I had no idea how miserable I was going to be until I came back to the Common Room. All of the Weasley's had left and few of the Gryffindors had stuck around because everyone was eager to visit their families and complain about Umbridge's new regiment. I was happy to see a Gryffindor that I did know.
Andrew Kirke, my fellow Beater, was one of the few Gryffindors staying behind. He was this imposing and muscular boy who looked quiet and serious. He was actually pretty outspoken and goofy. He was sitting in the Common Room when I came back, staring out the window at the snow-covered grounds.
"What's up?" I asked, standing next to him.
"Nothing. I just wish we'd squeezed in a few practices before the holidays."
"Yeah." I didn't really care about being on the team and that made me feel bad. "Want to go practice right now? We could just slap a ball around a bit." I grinned.
"Nah, it's too cold and I still haven't eaten lunch."
"Mm, food. I didn't eat breakfast."
"Let's go eat then."
The tables in the Great Hall were so sparsely inhabited that the room felt empty. I counted about eight Ravenclaws, five Hufflepuffs, four Gryffindors, including myself, and….
"Eighteen Slytherins? Why?" I moaned as Andrew and I took our seats.
"Dunno." He shrugged. "It's just in their nature to ruin things, but we'll have a spanky Christmas." Andrew grinned.
"I'm glad that you're optimistic." I sat next to a Gryffindor fourth year named Emrys Linn. He was sitting across from Fay Morgan, a pretty second year who was his cousin. She had black hair, one green eye and a violet eye. She wasn't shy but she came across that way at first.
"Why aren't you going home for Christmas?" I asked Emrys.
"My parents are in America on business."
"Mine are in Italy. They went on a little break." Fay smiled. "I don't know what they're breaking from."
"Their jobs?" I guessed.
"That's a thought." Fay grinned still more widely. "Except I think my father's been on vacation for a month and Mother owns her own photography branch. She chooses when she vacations."
"I'm not flocking home because my mum is dating some new man and I don't want to be around while they're snogging." Andrew explained.
"No one wants to see their parents doing that." Emrys agreed.
I would give anything to see my parents again. Even if they were snogging.
The day dragged on like a dog's itchy bottom across the rug. I went to the library and read up on some of my homework. Dull. Dull. Dull. I had nothing to distract me but the ache of loss in my heart. Christmas vacation and my parents wouldn't spend it with me.
I lie down in bed and remembered my father's stubbly beard and hair, his ridiculous glasses, his hairy knuckles and potbelly that had always been there. I thought of my mother and her loud and easily discernable laugh, her perfume, her hugs, her auburn hair and blue eyes. She called our eyes "the happy blues." I thought of her bizarre fear of flight and how much I had always adored the thought of soaring through the air. Dad had always said that I would probably die in a sky-diving accident because I had been so obsessed with the idea of sky-diving. It was a phase I had gone through, but I still wouldn't have minded sky-diving. Now I had magical flying.
And sleep would bring me away from my thoughts.
"Okay, let's see what we can do." Andrew tossed a baseball into the air and hit it towards me. I hit it back to him and it fell before he could try to hit it back. "Well, that's not working."
"We have to keep trying." I insisted, my breath becoming a mist before me.
"Did I mention quitting?" He hit the ball again and I hit it back until he was able to return it. We made a game of going as high as we could go.
"Twenty-three," he shouted.
"Twenty-four!" I called back, hitting it back.
"Twenty-five!"
"Twenty-six- oh crap." I hit it way off from where I had wanted it to go. Actually, I hadn't even hit it in the direction it went. It flew off to my right and I had hit from right to left, so that didn't make sense. "Sorry about that."
"It wasn't your fault." Andrew muttered. "What do you want, Malfoy?"
"Favian and I need to talk."
"No we don't." I disagreed. "But I need you to go away. Accio baseball!" I summoned the ball back to me.
Crabbe and Goyle flexed their muscles threateningly. Andrew rolled his eyes and flexed his own. I noticed Malfoy's cronies eyeing Andrew's muscles and going over whether or not it would be a good idea to challenge him.
"Fine, Malfoy, what do you need to talk about so badly?"
"Come here."
"No. I'll stay back, thanks. Whatever needs to be said can be said at this distance."
"If you want Kirke to know about your Wings…."
"Okay, I'll come. Andrew, I'll see you later, okay?" I gave Andrew a meaningful look.
"Are you sure?" He eyed Malfoy intensely.
"Yeah, I can handle it. I'll explain later."
"If you're sure…."
I nodded firmly and Andrew headed up to the castle, our bats in hand. He looked back a couple of times and finally I turned back to Malfoy.
"Wait here." Malfoy told Crabbe and Goyle. They stood there, looking stupid and confused.
"This has to be shown to me, does it?"
Malfoy didn't respond but started walking, obviously expecting me to follow. I only followed because I was curious.
"Are you and Thomas dating?" He asked bluntly.
"Yes." I was caught off guard. I had expected him to ask if I was being a slut as usual.
Malfoy's lip curled slightly. "The Dark Lord doesn't like that."
"Too bad for him."
"Dean is in danger." Malfoy said seriously. "I just thought you'd want to know."
Malfoy, Goyle and Crabbe had left long ago but I still stood frozen in the snow. My heart was numbed with fear. I didn't doubt for a minute that Malfoy was telling the truth. I had to talk to someone. Tears poured silently down my face, freezing in the wintry air.
Harry had told me that he had dreamed that he had seen me and Dean kissing the night we had been. Harry also had a dream that he was a snake that had bitten Mr. Weasley. Voldemort could see me. Was Voldemort Harry or did Harry just see through Voldemort's eyes? I sank to my knees in the snow and pondered this. I couldn't think straight. The darkness closed in around me and I fell to the ground and lost consciousness.
