AN: Sorry, it's late, and because it was I made it longer than other chapters. I got in trouble and my parents' divorce was finalized and a load of shit in general happened. I'll try to get the next chapter up sooner. R/R!

Chapter VI

Hermione bit her lip, "Well, I'm not going to say no. When Dumbledore found out that you were missing he placed all the students in the Great hall under lock and key, then he had all of the teachers out looking for you and more than a few of members of the Order. Sirius and Remus got here as soon as possible and joined the search. The whole school knew about it, Harry."

"Damn it all to bloody hell! This time it really wasn't my fault!"

Green eyes flashed in slight anger, but it quickly died when he looked over at his worried friends.

"Harry where have you been these last couple of days? You caused such a stir! Everyone was sure that you had been captured by Death Eaters somehow!" Ron blurted out, worry making the words sharp. The sixteen year old in the bed just shook his head.

"I don't know where I was." Harry said much to their surprise, huffed and threw himself back on the bed, "Where am I? And why aren't I in the infirmary?"

Ron grimaced and Hermione looked away. The dark-haired teen glared at the two. Hermione finally sighed, "The simple version?"

Harry nodded.

Hermione inhaled a deep breath, "Well, yesterday evening, a couple of seventh year Slytherins and a seventh year Ravenclaw that suddenly stood up, walked to the doors of the Hall, and demanded to be let out. Madam Hooch, whom was guarding the students at that moment, refused. And the three seventh years pulled their wands and stunned her.

"That of course got everyone's attention. Most of the seventh and sixth years got up and hexed them badly. Ron, myself, and Dean ushered the younger years out of the way. But they did not get the Ravenclaw before he used this advanced dark arts spell, one that I personally have never heard of. It touched eight students and spread to five others before the Head Girl and the Head Boy stupefied him.

"It was then discovered that all three boys held the Dark Mark on the inside of their left arms near the elbow. And as for the thirteen students the Ravenclaw had hit along with the three the other two had cursed. . . well, Madam Pomfrey needed all of her extra space. So, when you were found just a little over an hour ago, they brought you here. It's a room just down the hall from the imfirmary in case you needed something."

The green-eyed wizard looked at the brunette witch in utter shock. Ron shuffled his feet, uncertain of what to say, and Hermione only frowned slightly. Harry forced himself to put on a neutral face as he thought.

"I need to talk to Dumbledore. Most likely with Sirius and Remus too." Harry swung his feet off the bed and proceeded to stand. Hermione stepped forward.

"Harry Potter! Get back in that bed now. Madam Pomfrey demanded that you be kept in this bed until she had a chance to look you over for anything suspcious. It was the only way we even got to come in here was to make sure you didn't get up," the girl scolded her friend.

"Fine, 'Mione. But I need to talk to Dumbledore now!" Harry looked up at the girl with pleading eyes. She sighed and turned to her boyfriend.

"Ron, could you please go and tell Madam Pomfrey that Harry has woken up?" Ron nodded and hurried out of the room. Hermione turned back to the boy-who-lived with a sigh. "After Ron tells her that you're up, she'll probably fetch the Headmaster. And Sirius and Remus will most assuredly race here as sure as they know. Though Remus did say something about an assignment that they couldn't get out of."

Harry nodded and laid back against the high headboard of the bed, thinking. How was he going to tell them about the clearing and the tree. . . and the voice? One that had asked him if he wanted to stay with it?

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice the door open again to admit Dumbledore, Ron, Pomfrey, and McGonagall. Hermione sat in a chair that had been brought to the bed's side and studied the silent boy, only nodding in acknowledgement of those that entered the room.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, bringing Harry back to reality. He looked up into blue eyes that lacked their usual sparkle, swallowed, and nodded in greeting. "Hello, Professor Dumbledore."

"Nice to see you're awake, Harry." Pomfrey walked around to the other side of the boy, quietly looking the boy over with the use of a couple of spells. McGonagall merely stood back as Ron moved over to Hermione and Dumbledore stayed near the side of the bed. "We were most concerned when it was learned that you disappeared before lunch on Monday."

"Yes, sir. And I truely am sorry. I-I don't know how to explain what happened." Harry looked away from the gazes on him. "Though I guess I should try to."

Dumbledore exhaled heavily and sat down on the bed next to Harry, "That would probably be the wisest course. What happened after you left Professor Snape's classroom?"

Harry took a deep breath, exhaled and thought back to what seemed like only hours ago.

"I left his classroom. I remember walking along a hallway in the dungeons and suddenly being pulled back against the wall. I opened my mouth to scream but Profeesor Snape covered it with his hand. When I realized that it was him I just sank to the floor. He told me that I was going to have to do detentions. Then he left. I just sat there for a while to think when the bell rang and everyone was walking back to the Great Hall.

"I just sat there in an alcove, thinking, watching everyone walk by, lost in my own thoughts. . . Then suddenly I hear someone began to talk. It was Malfoy. He was talking to a painting across the hall. I'm sure that I heard him call it Lucious. . . I don't remember what happened next. I just know that for some reason I ran away. I just wanted to be alone.

"I ran out of the school, but I didn't even think about where I was going. I could only run. Then I remember a clearing in the forest with a single oak in the middle. . . A voice. . . I was only there moments. . . I-I," Harry paused. His head began to pound as he tried to remember the tree, he touched his temple and whimpered. "I can't remember what was said. Then I blacked out only to awaken here with Hermione and Ron."

Everyone looked down at the boy-who-lived in surprise. Dumbledore nodded. McGonagall strode over to the other side of Harry, her eyes hinting at emotions of motherly concern towards her pupil. Ron and Hermione however just waited knowing that if Harry was going to tell them more he'd likely wait until it was just the three of them.

"You over heard Draco Malfoy talking to Lucious?" Dumbledore asked, politely. Harry looked at him for a moment.

"Yes. But I can't remember what he said."

Another nod.

"And this voice? Was it threatening?" Harry shook his head, then instantly regretted it. Madam Pomfrey took this opportunity to interrupt.

"That's enough for now. You'll have to wait just a little longer to finish this conversation. Harry needs to take some pain-reliever potion and it'll start to effect him shortly."

"Of course, Poppy," the Headmaster said as he turned to leave the room.

"Professor, please! Where's Remus and Sirius?" Harry asked, calmly.

"They will be back shortly. You'll see, Harry," Dumbledore motioned for McGonagall to follow him and she quietly exited the room not even four steps behind him. The boy-who-lived turned back to his friends as they smiled at him softly and turned to go.

"Oh, wait!" Hermione swirled around and hurried over to Harry. "I forgot! Sirius got this back from Professor Snape when you left it in his classroom. He said to give it back to you as soon as you woke up so you could read it."

Hermione handed him the large leather bound tome that was, or rather, had been his father's journal (diary). He nodded and pulled it onto his lap, touching the coat of arms to again feel the tingle over his body. Pomfrey shook her head but left to quickly get the potion for Harry. Ron just watched, mildly interested.

"I still haven't begun to read it. I-I want to know more about my father, but it feels somewhat like I would be intruding to read it."

"You won't be intruding, Harry. I'm sure he would have wanted you to read it. Go ahead and open it." Harry thought for a moment and reached for the book. a hand gently caressing the spine before he took hold of the cover.

TBC. . .

AN: I love cliffhangers. They can always make a story tons more entertaining. Well, I'll try to write the next chapter as soon as possible and hope that you'll forgive the tardiness of this one. Please R/R.

I had to repost all the chapters up to here. But I'll try to get the Chapter VII up with in the next two days.