with me?" replied Harry, wondering if Dumbledore had put him in there so he could spy on him.
"Why it is yours." Replied Rowina slightly confused. "Everything is." Added another voice from the portrait.
"Harry, You'll have to explore a bit more, have a brilliant day." Said Godric, while rubbing Rowina's shoulder softly.
"Oh, I almost forgot." Harry said. "Severus Snape, is bringing me back to his house this morning, Dumbledore thinks it is unhealthy for me to be at school all summer, and he is insisting that I have a little time away from Hogwarts. Professor Snape will be coming by in about half an hour, to help me get my stuff, because I can't really carry it. Would you mind letting him in?" asked Harry. Godric and Rowina looked a bit disappointed.
"I am sorry to hear you are leaving so soon, my boy. I was hoping that we could get better acquainted" Said Godric.
"I do see your Grandfather's logic though. I hope you have a pleasant time." Said Rowina. Harry looked at her confused. "We will most definitely let him in." she said and the portrait swung open.
Harry rubbed his head. "I must have heard her wrong. Surly she said Headmaster." And with that he proceeded to sit on the sofa and dismiss the comment.
"Master Harry Potter Sir!" exclaimed something small standing in the corner.
"Dobby, how wonderful to see you." Said Harry, a little too cheerfully.
"Dobby is here to get anything you need sirs. Dobby was bringing you breakfast Master Harry Potter Sir." Sad the little elf and disappeared with a 'pop' only to reappear with huge trays of food.
"Thank you Dobby." replied Harry, as he began to push the food around the plate. "How have you been?" Harry asked.
The little elf ran over and hugged him. "Master Potter worried Dobby." He began. "Dobby so scared when yous was in hospital. Dobby was angry with himself for not going this summer with Master Harry Potter, sir. When Dobby is hearing Master Dumbledore say that Master Harry Poter is having chambers here Dobby was being first to volunteer for Master Harry Potter, sir. When he told us elves that this is to be your room they were surprised. But Dobby is not being surprised. Dobby is always knowing Master Harry Potter was a Great Wizard. Dobby is knowing that Master Harry Potter will make good Isixisi. Dobby was telling the others that. After all this was announced there was about ten more that were joining me. But Dobby is being director, Master Dumbledore says so because Dobby is knowing the Great Wizard Master Harry Potter, sir ." Harry smiled throughout, picking at the food. He wasn't hungry and was halfway ignoring the small elf's speech. He was about to ask Dobby what 'Isixisi' meant as it was the second time he had been called it, but the thought was pushed out of his mind as the painting swung open and Snape stepped in.
A/n
Please read authors notes at the beginning of the story. Please also take the time to review…unless you hate the story and want me to stop… then again, if you hate it and want the torture over reviewing might be a good plan, I'll return back to my shell, and you won't be bothered by any further developments. So.. either way, pweese? *puppy dog eyes*
[1] Puck, the misgevious 'devil' that worked for King Oberon in Shakespear's A Midsummer Night's Dream known for his pranks played on the unsuspecting