Disclaimer: Many of the characters, thoughts and ideas that are in this fan fiction are not of my own design. Though this story is from my imagination, I realize that this is the property of Warner Bros. and J.K. Rowling. This is not J. K. Rowling's work. I also read many FFs and if you see something similar to another work it is entirely unintentional. I have posted this on harrypotter.com as well…. There it is complete and filled with cliffies… hence my screen name Princess of cliffies on the Harry Potter boards I go by the name of rebcschult in case you would like to read it in it's original form…. Also this was written preOotP hence the name…. but I decided after much deliberation and coercion from my on line friends who wanted me to post it here that I would finally do so! I am also writing a year six to follow this year five on the boards, which when I'm finished over there and done editing it I will post here as well…
Becky(rebcschult and PrincessOfCliffiesRCS)
P.S. Please read and review!
Tim – Thank you so much for defending my honor! :-D And I'm so glad that you liked it!!
Peak of Triumph – WELCOME! Thank you so much for your compliments and comments! I'm very glad you are enjoying it! :-D
Manateegirl524 – Thank you!!! This little cliffy is just a sample of what I did when I posted this over on the HP.com boards…. be Happy you're not reading my year six right now…. You would be getting a cliffy a day! lol! I am very happy you are enjoying this!! Thank you for you compliments and comments!!! :-D
Butler – LOL!!!! Thank you for your wonderful comments and compliments!!! You made me laugh!! I am very glad that you like my little cliffy…. I just had to live up to my namesake! lol! :-D
Pblegacy – WELCOME! Thank you for your comments and compliments! As for my cliffies…. that is how I earned my name over on the HP.com boards!! tee hee!!! :-D
Chibi-Bex – WELCOME! WOW! Thank you for your wonderful comments and compliments!! They meant a lot to me! those questions will all be answered soon! I promise! Anyhow…. the one clue I will leave you with is that Lina is very young…. Her true age will be revealed pretty soon! In fact much of the answers you seek will come soon! And thank you for your suggestion! I think I will do that! :-D
CHAPTER THIRTEEN – PSYCHIC ATTACK
Harry sat bolt up right in his bed, his scar burning and gasping for breath. Through the dark, he grabbed the pin off of his nightstand and pinned it to his pajamas, which lessened the pain in his scar considerably. He realized that he was drenched with sweat. He put on his glasses and got up, grabbing another set of pajamas and slipping on a jumper. He headed toward the boy's bathroom for a shower, but thought better of it.
He had so much to think about. He honestly wasn't sure how to get his mind around that dream/vision. He shuddered when he thought about the intensity of what he had seen. He ran back to his trunk and grabbed his invisibility cloak. Then went down to the common room where Hermione was, unbelievably, sitting at the table studying.
She took one look at him and realized something was wrong. She noticed that he was drenched head to toe, even his hair seemed plastered to his head. "Harry are you okay?"
"No, I just had a… dream that was ominous…. I was wondering if it would be all right if I could use the prefect's bathroom because I really need to think things through without interruption right now. I know that you offered that to me once…."
"Sure, Harry…. How long do you need? Because I should take you down there and bring you back, so you don't get into trouble…." Harry took in a sharp breath to speak. Hermione held her hand up. "Look, I know that you have your invisibility cloak with you…. How about this…. Take your cloak. You give me a rough idea how long that you will need and I'll come and get you if you haven't come back in that time…."
"What time is it Hermione?"
"4am. Why?"
"Well, don't you need some sleep?"
"Harry, I just got up myself and came down here just before you arrived…. I can't sleep right now. I have a lot of things to do and I can't get my mind to relax enough to make it go back to sleep."
"Sounds like you're the one that needs the bath…. I'll just go and take a shower…." Harry turned to leave.
"No wait, Harry. You need it and I promised that you could… so, let's go." Hermione got up and pinned her prefect badge to her dressing gown. She walked to the portrait hole behind Harry.
"Are you sure about this, Hermione?"
"Absolutely. Now how long do you need?"
"When does the bathroom get busy?"
"Honestly, while most of the Prefects love having our own bathroom…. It is somewhat inconvenient to go all the way down there whenever we want to use it, so it doesn't usually get busy at all and I have it on good authority that no one will be using this later on this morning."
"How?"
"Because we all have a prefect's meeting at 9:30am and on the days of the meetings, no one uses it… Not to mention it's a Sunday and even we Prefects like to sleep in on Sunday…."
"Okay then…. If you would come and get me in a couple of hours then, if I haven't come back."
"Alright, I'll be there by 6am then if you haven't returned here by then. Now you should probably slip under the cloak, in case Filch comes round."
