Chapter Six: Footsteps
Harry hurried along the corridor and when he got to the Fat Lady whispered the password to her, as she swung open Harry could hear the commotion of the commons room and when he talked into the common room everything seemed to grow louder than it was before. Fred and George rushed over to him pushing their way through the crowd of people.
"Harry where have you been?" Said Fred.
"Yeah you didn't come with us after we left the Transfigurations class room." Added George.
"I stopped to talking with Professor Smith real fast." Said Harry with a smile as Ron and Hermione pushed their way through the crowd and now were standing beside him looking at him with worried expressions. Harry wanted to talk to them, but before he could even open his mouth he was pulled into the middle of the crowd by Fred with George holding him to make sure he didn't escape. When they stopped he found himself standing in the middle of a circle of them teammates.
"Okay can we have you attention?" Yelled George "Harry is about to tell you all who the lucky person is." Then every eye in the common room was fixed on Harry.
"Well we have gone over everyone's tryouts and we have chosen someone you was the best when it counted." It seemed as thought everyone in the room held their breath. "And the new Keeper of the Gryffindor's Quidditch team is... Ron Weasley." There was another explosion of sound and everyone was clapping loudly. When Harry found Ron he saw that Ron's mouth was hanging open speechless and his face was the same color as his hair, bright red. Everyone congratulated Ron and then started up the small party that some people had planned for whoever became the Keeper.
When Harry finally got Ron alone, he told Ron and Hermione about what happened after the team decided that Ron was Keeper. Most of the people had gone to their beds when Harry had finished tell them every detail of what both Malfoy and Smith had said. Both Ron and Hermione were looking at Harry with shocked expressions and it took them a while before they could say anything. Hermione was the first to speak.
"Well we knew that Snape was a Death Eater and now he is a teacher and helping Dumbledore, so it could be the same with Professor Smith." Said Hermione.
"Yeah and anyone who doesn't like Malfoy is cool with me." Said Ron who was still spinning from becoming the Keeper.
"Yeah but the one thing I want to know is what Malfoy meant by family?" Said Harry. "If she was actually talking about Voldemort, then what family would he have? Did he mean 'family' family or is he talking about his followers being his family?"
"I don't think that Voldemort ever had a family, like mother and father, because we all know that his mother died when he was little and his father abandoned him to the orphanage. I have never heard or read anything that said that he had brothers or sisters, and I can't imagine him having a wife or having children. Can you?" Said Hermione. "Don't you think if he did have a kid that everyone would know about it as the heir to a dark empire and all?"
"You know she has a point, Harry." Said Ron. "I guess that Malfoy meant the Death Eaters as his family. You know the Malfoy's they are a little crazy like that."
"Yeah but I wish I knew actually what Malfoy was talking about." Said Harry with a look of worry on his face. Hermione felt that he was getting really worried about this and so she tried to give him a little peace of mind.
"Well as Professor Smith said, Dumbledore know everything that is going on and everything that has happened, so don't worry about it too much Harry." She smiled at him, but it seemed that Harry was paying attention; he was to deep in thought.
"And another thing, what was Malfoy talking about when he said 'exactly who Cassandra is'? How does he know Cassandra?" Said Harry. "I already know that she is my cousin. Why does it seemed that everyone else know more about me than I do." Harry had an angry tone in his voice, which scared Ron and Hermione. They had never seen Harry get angry like that. Harry couldn't explain why he was getting so angry, he just was, and that scared him more than almost anything else.
"Err... Harry, I think we should be getting to bed it is rather late and we have class tomorrow. If it makes you feel better I will write my father and ask him about Professor Smith. Okay?" Said Ron. Harry didn't disagree. The three of them went upstairs. Harry was walking just ahead of the other two thinking. Why did he get so mad over so little as that?
When Harry finally fell asleep he began to dream. He really hadn't dreamt about anything since that dream he had in the summer at the Dursleys'. At first the dream was unclear, he was in a dark room with only one window, which had bars on it, as if he were in a prison cell. Moonlight slanted through the window and collected in a pool of light on the floor, that was the only light in the room. The corners were all swallowed by deep shadows. Harry stood in the middle of the room squinting into the dark, trying to see what was beyond the light, but there was nothing there. He was completely alone in this small room. He stood there in silence for what seemed an eternity, when he heard voices coming from his right. A moment later a door opened flooding the room with a dull light from the hallway. Just beyond the door he could see two tall figures, which seemed to be dragging a person into the room. When the men came closer he saw that they weren't men at all, but Dementors. Harry began to be a little dizzy while the two Dementors threw the small figure of a person into the room and slamming the door, left. The person lay on the floor unmoving as the dizziness left Harry and he was still standing there just staring at the small figure. He wanted to go over and help the person up, but he found that he couldn't move from the spot where he was standing, so all he could do is just watch as the figure, who was now struggling to sit up. The figure made on sound and when it finally got to a sitting position, it seemed to push itself deep into the shadows and started to cry a little. As the figure cried Harry could tell that the person was a woman and he knew who it might be.
"Cassandra?" Gasped Harry.
"I am sorry Harry... I didn't mean to... He is too strong." Said Cassandra in a weak voice. Harry wanted to run to her and help her get out of this cell but he was still stuck. "I am sorry Harry... I didn't mean to... too strong." She kept repeating. He struggle to get free of whatever was holding him in that spot when everything around him started to fade and moments later he was in total darkness, but he could still hear Cassandra's weak voice crying. "I'm sorry Harry."
