Title: Demons in my Dreams
Chapter 2 - Down to Sleep
Author: Sera Luanma
A/N: See the end for reviewer thank you's! Sorry, too, that this chapter was so short. It's more of a set-up for things to come. So bear with me till the next one comes out. There were some good questions that Kaiki had, and I'm sorry if they weren't made clearer.
~Is Usagi dreaming of the past?
Well...sort of. She's actually going into parts of Voldemort's life. The doors are the major events in his lifetime. So every time she goes into one, she's changing the present. Don't think about it too hard, it gives you headaches.
~What about the dream where she dies?
Sorry people, that wasn't a dream. That is the future that I'm catching up to with what I write. Don't worry, I'm sure there will be a sequel. :)
~Is Usagi evil?
Essentially, no. She *is*, after all, the reincarnation of purity and light. Her little 'moments' are from Tom. When he taught her magic, obviously he taught her darker spells. She has known nothing of the wizarding world until then and doesn't know the differences between spell types. Also, his kisses are cold because they are the opposite of her lightness...so they feel different then a normal kiss would.
Setting: After high school for senshi, during fall, so almost middle of term for the Hogwarts students.
-----
"NO! SERENITY!"
"USAGI?!"
She heard the dual shouts as she fell, the power of the Avada Kedavra crashing into her life force and her body to slow in it's workings, less effective on her than others due to her abnormal amount of magic. The ground rushed up to meet her, crushing her face into the rich, semi-damp soil. She felt her body being turned over by two sets of hands and she stared into the faces of the two men she had loved, ironic how closely they resembled each other. Turning to her husband, she winced at the feral grief in his eyes.
"Oh, Tom...Never meant for this to happen." Harry's eyes were a dead color, nothing piercing the very emptiness his grief caused. "Harry...beloved...Chosen. Take care of Tom and Jaime." Looking up to the bright Lunar surface, she smiled even as tears welled up and dripped down her cheeks, not noticing them crystallize into small diamonds. She smiled at something the men couldn't see, and they could only watch her last moments.
"Mama? Where have you been? I have so much to tell you..."
And with a final weak heave of her chest, the one that both men had lain on and taken comfort from, Tsukino Usagi, reincarnated Princess of the Moon, was no longer in the realms of the living to hear the wails of her passing.
-----
Usagi woke up screaming. She could still see the pleading on Tom's face when he was being ripped apart by his own spell. The feeling of holding his wand still burned her hands. Picking up her book on great events, she flipped through till she found the entry she was looking for: October 31st, 1981.
The Fall of a Dark Lord
He-who-must-not-be-named fell on October 31st after over a decade of fear and torment of
the muggle and wizarding world alike. He was defeated by a The Boy Who Lived, Harry
Potter. Some say it was his mother's love for him that caused his downfall, but others
who prefer to remain anonymous, remember seeing a angel with black wings on that
Halloween night. Mythology says that the angel of death had black wings. Could it have
been a divine intervention or simply the power of a mother's love for her son?
Usagi slowly closed the book. Her question of whether it had happened or was just a dream was answered. It seems as though she had actually been in the past and fallen for someone who was now dead. Her resolve to go to Hogwarts was strengthened. There was not much here for her in the way of opportunity in the muggle world. Hogwarts would allow her to continue her study of magic, something that she was now utterly fascinated by, and pay her to work with children, something she would have loved to do anyway. Setting down her reading, she picked up another text on the area that Tom had never fully covered in their lessons...
Potions.
Flipping to the index and looking at the different mixes she could make, she skipped to a page, she winced at the directions. casting spells was one thing, this was something entirely different. Resigning herself to the inevitable, she pulled out her cauldron and set to preparing her ingredients for a Wit-Sharpener, a fourth year level and about where Usagi judged her skills at. Not only would this be good practice, it would also help her plan her future during and after the summer. She ground up the scarab beetles, cut her ginger root, being careful to keep it from touching anything else, and adding the few drops of armadillo bile necessary for the full effect. After stirring clockwise a few times and letting it come to an almost boil. Quenching the flames, she tipped the levitating cauldron and poured the finished product into two small bottles, corking one for later and quickly drinking the other. Wincing at the taste, she nevertheless felt an instant sharpening of her perceptions. Sitting at her desk, Usagi began listing the things she would need to do as a teacher at Hogwarts other than lessons.
