A/N: Alright, because I made you wait so long for chapter 29, I thought I'd write this chapter right after I posted the previous one. And I finished it in one day! Mind you, it's not posted right away because I always reread my chapters and spell check them for any mistakes, but I didn't have any time to!

First of all: I was loaded with homework.

Second: I had to write this eight to ten page essay with my partner, Linda, but she fell on her tailbone, got a concussion and I had to write it on my own in three days, two of them school days and she had half the information but wasn't allowed to come to school and unable to give them to me! (she lives about one and a half hours away BY TRAIN, so I couldn't just go to her house and ask for them.)

Third: I had to write a book report in class when I hadn't even read the book yet! it was hell but we were allowed to take it home and finish it if we hadn't finished it then. I still haven't read the book fully, hehe, but I'm going to take care of all that in the winter vacation which starts day after tomorrow!

Fourth and last of all: My end of term exams are right after vacation ends so I was already busy revising some subjects. But enough babble! I won't keep you even longer. CARRY ON (ahem):

Chapter 30: Nymphirah

"Room of Doom?" repeated Harry, bewildered.

"Why, yes," said Dumbledore softly. "You see, anyone who enters that room is forced to relive the worst day of their life from a distance and are given the hope that they can change the past and, for example, save the one they love, if they can just get past the invisible barrier, which is impossible. This affects the person's sanity so immensely that they begin a second mourning process after having viewed their worst day again. Though, the longer you stay there and mourn, the harder it is to escape the grip of death and eventually you're lost forever and you die a slow and painful death; the guilty feeling, that has been growing larger and larger ever since you have failed to save the person you loved for the second time, eats you alive from the inside," explained Dumbledore. Harry was speechless for a moment, but then a question entered his mind.

"How come we weren't disaster-prone and forced to die a slow and painful death?" He asked his headmaster. The five students watched intently. Yes, why had they been able to get out of the room? Why weren't they being 'eaten alive'? The old man smiled.

"That would probably because of you, Harry," he said.

"Me?"

"I suppose you saw Sirius fall through the veil again?" Asked Dumbledore softly. Harry nodded, a lump had formed in his throat, thwarting him to speak. "That has happened almost a year ago and you have overcome most of your anguish by now, which is why the Room of Doom did not affect you as much: you were able to think clearly. Now, with the others," said Dumbledore and he turned to look at Nora, Hermione, Ron and Draco, "their worst day has happened only a few months ago and it is still freshly imprinted in their minds. They were affected incalculably and most certainly would've been lost if you hadn't been there to stimulate them and get them going again." He paused for a few seconds and hen changed the topic. "Now, shall we have some dinner? I daresay you five look like you could use a good bite to eat." And with that Dumbledore led them into the dining room where dinner was already waiting for them, steam rising from the food into the air. The six of them took their standard seats. "You may begin," said Dumbledore when he noticed that the five students were looking at him, waiting for a sign. Immediately they piled food on their plates and began a scrumptious dinner. Dumbledore was the only one that seemed to take his time. Compared to the others he was moving in slow motion.

"This is good," murmured Ron as he slowly chewed on a piece of steak, savoring its flavor.

"Delicious," agreed Harry. It was then that he noticed Dumbledore was watching them intently. Harry nudged Ron.

"What?" He asked, annoyed that he'd been ripped out of his dreamy state.

"Dumbledore," whispered Harry. Ron cast a glance at his Headmaster and nearly dropped his fork.

"Scary," he whispered back. Harry nodded. It was quite odd that their Headmaster was staring so intently at them, yet there was a very distant look in his eyes. Slowly Harry and Ron returned to their food, surely Dumbledore didn't want to be disturbed right now, and therefore nearly fell out of their seats when there was a clear "ahem" throat clearing coming from their Headmaster's direction. Harry and Ron turned their heads slowly in the direction of the old man who was still looking as fixedly as ever.