He woke up just as the sun was coming up over the mountains that made the sky look as though it was on fire. Slowly he got dressed and headed for the common room. It was completely empty and the embers of the fire from the night before were still burning faintly in the fireplace. He sat in a chair in front of the fireplace staring into the it watching the embers slowly die away, thinking. He was tired, not a physical kind of tired, but more like a soul kind of tired, about everything that was going on, about how he became famous, everything about his life. He wanted so much right that moment for his mother to be there, for her to hug her and tell him that everything was going to be all right, he would give everything for that, but it wasn't going to happen and he knew it. That was what hurt so much, as he watched, everyday, the other kids as they went happily along their way, that they knew if anything ever went really wrong that their mother and father would be there to help them out, to comfort them, to protect them.
Harry never knew that certainty in his entire life. He always had to depend on his self, even when he was at the Dursleys', and that was what made him so tired, and at that moment he wanted to stop fighting. He wanted to rest, but was afraid if he did something much worst than him just feeling tired would happened, and it was that fear that pushed Harry to stand up and walk out of the portrait hole. Harry didn't know exactly were he was going until he was there, standing just outside the hidden entrance to Dumbledore's office. He whispered the password in a weak voice, and entered the staircase. When he realized that he was standing before the door to Dumbledore's office, he went to knock on the door, but before Harry's hand hit the wood the door opened to find Dumbledore standing in his nightclothes half smiling at Harry.
"Come in Harry." Said Dumbledore in his clam voice. Harry entered the room and took his normal chair just on the other side of Dumbledore's desk. "How are you Harry?" Asked Dumbledore. How did he feel? Numb. It was like he under water and everything moved by him so slowly. He didn't have the energy to speak, and all he could do is just look at Dumbledore. Dumbledore seemed to understand Harry, because he nodded at him. "Harry I understand that you don't feel that well right now and that is to be excepted with all that as happened to you in your short life. Most grown wizards haven't been through a quarter of what you have. It is okay to feel like this once in a while, as long as you don't give into the feeling." Harry nodded in understanding.
"I know Professor. It all just feels to much for me, like I can't keep on going, but I am afraid of what will happen if I do." Said Harry and Dumbledore smiled an encouraging smile at him.
"Harry that fear is a good thing, because that mean you care about something more than yourself. Without that fear you are no better then those people would are serving Voldemort right now. They care about nothing but themselves and the only fear they feel is the fear that something might happened to them so they take the easy way out, but sometimes, what seemed the easy way out is the hardest way of all." When Dumbledore finished Harry felt a little better than he had. They sat in silence for a while thinking, neither of them wanted to break the silence, because it just seemed right, but it was broken when their was a loud knock at the door. "Come." Said Dumbledore and as he said it Professor McGonagall came flying into the room, but then stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Harry sitting in the just in front of the desk.
"There you are. Your friends are really worried that something happened to you." She said taking a breath of relief.
"Harry and I have been talking together, Minerva, and I have decided that Harry is going to take the day off today. Will you tell his other teachers that he will not be in class today and that his friends will be collecting his school work, and also can you tell his friend that if they want to find him he will be in the hospital wing, but they are not to disturb him." Professor McGonagall nodded with a worried look.
"Yes Professor, is he alright?"
"Yes he just needs a break." Said Dumbledore, and with another nodded Professor McGonagall left the office and closed the door behind him. "We all need a rest every now and then." He winkled at Harry and then stood up from his desk, as he walked over to the perch where Fawkes was sleeping, Harry started to speak.
"Professor can I ask you a couple of questions?" Asked Harry timidly.
"You may ask me anything you want and I will answer you if I can?"
"Well I just wanted to know, who is Professor Smith and how does she know Cassandra?"
"To answer your first question Alexandra is a Professor at Hogwarts teacher, whom I asked to come this year. She has special... well... special knowledge about the subject of Dark Arts. She went to school here with your father and was also friends with Professor Snape, they were both in Slytherin house." Said Dumbledore. "As for the rest of her tale and that of Cassandra, well that isn't mine to tell you, Harry. You will get that piece of the puzzle when you need it." Harry nodded but didn't understand, why won't people answer his questions about his parents, the night that they were killed and anything related to that. It was one of the reasons that he was in Dumbledore's office, he felt so frustrated. He was thinking about everything that was going on when he realized someone.
"Professor, I haven't seen Sirius around lately where is he?" asked Harry.
"I sent him on a mission for me. I cannot say more than that Harry, for Sirius' protection." Said Dumbledore and Harry nodded. Harry walked to the hospital wing, which now seemed like his second home. Madam Pomfrey was waiting for him with a potion for dreamless sleep. He took the potion, and slept for good while. He woke to hear people talking at the other end of the wing.
"You say that he has been having dreams." The cold voice of Professor Smith made Harry open his eyes. He lay on the bed watching the buried figures of Professor Smith and Madam Pomfrey talk.
"Dumbledore said that he has been having bad dreams, and that he should keep the dreamless sleep potion with him when he goes back to the dormitories." Said Madam Pomfrey.
"Did he tell you what Harry dreams about? Does he dream about a girl?" asked Professor Smith.
