Chapter 30: Rêveries and Rendez-vous  

"You what?" Voldemort hissed, slowly, causing the surrounding Death Eaters to flinch slowly.

"I tried, Master. I-"

"Lucius Malfoy, my right hand Death Eater has allowed Severus Snape, high security prisoner to escape? Has allowed an Auror to come into and leave our midst without as much as a single lasting injury? Is that what you're telling me?"

"I am sorry, my Lord," he muttered bowing right down to his Master's toes. "It will not happen again."

"HAPPEN AGAIN?" Voldemort roared, standing up from his throne and causing several chips of stone to fall out of the roof. "I do not care about that! Severus Snape has escaped and it's because of your thoughtless folly! Crucio!"

Lucius's legs crumpled and his head was thrown back in the air; his entire body shuddering with the pain as each nerve ending burst with agony. Voldemort let him scream for a while longer, glaring hollowly out at the circle of Death Eaters as if in warning. He lifted the curse and leant close to Malfoy's ear.

"One more time Lucius – and the pain will never stop," he threatened. Straightening up, he addressed his followers sharply. "I want a group to go and get them back. The both of them – and any other Aurors you can get on the way. Every captive you bring back you can torture yourself. Except for Severus. Severus is mine."

Harry did not awake from his sleep, and instead his dream abruptly returned to that which had been interrupted.

A flicker of red and a distant giggle of laughter. Brown eyes twinkling and a swish of flaming hair. "Follow me, Harry," Ginny chimed, beckoning him from the hill top she stood on. Harry was running up the hill crushing blades of grass as he ran to his girlfriend. Skirt billowing around her ankles, and hair flying in the wind, Ginny beamed at him. "Come on, I'm going to see George," she smiled.

"Ginny, no," Harry said, his stomach filling with a horrible feeling of dread. "That's wrong, Ginny – he's gone."

"No he isn't," she giggled, shaking her head and grabbing Harry's hand. "He's over this way, I'll show you."

They ran along the hilltop, Harry's feeling of unease increasing with every footfall. They reached the edge of the cliff and Ginny stood, toes right at the edge, her hair reaching out to the skies.

"Ginny, come back here," Harry urged, holding his hand to her from his position 3 steps away. "George isn't down there."

Ginny giggled again and fluttered her eyelashes. "No, silly," she said affectionately. "He's up there," she whispered, finger and arm spread up to the clouds. "Let's go and visit him."

"We can't visit him."

"Yes we can, didn't you listen to what Luna said?"

"Luna?"

"Yes! Looney Luna," Ginny chuckled, brushing her raging hair from her face. "About the veil."

Harry looked to his right and saw the old black veil swaying hauntingly between two trees. A single red petal fell off the branch of one and landed in front of the black material. "Let's go!" she said excitedly, pulling Harry towards it.

"Let me rip you…."

Harry stopped still. A cold, taunting whisper had met his ear at the precise moment the veil rippled. "Ginny we can't go in there; it's not safe."

"Of course it is!" she tittered. "Don't be so scared. Let's go inside. It'll be really fun! And you can see your parents again!"

"I smell blood."

"No Ginny! Get away from there!" he yelled.

"Why?" she beamed taking another step closer and stretching her finger tips out ready to grasp the fabric.

"Just come here!" he begged desperately.

"You're scared aren't you? There's nothing nasty behind here. This is George's house. Come on," she said eagerly, hand moving towards the edge of the material.

"Kill…."

"Listen to me!" he shouted.

"Come on!" she beamed back at him taking a giant stride into the veil. "I'll see you in there, Harry," she called flashing him one last glittering smile. Her hair was the last piece of her to flick into the fold of the fabric.

Then she was gone and the veil was shivering.

Harry woke up to the sun streaming in his eyes almost painfully. "Ginny," he muttered urgently, eyes flicking around.

