A/N- I own naught but Marie Antoni, Sherwood Crotkis and his sister, plus the plot. But all other characters or settings are J.K. Rowling's. Except the part about "The Society", that's mine. I know it's been forever since I started this story but I'm going to try and be more regular… lol That sounds funny. Hey guess what? NEW CHARRIE! Yay! Review, please. If anyone would like to be a beta reader for me, it would be GREATLY appreciated. Dos out.

Chapter Three

The day dawned clear and bright, the sun reflecting off the snow with great ease and happiness. Everything was right in the world as Gryffindor woke from its slumber and the girl's dormitory was filled with light. Hermione Granger rubbed her eyes sleepily and yawned, stretching out lazily like the ginger cat curled up at her feet.

It was Sunday and not yet eight. Most of the sixth year girls were still asleep, but not Hermione. She stared at the hangings of her four-poster, thinking of a certain person… dreaming… wishing… when it happened.

Someone had attempted to run up the girls' staircase, a boy no doubt, before it had turned into a great stone slide and threw the guilty party back into the common room. Someone was screaming downstairs.

"Hermione! HERMIONE!" Came a voice from the depths of the common room that were so far from Hermione's mind. The door flew open and Ginny Weasley, red-hair streaming behind her, came sprinting into the room, jumped on Hermione's bed and started shaking her.

"Hermione! Wake up, Harry's in trouble! Ron can't wake him up!" Ginny wailed, still shaking her.

"WHAT?" Hermione jumped from bed and Crookshanks, looking distressed at being routed from his nice, warm spot, stole through the dorm and downstairs. Hermione raced after him, the cold stone biting through the warmth of her socks and her spirit, thoroughly chilling her. What was going on? Maybe Voldemort has finally broken through his defenses and had taken over; maybe he had one too many butterbeers in Hogsmeade yesterday; whatever the reason, Hermione's heart was beating fast and irregularly.

As she reached the bottom of the dormitory stairs, she spied Ron sprawled across the rug in front of the fire. Upon sighting her, his face turned deep red, redder than his hair, and he scrambled to stand. Without a word, he led her in a dash up the boys' dormitory stairs and into their room. Ron breathed deeply and pulled back Harry's bed hangings.

Sherwood stood in front of the mirror in his dorm, staring at his reflection and thinking. It had been two weeks since their first date, and Sherwood and Marie were closer than ever. She made him feel wonderful, as though he weren't the silent, brainy, depressing Sherwood that everyone said he was. She was wonderful, beautiful, brainy, and absolutely perfect in every way. He was still tortured about what he had stopped her from saying two weeks ago when a teacher had passed by.

She had wanted to say something brutally important, but he had stopped her... A small brown thing flew into the room and whacked into his head… It was an owl…

"Hello little owl," Sherwood said as he took the note from it's leg.

Sherwood,

Something's happened to Harry Potter. He won't wake up, no matter what we do. Can you come to Gryffindor tower straightaway? The password is 'lios'. If the Fat Lady gives you difficulty, tell her I sent you. Please come straightaway.

Tons of Love, Marie

Sherwood dropped the note on the floor and dashed out of the dormitory and through the entrance to the Hufflepuff Common Room. He skidded up the stairs and around corners until he stood in front of the Fat Lady, totally and completely winded.

"Lios!" he gasped. The Fat Lady sat in her portrait, staring at him.

"Who are you? I can't let you in!"

"Sherwood Crotkis from Hufflepuff House! Marie Antoni sent for me, something's wrong with Harry Potter!" He yelled at her. "I have the damn password! Lios! Let me in!"

Reluctantly the Fat Lady swung forward and revealing a hole, which looked in on-- complete and utter chaos.

As Ron started to pull back the hangings on Harry's four-poster, Hermione breathed in a sharp gasp.

In Harry's bed was something that did not resemble Harry at all. His body was rigid, his eyes wide and unseeing. From his tight-lipped mouth emitted screams of agony and high-pitched wheezing. Harry's eyes, normally a bright green, were reddish in color, and they had become narrower. Hermione screamed and flung herself on the bed. Harry's wand arm shot out and a bolt of red light flew at her as she was catapulted off the bed and into the wall opposite.

"Bloody hell," Ron moaned. He reached for his own wand, and screamed for someone to get Dumbledore, his wand trained at Harry's heart. "You may wish to get Madam Pomfrey as well!"

Marie stood waiting in the Common Room, hoping that Sherwood would show up soon. The room was in complete disarray. People were standing about in large groups, most were crowding up the stairs to the boys' dormitory, trying to see what was going on. Apparently Harry wasn't the only one who had been affected. Neville Longbottom was nowhere to be seen and Ginny was screaming for him.

Ginny came pelting down the staircase and ran through the portrait hole as Sherwood staggered through it. Marie sighed deeply and threw herself at him, pulling him along with her.