"No, no one has told me what he dreams about."
"Thank you then. I must be going." Harry watched Professor Smith slowly walk from the hospital wing as Ron and Hermione walked in and headed for Harry's bed. When Harry saw them he sat up and put on his glasses.
"Alright there Harry?" asked Hermione.
"Yes I just needed some sleep." Said Harry. Madam Pomfrey noticing that Harry was awake went to his bed.
"Harry. You can go anytime you feel like, but before you go you need to come by my office and get the potions that I have prepared for you." Said Madam Pomfrey and then she left. Harry got up and ready to go as he told Ron and Hermione what was going on. After Harry finished they told Harry about what happened in classes that day, too Harry's surprise he found out that Snape was not back yet and that Professor Smith seemed to be really worried about him.
"Snape not back yet?" said Harry. Harry was actually getting worried as well, but he would never tell Snape that.
"Yes, it seems that no one know where he is." Said Ron. They left the hospital wing after Harry got the potion from Madam Pomfrey. Harry, Ron and Hermione talked about theories about Snape's disappearance all the way to the Gryffindor tower. When they entered the commons room Harry noticed Fred and George in a corner thinking up some mischief to do, and Harry smiled.
"Hey Harry. Would you like to help us plan something?" asked Fred.
"No, thank you guys I can't." said Harry.
"Oh come on be the best prefect ever." Said George. Harry stopped and serious thought about it. He was about to help when Hermione had to say something.
"No you guys Harry can't. He is a prefect now and so he can play games like that." Harry shrugged and sat down in their usual corner. Once Harry had sat down Hermione pulled something out of her pocket and handed it to Harry, it was Harry's ring. "I tried to look it up but I couldn't find it in any of the book.'
"Oh. I might ask Professor Smith about it later." Said Harry. He really wanted to speak with Professor Smith by his self; he wanted to know if she really knew Cassandra. They sat the rest of the night doing homework and getting Harry caught up with what he missed that day.
The next couple of weeks went by quickly, with all the classes and Quidditch practice Harry had a lot to do. Classes seemed to get harder and harder as the year went by. The Friday before Halloween they had double potions and Professor Smith was trying every hard to get through the class. Malfoy noticed this and he threw some extra newts eye into Neville's potion and it exploded over half the class. Professor Smith just sat in the seat behind the desk with her eyes closed and took a deep breath. Energy filled the room that scared Harry, and it seemed to be coming from Professor Smith. Suddenly the books that were sitting on the desk in front of him started to float. Harry stared at the books then glanced at Ron and Hermione. The books in front of them were also floating as well.
"Enough!" exclaimed Professor Smith and the books slammed back down on the table. "Malfoy." Everyone stared at Malfoy. Harry had never really seen Malfoy scared of anything, but right then Malfoy looked as through he was going to die of fright. "Go see Dumbledore right now, I will be there shortly. Everyone would needs to go to the hospital wing you can go now." The people who had the potions explode on them got up and went to the hospital wing. The people would were left watched as Malfoy talked out of the classroom with his head down. Harry couldn't help but smile until. "Harry." Said Professor Smith. Harry looked up at her. "Could you please accompany me to my office." Harry nodded. "The rest of you can go early." Everyone left. Ron and Hermione gave a look of concern at Harry before they left. Harry followed Professor Smith out of the classroom, down the corridors and into her office near the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.
She sat in a chair behind her desk and pulled out a book from the bookcase that set next to her desk. "Please, take a seat Harry." Harry sat down in a chair near the door. "I hear that you have something that would like me to look at." Harry looked at her in shocked.
"Yes, I do." Said Harry and gave her the ring. She looked at the ring and she went pale.
"Where did you get this?" questioned Professor Smith.
"My cousin." Said Harry.
"Oh... so you know that Cassandra is your cousin?" Harry nodded. "That makes sense. Okay. It is a ring that protects the wearer from three different things. See the yellow stone. That protects the wearer from the call of Sirens. The red stone protects the wearer from the cry of the Banshee. The blue stone, which is the most interesting thing of all, protects the wearer from the wanderings of the Dream Walkers..."
"Dream Walkers?" asked Harry.
"Yes Harry, don't you know what the dream walker is..." Professor Smith was cut short when Professor McGonagall rushed into the office.
"Professor Smith... come... quickly." Said Professor McGonagall and they both rushed out of her office. Harry followed them out of the office and watched them run down the corridor and disappear around a corner. Harry was going to follow them, but he meet Ron and Hermione along the way and they told Harry that Sirius was looking for him. Harry followed Ron and Hermione they were heading for Hagrid's cabin. Sirius was there waiting for them in front of the fire place.
"Sirius?" said Harry as he rushed to him and gave him a hug. 'What's going on?"
"Harry, You-know-Who has taken Severus prisoner." Said Sirius. Harry was slightly surprised at the tone of concern in his voice. "That was where I have been. Dumbledore sent me to find some word on him, because he didn't report in when he was suppose to." Harry, Ron and Hermione were all shocked.
"Did you hear anything about Cassandra?" asked Harry. Sirius hung his head and with a deep breathe answered.
"No, no word." Said Sirius. "The teachers are going to see if they can get a search party together to try and find where they are being held. It will leave Hogwarts the day after tomorrow. I will be going with them." Harry looked at him.