"I am terribly sorry to interrupt your dinner," began Dumbledore, the distant look in his eyes replaced by his ever familiar twinkle. "But I must know what each of you saw in the Room of Doom. It might be useful for training. Harry's worst day I already know: Sirius battling his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, and falling into the veil. Ron?" asked Dumbledore. Ron swallowed his food and cleared his voice.

"Erm… I saw Harry waking up and vomiting over the side of his bed, spluttering that my father had been attacked by a giant snake. Then the setting changed and I saw you sitting behind your desk in Hogwarts with that silver instrument that had smoke coming out of it in the form of a serpent… er… then that was replaced by the Hogwarts corridors with Death Eaters running through them, chasing us. That was the night Hogwarts had been attacked," finished Ron, feeling a bit awkward. He felt that his worst days weren't as bad as Harry's, who had lost the closest thing he had ever had as a parent, whereas he, Ron, still had both of his parents and all of his brothers and Ginny. He was quite sure that his worst days were nothing compared to that of the others.

"Yes, I assumed those two had been your most dreadful nights. Nora?" said Dumbledore.

"Oh… erm…" Nora looked completely shocked as she turned her gaze towards her food. She didn't know why, but she felt like the others were a bit sick of her crying all the time about Dean. "I saw Parvati and Lavender, and they were talking… and then they vanished and… er… Dean's corpse replaced them," she said in a trembling voice, almost expecting to hear a voice say: "Not again. I think she's just doing it for the attention."

"Yes… yes… Hermione?" said Dumbledore.

"I saw you sitting behind your desk, telling me my father had killed my mother and that he was currently in Azkaban. Then it was replaced by the night Hogwarts had been attacked," said Hermione. It was still fresh in her mind and she tried hard not to think of the fact that her mother would never return to her again.

"Yes, of course. Draco?" Everyone turned to look at him in interest, for no one knew what his worst day had been. They had known each other's most dreadful hours, of course, but not Draco's, and therefore they were all rather curious. Draco turned to look at Dumbledore, trying hard not to see the others.

"I saw Voldemort kill my little sister," he said quietly. Nora, who had been focusing hard on piling some salad on her plate, dropped the entire bowl. Hermione, who had taken a bite of salmon quiche, choked on it and Harry let his fork and knife clatter on the floor while Ron slipped sideways off of his chair. Dumbledore was the only one who did not drop whatever he was holding at the time, choke on whatever he was eating at that moment or fall off of his chair in any possible way. Instead he said:

"Ah, yes. It would've have been something of the sort… Now that you have all shared this I shall try my best to think of a way we can use it as training of some sort. Carry on eating." But no one was really in the mood to eat anymore; they were all too busy thinking about what they had been forced to relive again.

After dinner, which hadn't passed as a happy event, they all went to their rooms. Harry closed the door behind him and walked straight to Hedwig who was about to go hunting.

"I'm sorry, but you've got to make a delivery," he said, and he got a quill and some parchment. His mind was fixed upon writing a letter to Parvati, telling her how much her loved her. If there was anything he had learned from the Room of Doom it was that he should always tell the ones he loved what they meant to him, because, knowing Voldemort, they might not be around for too long. He, obviously, didn't write that in his note to Parvati because the last thing he wanted to do was scare her. "You can go hunting after she receives this letter, all right?" asked Harry. Hedwig hooted, nipped at his fingers and then took off. Harry fell onto his bedcovers, feeling exhausted.

Ron, though not knowing it, was doing exactly the same thing as Harry. He walked straight to Pigwidgeon, who was fluttering 'round and 'round the room, hooting shrilly at the idea of a delivery. Ron took out three pieces of parchment and a quill. The first letter was for Lavender, telling her how much he cared for her and hoping she was doing all right. The next note was for his parents and other family members, wishing them his love and hoping they were well, and the last note was for Ginny, who wouldn't receive the letter to his parents as she was somewhere in the world where no one could find her. He wrote his sister that he missed her and would catch up on teasing her in the summer. Ron snatched Pig out of the air and his owl hooted gleefully.