To Do:
-Find and purchase other housing outside Hogwarts
-Find and purchase furnishings
-Try to contact Harry Potter/Chosen
-Establish way for family/muggle friends to contact
-Begin researching 'Snake Speak'
-Look into politics of the wizarding world: 'Dark Lord'?
Before Usagi could add anything to her list, she heard a tapping at the window. Wondering what kind of business couldn't wait till tomorrow when it wasn't storming, she unlocked the glass and pulled in her northern spotted. Giving it a quick pat, she placed it on top of it's cage with a towel and some fresh food. Adding a small note to her parchment to name her owl, she opened the Headmaster's reply.
Dear Miss Tsukino,
I am happy to hear of your joining of the wizarding population and congratulate
you on your studies into magic. While I am sorry to say the Defense Against the
Dark Arts position is filled, I have had the desire to start a new class in the
school for next term and have yet to find anyone suitable to teach it.
Symbolism: Magical, Mythical, and Muggle (*)
I implore you to consider this opening due to your recent...activities...as
Sailor Moon. Yes, I know of this other alter-ego and will tell no one unless
it is at your discretion. This class would include those of fourth year to
seventh year. If you accept, please owl me as soon as convenient so we can
set up a meeting to go over any questions on curriculum, and to integrate
you into our staff. You are welcome to meet with me during this term to look
around and get a feel for the students, if you decide to teach.
We hope you decide to make your home with us at Hogwarts.
Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump,
International Confed. of Wizards)
Usagi stared at the parchment and burst out into happy laughter. The first part of her plan, the one thing that everything else depended on, was completed. She danced around the room, holding the paper high in her hands. Then she stopped, suddenly, and thought about the enormity of the task at hand. The wit-sharpening potion was still in effect and she began to rapidly process the various tasks that would be required.
-Lesson plans
-Teaching methods
-Discipline
-Interacting with staff
-Incorporating real life into material
-Portrayal of a professor
There were others, but those were at the top of the list of immediate concerns. She unrolled more of her parchment and began to sort out material to create lesson plans out of, ignoring everything else until her stomach growled loudly. Irritable, she pulled herself out of the material she was immersed in and stalked down into the kitchen to eat. Usagi didn't even bother with a plate, just began tearing into her food voraciously. Removing herself from the fridge, she was striding up the stairs when she bent over in pain, clutching her stomach. It ripped through her, pushing into all thought from her mind, flaring icy in her limbs, and pulsing behind her vision. One last tsunami rolled over her and Usagi dropped onto the stairs, mercifully unconscious.
-----
She floated.
A white light appeared.
An answering light spread from her body.
A child wailed.
"My dearest daughter...I am sorry to do this to you. Take up your inheritance of power. I command forth that which lies sleeping within you. I draw to you the spirits to command and the elements to answer you. I bind the powers of the moon and of the darkness to your spirit. I call the ancient soul that stirs when you sleep. I will these together to form the Angel of Redemption, the Angel of Power, the Angel of Insanity...The three are one and the spirit is called. ASCEND!"
The light turned black and moved into her.
There was silence.
Then came the screaming.
-----
The first thing Usagi noticed was the power thrumming through every vein, every muscle running through her body. She could feel the minute forces each ligament and tendon exerted on herself. When she could work up the nerve to open her eyes, everything had a radiant edge, a harsh glitter that made the world seem almost...unreal. Feeling something move at the edge of her vision, she grabbed and pulled forward a glowing, feathered wing. Blinking a moment, Usagi tried to remember what sent her into a form of her princess state. Her eyes widened.
The Power! It...bound with her? Reaching into that well of magic she pulled from, she was about to scan it when a little lavender light fluttered in front of her face.
::Your close-blood is going to come into the brick tree. Don't you hide your feathers?::
Wondering at the message, Usagi's eyes widened when she heard the downstairs door open. /Kuso! I must have been out for a couple hours, at least!/ Running up to her room, she slammed the door and paced, trying to think of a way to get rid of her new 'additions'.
::Maybe if you Will them away, they will go.:: The lavender light was back, hovering beside her and following as she paced. Thinking about what it had said, Usagi thought of how she looked without wings and concentrated on that image. She felt a tearing as the flesh on her back opened and the wings folded in, safely concealed even though there was now a large amount of blood. Casting a quick cleaning charm, she turned to the little light.
"Who, or what, are you?"