"Thanks for doing this, Hermione…." He smiled sadly at her.
She smiled back at him and waited for him to put the cloak over himself. She pushed open the portrait and walked down toward the prefect's bathroom.
After a few minutes, Filch came around the corner with Mrs. Norris. He was talking animatedly to the cat, who, surprisingly, looked up at him almost as if she were intently listening to what he had to say. She suddenly seemed to see that there was someone else there and stared in the direction that Harry and Hermione were. Filch looked up and saw Hermione there.
"What are you doing down here, Miss Granger? It's 4am and even Prefects shouldn't be wandering the halls at this time of night."
"I'm heading to the Prefect's bathroom for a bath."
"At four in the morning?"
"Well, I'm having a hard time sleeping. I have too much going through my mind and thought that a bath might help me to calm me…." It was the truth after all.
"Alright, but you had better get there quickly, and don't take any detours…."
Hermione nodded.
During the whole conversation, Mrs. Norris was looking back and forth between Hermione and where Harry stood beneath the cloak, furthering his belief that she was able to see through the cloak somehow. Her lamp like eyes almost looked angry, but she never let on to Filch that Harry was there beneath the cloak.
He and Hermione took off in a jog toward the bathroom. When they got there, Hermione breathlessly said the password, "L-lemon s-s-scented." They both went into the bathroom and Hermione sat for a moment to catch her breath, while Harry turned on a few of the gold taps, each of them putting out different bubbles, foam, or perfumed colored steam.
As the taps filled the tub, he pulled down one of the huge fluffy white towels, and put it next to the swimming pool sized bathtub, took off and folded up his invisibility cloak and put it next to the towel. And then removed his pin and placed it on the towel.
As soon as his hand was removed from the pin the dull burn in his scar returned with full force. He gasped quietly, bringing his hand to his head to massage the scar. When finally the pain calmed a bit, he tried to take off his ring, not wanting to lose it in the vast tub. But it wouldn't budge, so he figured that it wouldn't come off in the water and just left it on.
Then as he was about to shut off the taps that had filled the huge tub in a very short time, considering the size that it was, Hermione said, "Alright, Harry. I'll leave you to it. If you are not back by six, I'll be back to get you."
"Thanks, Hermione."
She smiled and cautiously opened the door. She slipped out quietly. Harry went to the door and bolted it. Then he returned to the side of the tub and finished shutting off the taps. He quickly peeled off the jumper and the pajamas that were still sticking to him. He slipped into the water and did a few laps. He came to rest at the edge of the tub, placing his arms out on the wall and putting his chin down on his hands. The strong purple perfumed steam that had come out of one of the taps hung in the air, making his head spin.
Harry looked at the picture of the long blond haired mermaid, asleep on her rock, that had helped him figure out the clue to the second task in the tournament. He watched as her hair rhythmically fluttered every time she snored.
Slowly thoughts about his feelings for Professor Clovis crept into his mind. Everything in his head told him that it was wrong, that she was older than he was, and it would never work…. But every fiber of his being told him that it was right and even essential to his very survival that he should follow his heart.
With his confusion at his feelings for Lina at a peak, he felt his emotions spiral out of control. He began crying hard. He put his face down on his hands and didn't even notice the sound of him crying bouncing off the walls or even the visitor that he had lurking in the corner….
Moaning Myrtle watched the only wizard, living or dead, that had ever been kind to her as he swam around the tub. She knew that she cared for him deeply and that if she could have been alive, right then, that she would be totally head over heels for him. But knowing that a ghost and a living person could never have that kind of relationship she had always kept her feelings in check, though she had never hidden them from him.
She watched Harry closely as he stopped swimming and rested at the side of the tub. His face slowly grew very sad and utter confusion passed over his features, just before tears started streaming down his face and he buried his face in his arms. His very essence seemed to be pouring out of his eyes as the sound of his heart breaking echoed around her.
Her heart went out to him…. How many times had she done that? She could see that there was something tearing him apart, but had no clue as to what. She floated out over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder.
Harry felt something very cold touch his shoulder and he jumped and looked up, wiping the tears from his face. "'Lo Myrtle. It's good to see you again," he said sadly, trying to hide that he had been crying.
"Harry, what happened? What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I'm fine," he said a little more forcefully than he meant to.
Myrtle jumped back, surprised and hurt by his harsh tone. She started wailing, herself, and left quickly through the wall.
"Wait, Myrtle. Come back! I'm sorry." Harry felt awful, knowing that she had just been trying to be nice to him. He felt worse than before.
Suddenly the dull burn in his scar increased and the pain was unbearable… He reached out for his pin. He clutched it tightly in his hand and the pain all but disappeared.