"Take this to Lavender, this one to my mum and dad and the last one to my sister, Ginny, ok?" said Ron while holding up the different letters. Pig hooted again and Ron tied the notes to his leg. He then propelled the tiny owl out of the window, hoping it had understood what he had said. Ron then sat on his bed, completely worn out.

Hermione, like Harry and Ron, had been set to thinking by the Room of Doom and she scribbled two notes, one for her father, hoping he was well, and the other for Terry, telling him she was all right and that she missed him. Because Hermione didn't have an owl she cast a charm on both pieces of parchment. They glowed yellow for a few seconds then folded themselves into little paper airplanes and flew out the window, heading for her father and Terry. Hermione sat on her bed and absentmindedly put her hand over her Amulet. She again felt different feelings flow through her that weren't hers. They belonged to either Harry, Nora, Ron or Draco and she could immediately tell which feeling belonged to which friend.

When her friends had first touched the Amulet, all of their feelings, thoughts, memories, etc. were transported into her and every time they touched the Amulet again it was updated with their most recent feelings and thoughts. Hermione sighed and, wondering if Nora and Draco would ever work it out, picked up the book that lay on her nightstand and began to read.

Nora entered her room feeling both exhausted and full of anger. She cried herself to sleep.

Draco quietly closed his bedroom door behind him and walked over to his bed where he reached under his pillow and took out a frayed picture. As usual in the wizard world the picture was moving. It showed a little girl, about ten years old, with straight, black, shoulder length hair that curved a little at the tips. The little girl was laughing happily, her bright blue eyes shining with joy. She waved at someone who stood beside the camera and wasn't visible. At the bottom of the picture was scribbled in neat cursive handwriting: Nymphirah. Draco, despite the way he was feeling, chuckled to himself as he remembered how his mother had come up with the name. He could hear her voice as if she were standing right beside him: "I stand by my decision. She looks exactly like the most beautiful nymph and her eyes are a brilliant sapphire blue. I want to call her Nymphirah. No, Lucius! I will not discuss this further!"

Draco shook his head slightly. How he wished his little sister could be here right now. She had always had the gift to cheer him up with her radiant smile and her brightly shining eyes, that were, as his mother had once said, not the icy blue-ish gray eyes he and his father had, but a warm blazing sapphire blue.

The Nymphirah in the picture waved again at that someone who had not been captured in the photograph but who was standing beside the photographer. Draco smiled. He was the one she had turned her gaze to, he was the one she was waving so lovingly at, he was the one that kept making her laugh… she was the one he had cared about most. Draco closed his eyes and the events of that horrible night flew through his mind.

It had been horrible. That night, on the fifth of January, he and his family had gone outside in the snow to celebrate his seventeenth birthday. They were playing merrily in the snow when Voldemort and his Death Eaters arrived. His father had invited them over. Draco was to receive the Dark Mark that night. He didn't want to, but he knew better than to refuse and get himself killed. So he followed Voldemort, his Death Eaters and his father out into a secluded area, where his mother and sister would not be able to see them.

"Your mother and sister are not to know about this. They would not understand if they found out. Kneel, Draco," said Voldemort in his cold voice. "Kneel, so you can receive the Dark Mark."

"Yes, master," said Draco, his voice dull, as he kneeled down in front of the snakelike man.

"Good, good. Now, stick out your arm, Draco," said Voldemort excitedly; his heir would soon be a Death Eater, too. Draco bent his head, turning his gaze to the floor, and held out his arm. He didn't want to receive it, he wanted to be an Auror when he finished school, he wanted to capture Death Eaters, not work with them.

"Now, this might sting a bit," Voldemort told him and then Draco felt an icy cold finger touch his arm. 'Holy mother of crap!' he thought. He had seen other Death Eaters receive the Dark Mark and sure they had winced at the pain, but he hadn't imagined it to be this painful; it felt like his arm was being torn apart.

"ARGH!" Draco had felt like screaming but he knew he hadn't opened his mouth, but then who had? He looked up and saw Voldemort clutching his hand. Draco looked at his own arm to see if he had gotten the Dark Mark, but instead of it being black, it was… 'White?'