::I am a spirit for you to command. Your mother bound us to you, so we must obey. But I like the taste of your light and helped you out when your Close-blood came, even though you didn't ask.::
Usagi pondered for a minute. She vaguely remembered pain and a voice, ethereal and haunting, calling something to her. This spirit seemed female and when it spoke, it was like the words had already been spoken and she was hearing the memory in the air. "What are you called?"
::I have no name. Call me what you will.::
"You will be Sol, for you remind me of a colored bit of sun." Usagi was about to continue when she heard muttered curses, both hissed, but from two entirely different animals. Opening her door, she saw Luna and Sinister facing off. "No! Luna, that's Sinister, my new companion. Sinister, if you bite Luna, I'll have your fangs as earrings." With her warning, he backed off from his offensive position, slithering over to his Mistress and taking up his favored position around her. Luna stared, mildly disgusted, before padding into the room.
Usagi went to the desk, now becoming a familiar haunt, and quickly sketched a reply to Dumbledore, setting a meeting one week hence, enough time to prepare other accomadations and to break the news to her family before taking up residence in the wizarding world. She would be meeting him on Halloween, a time for mischief and candy, but deeply-rooted in symbolic history. She figured that being the head of Symbols, she might as well act the part. Sending off her reply, she glanced at her desk once more, and the stack off things she needed to complete, but couldn't gather the energy, frequent waking dreams having drained her mentally. Slipping back into bed, she prayed for no more dreams.
And mercifully, the Lady of Sleep looked kindly upon the Princess of the Moon and granted the rest only the truly exhausted reach.
-----
It could be said that every person damned knows what his personal hell will be. Harry Potter knew, and was already living it. His dreams were getting worse and worse as Voldemort recruited increasing numbers of Deatheaters and ferocious animals to his cause. Harry was still connected to him and receiving the same horrifying images, almost nightly, but now...there were new ones, non-gory, but still frightening. Just the thought of the dreams pulled his latest one, from this morning, to the fore.
[Her wings swept long and dark from her back, each feather outlined sharply. He could tell she was female before she turned, the naked curve of her hips too delicate to be a man's. He spoke a name, not remembering anything but the silken sound of it. She turned and spoke, "Chosen..." a voice of music and whispers. Long, long hair fell over everything, an unbound waterfall of silver. A moon shone bright on her forehead and her eyes held the darkness of the night sky, but stars stretching to infinity. Her speech was strangely old-fashioned when she did speak, "And wilst thou meet me by moonlight? For there doth our destiny's twine, thou and mine bright and strong." She reached out, long fingers grazing his head as she leaned in, face close to him, so close her breath washed warm over his skin and sent shivers down his spine. "Oh fairest of fair, bind yourself closer." And her lips touched his. When she pulled back though, it was not her unearthly face that leered at him. Voldemort's teenage visage smirked. "But she will never fall to you, not when she is mine to begin with." And the old laugh, a flash of green light, and]
Harry woke screaming. Silencing spells had become his best charm from casting them every night, the strongest he could make, after waking the entire Gryffindor dormitory with the last one. Many of the younger years had thought a banshee found it's way into the boy's dorm. On his teacher's recommendations, he tried everything from a simple calming potion to the Draught of Living Death, and nothing had stopped, or eased the visions that threatened to overcome him. Harry accepted this and tried to get what sleep he could, resorting to skipping most meals for naps and having the houselves bring up food later on. Harry was plagued by frequent bouts of insomnia that left him haunting the hallways with his father's invisibility cloak and Marauder's Map.
But at the moment, an observer would find the illustrious Boy-Who-Lived sitting on a damp stone windowsill, glaring out the rippled glass into the darkness beyond, cursing everything and everyone.
But especially Serenity...the one from his dreams...and the woman he couldn't remember.
-----
The night of Halloween dawned cold and clear with a, ironically enough, full moon. Usagi checked over her outfit and supply bag once more before deeming herself ready. She, new professor of Symbols at Hogwarts, was going to make one hell of an entrance.
-----
Harry crawled out of the showers, still exhausted despite his two hour nap, and into fresh robes for the Halloween feast. His costume lay carefully packed in his trunk and awaiting the dance that would come after the feast. Only fifth years and up were allowed to attend, a type of cautionary measure against mischief on those who couldn't defend themselves. Glancing in the mirror, he ignored his reflection's chiding and ran a hand through his tousled locks, not caring about the fly-away mess. Harry, assuredly unintentionally, was going to make one hell of an entrance.