The warmth of the water and the perfume that kept bombarding his nose made him dizzy. His eyes began to droop and he felt as if he were falling through the bottom of the tub.
For the first time since the first day back to classes, he found himself in the room he had come to twice before. All of the people who had been there before reappeared. Slowly more appeared there than before, most that Harry didn't expect to see but, on some level, had suspected would be there at some point.
Standing on the back the chair, which Dumbledore was sitting in, were still Fawkes and Hedwig. And in the headmaster's lap was Crookshanks, but also Mrs. Norris. He was stroking both cats with a knowing smile on his face. Harry looked at them questionably. He felt that there was something about them, something important. The strangest part was that Harry did not see Filch around anywhere, nor did he expect that the harsh caretaker would ever be a part of this group.
Lupin, Sirius, Professor Fletcher, Snape, Hermione, and Ron were still sitting at the table. But some new people stepped out of the shadows to join the table as well. The rest of the Weasley family moved out one by one and sat down by Ron. Cho came out and stood by the head of the table, clearly not sure where she should sit. Nicholas sat next to Lupin and they embraced. Lina Clovis stepped out and sat at the head of the table by his right hand.
Finally, Neville timidly wandered out and sat down on Harry's left. Cho took the only remaining seat next to Sirius. And though she seemed timid to do so at first, she smiled broadly at him, which he returned in kind.
The spirits of Neville's parents came out and stood behind their son, which confused Harry since they were not dead. And because Harry was seeing Neville's parents it made him wonder why, again, he wasn't seeing his own.
But just as before, suddenly the sword was again in front of him with the hilt toward him. He still felt that he needed to take it, which seemed more urgent and pressing. Harry's hand came closer to touching it this time, but fought the urge, though the fight to take it was weakening. He started reaching out when he felt his breath being sucked away from him and was pushed back up.
As he came to a stop, he realized he couldn't breath. With fear in his heart he realized that it was because he had slipped under the water. He started trying to swim to the surface, but his limbs felt like they were made of lead. He felt like his lungs would burst. He couldn't stop himself anymore, he needed to take a breath, but his limbs were barely moving to propel him to the surface. He felt the water beginning to enter his lungs, as he went to take a breath in….
Just at that moment his head broke through the surface of the water. He got enough air in his lungs that he coughed and spluttered. He grabbed a hold of the side of the tub and held on for dear life as he coughed and gasped for several minutes. He realized that he was crying again.
After a while Harry pulled himself together. He knew that there was nothing that he could do about his feelings for Lina, except bury them and deal with them every time that they emerged, in that moment. He took some deep breaths, and suddenly he realized he was once again not alone. He looked up and saw Myrtle floating right in front of him. She smiled weakly. "Harry, I'm sorry about intruding before…."
"It's alright, Myrtle… I'm sorry about hurting your feelings. I know you were only trying to be nice. I just really needed to have this time alone to work through some things…."
Myrtle smiled. "I understand, Harry. I'll leave you to it then." She floated out of the room.
That was unusual. She was so… nice, thought Harry. He shook his head and returned to his thoughts.
Having worked through what he was going to do about his feelings for his Professor, he moved onto the rest of his troubling dream. He wondered how it was possible for Voldemort to know that he and Lina were there. He had never seemed to notice Harry there before.
He closed his eyes to bring the images and what was said back to his mind. Harry was pleasantly surprised that Wormtail and the other deatheaters could not figure out how he had escaped. But he didn't put it past them to eventually figure it out and guard against that happening again.
But the part that truly bothered him was about the spy. He wasn't sure who it could be. He hoped that it was Snape and that Snape had them fooled, but he couldn't be positive. For all he knew it could be Malfoy or one of the other Slytherins, who had parents in Voldemort's service. Harry probed deeper into his dream to see if maybe somehow he had been able to pick up on some of Voldemort or Wormtail's thoughts. But the deeper he delved into what happened, the more uncertainty he felt. Harry gave up, knowing that he would know soon enough, since November was not too far away.
He started trying to relax for a few minutes and enjoy the last of his time in the tub. He closed his eyes and let his mind wander and worry about nothing for the first time in weeks. He felt as if he were falling into a light sleep. But his senses were heightened to everything around him. The only sound that he heard echoing in his mind was the snoring of the mermaid in the painting.
After a few minutes more he decided that he should get out of the tub and maybe try to go back to bed, he felt that the bath had done the trick and made him sleepy. He got out and toweled off before putting his clean set of pajamas on.
He started the tub draining. He watched the water swirl as it went down the drain. Suddenly feeling very weak, he sat down against the wall and put his head back against the cold marble. He closed his eyes.