"Why? You just can back from a mission." Said Harry. "Why do you have to go back out there?"
"Because Harry, no matter what my feelings are toward Snape I would not leave him a prisoner of that thing." Harry nodded. He agreed with Sirius, but he still didn't want Sirius to leave, because Harry always seemed to feel safer with Sirius around. Sirius looked at Harry. "I wish I had your father's ring so that I could give it to you."
"My father's ring?" questioned Harry.
"Yes, your father used to wear still one ring. He said it would protect him. He wore it all the time. I don't know where or not it really could protect you I would know he would want you to have it." Smiled Sirius.
"I got this ring." Said Harry as he pulled out the ring with the three stones. "Professor Smith says that it has protective powers against..."
"Where did you get that?" exclaimed Sirius.
"Cassandra gave it to me why?" asked Harry.
"Harry, that is your father's ring, but how did Cassandra get it. Your father had it on the day before he died." Said Sirius. Harry's heart jumped up into his throat.
"This is my father's ring?" Harry held the ring in his hand. The only other thing that he had of his father was the invisibility cloak that was hidden in his trunk, and now he had his father's ring, but how did Cassandra get it, if his father had it on the day before he died?
"Yes Harry. That is your father's ring. You need to keep it with you at all times." Said Sirius as he looked outside. "I have to go now Harry, and you guys need to get back up to the castle." Sirius smiled at them and left. Harry, Ron and Hermione all walked up to the castle together, in silence. They were all deep in thought about things that were happening. They didn't eat dinner that night instead they went straight to bed; anyways they wanted to get up early the next day, because it was the first Hogsmeade trip that they were going to have, and they wanted to be up and ready to go.
When they got to Hogsmeade the next day they tried very hard not to think about what was going on and tried to have, as much fun as possible, but it wasn't working. They ended up in the Three Broomsticks drinking Butterbeers and talking about Sirius, Snape and Cassandra.
"Poor, Snape." Said Hermione. "I agree with Sirius when he said that he wouldn't leave anyone as a prisoner of that thing, not even Snape."
"I would like to see Snape get what he deserves, but no one deserves that." Exclaimed Ron.
"I just hope that everyone turns out to be okay." Said Harry.
"Oh Harry. I am sure that she is alright." Said Hermione trying to cheer him up.
"You didn't have the dream I had when they were torturing her. That was just the first one, in the second dream she was almost broken. Can you imagine two months? Two months of being the prisoner of Voldemort." Said Harry.
"Yeah, but Harry according to everyone she was with him for six years before..." Ron started.
"Yeah before he tried to have her killed." Said Harry. Nothing was helping to lighten the mood, not even the Butterbeer. "I think I am going to go back to the castle now you guys." Harry got up and left but before too long Ron and Hermione came running up next to him.
"We will go with you." Said Hermione, and they walked back to the castle together talking about the first Quidditch match which would be in two weeks, against Slytherin. The rest of the day went by with a better mood. Excitement filled the air as everyone was waiting for the Halloween feast that night. It was the same thing every year, the elaborate decorations, the great food and everyone really excited about it being Halloween. When the three of them got to the Great Hall they were one of the last people on join the entire school at the feast. Dumbledore spoke a few words to the school, hiding any concerns that were plaguing the teachers. Snape's chair sat sadly empty and Professor Smith looked as though she had been crying, but Harry, Ron and Hermione were the only students who really notice anything wrong. The feast went on as though nothing was wrong. Harry watched as everyone around him laughed and talked happily. It took awhile for the three of them to relax and get into the spirit that seemed everyone else was in, but before long Harry was laughing as the Bloody Barron frightened a first year Hufflepuff by popping through the middle of the table just in front of him. The air of tension that Harry felt moments before was instantly lifted and even Professor Smith seemed to show a little smile.
Harry sat eating his food smiling, when he began to hear something from outside the doors to the Great Hall. At first if was hard to hear over the loud din of the Great Hall with everyone laughing and talking away, but then it started to get louder and louder. No one else seemed to hear the sound. Harry looked around at everyone to see if anyone else had noticed, but they were all still smiling. Harry just brushed it off. He was just hearing things. That was all, just hearing things. He tried to ignore the sound, but it seemed to be getting louder and louder. Harry decided to cheek once more to see if anyone else heard the sound, and when he saw Professor Smith's somewhat happy expression suddenly disappear and her eyes turn to the door of the Great Hall, and the other Professors soon followed suit, he knew that he wasn't just hearing things. He to turned his head towards the door and soon after so did Ron and Hermione. The sound was just outside the door and Harry suddenly realized what it was. Footsteps.
Harry didn't know why he was getting so anxious from footsteps, but it was the way the footsteps sounded. It seemed to echo in Harry's head. Harry got a funny feeling that something was about to happen and he quickly got his wand out from his pocket. Ron noticed that Harry had his wand in his hand and he took his wand out as well. There was a suddenly silence that fell over the Great Hall as the student noticed the Professors slowly making their way to the door. All the Professors had their wands out and ready to stop whatever was going to come through the door, as though Voldemort himself was standing just outside the door ready to take on the entire school. Then suddenly the doors flew opened wide. Harry's wand was at ready and all the Professors were ready as well. He saw the figure standing in the doorways and his heart leapt to his throat.