"Master, are you harmed?" asked Lucius Malfoy.

"No. I am quite all right now. Well, I certainly didn't expect this and I do not know what it is, either. Draco!" shouted Voldemort and Draco gave a slight jump.

"Yes, master?" He asked, while kneeling in front of Voldemort again.

"Do you have the Dark Mark on your arm?"

"Yes, master," said Draco. It wasn't a complete lie. He did have the Dark Mark on his arm, just not in the right color. Though Draco did not know what that meant, he knew Voldemort would if he saw his Dark Mark was white, so Draco quickly hid it from view.

"Very well, then. Ah, Nagini. You have returned," said Voldemort in a hiss. The snake hissed in return.

"Yes, master." Draco's eyes widened in shock; he could hear what it was the snake was saying! He could speak Parseltongue all of a sudden! Draco looked at his Dark Mark, neatly hidden from view, then at Voldemort and then back at his Dark Mark.

"Is everything set? Will we be able to continue with our plan?" hissed Voldemort.

"Yes, master. Everything is ready." Then Nagini slithered away, weaving in and out of the Death Eaters, who cringed as she passed them.

"Well, the plan is ready, Hogwarts will be our aim and if everything goes according to plan the students will be in the Great Hall when we set the owls and Nifflers loose," said Voldemort in his high-pitched cruel voice. "What is it, Nagini?" he hissed as his snake came gliding back.

"Master, there is a little girl watching," hissed Nagini and then she slithered off again. Draco's stomach vanished for he knew the only little girl in the vicinity was Nymphirah. Draco guessed she must've followed him when he was being led to this area. She always followed him everywhere.

"What?" shouted Voldemort. He walked swiftly out of the circle of Death Eaters only to return, holding a squirming Nymphirah. "You foolish little girl. You should've known better than to follow your dear brother. Now, you shall pay," said Voldemort in a merciless cold voice. Nymphirah was kneeling in front of him, sobbing in her hands, whispering apologies, begging him to spare her life. Draco wanted to reach out, to save her, but he couldn't. "Avada Kedavra!" Draco saw the flash of bright green light, he saw Nympirah's limp body fall to the ground, saw the triumphant look on Voldemort's face, yet he only realized it a few seconds later.

"NYMPIRAH!" He shouted as he ran forward. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER? THERE WAS NO NEED! SHE WOULDN'T HAVE TOLD ANYONE! THERE WAS NO NEED!" Yelled Draco at Voldemort, while hugging the limp form of his sister. "There was no need!"

"You foolish boy! No one speaks to Lord Voldemort in such manner! No one! CRUCIO!" bellowed Voldemort and next thing Draco knew, he was lying on the floor, pain searing through every inch of his body. He screamed. He screamed like he had never screamed before but it didn't relieve his pain, it intensified it instead.

Draco shot up in his bed, sweating all over, shaking terribly. He realized that he actually had been screaming, not just in his nightmare but in his bed, too. He hoped he hadn't woken anyone; he didn't need those Gryffindors hurrying in his room, pitying him for having a nightmare. Draco felt something in his hand and, looking down, he saw the picture of Nymphirah clutched tightly in his hand. Slowly he loosened his grip and then, just as slowly, he began to even the picture out, since folds had been made when he had clutched it so tightly. Nymphirah came back into her picture, having fled when it was being squished. She smiled at him and laughed again. Draco touched her cheek delicately with his index finger and then put the picture on his bedside table. He lay down again and turned to look at her. She had been so beautiful and full of life, about to start her first year at Hogwarts. Draco closed his eyes and opened them again. He could not help but think that Nymphirah's love and adoration for him had gotten her murdered. A tear trickled down his cheek, soon to be followed by another one.

"You heard it, too, though, right?" Asked Ron, watching Harry intently.

"Yeah. Wonder what his nightmare was about," he replied.

"You think it might have been about his worst day? I mean, I had nightmares about my worst two days last night, too, thanks to that 'Room of Doom'," said Ron sulkily.

