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Chapter Three: Nightmares

"Luna said that..."

A loud pop interrupted Ginny's strain of latest gossip she was telling Hermione.

"Gin! Hermione! We're here!" Ron's voice floated in from the living room.

"Am I in one piece Ron?"

Ron looked over at his best friend, and found that Harry's eyes were squeezed as tightly shut as they would go. His glasses were crooked on his face, and his hands were clenched tight on the handle of the trunk, causing the knuckles to shine white.

"Well, your hands are fused to your trunk and..."

Harry's eyes flew open, "WHAT!"

Ron slowly smiled, the expression on his friends face worth the argument that would ensue. "You're fine, Harry."

Harry's eyes narrowed at his best friend, "What was that for? Are you trying to kill me?"

"No, not really."

"Well...well...you'll be sorry Weasley!"

"We could have a duel, if you want, we're both 17."

Harry smiled slowly, "So, I wouldn't get into trouble if I hexed you, would I?"

"Not from the ministry."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, think about it Harry. I've spent the entire summer with my little sister. You know the one who takes after Fred and George? Even with her not allowed to use magic, I have to protect myself somehow."

Harry gave a small grin, "Good point, wizard duel called off."

"Your choice."

The two friends smiled at one another, suppressed laughter crinkling the corners of their eyes.

"Harry?"

"Huh?"

"What was wrong with your aunt? She seemed almost, I don't know, human."

"She apologized to me, Ron. She just isn't the same person I remember from my past. She knows what it means to have Voldemort back. She is the only one of the Dursleys' who does understand." Harry shrugged his shoulders, "She told me she never hated my mother, Ron."

Ron frowned, "That's...odd. Why did she act like she did for so many years?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

Harry stopped talking and sniffed the air, "What is that I smell?"

"Soup. Charlie brought some over."

Ron and Harry began to walk towards the kitchen. The soft whispers of Hermione and Ginny still floating towards them from the direction of the table, but they stopped talking as the two boys walked in.

Hermione grinned, "Alright, you're here. We can open our letters now."

Harry laughed at the eagerness in Hermione's voice.

"Can't wait to get your Head Girl Badge, ah?"

"Well, I don't know if I am Head Girl or not yet!"

Ron gave a snorting laugh and Ginny lowered her head to her hands, laughter shaking her body.

"Come on Hermione, you know bloody well you are Head Girl."

"Don't curse, Ron."

"Yes ma'am."

Harry and Ginny smiled at one another, their eyes twinkling. Harry's smiled faltered a bit. He had felt the bottom of his stomach drop as he watched Ginny. There was just something different about her. It was nothing physical, she still looked like the same Ginny with her long red hair and bright sapphire eyes, but something about the way she held herself. So sad, yet so confident at the same time. She had grown up over the summer, her name truly fit her. She was a lady of the people.

The four young adults set the china dished carefully on the old wooden table. Hermione gave a small frown and reached out with her hand to trace a deep scar that ran across the surface of the table.

"It's the result of the twins."

Ron's voice caused Hermione to jump, nearly dropping the plates she carried in her arms. She smiled at him over her shoulder as she set the four plates on the table. Ginny, on the opposite side of the table, set down the bowls while Harry carried the silverware and Ron carried the soup.

"What happened?"

Ron gave a small smile and Ginny's eyes crinkled up.

"The twins brought over one of their new inventions." Ron began.

"And it happened to...fail" Ginny finished miserably.

"It did worse then that, Gin. It blew up. Mum doesn't know about the..." Ron paused, searching for the correct word, "gouge...in her table yet."

Harry gave a slow laugh, "She won't be too happy when she finds out about it."

"True. But it won't be Gin or me who gets in trouble."

"You've yet to give us our letters, Ron."

Ron rolled his eyes at Hermione as he set down the pot of soup, "You know you got Head Girl."

"Well..." Hermione paused, "I just want to see if Harry got Head Boy."

Ron stood taller suddenly, "And if he didn't?" He barely whispered the words.

"It'll probably be Malfoy then."

Hermione grimaced, and with those words Ron threw the letters on the table. His was already open, and out of it tumbled the Head Boy badge. The three friends stared at the badge. Their eyes traveled to the glowering figure standing at the head of the scarred table, Ron's eyes were flashing with surprised anger.

"Surprise." With that final word he turned on his heal and marched away.

Harry, Ginny, and Hermione sat around the table later that night. The dishes were washed and were now stacked to dry in the dish rack.

Ginny opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

"Gin?" Harry's one word broke the deafening silence that had ruled since Ron had stormed out.

