Harry was running through the Forbidden Forest, wand clutched tightly in a stress-white hand. His palm was clammy, and he stumbled time and again in his panic. "Tyra!" he shouted, forcing himself to move even faster. Mud kicked up in his wake, saturating his shoes and pant leg. He didn't care. A scream from the next clearing confirmed his worst fear; she had been caught.
"Give us the key, Child, or we'll be forced to toy with you." The voice Harry knew from many long nights in dreams, as well as a physical encounter. Lucius Malfoy was menacing the girl.
"Why should I?" she returned defiantly.
"Crucio!" he returned, voice evil and deep. Tyra writhed on the ground, but seemed to be fighting the curse admirably. It seemed she almost had hold over it when Harry finally reached the clearing and hid himself behind a tree to watch. He held his breath, peering around the trunk at the scene. She was sorely outnumbered by Death Eaters, Snape was nowhere to be seen. Of course, one had a hard time telling when hoods were covering faces.
"Accio!" she shouted, not thinking clearly enough. Malfoy's wand left his hand forcefully. Harry had never seen a wand fly so fast. "Rictesempra!" she screamed again, forcing two to the ground. She gave herself just a few moments to attempt an escape. Harry heard her crash off toward the school throught the trees. The next words he heard had haunted his dreams for many a night.
"Avada Kedavra," a sibilant voice said, wand pointing from beneath cloak toward her fleeing back. Tyra had no chance to dodge. She hadn't seen the attack coming. She fell, skidding lifeless along the ground. Not daring expose himself, he used a roundabout way to get to her. There she was, dead…
"Harry!" Ron was shouting, patting his cheeks.
"I'm up!" Harry screamed, nearly sending Ron across the room. A pack of concerned faces surrounded him. The whole household had shown up to wake him. Tyra's worried eyes staring at him only made him more jumpy. He was sweat-soaked and shaking. Molly and Ginny were in long nightgowns, the boys in shirts and flannel pants. Tyra was wearing a tanktop and a pair of shorts with socks.
"That was awful," Tyra whispered, burying her face in Charlie's shoulder.
"How did you do that?" Ron asked.
"Do what?" Harry asked, bewildered.
"Make everyone have the exact same dream," Tyra replied, voice barely a whisper.
"I…don't know. You…saw?" Tyra nodded, managing a weak smile.
"I didn't realize things were that horrible," Ron said. "I'd be mad if I were you, Mate." Charlie nodded silent agreement, wrapping his arms around Tyra. She was visibly shaken.
"Tyra, I swear, I never would have let you know what I saw if it could be avoided. I don't know how I did that!"
"I believe you," she soothed, removing herself from Charlie's embrace to sit on the bed next to Harry. She hugged him tightly, resting her head on his shoulder. "How could I be mad at you? Like Ron said, it's enough to drive everyone crazy."
"How much did you see?"
"'Til the part where I was tortured," she returned almost calmly.
"Good. I mean, not good, but better than…the ending." Tyra didn't press him for details.
"Well, since we are all awake, I'll make some hot chocolate," she stated. "If that's all right with you, Molly?"
"Of course, Dear. I'll make some cinnamon rolls. Ginny, why don't you help Tyra?" Ginny followed Tyra from the room. "Harry, she died in your dream, didn't she?" Harry swallowed hard, nodding dumbly. Charlie smiled sympathetically. Ron pursed his lips slightly, saying nothing.
"I will study harder at Occlumency, I promise. That shouldn't have happened."
"We'll be sending Dumbledore an Owl," Charlie assured him. "Now, how about some of that hot chocolate?" Harry smiled in thanks as Charlie led Molly from the room before she could fuss over him further.
"Wow, that was weird," Ron said. "Want to discuss it?"
"What's there to discuss? Ron, I'm sorry."
"No one's blaming you one bit. Come on, Harry, hot chocolate sounds great." Ron took his hand and helped him to his feet, sounding a lot more confident than he really felt.
The kitchen was silent, everyone still tired, but afraid to go back to bed. Tyra seated herself between Harry and Charlie, trying her best to lighten the mood with her antics. Of all the people who should be terrified, it should have been her. "Well, now that I've been tortured, how about some Exploding Snap?" she laughed, passing Harry the pack of cards. He didn't really want to play, but knew she was trying hard to wipe the memory for herself as much as anyone. He took the deck and started the game, Ron and Charlie and Ginny all joining in. Tyra was the craziest of them all, sending cards flying in triumph every time she won. Molly watched them with interest, but soon her eyelids felt heavy.