All of a sudden, Harry was in the room that he had been in with Voldemort again. He knew that it was not right that he was there and he knew that he was dreaming. So he pinched himself to try and wake himself up, but it didn't work. Feeling slightly trapped he spun around the room trying to figure out how to escape, not wanting to be caught there again, just in case Voldemort had figured out how to see him when he was having a vision.
Something caught his eye in the dark corner that he and Lina had been standing in before, as he swung around. He couldn't quite make it out so he approached cautiously, squinting his eyes as he went. He stopped and blinked, his heart pounding in his chest. He swallowed hard and hoped that what he thought was there was not. He stepped a few paces closer, his eyes finally adjusting to the darkness in the corner. And what he saw horrified him….
Lina's spirit was trapped partway in the wall in front of him, as if she had been trying to get away and was suddenly frozen into the wall. Her eyes were closed and Harry couldn't tell if too much time had passed for her to be able to return to her body.
"Lina?"
She opened her eyes and looked horrified to see him. "Harry, you have to get out of here now! Voldemort will return any second! I don't want you to get trapped here too!" She said breathlessly.
"Trapped?"
"Yes, trapped…."
Suddenly Harry's scar exploded with pain as Voldemort entered the room. "That's right, Potter." Harry turned and, through the pain, looked into the snake like face of his nemesis, red eyes flashing with excitement at the prospect of capturing Harry again. "You see, when you come here in your so-called 'visions', what you're really doing is called astral travelling. Your spirit is here and you leave your body behind, in other words…."
Through gritted teeth, Harry spat, "I do know what astral travelling is… You should know that…."
"Hold your tongue, you insolent boy!"
Harry instantly shut his mouth, but looked bravely into Voldemort's eyes.
"Now, as I was saying, when you astral travel you are vulnerable to binding. And that is what you see right in front of you with your… Professor…." He turned toward Lina and shaking his head he continued, "Pathetic, really, to think that she is the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. She is so young and obviously so inexperienced that she didn't have a clue about what could happen when you astral travel. I'm not sure what that Muggle-loving-fool ever saw in you to believe that you were qualified to teach at Hogwarts."
A look of fire flashed in Lina's eyes as she struggled to move. "Come here and say that, you pathetic excuse for a wizard." Although Harry hated to see Lina struggling, the fact that she told Voldemort that, proved there was still some life left in her, that it wasn't too late to save her.
"Crucio," said Voldemort blandly, with a yawn, as if bored by her comments.
She screamed out in pain, as Harry dropped to the floor clutching his scar, feeling like his head was about to be ripped open from it. A cold cruel laughter greeted his ears as Voldemort held the curse on Lina for about a minute. When he finally stopped Harry sat up slowly, feeling the burn continue in his head and every other part of his spirit ache.
Voldemort sat down in his chair that was now facing the both of them and continued to laugh. He leaned forward to come down to the level of Harry's eyes. Harry looked up and despite the pain that seared its way through his head, he defiantly looked deep into the red snake like eyes and held the gaze. "You know what the best part about this is, don't you?" asked Voldemort gleefully.
Harry just glared at him in response.
"Neither of you will ever escape, because the only way that the binding can be broken is if the wizard who puts the binding on takes it off. And since I have no intention of releasing it, you are doomed to spend eternity here where I can enjoy tormenting you." His cruel laughter filled the room.
Voldemort aimed his wand at Harry's chest. "Crucio!"
Harry's scar exploded and he fell to the floor in agony again. It was a feeling that he had only felt once before in his life, but he had forgotten just how horrible it could be. His very essence felt as if they were on fire and about to be torn apart. Even in spirit form he felt his body arch as he writhed around in pain, his ears ringing with only one thing, Voldemort's laughter. He wanted it to end, but Voldemort enjoyed his torment so much that he kept the curse on him.
Finally, Voldemort stopped. His face split in a wide grin as he watched Harry's spirit lay limply on the floor from the pain. Voldemort got up and started for the door, seeming to have had his fill of the torment for the time being. At the door he paused and looked back at Harry's unmoving form. "When I return, Potter, you will be bound to this room as Miss Clovis is now…."
Voldemort lifted his hand and suddenly Lina let out a gasp. The wall that she was in, closed further around her. Which made her feel as though she were being crushed where her spirit was inside the wall. Satisfied that he had caused them both some pain, he left the room.
As soon as he left, Lina shielded her thoughts and projected them directly toward Harry. Harry, please, I know that you are in pain but you must listen to me….
Harry lifted his head slightly, hearing her thoughts. He looked at her through a fog, but listened intently.
Harry, you must get up now and go, before he comes back….