"Hmm?"

"Did he tell you?"

Ginny didn't answer right away, "No, but I think he tried to." She lowered her head to her arms, "Before I went to get you Hermione, he said he wanted to tell me something."

"I never opened his last letter." Harry's sudden confession brought the two young women's heads swinging to look at him. "You two don't understand how much he's changed."

"I don't understand?" Ginny's voice rose, "I've lived alone with him this summer. When Fred got hurt this summer, he knew about it before Mum and Dad did. He had us flooing to St. Mungos before the Mediwizards brought him in." She shook her head, "And you're telling me I don't understand?"

Hermione bit her lip as she listened to two people she loved like brother and sister argue about the ever changing Ron.

"You know who he is sending letters to don't you, Harry."

Ginny and Harry paused in the middle of the argument at the soft words spoken by their friend.

Harry shook his head, "No, he just told me he had a pen-pal."

Hermione nodded, "I think you're lying to me Harry. I'm going to bed."

They watched as Hermione slowly trudged up the stairs to Ginny's room, Crookshanks bounding after her.

Ginny nodded, "It's probably a good idea, we're getting up early tomorrow. Goodnight, Harry."

He sat alone on the couch, watching Ginny disappear up the stairs, finally rising from the chair to join his friends in sleep.

"I have been waiting young Gifted."

The soft voice spoke out from the darkness. A pool of silver moonlight shone on a patch of the old forest floor.

"The time had to be right, Mistress."

"Ah, yes. That is true."

A figure stepped forward. Dressed all in white the figure's hood was pulled low over her face, only her lips showing. They were curved in a small smile, a dangerous smile.

"Mistress," she looked towards the edge of the moonlight. "Why did you call me?"

"You know why, Gifted."

Into the light stepped the second figure, the Gifted. It was a young man, his robes blood red. Like the Mistress, his hood was pulled over his head, the deep cowl hiding his face.

"You told me you wished to speak to me, why?"

"I am giving my protection to the creatures of this forest."

"You wished to consult me on that?" Hid shocked voice spoke out impatiently.

A soft laugh rose from the woman's figure.

"No, my dear. Simply to tell you that it is time for a new beginning, and a new ending." She added the latter as almost an afterthought.

"What does that have to do with me?" He turned, staring out into the night.

A soft gasp came from behind him; he whirled, only to see the blossoming red on the woman's robes. He ran forward and caught her as she fell, watching as the hood of her cloak fell back. Her dark hair and nearly violet eyes were revealed to him one final time.

"Mistress? Lady? Please my Lady, I will not allow you to die!"

His voice spoke of desperation as he watched Lady Hogworts die in his arms. Her blood stained the ground, but the Gifted barely noticed the movement of her lips, "By my blood I give, of my blood I can take away, protection unto those who dwell in this forest of grace."

The warmth of her blood seeped onto his arm and into the ground. The Gifted buried his face in the woman's robes as the sobs racked his body. Slowly, he pushed himself to his feat; a still form stood by the edge of the woods, a child. A smile spread across its features, exposing the sharp teeth.

A cry of outrage and anger burst out of the man as he watched the creature disappear into the woods.

"I do not fear you creatures of the night!"

He stood still for a great while, listening for sounds from the woods. He heard nothing, save the brush of insect's wings and the hooves of a centaur. But still he listened, until at last he heard what he sought.

Laughter came from all sides of him as one after another creatures darted into the light and then out. The Gifted concentrated on a spot on the edge of the light. One ran past, stepping into the line of his thoughts. With a scream of pain, it doubled over.

"What are you? Why do you come to this spot tonight?"

"I am a child of the ancient woods, a child of the first men. I am a changeling."

The Gifted's concentration faltered, "Why did she bring me here tonight?"

Slowly, the changeling stood, its features becoming almost liquid as it changed into a young woman. Long silver hair hung past her shoulders and fathomless gray eyes stared out from under long lashes.

"She called you to meet me. My mother is a human, my father a changeling." Her eyes settled on the woman, "She was my guardian. The one who killed her is a dark one. They infest these woods, Gifted. She gave her blood to protect those innocent in this forest. The unicorns, the centaurs, the creatures that truly were meant to inhabit these woods."

"Centaurs are not innocent, they have black hearts."

"No, they do not. They are of the first to set foot in these woods. They have merely lost their way."

"Lost their way? No, they are evil."

The changeling woman's eyes flashed with sudden and frightening anger, "It is because of humans like you that they stray from the path. You're arrogance will be the death of you."

A bright flame flared up around the two figures, then all went black.