"I am going back to bed, I am too old for this," she said, yawning. "Good night, all of you. If you want to sleep over in the kitchen, have Charlie move the tables."
"Sounds like fun!" Tyra exclaimed, levitating one of the two tables herself and sending it floating into the next room. Charlie moved the other. Tyra conjured up her sleeping bag and pillow and rolled them out on her own. Ron and Harry and Ginny did the same, spreading out along the edges of the kitchen. Charlie made his own sleeping bag out of thin air, setting it between Ron and Tyra's. Tyra zipped herself into her sleeping bag, bare arms wrapped around her pillow. She was asleep almost instantly.
"Isn't she unflappable," Charlie remarked.
"It's just a show," Harry explained. "But a good one. I feel terrible."
"You can't help it," Ron answered, curling up under his pile of Chudley Cannons blankets. "Go to sleep, Harry." Everyone around him had fallen asleep. Harry listened to the even sounds of his friends' breathing. Still, he was afraid of what he might see behind closed eyelids. He contemplated how he could possibly have projected the dream, remembering clearly the time Voldemort had projected a dream in his head. Was he going evil? Was he dangerous to his friends? He had learned the year before that only he could kill Voldemort. Harry rolled over, pulling the blanket up over his shoulders. He finally drifted off into fevered sleep, praying for no dreams to plague him.
"Come on, Harry! We're going to play Quidditch!" Tyra's voice rang through his foggy mind. "I'm actually going to play!" Harry opened his eyes to find her almost touching noses with him. "There you are!" She tickled him before stepping back to allow him room. Charlie, Fred, George, Ron, Ginny, and Tyra were all dressed warmly and had broomsticks slung over their shoulders. Tyra held a Firebolt over her right shoulder, a soccer ball in the other. "Isn't the broom wonderful? Fred and George gave it to me, as an early Christmas present." Harry nodded, running his fingers absently through his unruly hair before forcing himself to motivate and get to Ron's room and his clothes. Grabbing his broom, he tore down the stairs, dragging his cloak straight around his shoulders.
"Ready!" he exclaimed.
"I knew that would get you going," Ron laughed. The small group trudged up the snow-covered hill and into the orchard, which looked for all the world like a frosted painting. The group kicked off on their brooms once inside the shelter if the trees. Tyra was a decent flyer. Harry assumed she had been forced to learn at school. Charlie and Ron took turns guaring the "goal" while everyone took turns trying to score on them. Fred and George chucked golf balls for Harry to catch. Tyra was the worst of all the players, but she was having a wonderful time. She was a decent passer, but couldn't even aim to score. Ron later noted it was Charlie guarding the goal.
They played well into the morning, laughing and carrying on. Harry felt a slight chill as he looked through the trees. He thought he could see a pair of azure eyes watching them. The sight of them unnerved him. He stopped mid-catch, ignoring the golf ball that bounced off of his forehead. "Harry?" Fred inquired, looking off in the direction his eyes wandered.
"Sorry, zoned out for a minute there," he replied, smiling. "Think I'm a little cold. Want to go in?" Tyra agreed almost instantly, landing and chasing him down the hill. Shrugging, the Weasley clan chased their guests.
The Burrow was all decked out for Christmas. It smelled of baking cookies and popcorn. Harry sniffed appreciateively as he kicked off his boots just inside the door. Molly greeted them with hot chocolate. "I nearly forgot tonight was Christmas Eve," Tyra said. "I was having so much fun."
"Think I'll run to Diagon Alley," Charlie said. "Anything you need, Mum?"
"Nothing, thanks. Be back before dinner." Charlie nodded, Disapparating just outside the door. Ginny and Ron and Harry all sat at the table. Fred and George left via the back door to "experiment". Tyra finally slumped in the seat across from Harry and toyed with the handle of her mug.
"I miss Taranon," she muttered.
"We do too," Ginny said. "He was so funny…" Harry and Ron excused themselves to put their brooms in Ron's room. Ginny and Tyra got into a discussion about hair cutting with Molly, engaging all three.
"I don't know what to do," Harry stated, staring out Ron's window as the ghoul clanged in agreeable frustration on the pipes.
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Come on, Harry, it's the holidays. Let's have fun and worry about this once we are back at school."
"You're right, Ron. I'm sorry. You and Hermione always talk sense." Harry allowed himself to be dragged back down to the cheerful scene in the kitchen.