A Dance and Voldemort
The past few months had been in short, dull. School started back up, Voldemort hadn't attacked anyone since Karkaroff, both Ron and Icicle had birthdays, Hufflepuff beat Slytherin in the latest quidditch match; which meant that Hufflepuff and Gryffindor were playing each other for the cup.
It was the end of March and the Gryffindor students were on their way to Herbology each carrying a plant. The teachers had gone project crazy after Professor Figg's big success with the "my life story" projects. Professor Sprout had assigned each 5th year student a plant of some sort about a month ago and it was the student's responsibility to find out what type of plant they had and to take care of it. Harry placed his plant down on the desk in front of him and smiled at it proudly. He had been extremely lucky. His plant was an indigo and all he had to do was make sure it was out during the full moon, water it and take to it once and a while. Harry looked over at his other friends; both Ron and Hermione did a good job taking car of their plants. "Miss Vera! What did you do to my carnations!" exclaimed Professor Sprout when she saw the wilting plant on Icicle's desk, "They are one of the easiest plants to take care of on the world!"
"I told you I had a black thumb…….I tried to take care of them but every day they started looking worse and worse. I have always ended up killing plants since I was born. I probably fell out of the womb and landed on a plant killing it."
Professor Sprout continued to walk around the room to make sure that no one else killed their plant and let them loose for the evening. When everyone eventually walked into the great hall for dinner they were met with a surprise; Fudge was sitting at the head table eating with Dumbledore and neither Fudge nor Dumbledore looked happy. "I wonder what is going on?" whispered Hermione as they sad down for a quiet meal.
Dinner dragged on and as students got ready to head off to bed Dumbledore stood up, "I just wanted to announce that the annual end of the year ball well be held May 1st. As most of you know, every year we have a different theme and since last year ended up being a fancy wizard ball we wanted to have a casual muggle dance for a change. All students from their 4th year up are encouraged to attend."
After the announcement all the students walked off all chatting excitably about the dance. "Ugg not another dance," moaned Harry as they reached the common room.
Ron patted Harry of the shoulder, "Come on Harry it wasn't that bad."
"What wasn't that bad?" asked Icicle who had just gotten back from dance.
Hermione started filling Icicle in about the dance and Harry's previous experience with dances. "Ahh it's not going to be that bad." agreed Icicle.
Harry sat down and started on a charms essay that was due on Thursday. A few hours later Harry finished the report and looked up at the clock, it was 10:30. "I am off to bed, see you tomorrow."
"But it is too early….." started Hermione until she saw what time it was, "I think it is time for all of use to go to bed too."
Harry crawled into his bed after putting on his pajamas and brushing his teeth. As he laid there a feeling swept over him, something bad was going to happen and it is going to happen soon.
* * * *
Harry found himself dreaming that he was in a cave that was dark, damp and smelt horrible. Harry looked around and saw that Hermione, Icicle and Ron were with him. Hermione walked forward and started looking around, "What is this place?"
"I don't know," replied Harry, Why are they in my dream……
All of a sudden Ron slipped on something and fell, "Bloody hell!"
Icicle who had been quite this whole time ran over to Ron and touched the blood coming out of a scrape on his knee. Suddenly she pinched herself and winced, "Do you guys think that this is your dream?"
Harry, Ron and Hermione all looked at each other, "Yes."
"Oh no………well I don't think it is a dream at all…"
There was a loud familiar crackle, one that only could belong to one person. "Very good Icicle, I see that you are as sharp as you mother," there was a loud snap as all four of them were tied down onto separate chairs magically, "Welcome Harry Potter and friends to the land of dreams that be."
"Speaking of dreams and sleep, you could us some sleep of your own. Look at those bags under his eyes; I wonder what he stores in them…." whispered Icicle.
Ron held back his laugh and ended up snorting, Hermione rolled her eyes and Harry just shook his head. Leave it to Icicle to crack a stupid joke when they are all tied down in front of the dark lord. Voldemort obviously had heard Icicle's comment, glared at her and clapped his hands. Death eaters started appearing all over the cave. "It seems that Miss Vera needs to be taught some respect, possibly the old fashion way and why we are at it why don't we teach the muddle blood too."
Two death eaters stepped forward, each pulled out a dagger, and started to advance on the girls. "Make sure that you don't kill them, yet."
"Don't you dare touch them you cowards!" yelled Ron.
Harry gritted his teeth, it was happening again, his friends where going to die because of him. Enough is enough, "If you want me so badly kill me and get it over with stop hurting everyone else around me. Don't you get tired of dancing around me because you are too scared to take me down with out any strings attached to my friends?"
"Harry shut up! We are getting out of this. You don't have to go all noble and sacrifice yourself for us!" yelled Icicle.
"It is impossible to escape, you should know that." hissed Voldemort.
"That's what you think."
There was a collective gasp; Icicle had disappeared. "Quick kill them kill them all now!" screamed Voldemort, "She is going to wake them up."
Hermione screamed as the dagger sliced her arm, but then she was suddenly gone too. The death eaters turned their attention to Harry and Ron but suddenly Harry felt a pain building on his face and everything started to fade away. "I'll be waiting for you Potter! The second you go to sleep I will be there!"
* * * *
Harry's eyes snapped open to see Icicle sitting on his stomach holding her fist as if she was getting ready to punch Harry. "Stop!"
Icicle shook out her hand, "You have a hard face."
Harry felt his face, swelling was already beginning, "Couldn't you have found a better way to wake me up?"
"Well it was either punching you our cutting you with something. Buddy bit me to wake me up if that makes you feel any better."
"Much."
Harry looked over at Ron's bed to see is best friend with red slap marks on his face. "All right Ron?"
"Ugg…"
"Well we can't go back to sleep," sighed Hermione as she started nursing the cut on her arm.
Harry sat there thinking back to the beginning of the year. Dumbledore had been talking to Harry and Icicle about their safety, "I would love it if when you get in trouble this year, because we know it will happen even if you do play it safe, that you come to me for help."
Well if Harry ever needed help in his life, this was probably one of the few times. "Let's go see Dumbledore now."
* * * *