-----
Voldemort sat in his recliner and brooded. It was the anniversary of the defeat of part of the Gryffindor line, and it was also the anniversary of his first 'death'. But what caused him to ponder the flames so obsessively was his memories of his lover and the way she had screamed while watching him being torn apart. It was probably the only thing in his life that Voldemort regretted. He had searched everywhere for her upon his return, sending Deatheaters to Japan to find her, and recruit on the side. But still no sign of her. The only thing that showed on the magical radar was the Tokyo School of Witchery and the mysterious 'senshi' who had defeated everything dark sent their way. But no sign of Serenity...
Not that she'd want what he had become, this horrid, snake-like creature whose only desire was for more power, no matter how it came to him. But only two people would remember the woman who had wept over his demise. And one was most assuredly a traitor and the other...the other was an ambitious fool who sought Voldemort's place as Dark Lord.
Soon, soon there would be hell to pay from destroying him. But most certain of all...if Serenity was killed by Dumbledore's foolish Order, hell wouldn't even begin to describe the carnage that would fall upon Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
-----
TBC
Thanks to everyone who reviewed...Blind Seer (Have you read 'Through Wolf's Eyes'?), Lady Espelle (fried...hmmm...crispy Kris...sounds catchy, could make a fortune), Linauri (Give me kitty eyes and I might meet your demands for no more cliffies...but maybe not...), Asellus, jess, Shadansa (Trust me, the twisting of the plot is only beginning!), Kit (don't rely on completion...I have yet to finish a story...*sweatdrop*), Silver Moon Goddess (Original? Thank you!), Usagi Maxwell (Thanks! I know there aren't many pairings, it all seems to be where Voldie is her daddy, but I like as a couple better.), Gangsta Lovin, Kaiki (I'll answer your questions below, and thanks!), Eternal Cosmos (I can't promise you anything, but I guarentee some Harry/Usa action...which is kinda wrong considering he'll be a student. Oh well!), Sir/Lady Lupin (*blushes* Thank you ever so!), starfury3000, whitejadechan (See below), citra, Celestrial DreamBlaze (Definately will become a problem in the near future. Just wait and see), and finally, MoonPrincess2000204 (Thanks for the lovely email, this chapter came out faster for it!)
Chapter 2 - Down to Sleep
Author: Sera Luanma
A/N: See the end for reviewer thank you's! Sorry, too, that this chapter was so short. It's more of a set-up for things to come. So bear with me till the next one comes out. There were some good questions that Kaiki had, and I'm sorry if they weren't made clearer.
~Is Usagi dreaming of the past?
Well...sort of. She's actually going into parts of Voldemort's life. The doors are the major events in his lifetime. So every time she goes into one, she's changing the present. Don't think about it too hard, it gives you headaches.
~What about the dream where she dies?
Sorry people, that wasn't a dream. That is the future that I'm catching up to with what I write. Don't worry, I'm sure there will be a sequel. :)
~Is Usagi evil?
Essentially, no. She *is*, after all, the reincarnation of purity and light. Her little 'moments' are from Tom. When he taught her magic, obviously he taught her darker spells. She has known nothing of the wizarding world until then and doesn't know the differences between spell types. Also, his kisses are cold because they are the opposite of her lightness...so they feel different then a normal kiss would.
Setting: After high school for senshi, during fall, so almost middle of term for the Hogwarts students.
-----
"NO! SERENITY!"
"USAGI?!"
She heard the dual shouts as she fell, the power of the Avada Kedavra crashing into her life force and her body to slow in it's workings, less effective on her than others due to her abnormal amount of magic. The ground rushed up to meet her, crushing her face into the rich, semi-damp soil. She felt her body being turned over by two sets of hands and she stared into the faces of the two men she had loved, ironic how closely they resembled each other. Turning to her husband, she winced at the feral grief in his eyes.
"Oh, Tom...Never meant for this to happen." Harry's eyes were a dead color, nothing piercing the very emptiness his grief caused. "Harry...beloved...Chosen. Take care of Tom and Jaime." Looking up to the bright Lunar surface, she smiled even as tears welled up and dripped down her cheeks, not noticing them crystallize into small diamonds. She smiled at something the men couldn't see, and they could only watch her last moments.
"Mama? Where have you been? I have so much to tell you..."
And with a final weak heave of her chest, the one that both men had lain on and taken comfort from, Tsukino Usagi, reincarnated Princess of the Moon, was no longer in the realms of the living to hear the wails of her passing.