I can't, Lina. I don't know how and I can't leave you.
Yes, you can and you must, Harry. You are my only hope, but you have to go now!
I don't understand…
Oh… but, you do understand though. Remember what Professor Figg taught you in your last class with her, last week. Do you remember the lesson she taught on Psychic Attacks?
Harry nodded, but was about to protest. Lina shook her head to stop him.
Don't protest, please, Harry. We don't have time for it! He's coming back now…. I can feel it! So, please, go now and look up that topic in your book…. You will find the answers that you need there. Go. Quickly!
Harry scrambled to his feet and closed his eyes. He thought of being back in his own body and wished for it to be so. But just at that moment the door opened and Voldemort stepped in, eyes blazing with fury. "You shall not escape me, Potter!" He lifted his wand and began to chant the incantation to bind him there. "Constringo constixi constrictio! Moenia Redimio!" A deep green light emitted from Voldemort's wand. Harry watched as the light approached him as if in slow motion.
Harry turned and ran. He felt a tug at his middle and flew toward the wall. He closed his eyes not wanting to see what was going to happen next. He felt himself pass into the wall and slam to a stop, but surprisingly instead of feeling like he was trapped, he felt instead like he was being shaken. Harry opened his eyes and blinked confusedly, trying to clear his vision. And what he saw surprised him….
"Hermione?" he said feeling a bit disoriented.
"Harry… I've been trying to wake you for the past ten minutes…. Are you all right?"
Harry nodded. "What time is it?"
"Well, I gave you a little more time to come back. But when you weren't back by quarter past I came looking for you. It's actually 6:30 now."
"How did you get in here? I bolted the lock."
"Good old Alohamora. The door is made to allow entrance in case of emergencies."
"Oh." Suddenly Harry remembered that he needed to get back to the dorm to look up what Lina had asked him to. He scrambled to his feet and grabbed his things. He threw his cloak over his head and said, "Hermione, come on! I've just remembered something I've got to do."
Reading his thoughts she was able to surmise what had happened. She ran over to him and threw open the door. They walked very quickly back to the Common Room. When they got there Harry pulled off the invisibility cloak and started for the dorm stairway.
"Harry, wait. I've got the book you need right here." She tapped the book. "Profero Evolutio." She opened the book to the section on Psychic Attacks and began reading the pertinent parts aloud, as Harry looked over her shoulder:
What is a Psychic Attack?
A psychic attack is very dark magic. There are many different ways that it can be performed on someone…. The most commonly applied form of psychic attack however is when someone is in his or her astral form. Most spells cannot be performed on someone in this state, except when they are cast with malicious intent with the help of the dark side of magic…. The worst of this type of attack is the binding spell, which is usually used by the good to bind the powers of a dark wizard or witch effectively rendering their abilities useless. But used in the dark way the binding spell can cause an astral being to be bound to the location or person of the dark wizard or witch's choosing….
"This is all fascinating, Hermione, and good to know, but…."
"Way ahead of you, Harry…." She flipped to a different part of the book. "This part of the book talks about certain spells and how to do the counter-spells. Do you recall at all what the spell was that Voldemort used?"
"Very clearly. He was trying to use it on me just before I managed to escape. It was definitely a binding spell…."
She flipped to the section on binding spells. She slowly flipped through the pages until Harry yelled, "That's it Hermione! 'Constringo constixi constrictio is a spell that binds and astral body to something designated by the dark witch or wizard, usually a location when the Redimio spell is added. This type of binding spell is particularly difficult to break, and is most well known as the binding spell that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named used most widely and frequently. Up until 10 years ago it was believed that it was unbreakable at all, that only the wizard or witch that placed it on the unsuspecting victim could take it off. Even in the event of the death of the dark witch or wizard, it could not be broken. But one of the foremost charm breakers in the world found the way. Below are listed the steps to take to release this binding curse:" Harry read through the steps silently. "Hermione, you have to help me! Please! It's been a long time that Lin – I mean – Professor Clovis has been out of her body…. There's not much time before her body gives up altogether!"
"Okay, but you had better get dressed, so we don't look suspicious."
"Agreed. You collect the ingredients for the potion and I'll start the caldron in the dungeon. Meet me in Snape's classroom in ten minutes."
Harry ran up the stairs and got dressed quickly. He was trying to be as quiet as possible, but in his haste Harry dropped something with a loud clatter. Harry looked around and everyone still seemed to be asleep.
Ron lifted his head off of his pillow and seeing Harry getting dressed quickly, asked quietly, "Harry, what's going on?"