"Hello, Favian."
"Am… am I asleep?"
"Must be." Tom said pensively.
"I wasn't even tired!"
"I brought you here." Tom admitted.
"I'm outside in the snow!" I said desperately.
"You'll be okay, I promise."
"Tom! You can't just make me fall asleep whenever you want to see me! That could be really, really bad!" I folded my arms, afraid of the cold around my physical body. "What if I had been swimming or something?"
Tom's face darkened. At first I thought he was embarrassed but then I realized he was angry at my outburst. I backed away carefully, remembering what Hermione had said about him being Voldemort.
"It's… it's not that I'm angry," I continued, "but I'm afraid that… that… that…."
"Favian." Tom said quietly. "I had to tell you something."
"O-oh?"
"I don't think it's a good idea for you to be seeing people anymore."
"Why?"
"I'm coming for you soon. I just want you to make a decision."
"When is soon?"
"Time will tell, Favian. Within the next year. Before summer, I assure you."
"Are you the silver snake?" I asked without meaning to.
He smiled. "Yes."
"Ah!" I sat upright as something licked my face.
"Yer awake! Good! Favian! Yeh were beginnin' teh worry me! Get down, Fang!" Hagrid pulled his massive dog, Fang, off of me. I was lying on his bed in his hut. "I brought yeh in when I saw yeh lyin' there in the snow."
"Th-thank you." I shivered.
"Here, let me get yeh a blanket." He wrapped a gigantic fur around me. I felt smothered in its vastness. "Want some tea?"
I nodded faintly. "Yes, please."
"I'll have it made in a jiffy." He stomped around the kitchen. I got off of the bed, dragging the blanket after me, and sat into a chair, my feet dangling a few inches off the ground. "Why were yeh outside in the snow? Sleepin', no less."
"I was about to walk inside, but Tom made me fall asleep."
"Tom?" Hagrid frowned.
"Tom Riddle." I didn't know what I was saying. I was babbling, really. "The silver snake."
Hagrid nearly dropped the tea mugs he was holding. He took a breath and seated himself next to me. He put the full tea mugs on the table.
"Yeh know Tom Riddle?"
"Only in dreams."
"Favian, that's… You-Know-Who."
"No. See, this is a different Tom Riddle."
"No, Favian. Here, let me get a picture for yeh." Hagrid went into his dresser and fished around until he found an old scrapbook. "Took loads of pictures in me last year at Hogwarts." He explained. "Didn't know it was going teh be me last, but I did this anyway. After I lost me dear old dad I just was afraid of losin' more, yeh know?"
I nodded, wondering why I had told Hagrid about Tom.
"Let's see." Hagrid flipped through the pages, laughing occasionally and almost forgetting his task. "Here. Here's Tom." Hagrid turned the photo album upside-down and pointed to a Prefect group-picture. There was Tom, my Tom, smirking up at me. He blinked in self-satisfaction. His arrogance had never showed so much as in this photo.
"Oh God!" I slapped a hand to my mouth. "Oh God! No! No!"
Hagrid frowned. "How long have yeh known Tom?"
"Since I was ten!" I clutched my face. Someone knocked on the door.
"Come in!" Hagrid called. "Professor Dumbledore!"
"Hello, Hagrid." Dumbledore smiled warmly. His blue cap was covered in snow and his boots were frosted.
"Here, let me make yeh a cup."
"That won't be necessary, but thank you Hagrid."
"Oh, yeh won't be stayin' then?"
"No. I came to get Ms. Fynn."
"Right." Hagrid nodded.
"Me?"
Dumbledore smiled. "I don't know any other Ms. Fynns in this cabin."
I blushed. "Yeah… I guess you're right." I turned to Hagrid. "Thanks for letting me stay here."
"No problem, Favian, any time." Hagrid's eyes crinkled in a smile.
I left Hagrid's blanket on the chair and left with Professor Dumbledore.
Once in his office, I took a seat, looking around at the amazing items that filled it. There were portraits of all the past headmasters and mistresses. Whirring silver instruments sat on his desk and on bookshelves that were crammed with books. There were titles with symbols and other languages, titles that were horrible and fascinating. Every book in there looked as though it had seen wear and tear. He had read everyone, I was sure. A magnificent bird with red and gold plumage sat on a perch next to his desk. It was a phoenix. It tilted its head at me and blinked slowly.
Dumbledore sat behind his desk and smiled, waiting for my attention to return to him.
I turned back to face him.
"Is there anything you would like to talk to me about?" Dumbledore asked quietly.
"Yes." I admitted. "Yes, yes." I buried my face in my hands.
"I am listening."
"D'you know what the Aviata is?" Spilled from my mouth.
Dumbledore nodded solemnly. "I suppose you do as well?"
"Yeah. I am." I swallowed hard.
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows.
"And Voldemort knows it."
"How do you know this?"
"Tom Riddle has been visiting my dreams. He's the one that told me. He told me where to find more on it." I hugged myself. "I'm afraid to sleep but now… now he can make me sleep."
Dumbledore stood up and walked over to the portrait of a black-haired man.
"Phineas." Dumbledore said softly.
"Yes, Albus?" He drawled.
"I need you to go to your other portrait and tell Sirius what Favian has just told me."
"Right away." Phineas rolled his eyes and disappeared.
"Will he stop coming to my dreams?" I asked timidly.
Dumbledore frowned. "I don't know. I don't understand the concept of the Aviata as much as I wish I did."
"Do you know what the silver and gold snakes are?"
Dumbledore smiled slightly. "Yes. But you see, the silver snake chooses the gold snake. The silver snake represents the evil side and gold is good. I assume Tom told you that he was the silver snake?"
"Yeah."
"Harry Potter is therefore the gold snake."