"Sherwood! Something's happened!" She cried in his ear over the din of the confused students. "I think it's You-Know-Who---"

Sherwood silenced her with a look. The common room became silent with the words Marie had spoken and someone coughed. "Is someone getting Dumbledore?" Sherwood called into the throng.

Someone shouted back, "Ginny Weasley!"

Marie and Sherwood made their way up the stairs and into the room where 'Harry' lay. Ron had his wand pointed at Harry's heart and stared at Sherwood with relief in his eyes.

"Sherwood, thank God. Is someone getting the Headmaster?" Sherwood nodded. He looked about and heard Marie utter a small scream and rush forward. She knelt beside Hermione and pushed her hair away from her eyes. "Stunned, I think," Ron said. "But from the way Harry's been acting and the way he looks, I wouldn't be surprised if it was something worse."

"How did it happen?" Sherwood asked, staring at Harry's eyes… they looked so familiar…

"I'm not sure," Ron shrugged. "I was sleeping and then Harry started making this bizarre noise, like he was choking or something. So I freaked out, thinking he was being attacked again, and I got up. But he was just sleeping; when I shook him to wake him up, I got this terrible shock. I thought he was having a nightmare or something but apparently not. Then when Hermione tried to touch him, she, well—" Ron gestured at Hermione Granger's heavily breathing body.

Sherwood examined Harry's body closely, but not too closely, taking in every detail. Something was familiar, but strangely amiss. He leaned closer, but Ron held out a hand.

"I wouldn't do that, mate."

Just then, Dumbledore and McGonagall came bustling into the room, looking flustered and gravely serious. Nobody asked any questions why there were girls in the boys' dormitory and someone from Hufflepuff in the Gryffindor dormitories.

McGonagall gasped loudly at the sight of Harry's rigid body and Hermione on the ground. She ran towards Harry's bed, but Sherwood interrupted.

"Uh, professor? That's not such a great idea."

"What are you talking about? Of course it's a good idea---'' She barely had time to dodge as a bolt of red light shot towards her. There was no wand in Harry's hand and Dumbledore could not see where it had come from.

"I believe it would be wise if everyone save Sherwood Crotkis, Ronald Weasley do not move, and myself left the room. When Poppy gets here, please send her up Minerva." Dumbledore closed his eyes and his mind was tossed into deep concentration.

The rest of the people in the room filed out slowly and the door shut automatically behind them. Dumbledore placed his fingers on his temples and opened his eyes.

"He has thrown up a strong shield protecting young Harry's mind. I cannot see beyond the wall of red," Dumbledore said in frustration.

"He, headmaster?" Sherwood asked.

"Voldemort."

Ron shuddered a second at the name. As he quivered, his wand dropped slightly. Harry's eyes shifted over to him in a flash and Ron was against the wall, his wand bereft of a hand to hold it. Dumbledore reached out his own wand.

"Accio wand!" both Dumbledore and "Harry" yelled at almost the same time, though the wand flew to Dumbledore. He handed it to Sherwood who kept it in his hand.

"I do hope Poppy gets here soon."

"Headmaster! What can we do?"

"To tell you the truth, Sherwood, I'm not certain."

Sherwood stared at Dumbledore in amazement. "What do you mean you aren't certain?"

"Well this is obviously a form of Legilimens but I've never before encountered it. Perhaps we should call upon Madame Jorvus? Mayhap she can be of some service."

The new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher, Madam Angeline Jorvus, was a fiery young teacher who had once been an Auror. Due to a problem with her knee, however, she was a liability to the Ministry and had retired at a very young age. She had taken over for Professor Moody that summer due to his excessive paranoia. Umbridge had been removed from her position because most of the students had complained about the lack of practical teaching going on. Dumbledore had admitted that, had it not been for the illegal yet necessary, D.A., most fifth years would not have passed the exam.

Dumbledore waved his wand and a young, flustered witch came into the room. Her red hair was cut very short and her glasses askew.

"Yes headmaster? What the---" She uttered as her eyes lay on the body in the bed.

"That my dear is Harry Potter."

"Albus? You are kidding, that is most definitely not Harry Potter. I'd say it was Voldemort."

Dumbledore sighed. "That is the problem Angeline, it is both. I believe it is a form of Legilimens, though I cannot be sure. Your input is greatly appreciated."

"I've seen this before, not exactly the best situation. Is he randomly stunning people that get too close?" Dumbledore nodded. "I see. This is indeed rather a pickle. Well hello Crotkis. How did you get in here?"

"Well, um, you see… Marie Antoni sent me an owl explaining the situation… I don't know whether she wanted comfort or thought I could help, or what, but she gave me the password and here I am. I hope I'm not in trouble." Sherwood smiled weakly.

"Not at all. In fact your presence is greatly appreciated." Dumbledore looked pensive. "Wait a minute, did anyone see Neville Longbottom on their way up?"

The other two shook their heads. "Send out a search party, send for Madame Pomfrey. Here's what we do…"