Harry startled looked up and projected his thoughts toward Ron filling him in, in a matter of seconds. Ron jumped out of his bed and started dressing too. Within two minutes they were down in the common room and Hermione joined them with a box of potions ingredients in her hand. They silently left as swiftly as possible.
They made it to the potion's room in record time. They threw open the door and were surprised to see…..
"Malfoy? What are you doing here?" He was standing with his wand drawn and pointed toward them. Crabbe and Goyle flanked him. They all pulled their wands in response.
"I could ask you the same thing…. And it's really none of your business why I'm here." He stepped in front of the caldron that he was brewing something in and pushed all of his ingredients behind him still holding his wand on them. "We've got the room reserved to do what we need to. So you had better clear off before I tell Snape that you were here to steal some of his potion ingredients, again."
"That is not why we're here, Malfoy!" yelled Ron indignantly.
"Well, you could be for all I know, since you have a reputation for doing so, Potter…."
Harry felt his blood beginning to boil. "Malfoy, I have not ever stolen ingredients from Snape in my life. And I do not appreciate the insinuation that I have…"
"Well, you can't expect me to believe that Miss prim and proper, know-it-all Mudblood over there did it!" Crabbe and Goyle guffawed, stupidly.
Ron stepped forward, "You take that back, Malfoy!"
Hermione grabbed her boyfriend's arm to calm him. "I guess you don't remember our little conversation on the train, Malfoy. Because now that we're at school, I can and will take away points and give detentions to impertinent people such as yourself."
"I'd like to see you try it, Muddy." He lifted his wand. "Furnunculus!" Ron pushed her out of the way and, tried to erect a shield. But was too late and was hit by the curse instead. He fell to the floor and writhed in pain, as boils sprang up all over his body where the curse had hit him.
Hermione set her jaw and looked up at Malfoy with tears in her eyes. "50 points from Slytherin and a week of detention, to be determined by Professor McGonagall… This is also an official warning, for attacking another student without provocation, and for attempting to attack a Prefect. This will be written up and put into your permanent school record. Two more bouts like that and you will be reviewed for expulsion. Do I make myself clear?"
"Very," hissed Malfoy in a voice dripping with malice and disgust, putting his wand away clearly realizing his fun with them was over. He turned back to his cauldron, as Hermione bent over her boyfriend.
Harry leaned down to help Hermione to get Ron on his feet. Together they dragged Ron to the door of the room.
"Leaving so soon, Potter. Afraid that you couldn't go and steal ingredients after all, because we're here." Crabbe and Goyle smiled and chuckled.
Harry turned back and met Malfoy's eyes with daggers. "No, Malfoy, not that it is any of your business, but I'm putting off what I need to do for a short while so that I can take my friend to the Hospital wing. Because unlike you I actually care about what happens to the people who are around me."
A thought floated through the open part of Malfoy's mind, as Harry turned around to help get Ron to the hospital wing that infuriated Harry. Hermione could sense the anger that had been building up in Harry over the past few hours beginning to take its toll on him. She felt that he was about to lose control over his magic, particularly after hearing Malfoy's thought about Harry being weak because he cared.
She projected calming thoughts toward Harry but they weren't working. Harry knew that he could not hold out much longer, when Ron looked up at Harry and through his pain he smiled at Harry as best as he could. "Harry, thanks for helping me. You are a true friend and friendship gives you strength, not weakness. Don't listen to Malfoy. He's just an evil Slytherin git that has never had a real friend in his life…."
Harry felt his anger leave him. Ron was right. What did Malfoy really know about friendship?
They got to the Hospital Wing and found Madam Pomfrey bustling around one of the beds. She heard them come in and looked up. "Oh, Merlin's beard, please tell me that there's not another one. Put him here." She indicated the bed next to the one that she was working around.
"Another one?" They brought him over to the bed and she looked suspiciously at them when she saw the boils all over Ron. "We'll explain later."
"Professor Clovis was brought in this morning by Professor Snape, who discovered her when she did not meet him for a planned breakfast…."
Harry felt like his heart had just been ripped from his chest. "Snape? Did he help to trap her?" asked Harry before thinking, feeling his anger build up again.
"That's Professor Snape to you, Potter. And what do you mean? What do you know about this?"
"Erm…."
"I think you had better tell me what you know, while I take care of Mr. Weasley here."
Harry launched into the explanation of what had happened, leaving out the first part of his dream, not wanting to draw attention to his feelings about his Professor. When he finished, Madam Pomfrey looked thoughtful, Harry tried to hear what Madam Pomfrey was thinking, but her thoughts were so erratic that they made no sense to him. Then she began to speak her thoughts out loud, which made reading them even more difficult.