Harry hurried along the corridor and when he got to the Fat Lady whispered the password to her, as she swung open Harry could hear the commotion of the commons room and when he talked into the common room everything seemed to grow louder than it was before. Fred and George rushed over to him pushing their way through the crowd of people.
"Harry where have you been?" Said Fred.
"Yeah you didn't come with us after we left the Transfigurations class room." Added George.
"I stopped to talking with Professor Smith real fast." Said Harry with a smile as Ron and Hermione pushed their way through the crowd and now were standing beside him looking at him with worried expressions. Harry wanted to talk to them, but before he could even open his mouth he was pulled into the middle of the crowd by Fred with George holding him to make sure he didn't escape. When they stopped he found himself standing in the middle of a circle of them teammates.
"Okay can we have you attention?" Yelled George "Harry is about to tell you all who the lucky person is." Then every eye in the common room was fixed on Harry.
"Well we have gone over everyone's tryouts and we have chosen someone you was the best when it counted." It seemed as thought everyone in the room held their breath. "And the new Keeper of the Gryffindor's Quidditch team is... Ron Weasley." There was another explosion of sound and everyone was clapping loudly. When Harry found Ron he saw that Ron's mouth was hanging open speechless and his face was the same color as his hair, bright red. Everyone congratulated Ron and then started up the small party that some people had planned for whoever became the Keeper.
When Harry finally got Ron alone, he told Ron and Hermione about what happened after the team decided that Ron was Keeper. Most of the people had gone to their beds when Harry had finished tell them every detail of what both Malfoy and Smith had said. Both Ron and Hermione were looking at Harry with shocked expressions and it took them a while before they could say anything. Hermione was the first to speak.
"Well we knew that Snape was a Death Eater and now he is a teacher and helping Dumbledore, so it could be the same with Professor Smith." Said Hermione.
"Yeah and anyone who doesn't like Malfoy is cool with me." Said Ron who was still spinning from becoming the Keeper.
"Yeah but the one thing I want to know is what Malfoy meant by family?" Said Harry. "If she was actually talking about Voldemort, then what family would he have? Did he mean 'family' family or is he talking about his followers being his family?"
"I don't think that Voldemort ever had a family, like mother and father, because we all know that his mother died when he was little and his father abandoned him to the orphanage. I have never heard or read anything that said that he had brothers or sisters, and I can't imagine him having a wife or having children. Can you?" Said Hermione. "Don't you think if he did have a kid that everyone would know about it as the heir to a dark empire and all?"
"You know she has a point, Harry." Said Ron. "I guess that Malfoy meant the Death Eaters as his family. You know the Malfoy's they are a little crazy like that."
"Yeah but I wish I knew actually what Malfoy was talking about." Said Harry with a look of worry on his face. Hermione felt that he was getting really worried about this and so she tried to give him a little peace of mind.
"Well as Professor Smith said, Dumbledore know everything that is going on and everything that has happened, so don't worry about it too much Harry." She smiled at him, but it seemed that Harry was paying attention; he was to deep in thought.
"And another thing, what was Malfoy talking about when he said 'exactly who Cassandra is'? How does he know Cassandra?" Said Harry. "I already know that she is my cousin. Why does it seemed that everyone else know more about me than I do." Harry had an angry tone in his voice, which scared Ron and Hermione. They had never seen Harry get angry like that. Harry couldn't explain why he was getting so angry, he just was, and that scared him more than almost anything else.
"Err... Harry, I think we should be getting to bed it is rather late and we have class tomorrow. If it makes you feel better I will write my father and ask him about Professor Smith. Okay?" Said Ron. Harry didn't disagree. The three of them went upstairs. Harry was walking just ahead of the other two thinking. Why did he get so mad over so little as that?
When Harry finally fell asleep he began to dream. He really hadn't dreamt about anything since that dream he had in the summer at the Dursleys'. At first the dream was unclear, he was in a dark room with only one window, which had bars on it, as if he were in a prison cell. Moonlight slanted through the window and collected in a pool of light on the floor, that was the only light in the room. The corners were all swallowed by deep shadows. Harry stood in the middle of the room squinting into the dark, trying to see what was beyond the light, but there was nothing there. He was completely alone in this small room. He stood there in silence for what seemed an eternity, when he heard voices coming from his right. A moment later a door opened flooding the room with a dull light from the hallway. Just beyond the door he could see two tall figures, which seemed to be dragging a person into the room. When the men came closer he saw that they weren't men at all, but Dementors. Harry began to be a little dizzy while the two Dementors threw the small figure of a person into the room and slamming the door, left. The person lay on the floor unmoving as the dizziness left Harry and he was still standing there just staring at the small figure. He wanted to go over and help the person up, but he found that he couldn't move from the spot where he was standing, so all he could do is just watch as the figure, who was now struggling to sit up. The figure made on sound and when it finally got to a sitting position, it seemed to push itself deep into the shadows and started to cry a little. As the figure cried Harry could tell that the person was a woman and he knew who it might be.
"Cassandra?" Gasped Harry.
"I am sorry Harry... I didn't mean to... He is too strong." Said Cassandra in a weak voice. Harry wanted to run to her and help her get out of this cell but he was still stuck. "I am sorry Harry... I didn't mean to... too strong." She kept repeating. He struggle to get free of whatever was holding him in that spot when everything around him started to fade and moments later he was in total darkness, but he could still hear Cassandra's weak voice crying. "I'm sorry Harry."