It was Monday morning, mid February and the feeble sunlight was stretching its pale fingertips inside the dorm room, attempting to light as much as she could. Harry wiped sweat from his brow and glanced at the clock hanging from the wall. 'Time for breakfast' it read. He swung his legs out of bed  and got up, rubbing his eyes.

It wasn't until he was out of the shower and pulling his school clothes on that he remembered another dream he'd had. There had been one just before the one with Ginny and the veil. It was - something important … ignoring his forever messy hair, he walked down to the common room, his mind  still turning over all the possibilities of his dream. Half way to breakfast he still couldn't remember it; though he was now positive it had something to do with Azkaban.

Reaching the great hall, he scanned the table from Hermione but she was no-where to be seen. Sitting alone at the end, he poured milk onto his cereal and spooned his breakfast into his mouth. Azkaban …. Voldemort …. Angry .… Snape …Severus Snape … "Except for Severus. Severus is mine." ….Suddenly his whole dream fell into place and Harry almost choked on his cornflakes. Snape had escaped!

His head swivelled to face the teacher's table and he saw Talia drinking thirstily from her goblet and an empty chair when Dumbledore usually sat. Making up his mind instantly he left the table after taking a long gulp of orange juice. He marched directly towards the floor of the Headmaster's office, without any interruptions. "Ton Ton Toffees," he panted  when he reached the gargoyles who sprung to life. The wall parted and Harry climbed onto the staircase, catching his breath as it wound him up towards the large wooden doors of Dumbledore's office.

He had barely finished knocking when the doors opened and Dumbledore stood looking at him, slightly surprised. "Come in," he offered, standing aside and pointing his wand  at a chair in the corner, which immediately hopped out and scuttled to a position in front of the desk. Harry sat in it and waited for Dumbledore to settle himself before beginning.

"I had another dream about Snape last night. I know you said to go to T- Professor Mysticus first but I don't have Potions today."

"That's quite alright. Do go on."

"Well Voldemort was really angry with Lucius because he'd let them escape. Snape and Tonks I think."

"Escape? So they were successful – this is wonderful news."

Harry nodded. "Yes, except Voldemort told his Death Eaters to go and get them back. And any other Auror who gets in their way too."

"I see. Well at least we're forewarned. That gives us an advantage. I'll tell the Order all that you've just told me. And any news I get about Tonks and Snape I'll make sure you hear about too."

"Thanks."

"Perfectly fine," he smiled. "Now, if you don't mind, I would like you to place your dream into the pensieve for me to take a look at."

"Oh, ok," he agreed as Dumbledore nudged it towards him. He closed his eyes, concentrated on the drema and pulled a silvery strand from his head with his wand. When his wand tip touched the silvery liquid flashed of Voldemort and Lucius swirled over it until it was suddenly still again.

"I'll request you stay here and wait for me whilst I take a look, so I can return your memory once I have seen it." Harry nodded and Dumbledore smiled. "See you in a minute," he said just before his long, wonky nose touched the surface as he whole body disappeared into the bowl. It shook slightly and Harry caught a momentary flicker of Dumbledore's face swimming it what seemed to be a cloud of dull colours before it returned to its ordinary state.

 Less than a minute later the bowl rattled and Dumbledore reappeared behind his desk as though he had never been gone. Once Harry's memory was replaced Dumbledore sat down and smiled at Harry. "Thank You very much. I am terribly sorry you have to do all this," he said, shaking his head sadly. "Really, I'm so sorry, Harry."

Under such an empathetic stare, Harry found it difficult to think of anything else to say. It seemed Dumbledore was not expecting him to though, because he continued without a pause. "Now, would you like to catch a bite to eat before you leave? Auris brought these cookies up this morning, still warm."

"No thanks," Harry replied, "I've just had breakfast."

 "Alright. Goodbye then. Have a good day," he winked.

*

"There you are Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, rushing towards him when he arrived outside Hagrid's hut. "I haven't seen you all morning!" she said. "You missed Charms!"