-----
Usagi woke up screaming. She could still see the pleading on Tom's face when he was being ripped apart by his own spell. The feeling of holding his wand still burned her hands. Picking up her book on great events, she flipped through till she found the entry she was looking for: October 31st, 1981.
The Fall of a Dark Lord
He-who-must-not-be-named fell on October 31st after over a decade of fear and torment of
the muggle and wizarding world alike. He was defeated by a The Boy Who Lived, Harry
Potter. Some say it was his mother's love for him that caused his downfall, but others
who prefer to remain anonymous, remember seeing a angel with black wings on that
Halloween night. Mythology says that the angel of death had black wings. Could it have
been a divine intervention or simply the power of a mother's love for her son?
Usagi slowly closed the book. Her question of whether it had happened or was just a dream was answered. It seems as though she had actually been in the past and fallen for someone who was now dead. Her resolve to go to Hogwarts was strengthened. There was not much here for her in the way of opportunity in the muggle world. Hogwarts would allow her to continue her study of magic, something that she was now utterly fascinated by, and pay her to work with children, something she would have loved to do anyway. Setting down her reading, she picked up another text on the area that Tom had never fully covered in their lessons...
Potions.
Flipping to the index and looking at the different mixes she could make, she skipped to a page, she winced at the directions. casting spells was one thing, this was something entirely different. Resigning herself to the inevitable, she pulled out her cauldron and set to preparing her ingredients for a Wit-Sharpener, a fourth year level and about where Usagi judged her skills at. Not only would this be good practice, it would also help her plan her future during and after the summer. She ground up the scarab beetles, cut her ginger root, being careful to keep it from touching anything else, and adding the few drops of armadillo bile necessary for the full effect. After stirring clockwise a few times and letting it come to an almost boil. Quenching the flames, she tipped the levitating cauldron and poured the finished product into two small bottles, corking one for later and quickly drinking the other. Wincing at the taste, she nevertheless felt an instant sharpening of her perceptions. Sitting at her desk, Usagi began listing the things she would need to do as a teacher at Hogwarts other than lessons.
To Do:
-Find and purchase other housing outside Hogwarts
-Find and purchase furnishings
-Try to contact Harry Potter/Chosen
-Establish way for family/muggle friends to contact
-Begin researching 'Snake Speak'
-Look into politics of the wizarding world: 'Dark Lord'?
Before Usagi could add anything to her list, she heard a tapping at the window. Wondering what kind of business couldn't wait till tomorrow when it wasn't storming, she unlocked the glass and pulled in her northern spotted. Giving it a quick pat, she placed it on top of it's cage with a towel and some fresh food. Adding a small note to her parchment to name her owl, she opened the Headmaster's reply.
Dear Miss Tsukino,
I am happy to hear of your joining of the wizarding population and congratulate
you on your studies into magic. While I am sorry to say the Defense Against the
Dark Arts position is filled, I have had the desire to start a new class in the
school for next term and have yet to find anyone suitable to teach it.
Symbolism: Magical, Mythical, and Muggle (*)
I implore you to consider this opening due to your recent...activities...as
Sailor Moon. Yes, I know of this other alter-ego and will tell no one unless
it is at your discretion. This class would include those of fourth year to
seventh year. If you accept, please owl me as soon as convenient so we can
set up a meeting to go over any questions on curriculum, and to integrate
you into our staff. You are welcome to meet with me during this term to look
around and get a feel for the students, if you decide to teach.
We hope you decide to make your home with us at Hogwarts.
Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump,
International Confed. of Wizards)
Usagi stared at the parchment and burst out into happy laughter. The first part of her plan, the one thing that everything else depended on, was completed. She danced around the room, holding the paper high in her hands. Then she stopped, suddenly, and thought about the enormity of the task at hand. The wit-sharpening potion was still in effect and she began to rapidly process the various tasks that would be required.
-Lesson plans
-Teaching methods
-Discipline
-Interacting with staff
-Incorporating real life into material
-Portrayal of a professor
There were others, but those were at the top of the list of immediate concerns. She unrolled more of her parchment and began to sort out material to create lesson plans out of, ignoring everything else until her stomach growled loudly. Irritable, she pulled herself out of the material she was immersed in and stalked down into the kitchen to eat. Usagi didn't even bother with a plate, just began tearing into her food voraciously. Removing herself from the fridge, she was striding up the stairs when she bent over in pain, clutching her stomach. It ripped through her, pushing into all thought from her mind, flaring icy in her limbs, and pulsing behind her vision. One last tsunami rolled over her and Usagi dropped onto the stairs, mercifully unconscious.