He woke up just as the sun was coming up over the mountains that made the sky look as though it was on fire. Slowly he got dressed and headed for the common room. It was completely empty and the embers of the fire from the night before were still burning faintly in the fireplace. He sat in a chair in front of the fireplace staring into the it watching the embers slowly die away, thinking. He was tired, not a physical kind of tired, but more like a soul kind of tired, about everything that was going on, about how he became famous, everything about his life. He wanted so much right that moment for his mother to be there, for her to hug her and tell him that everything was going to be all right, he would give everything for that, but it wasn't going to happen and he knew it. That was what hurt so much, as he watched, everyday, the other kids as they went happily along their way, that they knew if anything ever went really wrong that their mother and father would be there to help them out, to comfort them, to protect them.
Harry never knew that certainty in his entire life. He always had to depend on his self, even when he was at the Dursleys', and that was what made him so tired, and at that moment he wanted to stop fighting. He wanted to rest, but was afraid if he did something much worst than him just feeling tired would happened, and it was that fear that pushed Harry to stand up and walk out of the portrait hole. Harry didn't know exactly were he was going until he was there, standing just outside the hidden entrance to Dumbledore's office. He whispered the password in a weak voice, and entered the staircase. When he realized that he was standing before the door to Dumbledore's office, he went to knock on the door, but before Harry's hand hit the wood the door opened to find Dumbledore standing in his nightclothes half smiling at Harry.
"Come in Harry." Said Dumbledore in his clam voice. Harry entered the room and took his normal chair just on the other side of Dumbledore's desk. "How are you Harry?" Asked Dumbledore. How did he feel? Numb. It was like he under water and everything moved by him so slowly. He didn't have the energy to speak, and all he could do is just look at Dumbledore. Dumbledore seemed to understand Harry, because he nodded at him. "Harry I understand that you don't feel that well right now and that is to be excepted with all that as happened to you in your short life. Most grown wizards haven't been through a quarter of what you have. It is okay to feel like this once in a while, as long as you don't give into the feeling." Harry nodded in understanding.
"I know Professor. It all just feels to much for me, like I can't keep on going, but I am afraid of what will happen if I do." Said Harry and Dumbledore smiled an encouraging smile at him.
"Harry that fear is a good thing, because that mean you care about something more than yourself. Without that fear you are no better then those people would are serving Voldemort right now. They care about nothing but themselves and the only fear they feel is the fear that something might happened to them so they take the easy way out, but sometimes, what seemed the easy way out is the hardest way of all." When Dumbledore finished Harry felt a little better than he had. They sat in silence for a while thinking, neither of them wanted to break the silence, because it just seemed right, but it was broken when their was a loud knock at the door. "Come." Said Dumbledore and as he said it Professor McGonagall came flying into the room, but then stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Harry sitting in the just in front of the desk.
"There you are. Your friends are really worried that something happened to you." She said taking a breath of relief.
"Harry and I have been talking together, Minerva, and I have decided that Harry is going to take the day off today. Will you tell his other teachers that he will not be in class today and that his friends will be collecting his school work, and also can you tell his friend that if they want to find him he will be in the hospital wing, but they are not to disturb him." Professor McGonagall nodded with a worried look.
"Yes Professor, is he alright?"
"Yes he just needs a break." Said Dumbledore, and with another nodded Professor McGonagall left the office and closed the door behind him. "We all need a rest every now and then." He winkled at Harry and then stood up from his desk, as he walked over to the perch where Fawkes was sleeping, Harry started to speak.
"Professor can I ask you a couple of questions?" Asked Harry timidly.
"You may ask me anything you want and I will answer you if I can?"
"Well I just wanted to know, who is Professor Smith and how does she know Cassandra?"
"To answer your first question Alexandra is a Professor at Hogwarts teacher, whom I asked to come this year. She has special... well... special knowledge about the subject of Dark Arts. She went to school here with your father and was also friends with Professor Snape, they were both in Slytherin house." Said Dumbledore. "As for the rest of her tale and that of Cassandra, well that isn't mine to tell you, Harry. You will get that piece of the puzzle when you need it." Harry nodded but didn't understand, why won't people answer his questions about his parents, the night that they were killed and anything related to that. It was one of the reasons that he was in Dumbledore's office, he felt so frustrated. He was thinking about everything that was going on when he realized someone.
"Professor, I haven't seen Sirius around lately where is he?" asked Harry.
"I sent him on a mission for me. I cannot say more than that Harry, for Sirius' protection." Said Dumbledore and Harry nodded. Harry walked to the hospital wing, which now seemed like his second home. Madam Pomfrey was waiting for him with a potion for dreamless sleep. He took the potion, and slept for good while. He woke to hear people talking at the other end of the wing.
"You say that he has been having dreams." The cold voice of Professor Smith made Harry open his eyes. He lay on the bed watching the buried figures of Professor Smith and Madam Pomfrey talk.
"Dumbledore said that he has been having bad dreams, and that he should keep the dreamless sleep potion with him when he goes back to the dormitories." Said Madam Pomfrey.
"Did he tell you what Harry dreams about? Does he dream about a girl?" asked Professor Smith.