"Me too. I never even knew Draco had a sister," Harry told Ron as they turned a corner, entering a red corridor lit with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

"Me neither. Weird, though. I don't think he's ever mentioned her," said Ron, deep in thought, trying to recall if Nymphira had ever been mentioned.

"No, but she's dead right? Who'd want to bring that topic up," replied Harry as they walked further down the corridor.

"She only died during the past year. I mean, wouldn't he have mentioned her once?" asked Ron, still in deep thought.

"I dunno. Say, didn't we turn a wrong corner somewhere?" Asked Harry, looking around.

"Er… I think so," replied Ron, looking around too.

"What's that?" said Harry as he pointed to a large door surrounded by gold ahead of them.

"If it's another Room of Doom, I'll scream. Seriously, I will," Ron threatened menacingly.

"Should we check?" questioned Harry as he took a step forward.

"Let's not," replied Ron and he turned around but, like the previous day, there seemed to be no other way out, though today there had been no rumbling or motions that knocked them off their feet.

"We don't really have a choice."

"I see that. You go first," said Ron and he gave Harry a little nudge. Harry walked forward slowly and cautiously opened the large door. He poked his head inside and then opened the door more widely so both he and Ron could enter the large, brightly lit, gold colored room.

"This certainly is the exact opposite of the Room of Doom, isn't it?" said Harry as he walked forward a bit more. Something seemed to materialize in the middle of the room, just as it had happened the previous day.

"What's that?" asked Ron as he stood next to Harry, squinting at the materializing things.

"I dunno. Should we go forward and see?" But Harry didn't wait for an answer from Ron, instead he walked straight towards what seemed to be a large meadow with a bunch of people in it. Again, Harry was stopped by some sort of an invisible barrier. Ron stood still next to him.

"Is that Voldemort?" He asked, pointing to a tall figure dressed in a black cloak.

"Yeah, I think so… wait a minute… is that you?" Exclaimed Harry, pointing to a red headed figure holding his wand in front of him and looking exactly like Ron. Slowly everything became more and more clearer and larger.

"Yes, yes it is! And that's you! And there's Nora, and Hermione's over there and Draco's there!" shouted Ron., though not loud enough to completely deafen Harry. "And we're all fighting Death Eaters! Wait, except you… where are you going?"

"Beats me. Hey, Draco's coming with me," said Harry as he watched himself and Draco walking over to Voldemort, who looked petrified. "Maybe we're going to finish him off," Harry added hopefully.

"I hope so. Oh, look! I just sent a Death Eater flying across the meadow. Ha, he's completely knocked out. Look! There goes another one!" shouted Ron happily.

"Wait, me and Draco are now both dueling Voldemort. This looks like a battle. And there's Dumbledore with the rest of the Order."

"Look! There goes another one!" shouted Ron, not at all listening to Harry.

"Hmm… this looks like the final battle… maybe this is the exact opposite of the Room of Doom? Let's go, Ron." And with that Harry seized Ron by the arm and dragged him out of a large door that had appeared. Amazingly they found themselves in the hallway with their rooms. Nora and Hermione were banging on their bedroom doors, yelling at them to wake up.

"Wait, Harry? Ron?" Asked Hermione as she turned to look at them, at the closed door and back at them again. "No wonder you guys don't answer. Nora, you can stop now, they're not in there." Nora turned around, bewildered.

"What? How come you're not asleep?" she asked.

"We woke up a bit earlier." Both girls looked at them skeptically. "But, come, we've got something to show you," said Harry and he motioned for the two girls to follow them. As they walked by Draco's door it opened and Draco walked out looking terrible: his hair was not combed and was a complete mess, his eyes were bloodshot en puffy, his face a bit tearstained and he looked paler than they'd ever seen before.

"Good morning," said Ron brightly.

"I wish," replied Draco sourly and then he slumped on the ground, resting his arms on his knees. They all averted their eyes, feeling quite uncomfortable.

"Let's go, then," said Ron quietly after a few seconds and Nora and Hermione followed him without saying another word. Harry stayed behind and surveyed Draco. After a while he spoke up.