-----
She floated.
A white light appeared.
An answering light spread from her body.
A child wailed.
"My dearest daughter...I am sorry to do this to you. Take up your inheritance of power. I command forth that which lies sleeping within you. I draw to you the spirits to command and the elements to answer you. I bind the powers of the moon and of the darkness to your spirit. I call the ancient soul that stirs when you sleep. I will these together to form the Angel of Redemption, the Angel of Power, the Angel of Insanity...The three are one and the spirit is called. ASCEND!"
The light turned black and moved into her.
There was silence.
Then came the screaming.
-----
The first thing Usagi noticed was the power thrumming through every vein, every muscle running through her body. She could feel the minute forces each ligament and tendon exerted on herself. When she could work up the nerve to open her eyes, everything had a radiant edge, a harsh glitter that made the world seem almost...unreal. Feeling something move at the edge of her vision, she grabbed and pulled forward a glowing, feathered wing. Blinking a moment, Usagi tried to remember what sent her into a form of her princess state. Her eyes widened.
The Power! It...bound with her? Reaching into that well of magic she pulled from, she was about to scan it when a little lavender light fluttered in front of her face.
::Your close-blood is going to come into the brick tree. Don't you hide your feathers?::
Wondering at the message, Usagi's eyes widened when she heard the downstairs door open. /Kuso! I must have been out for a couple hours, at least!/ Running up to her room, she slammed the door and paced, trying to think of a way to get rid of her new 'additions'.
::Maybe if you Will them away, they will go.:: The lavender light was back, hovering beside her and following as she paced. Thinking about what it had said, Usagi thought of how she looked without wings and concentrated on that image. She felt a tearing as the flesh on her back opened and the wings folded in, safely concealed even though there was now a large amount of blood. Casting a quick cleaning charm, she turned to the little light.
"Who, or what, are you?"
::I am a spirit for you to command. Your mother bound us to you, so we must obey. But I like the taste of your light and helped you out when your Close-blood came, even though you didn't ask.::
Usagi pondered for a minute. She vaguely remembered pain and a voice, ethereal and haunting, calling something to her. This spirit seemed female and when it spoke, it was like the words had already been spoken and she was hearing the memory in the air. "What are you called?"
::I have no name. Call me what you will.::
"You will be Sol, for you remind me of a colored bit of sun." Usagi was about to continue when she heard muttered curses, both hissed, but from two entirely different animals. Opening her door, she saw Luna and Sinister facing off. "No! Luna, that's Sinister, my new companion. Sinister, if you bite Luna, I'll have your fangs as earrings." With her warning, he backed off from his offensive position, slithering over to his Mistress and taking up his favored position around her. Luna stared, mildly disgusted, before padding into the room.
Usagi went to the desk, now becoming a familiar haunt, and quickly sketched a reply to Dumbledore, setting a meeting one week hence, enough time to prepare other accomadations and to break the news to her family before taking up residence in the wizarding world. She would be meeting him on Halloween, a time for mischief and candy, but deeply-rooted in symbolic history. She figured that being the head of Symbols, she might as well act the part. Sending off her reply, she glanced at her desk once more, and the stack off things she needed to complete, but couldn't gather the energy, frequent waking dreams having drained her mentally. Slipping back into bed, she prayed for no more dreams.
And mercifully, the Lady of Sleep looked kindly upon the Princess of the Moon and granted the rest only the truly exhausted reach.
-----
It could be said that every person damned knows what his personal hell will be. Harry Potter knew, and was already living it. His dreams were getting worse and worse as Voldemort recruited increasing numbers of Deatheaters and ferocious animals to his cause. Harry was still connected to him and receiving the same horrifying images, almost nightly, but now...there were new ones, non-gory, but still frightening. Just the thought of the dreams pulled his latest one, from this morning, to the fore.