"No, no one has told me what he dreams about."
"Thank you then. I must be going." Harry watched Professor Smith slowly walk from the hospital wing as Ron and Hermione walked in and headed for Harry's bed. When Harry saw them he sat up and put on his glasses.
"Alright there Harry?" asked Hermione.
"Yes I just needed some sleep." Said Harry. Madam Pomfrey noticing that Harry was awake went to his bed.
"Harry. You can go anytime you feel like, but before you go you need to come by my office and get the potions that I have prepared for you." Said Madam Pomfrey and then she left. Harry got up and ready to go as he told Ron and Hermione what was going on. After Harry finished they told Harry about what happened in classes that day, too Harry's surprise he found out that Snape was not back yet and that Professor Smith seemed to be really worried about him.
"Snape not back yet?" said Harry. Harry was actually getting worried as well, but he would never tell Snape that.
"Yes, it seems that no one know where he is." Said Ron. They left the hospital wing after Harry got the potion from Madam Pomfrey. Harry, Ron and Hermione talked about theories about Snape's disappearance all the way to the Gryffindor tower. When they entered the commons room Harry noticed Fred and George in a corner thinking up some mischief to do, and Harry smiled.
"Hey Harry. Would you like to help us plan something?" asked Fred.
"No, thank you guys I can't." said Harry.
"Oh come on be the best prefect ever." Said George. Harry stopped and serious thought about it. He was about to help when Hermione had to say something.
"No you guys Harry can't. He is a prefect now and so he can play games like that." Harry shrugged and sat down in their usual corner. Once Harry had sat down Hermione pulled something out of her pocket and handed it to Harry, it was Harry's ring. "I tried to look it up but I couldn't find it in any of the book.'
"Oh. I might ask Professor Smith about it later." Said Harry. He really wanted to speak with Professor Smith by his self; he wanted to know if she really knew Cassandra. They sat the rest of the night doing homework and getting Harry caught up with what he missed that day.
The next couple of weeks went by quickly, with all the classes and Quidditch practice Harry had a lot to do. Classes seemed to get harder and harder as the year went by. The Friday before Halloween they had double potions and Professor Smith was trying every hard to get through the class. Malfoy noticed this and he threw some extra newts eye into Neville's potion and it exploded over half the class. Professor Smith just sat in the seat behind the desk with her eyes closed and took a deep breath. Energy filled the room that scared Harry, and it seemed to be coming from Professor Smith. Suddenly the books that were sitting on the desk in front of him started to float. Harry stared at the books then glanced at Ron and Hermione. The books in front of them were also floating as well.
"Enough!" exclaimed Professor Smith and the books slammed back down on the table. "Malfoy." Everyone stared at Malfoy. Harry had never really seen Malfoy scared of anything, but right then Malfoy looked as through he was going to die of fright. "Go see Dumbledore right now, I will be there shortly. Everyone would needs to go to the hospital wing you can go now." The people who had the potions explode on them got up and went to the hospital wing. The people would were left watched as Malfoy talked out of the classroom with his head down. Harry couldn't help but smile until. "Harry." Said Professor Smith. Harry looked up at her. "Could you please accompany me to my office." Harry nodded. "The rest of you can go early." Everyone left. Ron and Hermione gave a look of concern at Harry before they left. Harry followed Professor Smith out of the classroom, down the corridors and into her office near the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.
She sat in a chair behind her desk and pulled out a book from the bookcase that set next to her desk. "Please, take a seat Harry." Harry sat down in a chair near the door. "I hear that you have something that would like me to look at." Harry looked at her in shocked.
"Yes, I do." Said Harry and gave her the ring. She looked at the ring and she went pale.
"Where did you get this?" questioned Professor Smith.
"My cousin." Said Harry.
"Oh... so you know that Cassandra is your cousin?" Harry nodded. "That makes sense. Okay. It is a ring that protects the wearer from three different things. See the yellow stone. That protects the wearer from the call of Sirens. The red stone protects the wearer from the cry of the Banshee. The blue stone, which is the most interesting thing of all, protects the wearer from the wanderings of the Dream Walkers..."
"Dream Walkers?" asked Harry.
"Yes Harry, don't you know what the dream walker is..." Professor Smith was cut short when Professor McGonagall rushed into the office.
"Professor Smith... come... quickly." Said Professor McGonagall and they both rushed out of her office. Harry followed them out of the office and watched them run down the corridor and disappear around a corner. Harry was going to follow them, but he meet Ron and Hermione along the way and they told Harry that Sirius was looking for him. Harry followed Ron and Hermione they were heading for Hagrid's cabin. Sirius was there waiting for them in front of the fire place.
"Sirius?" said Harry as he rushed to him and gave him a hug. 'What's going on?"
"Harry, You-know-Who has taken Severus prisoner." Said Sirius. Harry was slightly surprised at the tone of concern in his voice. "That was where I have been. Dumbledore sent me to find some word on him, because he didn't report in when he was suppose to." Harry, Ron and Hermione were all shocked.
"Did you hear anything about Cassandra?" asked Harry. Sirius hung his head and with a deep breathe answered.
"No, no word." Said Sirius. "The teachers are going to see if they can get a search party together to try and find where they are being held. It will leave Hogwarts the day after tomorrow. I will be going with them." Harry looked at him.