"Sorry, I had to go and see Dumbledore," he explained. "To tell him Snape escaped."

Hermione's eye widened and her lips parted in surprise. "Really? Oh wow that's fantastic! That's such a relief. Oh this is great news! You had a dream I take it?"

Harry nodded.

"Oh that's wonderful, do you know if he's alright? What about Ton-"

"Shhh," he interrupted. "The whole class can hear you," he muttered.

"Oops," she whispered. "So, what about Tonks, is she ok too?"

"I think so. I don't know. Voldemort was sayi-"

"Alrigh' everyone! Lookin' this way please! Tha's righ' all of yeh! We're goin' over ter the lake today, gonna study some kelpies," Hagrid called over the chatter of his students. "I spotted a few th'other day follow me – don't anyone sneak off I want all of yer in plain view, right? Let's go!" He picked up a crate and began striding through the crowd and across the lawns to the lake, the class behind him.

Upon arrival he open the crate and handed out instruments that looked something like binoculars but with one wide lens instead of two tubes. Looking through them Harry was surprised to find that he could see right through the surface of the water and into depths of the lake. It was far too deep for him to see the bottom but he could see a two grindylows fighting the untangle their feet and several peculiar looking fish daring between weeds. He pulled them off and turned to tell Hermione, but she was already looking through hers.

"Yea – you can see through the water with these, so you'll be lookin' for kelpies obviously. Migh' wanna read up abou' them in yer textbook firs' though …. Got know what your lookin' for doncha?" he beamed. Hermione pulled the instrument away from her eyes and picked up her textbook, flipped through the pages and stopped on a page about water-dwelling creatures.

By the end of the lesson Harry had found 3 kelpies lurking under different disguises and had written down each of them on his parchment. The sun, weak as it was at this time of the year was still beaming down on the heads of the students and they were all very grateful for the opportunity to return to the shaded coolness of the castle's interior at the sound of the bell.

Half way to Transfiguration Harry suddenly remembered he'd left his quill and ink bottle by the lake. He groaned and smacked his forehead, startling Hermione who asked what was wrong.

"I need to go back to the lake," he sighed.

"Why?"

"Left some stuff there."

"Oh that's ok, you can borrow mine," she offered. "And Hagrid's sure to pick up whatever you left there." Harry gave her a sceptical look, learned from none other than Hermione herself and reminded her that it was highly unlikely that Hagrid would check to see if anyone had left any belongings.

"Oh, you're right I suppose," she rolled her eyes. "Ok well let's find a window then."

"A window?"

"Yes. So you can summon them," she said, all ready beginning to walk back the way they had come.

The was a small window at the end of the corridor on the floor below them facing right onto the lake. Harry leant out of the window and opened his mouth, wand pointing at the ground far below him, ready to call Accio – but the words died in his throat and he was left simply gaping. There two figures by the trees, across the lake, one stooped over the other who had evidently fallen over something, and unless he was very much mistaken: one of them had pink hair.

"Hermione!" he exclaimed, spinning back around to face her so suddenly that she jumped and dropped her bag onto the floor.

"Oh honestly, Harry, look what you made me do!" she sighed kneeling down to scoop up her books and parchment. "Just summon your stuff and hurry up; we're late all ready!"

"Hermione forget Transfiguration, look down there!" he said, pointing out of the window.

"What is it?" she asked shoving Advancing with Runes into her bag and clipping the buckle.

"I think it's Tonks."

"Tonks?" Hermione stopped what was doing and looked up at Harry, surprised. "Are you sure?" she asked, scrambling up and rushing to look out of the window. "It is! And – and … is that Snape? Harry! We've got to go down there! Come on!" she said, grabbing his wrist and puling him towards the staircase.

They reached the oak Front Doors minutes later, panting, and Hermione twisted the knobs, pushing the door open and letting bright light spill into the halls. "Quick!" she snapped, rushing forwards and darting down the steps, her hair and robes flying as she raced across the lawns, Harry close behind her.