[Her wings swept long and dark from her back, each feather outlined sharply. He could tell she was female before she turned, the naked curve of her hips too delicate to be a man's. He spoke a name, not remembering anything but the silken sound of it. She turned and spoke, "Chosen..." a voice of music and whispers. Long, long hair fell over everything, an unbound waterfall of silver. A moon shone bright on her forehead and her eyes held the darkness of the night sky, but stars stretching to infinity. Her speech was strangely old-fashioned when she did speak, "And wilst thou meet me by moonlight? For there doth our destiny's twine, thou and mine bright and strong." She reached out, long fingers grazing his head as she leaned in, face close to him, so close her breath washed warm over his skin and sent shivers down his spine. "Oh fairest of fair, bind yourself closer." And her lips touched his. When she pulled back though, it was not her unearthly face that leered at him. Voldemort's teenage visage smirked. "But she will never fall to you, not when she is mine to begin with." And the old laugh, a flash of green light, and]
Harry woke screaming. Silencing spells had become his best charm from casting them every night, the strongest he could make, after waking the entire Gryffindor dormitory with the last one. Many of the younger years had thought a banshee found it's way into the boy's dorm. On his teacher's recommendations, he tried everything from a simple calming potion to the Draught of Living Death, and nothing had stopped, or eased the visions that threatened to overcome him. Harry accepted this and tried to get what sleep he could, resorting to skipping most meals for naps and having the houselves bring up food later on. Harry was plagued by frequent bouts of insomnia that left him haunting the hallways with his father's invisibility cloak and Marauder's Map.
But at the moment, an observer would find the illustrious Boy-Who-Lived sitting on a damp stone windowsill, glaring out the rippled glass into the darkness beyond, cursing everything and everyone.
But especially Serenity...the one from his dreams...and the woman he couldn't remember.
-----
The night of Halloween dawned cold and clear with a, ironically enough, full moon. Usagi checked over her outfit and supply bag once more before deeming herself ready. She, new professor of Symbols at Hogwarts, was going to make one hell of an entrance.
-----
Harry crawled out of the showers, still exhausted despite his two hour nap, and into fresh robes for the Halloween feast. His costume lay carefully packed in his trunk and awaiting the dance that would come after the feast. Only fifth years and up were allowed to attend, a type of cautionary measure against mischief on those who couldn't defend themselves. Glancing in the mirror, he ignored his reflection's chiding and ran a hand through his tousled locks, not caring about the fly-away mess. Harry, assuredly unintentionally, was going to make one hell of an entrance.
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Voldemort sat in his recliner and brooded. It was the anniversary of the defeat of part of the Gryffindor line, and it was also the anniversary of his first 'death'. But what caused him to ponder the flames so obsessively was his memories of his lover and the way she had screamed while watching him being torn apart. It was probably the only thing in his life that Voldemort regretted. He had searched everywhere for her upon his return, sending Deatheaters to Japan to find her, and recruit on the side. But still no sign of her. The only thing that showed on the magical radar was the Tokyo School of Witchery and the mysterious 'senshi' who had defeated everything dark sent their way. But no sign of Serenity...
Not that she'd want what he had become, this horrid, snake-like creature whose only desire was for more power, no matter how it came to him. But only two people would remember the woman who had wept over his demise. And one was most assuredly a traitor and the other...the other was an ambitious fool who sought Voldemort's place as Dark Lord.
Soon, soon there would be hell to pay from destroying him. But most certain of all...if Serenity was killed by Dumbledore's foolish Order, hell wouldn't even begin to describe the carnage that would fall upon Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
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TBC
Thanks to everyone who reviewed...Blind Seer (Have you read 'Through Wolf's Eyes'?), Lady Espelle (fried...hmmm...crispy Kris...sounds catchy, could make a fortune), Linauri (Give me kitty eyes and I might meet your demands for no more cliffies...but maybe not...), Asellus, jess, Shadansa (Trust me, the twisting of the plot is only beginning!), Kit (don't rely on completion...I have yet to finish a story...*sweatdrop*), Silver Moon Goddess (Original? Thank you!), Usagi Maxwell (Thanks! I know there aren't many pairings, it all seems to be where Voldie is her daddy, but I like as a couple better.), Gangsta Lovin, Kaiki (I'll answer your questions below, and thanks!), Eternal Cosmos (I can't promise you anything, but I guarentee some Harry/Usa action...which is kinda wrong considering he'll be a student. Oh well!), Sir/Lady Lupin (*blushes* Thank you ever so!), starfury3000, whitejadechan (See below), citra, Celestrial DreamBlaze (Definately will become a problem in the near future. Just wait and see), and finally, MoonPrincess2000204 (Thanks for the lovely email, this chapter came out faster for it!)