Mantic

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the world in which he frolics.

I hope you enjoy my story. It's the first time this has happened, but the plot came to me in a dream (this was really, really weird) and it had nothing to do with Harry Potter, but I transcribed or however you would say it, and it came out like this. Actually, in the dream, it was about two sisters and one of them couldn't control her own bodily functions (I know, it's very odd) but there was this guy who loved her and told her everyday not to love anybody else. Anyway, it was very odd. Now that I think about it, it has almost nothing to do with this story. Wow, that was a *weird* dream x.x

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A cold breeze ran through the halls of Hogwarts that day, as if to warn its occupants of some recent and urgent discovery. It ran through the kitchens, where the house elves, for all their determination, had stopped cooking or scrubbing or sweeping at the wind's passing, stopped and shivered for their apprehension. It passed the Great Hall, where Albus Dumbledore had halted in his congratulatory speech for the Slytherins' victory in winning the House Cup. He had stopped speaking for only a moment - hardly noticeable to any of the students - and had picked up where he left off to finish his speech with a light satirical joke. And finally, the draft had passed through Harry Potter's dormitory.

He was alone inside of that room. It was empty and, up 'til a moment ago, warm. There were still Butterbeer bottles left over from last night's party, the ones Harry despised because of the sticky ring of residue they always left behind long after the bottle was discarded. The curtains hung limply - cigarettes had been passed in this room the previous night - and they had made Harry depressed only by looking at them.

Harry dropped the bottle he was holding when the breeze had come into contact with his skin. He sucked in a shaky breath and felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. The cold gust of air was an altogether unwelcome guest. He bent down to pick up the bottle, which had landed on the floor and rolled to the door. But Harry picked it up and, as he placed it gently in his bag, came to realize that somebody had come into his room.

"Harry." Breathless, urgent.

"What are you doing here? Who let you in?"

"No, no time for that. I came to you first, Dumbledore doesn't know. The Dark Lord is coming, he's coming." Draco's breath was short. It was obvious that he had been running for some time. "You've got to hide, he's coming for you."

At this point, Harry had dropped his bag on the floor and all of it's contents had spilled out, leaving a residue-ridden floor in their wake. They ran, with such speed only fear could invoke, and skidded to a stop at the entrance to the Great Hall. Only then did Harry realize that Draco was still in his Death Eater robes.

"One second, you can't go in there like this." He pulled the mask from around Draco's neck, "Did anybody see you before you found me?" He pulled at the black silk and the robe slid off effortlessly.

"No. Wait, the house elves. I came in through the kitchens. I used your Invisibility Cloak in the Great Hall, so only the house elves."

"The house elves wont be asked, they never are."

They were clear. They tried, at first, to enter the room discreetly, but the gigantic door that led to the Hall had emitted such a screech of metal against metal that the entire school had turned their heads to find Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy looking as if they had run a marathon.

They walked calmly to the head table and addressed the Headmaster.

"I have been alerted that we are to be contacted shortly by the Ministry of Magic. I would ask that prefects please escort all students back to their respective common rooms, where they are to remain until morning." and Dumbledore turned to face Draco, "Meet me at my office in fifteen minutes." He turned, "Harry, go with him, but do not be seen. You do not want the enemy to know where you are. Ever."

They both nodded and Dumbledore disappeared through a door behind the head table. By then, all of the students had been evacuated and Professor Snape had come limping into the room. The teachers had released a collective gasp at the sight of him; some of them rushed to help him, but he would not stand for it. Harry and Draco were still parked next to the Headmaster's empty chair when Snape had finally reached the table; they hurried out at his intense glare. As they left through the Screeching Door, they could still hear him debriefing the teachers as to the current situation regarding Voldemort and the impending attack.

"Why is he attacking now?" Harry found himself asking as they rushed to Dumbledore's office.

"I'm not sure. I don't know much, Snape has all the information. Truthfully, I didn't think he'd make it back alive, but he's branded as traitor now - they haven't sniffed me out yet."

