Hi to Lazy-anji who sent me tons of reviews. Glad you enjoyed the Ron & Hermione stuff. Since we won't be able to put any new chapters up while repairs are being done on the 17th and 18th it might be awhile before I update. Maybe that'll give you time to catch up, like I'm planning to do. Hi also to rockbaby 67! Also, I just realized that I never did the disclaimer thing that I've seen in other stories. So, anything or anyone that isn't J.K.'s is mine. Shocking I know.
Chapter 25:
Ron and Hermione came down for breakfast not long after Michelle left. Harry immediately asked Hermoine how she was feeling.
"Still tired, a little confused, but otherwise I'm okay." She paused to nibble on some toast. "How is Michelle?"
"Okay--she's already left for Hogwarts." Harry took a long gulp of his orange juice. "She thought it would be better if she was gone before everyone woke up."
"No offense mate, " Ron reached across the table for some sausage. "but, I know I would've felt weird having her here this morning."
"It wasn't her fault what happened..." Harry went on to explain. He told them Michelle was a Seer, not a Projector like they had originally thought. He told them everything, only leaving out the fact that Michelle dreamt about Voldermort.
After the rest of the house was awake and had been fed, Mrs. Weasley sat everyone down in the living room for a talk. Ron's parents didn't mention Voldermort's treatment of Seers. Instead, they focused on the visions and how a young Seer can make mistakes. Ginny seemed to feel a bit better after the talk. Charlie and Bill, on the other hand, looked at each other knowingly. Harry got the impression they understood more about the subject than what their parents had discussed. To help everyone unwind, the afternoon was spent sledding and having snowball fights. By the time everyone was exhausted in front of the fire, the awkwardness of the previous night had begun to melt away from their minds like the snow dripping from their boots.
Michelle was at Hogwarts in just a minute or so. She popped out of the fireplace into Dumbledore's office. She tripped over her bag as she ducked to avoid the mantle.
Dumbledore looked up from his desk. "Ah...there you are. I was hoping you would stop at my hearth." He motioned to a chair. "Sit down and tell me how you are doing."
"I feel horrible about what happened last night. I scared the whole house, myself included." Michelle seemed to shudder in her seat.
"I gathered from Molly's note you didn't tell them what your vision was about..."
"I tried not to, but Mr. Weasley took notes for me right after it happened."
"Arthur can be trusted. You need not worry about his knowing."
"What if I try to hurt myself during a dream here at school?"
"I've been talking to Prof. Snape. We may have come up with a solution. I'm sure you've guessed by now the visions will only get stronger as you get closer to your birthday."
"Something to look forward to then..." she said sarcastically.
Dumbledore let her comment slide. "Your birthday should give you the clarity you seek. The dream should make perfect sense at that time."
"Now I just have to not kill myself before then." Michelle looked down at her hands.
"Have faith in your abilities Michelle. No Seer has ever died from actions in a vision. Why don't you go see Prof. Snape now. He's been working on a potion to help you."
Michelle picked up her bag and began to walk out of the office when Dumbledore called out to her.
"You've told Harry everything then?"
She flinched a little. Carefully she turned back to him, "Yes...I'm sorry."
He waved his hand. "Pish, posh...I knew you would end up together. It's good he knows. It's important that you share this with him." Dumbledore seemed to look right into her, right into who she was.
Michelle nodded, feeling unnerved. She left and headed straight down to Snape's office. After knocking on the door, she stepped in and found Snape at his desk.
"Prof. Dumbledore said you were returning today." His eyes followed her as she sat down on a nearby chair. He asked her to describe the evening to him to clear up some questions he had. When she had finished, Snape went to his locked cabinet. He removed jars and bottles till he dug a flask out from the very back corner. He poured only 4 drops of the liquid from the flask into the glass he'd had sitting in front of him when Michelle had entered the room. Snape stirred the mixture, eventually transferring it to a second flask.
"Take a sip of this each night before you go to sleep." He handed her the flask. "You must be sure and not take it more than once a night."
Michelle opened the flask to smell what was inside. Almost immediately, she felt her body relaxing. She spun the top back onto the flask. "What is this?"
"It is a Calming Potion. For you, I've made it stronger. It should keep you from reacting when you have a vision."
"How long does this 'calming' last?"
"About 7 hours, that should cover a normal sleep cycle."
"What if I wake up before the effects have worn off?"
"You begin to regain control of your limbs after 6 hours, but before that time you will have to be patient and wait for the potion to weaken."
"I hope nothing happens before those six hours are up." Michelle couldn't disguise the fact that she wasn't too excited about using the potion. She thanked him for the potion and left to get some much needed rest in her room.
Trelawny paced the room as she waited. Even though she was in a rarely used portion of Azkaban, she still felt cold and depressed. She chuckled to herself, maybe she felt that way because she was planning the murder of a young woman. Too late for second thoughts even if she had any. The head of the dementor faction in Azkaban, Edmund, entered the room silently.
"You bring word from the Dark Lord?" he almost hissed out the sentence.
"Yes. He desires an answer from you...will the dementors be loyal only to him?"
"Please tell his lordship we want nothing else. We have been patiently waiting for a time when darkness will rule again and our kind may move freely."
"He will be pleased. He anticpated your response and has already assigned a task for you."
"Anything for him."
"There is a Seer coming into power at Hogwarts..."
Edmund smiled, or rather, he attempted to, "They are so delicious at that age..."
Trelawny's skin crawled. "His lordship wants her to come to Azkaban for the Aquiesence. There is someone here, a Seer, who can complete the ceremony. He has represented Dumbledore in your talks."
"And once she has been altered?"
"Once his lordship has used her powers as he wishes, she is yours for your own pleasure. We will need a room away from all activity in the prison. He wants her to be surprised when he appears."
"Her fear will only make things better."
"Two others should be coming with her, they are not to be harmed. His lordship will deal with them."
"Who are they?"
"A professor from Hogwarts and Harry Potter."
Edmund's eyes flashed. "It will be a pity to not enjoy them while they are here."
Trelawny interrupted, "I can promise you, if anything is done to them that should ruin the Dark Lord's plan...you will not leave this place alive."
Edmund studied her face. He bowed slightly, "Of course, we will leave them for his lordship to enjoy. The Seer will provide us with enough entertainment."