"Hmmm… This all sounds vaguely familiar…. Oh, yes. There is only one other time that I have ever treated something similar to this… and that was…. It wasn't to this magnitude though and I was able to help there…." She looked at Harry. "But… then there was also the story I heard about between Leona and Godric Gryf – oh." Her eyes that had never left Harry's face widened.
Harry wished he could make some sense out of what Madam Pomfrey was thinking, but it was all jumbled.
"But, no, because that would mean… and this would be… oh…." She stared at Harry in awe. "But there is no cure for this, at least not to my knowledge."
"We think we found a cure, Madam Pomfrey. Professor Clovis gave me the clue in my last vision."
"Oh?"
"There is a potion that needs to be made and given to her by someone that loves her three hours after the potion is complete, for greatest potency. After the potion has been given then the releasing charm must be used to free her from what she is bound to."
"Sounds far fetched. Does this need to be done to her spirit or can it be done to her body?" Harry looked at Hermione, and she opened her book. After a few moments of reading Harry and Hermione shared a look.
"Unfortunately it must be applied to her spirit, which means…."
"Which means that someone is going to have to get into the Riddle mansion to give it to her…," Harry said defeated. Just then from out of the shadows, stepped…
Snape.
"I will do this. Give me the ingredients and instructions to make the potion. I will take it to her."
Dumbledore having stepped into the Wing moments before, had heard most of what was said. "Severus, are you certain? If you ever got caught…."
"I'm well aware of the risks, Headmaster. But if I don't do this, then we will lose our Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. And I know what an awful loss that would be."
Harry didn't trust Snape. He knew that Snape really had wanted the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor from the very beginning of his first year. This would be the perfect opportunity for him to get rid of the competition.
"But you don't know where she is and it needs to be given to her by someone that loves her…"
"So who would you suggest, Potter. You? You may know where she, but you most certainly don't love her. Besides you can only get there in astral form, you said so yourself. And you could never take it to her. And I have my ways…."
Harry resigned himself to the fact that he was not going to win this argument. He gave everything to Snape that he needed to know and walked over to Ron's bed on the side that was next to Professor Clovis.
"Harry can you stay here with Ron for a moment? I need to speak to Professor Dumbledore about the incident this morning."
Harry nodded. He sat in the chair between the beds and looked at both of them, trying very hard to hide his true feelings about Lina from those around him. But he found himself staring at her. She looked so beautiful lying there as if in a deep sleep.
Dumbledore listened as Hermione explained the incident to him. But the fact that Harry was staring at Lina Clovis was not lost on him. He realized that despite how hard Harry was trying to block his feelings from everyone else, the feelings were far too strong to be blocked completely. Dumbledore nodded his head. He had known that this was coming, but he had hoped that Harry would have at least another year of peace before everything began.
Harry's confusion at everything was evident and Dumbledore knew that if he didn't act swiftly, Harry's life would begin to spiral out of Harry's control completely. The heartache and pain had only begun for the boy. He just hoped he wouldn't be too late….
When Hermione had finished giving her report of what happened, Dumbledore said, "Thank you, Miss Granger. I will inform Professors McGonagall and Snape promptly of what has occurred. Now, I would imagine that you would like to get back to Mr. Weasley's side. You may consider yourself excused from the Prefect's meeting this morning. And if you would be so kind as to send Mr. Potter over to me, there are some things I have been meaning to discuss with him."
Hermione nodded and when she got to Ron's bedside she told Harry. Harry got up and slowly walked over to the Headmaster. "Harry, I feel that it is time for us to have a little chat. I believe it would be best if we go to my office, and leave prying ears behind."
Harry nodded and they left. Harry followed behind the Headmaster, numbly. When they were finally in his office and sitting facing each other, Harry looked up and asked, "What did you need to talk to me about, Professor?"
Dumbledore looked deep into Harry's eyes and knew what confusion and pain resided there. "Harry, there is much that we need to discuss. But I think it would be best if we left the most important discussions to another time. However, I do feel that it is important to converse about your dreams and visions from last night."
Harry again launched into what he had seen the night before, again leaving out the most complicated part. Dumbledore looked at Harry with the usual twinkle in his eyes, as Harry finished his explanation.
"I see…. And how exactly did Professor Clovis become involved with your vision?"
Harry turned bright red and didn't know what to say. He didn't want to give away his feelings for her, but there was no other way for him to explain how she was there with him. "Well, sir, I was erm… having a dream… erm… with her… erm… in it." He felt his cheeks burn with his embarrassment and he lowered his eyes to the floor.
"Quite understandable, Harry."
Harry looked up into the Headmaster's eyes trying to see if he were serious. Dumbledore's eyes merely twinkled with amusement.