"Will it be tonight? Tomorrow?"

"…I'm not sure. The giants haven't come yet, so it can't be tonight. They're too stupid to get organized in time, they'll need at least a few hours of training. Training," He scoffed, "What's there to do? Stomp this, kill that. But Voldemort wont just send them in here without some sort of security…. I'm sorry, am I babbling?"

But Harry was nearly panicking now, "The students, the students will get out in time, wont they? The train leaves in the morning!"

Draco laughed nervously at that, "No, no, Dumbledore wont be sending them away on something as obvious as the Hogwart's Express. He'll probably send them off on the Floo."

They finally reached the office, and before either could realize that he didn't have the password, the statue twisted and formed a winding staircase up to the giant office. Wordlessly, Harry went up the stairs and Draco followed.

"Mm, there you are. Have a seat, would you like some le-"

Harry cleared his throat.

"Perhaps this isn't the time." Dumbledore admitted, "Mr. Malfoy, please tell us what's happened."

Draco paused, trying to collect his thoughts, "The Dark Lord realized that Professor Snape was a spy, and realized that the information about the school's defense was exaggerated. He knows he can break through now, and he's coming for Harry. If you are here, he'll try to kill you too, but his main goal is Harry. He found out about the Prophecy too, yesterday, they used Veritaserum on Snape."

'That's right,' Harry thought, 'Only one of us can live.'

Dumbledore was standing from his chair at this point, "What information has Severus disclosed?"

"I can't be sure of that, I was sent to Hogwarts before they had finished with him. I don't even know how he got back out alive…"

"It's not him!" Harry shouted, "It can't be him, what if he's under Imperius?"

"No Harry, Severus can't be under the Imperius. He had taken certain precautions long before today which would enable him to break the Imperius in an instant. It has much to do with Occlumancy." Dumbledore smiled, and it was admittedly a little creepy in this situation. "And neither can the Polyjuice Potion have been used, because he, as an Animagus, would only produce gigantic snakes. No, the real concern is how to get you safely out of the school."

"Should I go to the Dursleys'?" He asked while shivering at the prospect.

"No, too obvious. I have to send you somewhere remote. I think a memory would suffice." Dumbledore walked around his desk and stuck his head in one of his many cupboards.

Harry furrowed his eyebrows quizzically and Draco shrugged. When Dumbledore had pulled his head from the cupboard, he had with him a stone bowl that looked suspiciously like a pensieve.

"This," He started while dusting off the top, "Will help us greatly. Harry, I want you to think of a place where you felt the most comfort. A place where you found security and love and you were not afraid. Just think of it for a moment, please."

Dumbledore brought out his wand and placed it at Harry's temple, where he drew out a very large memory. Dumbledore actually had to make two trips from the bowl as the memory would not end.

"Harry, the place you've chosen is very large, perhaps too large. We cannot have you getting lost."

"It's Hogwarts," he stated placidly, "I wont get lost."

"Hogwarts? Well, I suppose that will be safe. Remember, this will only be your memory, so there will likely be no other common room but Gryffindor, and there will be many a dark, fuzzy corner, where you can't remember what exactly was there. It's very similar to a pensieve; the difference is that you can use magic and you can make use of the objects you find in there. You will not be floating like a ghost, so prepare for a hard landing. I will bring you out when it is time, some people may join you in the future."

"How long will it be?"

"We can't be sure, likely no longer than a few days. I will inform Professors Snape and McGonagall as to your location. If I am not available, they will bring you out. Mr. Malfoy as well."

"Alright then," Harry conceded, "Goodbye Professor, see you Draco."

Draco ran up to Harry and gave him a last hug, "I'll see you in a couple of days, Harry."

"Don't get yourself killed." He smiled and placed his hand in his cold memory.

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Woah, yeah, woah. Me too. I hope you liked it, *please* leave a review, 'cause they keep me going, and go ahead and read my other fics. Thanks for reading (and hopefully reviewing) and I'll write another chapter soon. I have lots of hope for this fic. Thanks!

Tara