"Come, I've got something to show you," he said quietly. Draco turned his gaze to him, looking at him in disbelief. Harry said nothing but he held out his hand for Draco to take. In the few seconds that Draco hesitated both had a flashback that dated to their first year on the Hogwarts Express, when Draco had held his hand out for Harry to shake, but the black-haired boy had refused. Draco gazed at Harry and then took his hand. A flash of bright white light shone from the both of them and then disappeared as suddenly as it had come. Harry helped Draco up, completely confused as to what had just happened. He looked at Draco for an answer but the pale boy just shrugged.

"What is it you have to show me, then?" he asked, trying to sound casual, though his voice was still a bit hoarse.

"Follow me," replied Harry and he walked down the hallway, Draco right behind him, heading towards the room he and Ron had just found. Harry was sure this room would help Draco the most; he had been most affected by the Room of Doom. Harry walked into the spectacular corridor with its brilliant chandeliers and found Nora, Hermione and Ron waiting impatiently in front of the door.

"There you are!" said Ron, while jumping up and down. "I thought you got lost or something. Hurry up, I wanna see it again!"

"See what?" asked Hermione as she looked at the two guys, but no one responded her question. Instead Ron opened the door and walked in, followed by the others. First nothing happened, then, like last time, the battle scene began to materialize in front of them, showing little people running around, growing larger and more clear by the second. When the picture was as clear as it could get and large enough for them to see everything it stopped growing and showed them what it had shown Harry and Ron before.

"Wow," whispered Hermione and Nora nodded, watching everything intently. Draco stood silently to the side and watched everything with angst in his eyes.

"Look!" shouted Ron, though it was only a bit louder than he normally spoke, "There's me, and look, there goes another Death Eater!" For battling Ron had just sent a fifth Death Eater flying across the meadow. The other's were watching their own character until all the Death Eaters had been knocked out and captured by the Order of the Phoenix. Now it was just Harry and Draco left, both fighting Voldemort, who wasn't looking his usual powerful self. At long last both of the boys both sent the killing curse at Voldie and he uttered one last shriek, audible for them to hear, before he fell to the ground, completely dead, for if hardly anyone can survive one killing curse, no one can survive two.

The five students were all smiling happily, feeling completely cheerful and high spirited and they were about to turn and leave through the second door, when something caught their attention. A white figure was sprinting across the meadow towards battle Draco, who looked at the pearly shape in disbelief. Battle Draco said something but it was too soft for anyone to hear. As the translucent figure got nearer and nearer it became clearer and clearer who it was. Eventually battle Draco began sprinting towards it, his battle friends following behind, though not as fast. When the two reached each other battle Draco picked the pearly figure up in his arms and spun it/him/her around. The translucent form giggled happily and the real Harry, Nora, Hermione and Ron could hear the real Draco, who was now glued to the invisible barrier, whispering: "Nymphirah."

Slowly Nora, Hermione and Ron walked towards the second door and Harry dragged Draco away from the scene with Nymphirah and over the threshold. The five found themselves in the Entrance Hall and Harry and Ron looked at each other in disbelief.

"What?" asked Nora and Hermione together, seeing the looks on their faces. Ron replied, because Harry was too busy setting Draco on his feet.

"It's just, last time when we exited that room we found ourselves in the corridor outside our bedrooms. This place sure transports you every which way, doesn't it?" He finished, looking around. Dumbledore appeared in front of them and Ron gave a slight jump in fright.

"I see that you are all well," said Dumbledore. He smiled at them all, looking proud. "I knew that once you five had stumbled across the Room of Doom, it would only be a matter of time before you'd come across the Room of Hope."

A/N: Yay, another chapter! And finished in one day, too! I feel quite proud, thank you very much. (Though you are reading this days after I wrote it, thanks to those four points I listed at the beginning of this chapter.)

Athenakitty: I hope you don't mind me using you idea about there being a Room of Hope. Thank you for Reading and Reviewing, I really appreciate it.