"Why? You just can back from a mission." Said Harry. "Why do you have to go back out there?"
"Because Harry, no matter what my feelings are toward Snape I would not leave him a prisoner of that thing." Harry nodded. He agreed with Sirius, but he still didn't want Sirius to leave, because Harry always seemed to feel safer with Sirius around. Sirius looked at Harry. "I wish I had your father's ring so that I could give it to you."
"My father's ring?" questioned Harry.
"Yes, your father used to wear still one ring. He said it would protect him. He wore it all the time. I don't know where or not it really could protect you I would know he would want you to have it." Smiled Sirius.
"I got this ring." Said Harry as he pulled out the ring with the three stones. "Professor Smith says that it has protective powers against..."
"Where did you get that?" exclaimed Sirius.
"Cassandra gave it to me why?" asked Harry.
"Harry, that is your father's ring, but how did Cassandra get it. Your father had it on the day before he died." Said Sirius. Harry's heart jumped up into his throat.
"This is my father's ring?" Harry held the ring in his hand. The only other thing that he had of his father was the invisibility cloak that was hidden in his trunk, and now he had his father's ring, but how did Cassandra get it, if his father had it on the day before he died?
"Yes Harry. That is your father's ring. You need to keep it with you at all times." Said Sirius as he looked outside. "I have to go now Harry, and you guys need to get back up to the castle." Sirius smiled at them and left. Harry, Ron and Hermione all walked up to the castle together, in silence. They were all deep in thought about things that were happening. They didn't eat dinner that night instead they went straight to bed; anyways they wanted to get up early the next day, because it was the first Hogsmeade trip that they were going to have, and they wanted to be up and ready to go.
When they got to Hogsmeade the next day they tried very hard not to think about what was going on and tried to have, as much fun as possible, but it wasn't working. They ended up in the Three Broomsticks drinking Butterbeers and talking about Sirius, Snape and Cassandra.
"Poor, Snape." Said Hermione. "I agree with Sirius when he said that he wouldn't leave anyone as a prisoner of that thing, not even Snape."
"I would like to see Snape get what he deserves, but no one deserves that." Exclaimed Ron.
"I just hope that everyone turns out to be okay." Said Harry.
"Oh Harry. I am sure that she is alright." Said Hermione trying to cheer him up.
"You didn't have the dream I had when they were torturing her. That was just the first one, in the second dream she was almost broken. Can you imagine two months? Two months of being the prisoner of Voldemort." Said Harry.
"Yeah, but Harry according to everyone she was with him for six years before..." Ron started.
"Yeah before he tried to have her killed." Said Harry. Nothing was helping to lighten the mood, not even the Butterbeer. "I think I am going to go back to the castle now you guys." Harry got up and left but before too long Ron and Hermione came running up next to him.
"We will go with you." Said Hermione, and they walked back to the castle together talking about the first Quidditch match which would be in two weeks, against Slytherin. The rest of the day went by with a better mood. Excitement filled the air as everyone was waiting for the Halloween feast that night. It was the same thing every year, the elaborate decorations, the great food and everyone really excited about it being Halloween. When the three of them got to the Great Hall they were one of the last people on join the entire school at the feast. Dumbledore spoke a few words to the school, hiding any concerns that were plaguing the teachers. Snape's chair sat sadly empty and Professor Smith looked as though she had been crying, but Harry, Ron and Hermione were the only students who really notice anything wrong. The feast went on as though nothing was wrong. Harry watched as everyone around him laughed and talked happily. It took awhile for the three of them to relax and get into the spirit that seemed everyone else was in, but before long Harry was laughing as the Bloody Barron frightened a first year Hufflepuff by popping through the middle of the table just in front of him. The air of tension that Harry felt moments before was instantly lifted and even Professor Smith seemed to show a little smile.
Harry sat eating his food smiling, when he began to hear something from outside the doors to the Great Hall. At first if was hard to hear over the loud din of the Great Hall with everyone laughing and talking away, but then it started to get louder and louder. No one else seemed to hear the sound. Harry looked around at everyone to see if anyone else had noticed, but they were all still smiling. Harry just brushed it off. He was just hearing things. That was all, just hearing things. He tried to ignore the sound, but it seemed to be getting louder and louder. Harry decided to cheek once more to see if anyone else heard the sound, and when he saw Professor Smith's somewhat happy expression suddenly disappear and her eyes turn to the door of the Great Hall, and the other Professors soon followed suit, he knew that he wasn't just hearing things. He to turned his head towards the door and soon after so did Ron and Hermione. The sound was just outside the door and Harry suddenly realized what it was. Footsteps.
Harry didn't know why he was getting so anxious from footsteps, but it was the way the footsteps sounded. It seemed to echo in Harry's head. Harry got a funny feeling that something was about to happen and he quickly got his wand out from his pocket. Ron noticed that Harry had his wand in his hand and he took his wand out as well. There was a suddenly silence that fell over the Great Hall as the student noticed the Professors slowly making their way to the door. All the Professors had their wands out and ready to stop whatever was going to come through the door, as though Voldemort himself was standing just outside the door ready to take on the entire school. Then suddenly the doors flew opened wide. Harry's wand was at ready and all the Professors were ready as well. He saw the figure standing in the doorways and his heart leapt to his throat.