11. LEE

JK Rowling owns these characters. "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap"

belongs to AC/DC and "Solitaire/Unraveling" is the property of

Mushroomhead.

"Hey,Harry," Lee called.

Harry didn't turn from the fire. Of course,he was sitting down.

"What is it,Lee?"

"Didn't you do an essay on Aleister Crowley a while ago?"

Everyone knew Lee's voice would make him famous someday.

"Yeah. A while ago."

"I'm doing a research project on the various ways dark wizards have

died...do you recall how Crowley died? I'm almost finished and I

feel like I can write right now."

"I think he was homeless and insane...I don't remember

how he got that way. Is it for Binns?"

"History Of Magic,yeah."

"Mmm...you can't make something up,then."

Lee grinned. "With some of the things that happened to these

people,no one would know the difference."

"I just hope I don't end up like that," Harry said.

"You? No way,Harry. We'd never let that happen. Me, Seamus, Dean,

Ron, Hermione...all of us. Dumbledore. Hagrid. Most of the

teachers. Not Snape,but who cares about Snape? We believe in you."

"Well...thanks."

"You're welcome. I always figured I said enough during Quidditch."

"What time is it?"

"Eleven o'clock."

"I'll just sit here a moment more," he said.

He was asleep in five minutes.

Lee managed to write a few words. Then he was siezed with an

overwhelming urge. He put down the quill and the parchment,and

walked over to Harry,asleep in the chair. His eyelids were

twitching.

"He's already in REM sleep," Lee said.

Lee pressed his palms against the top of Harry's head.

("-DEEDS AND THEY'RE DONE DIRT CHEAP...")

("Turn that down.")

(The passenger turned the volume down. As he did,the black shape

burnt into his forearm was revealed. They couldn't see his face.)

("What's wrong,you don't like this band?")

(The dark-cloaked figure in the driver's seat did not answer. He

wore a dark cap that hid his eyes. He went back to watching the

house.

("How long has he been in there?")

("At least twenty minutes,Warren.")

(He slipped another CD in the player. This music was different;

dark and carnivean.)

("Bidin' my time...")

Back in the common room,Harry murmured "Warren," and Lee felt his

knees buckle. He managed to hold on.

("Simpson was pretty drunk.")

("No more than usual.")

"Homer Simpson," Harry and Lee whispered together.

("...until I'm strong enough...")

(The driver began to open the door-)

(-and then the front door of the house they were watching opened.)

("Well,g'night..." Hagrid said to the blue-haired woman.

("G'night,Hagrid. I'll send a sandwich with Bart or Lisa tomorrow.")

("Aw...yeh don't have to,really.")

("No,no,it's my pleasure." She smiled.)

("Yer sure Homer's all righ'?"

("He's fine." She smiled. "Thank you for keeping him safe.")

("Yer welcome," Hagrid said. "See yeh,Marge. G'night.")

(Marge watched him walk down the street,until he disappeared.)

(Literally,he just disappeared.)

("Have you ever been inside of THE NEW MASTERPIECE...")

("Shall we do her now?" the passenger asked.)

("No one touches her," the driver said. "She and the child have

formed a bond.")

("Replacing Potter can't be that easy. Dumbledore-")

Lee crashed to the floor.

He sprang up,indecisive for a moment.

"Dumbledore," he decided.

He ran for the portrait; when he was through,he turned,and

walked straight into a solid object. He found himself on the

floor again.

"Good evening,Mr. Jordan," Professor Dumbledore said.

"Headmaster. I was going to your office."

"I've been right here. Sir Lemorne was expecting Sir Cadogan hours

ago. I've been waiting for him,but no one knows where he's gone.

Is there a problem?"

"It's Harry,sir. I-"

He stopped,looking quite guilty.

"I thought he was dreaming and I was curious. I know I've been

warned not to,but I couldn't help myself."

"Well,that's right,you have been warned about that. Another

person's dreams can be quite personal. But you know that."

"Anyway,I don't think it was a dream. It was a vision. Hagrid

was in it and there was this woman with blue hair and these guys

in a car and they mentioned your name-"

"Mr. Jordan, you've used a pensieve,have you not?"

"Oh, yeah," he said. "You've seen my record,right?"

"Yes," Dumbledore said. "I certainly have. Come with me."

He followed Dumbledore to his office. It wasn't exactly his

first visit. Before he knew it, he was inside.

"I have a spare pensieve," Dumbledore said. "Would you like to

extract the vision,or shall I do it?"

"No...I'll do it. I've done it before."

Before Hogwarts,Lee had been a basket case. His family wasn't the

least bit psychic. Lee found out that he could jump into other people's

dreams,kind of like that stupid movie about the burnt guy with the

finger knives. It got to where he had waking nightmares featuring

indescribably horrific monsters from everyone sleeping in the

vicinity,unable to tune anything out. He couldn't go to school-

the headmaster there was everything Dumbledore wasn't-an arrogant,

delusional racist. Dumbledore wouldn't care if he were bright green.

He could live a normal life now,whatever that was.

"I have no idea what normal is."

Dumbledore heard him.

"Normal is whatever you decide it should be."

"Sir?"

"Yes,Lee?"

"Thanks for giving me a chance."

"You've come a long way, Mr. Jordan. But for now,your mind must be

unfettered. Clear away all the doubts-" Lee closed his eyes;

Dumbledore's voice was all there was "-all the uncertainty-" Lee

fished his wand out of his pocket-"and concentrate."

Lee put the wand to his head; he felt something pulling away

from him-"Got it." he said.

He spilled it into the pensieve. It swirled around and around.

"I'll be right back," Dumbledore said. Then he stuck his head

in the bowl.

It didn't take that long.

Dumbledore pulled his head out of the pensieve.

"That didn't make any sense at all," he said. "Why would I want to

replace Harry?"

"And how does that lady get her hair to stay up like that?"

"Mr. Jordan,you have been a great help. I'll walk you back to

the tower."

The way back to Gryffindor Tower was quick; they didn't run in

to any ghosts or other students on the prowl. It was just a quiet

night.

He followed Lee into the common room. Harry was still there,

in the chair,squirming in his sleep.

"I don't think it's safe in in there right now," Lee said."Good

night,Headmaster."

"Good night,Mr. Jordan."

Lee Jordan went up to bed.

Dumbledore knelt down next to the chair.

Harry had grown. He filled the chair,in the glow from the

fireplace.His fists were clenched. His jaw was set. His cheeks were

wet.

Even in sleep,he couldn't find peace.

Dumbledore brushed a lock of hair out of Harry's eyes.

"Mmph," Harry whimpered,trembling.

"Shhh..."

Harry settled down. Dumbledore sat with him awhile; when he

left, Harry was not dreaming.