"Harry, if I am not mistaken, you are not the first student to develop a crush on his Professor. I happen to recall a certain Professor that grabbed the attention of most of the female population here three years ago."
He looked at Harry over the top of his half moon spectacles in amusement.
"Many of whom wished the very same thing of him then, that you and most of the rest of the male population does of Professor Clovis now."
Harry smiled weakly, trying to put away his feelings, realizing that the Headmaster was probably right, that his feelings were nothing more than a mere crush. He had far more important things to focus on, like his O.W.L.s and Quidditch. His studies and his duties as co-captain of the team needed to come first.
Dumbledore, satisfied that he had gotten Harry's mind off of what was bothering him, said, "Now, Harry if you will excuse me…. I have some things to do before my meeting with the Prefects."
Harry nodded and left. Though he did feel better, thinking that all he had was a crush on Professor Clovis, there was a piece of him that was still so uncertain, but for the time being he pushed it out of his mind. Famished, he went to the Great Hall for breakfast, eating alone and lost within his own thoughts.
Once he was pleasantly full, he went to check on Ron. He sat back down in the chair that he had vacated when Dumbledore had asked to see him. With the lack of real sleep from the night before finally catching up with him and the fact that Ron and Hermione were resting too, he fell fast asleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Before long he was back in the same room at the Riddle Manor. He hid so that he could see what was going to happen….
Before long Snape was there. He had apperated into the room into the dark corner opposite from where Harry was watching. Snape looked about the room and believing himself to be alone, he move quickly to the wall where Lina was trapped. He kissed her lightly on the cheek, which made Harry stomach feel like it needed to turn inside out.
She stirred and looked at her savior in shock. "Severus, what are you doing here?"
"I'm here to get you out."
"Oh." Was that disappointment that Harry heard in her voice? Harry shook his head trying to clear the thoughts of, what he felt was, an illogical jealousy of his potions Professor. It was just a crush after all….
Snape gave her the potion and said, "Relashio." She slowly came out of the wall. "Go get out of here, Love."
She floated over to the corner where Harry was hiding, seeing the hurt in his eyes she projected apologetic words toward him before she left through the open window.
Snape was about to apperate out, feeling that he had succeeded in his mission, when the door swung open and Voldemort stepped in. He looked at Snape in surprise and then at the corner where Lina was supposed to be. Looking back at Snape he took out his wand. "Crucio!"
Harry watched through the pain in his scar, as the man that he despised writhed in pain on the floor in front of his eyes. After several minutes Voldemort finally released him. "Explain yourself!"
Snape got up and crawled to the feet of his supposed Master. He kissed the hems of Voldemort's robes, then backed away, and stood up, keeping his eyes on the floor. "My Lord, please forgive me. I know that you thought it would be best to keep Clovis here to lure Potter back to you, but I fear that you misunderstand her role here."
"Role? What role?"
"When she started the year she could sense what you could about the boy, so I put her in the imperious curse to believe that she was falling in love with the boy, to seduce him, so that I could capture him with her and bring him to you. But now I fear that she has been compromised, and the plan may not work."
Harry felt as if his heart had just been ripped out of his chest, thrown on the floor, and that the killing curse had been performed by a hundred deatheaters on it. If that were true then he had no chance of ever hoping for anything with the one person that he felt was possibly the only one that he would ever wish to be with. He shut his eyes tightly against the burning tears that were threatening to fall.
"Why didn't you tell me about this sooner, Severus?"
"Because, My Lord, if you had known anything, the boy would surely have picked it up from your thoughts. He is, after all, starting to develop those skills that we have feared he would all along."
"Yes. Very true…. Very well, continue, but in the future. You must let me know what your plans are. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Master."
"Good. Crucio."
Snape was on his knees quivering in pain for the few moments that Voldemort held the curse on him.
"Now return to your post, faithful servant, before you are missed…."
Snape nodded and got to his feet. He apperated out of the room, leaving Voldemort alone. Voldemort went to his chair and sat down thoughtfully in front of the fire.
Harry still hidden in the corner, was trying to blink away the tears that were stubbornly stinging his eyes. When Harry saw that Voldemort was distracted, he quickly dived out the window, unnoticed. Not far outside he saw that Lina was wandering about, obviously uncertain where to go. Harry grabbed her hand and before they could blink their eyes they were back in the Hospital Wing, holding hands.
Harry quickly whipped his hand out of hers and turned toward his friends. Ron was sitting up and amused by what he had just seen.
Embarrassed Harry got up and muttered something like, "Glad to see that you're feeling better, mate." before running out of the Hospital Wing back to the dorm room, where he buried his nose in his homework.