Krys: You're telling me! I'm so stressed! LoL! You'll see how I make of Hermione. -laughs at the idea of Ron as a appetizer-
LMDG1UVR4EVA: I am, I am. It's just taking a while. :)
Countingsheep123: Really? Cool. Thank so much for the review.
A/N: Sorry, I redid this chapter cause I screwed up this one. Ok, here's the good one, I apologize for the mix-up!
Chapter Thirteen: Midnight Stroll
Looking at the ceiling, Harry found himself waking up on the floor of the Head Common Room. He was eagle spread on the carpet and his glasses sat perched on his nose.
Thoroughly confused on why he had fell asleep on the floor, Harry pushed his glasses up and sat himself into an upright position.
Then he remembered the previous evening.
Harry got to his feet just as Hermione and Ron stepped into the Dorm, talking light-heartedly to each other. They laid their eyes upon him and Harry ran across the room and hugged them tightly. Ron patted his shoulder, wheezing for breath, "Great to...see you too...mate."
Hermione pulled away, her eyebrows raising nearly up to her hairline, "Harry, are you ok?" He smiled widely, "I'm...I'm just glad you two are alright. Last night, I didn't think I'd be talking to you both again." Understanding filled their faces and the bushy haired girl smiled back, it almost looked forced but Harry didn't notice, "Yes. I'm glad too."
She began digging into her knapsack asHarry asked Ron, "Did you go see Dumbledore?"
"Yeah, when I told him, he didn't really say anything. He looked angry and let me go. It was a little scary."
Harry caught sight of Hermione pulling out colorful wool hats and groaned, "Oh no Hermione, I thought you gave up on that." She gave him a look, "Shut it. These are for Dobby and the rest of the House-Elves, it is terribly freezing where they sleep. I got Dobby's permission to give it to them, it has nothing to do with my organization; which I might add is still going strong." Ron commented, "Right, Hermione, right."
She elbowed him a little too sharply and began walking out, Ron asked Harry as her back disappeared behind the portrait, "Damn, she got strong. Should we go with her?" Harry answered, "If you want to." The other boy shrugged, "Might as well, see you mate."
Ron jogged out of the Head Dorm and Harry went to breakfast in the Great Hall, the Saturday morning passed by reasonably.
When Harry made it to lunch, the Gryffindors were running round, talking excitedly. He went up to Dean who wasn't one of the gossipers, "What's going on?" The darker boy said with a half annoyed tone, "Seamus landed himself in St.Mungos, he screwed his assignment in Potions and Snape couldn't uncurse him. Some of us are taking the Floo Network to see him, want to come?"
Harry shrugged, "Alright," feeling half annoyed himself.
Seamus always did come off as a prat.
He followed Dean, Lavender, and a few fifth years to a classroom with a large sprawling fireplace. Standing close by waiting for them was Ron, Hermione, and a few other Gryffindors. They all Flooed to the inside area of the wizard hospital and Harry(who hated Flooing) was the dirtiest, and the one that fell on his face when he alighted.
Ron and Dean heaved him up to his feet as Hermione repaired Harry's glasses. She handed them back to him and he said his thanks, placing them on.
Lavender took a look at the floor guide, "We want to go upstairs."
The teenagers trampled past a wizard who was hiccupping mice and an unconscious witch in a oversized bubble. They went up the stairs and made it to the floor that read Potion and Plant Poisoning. Harry was last in line as they prepared to reach Seamus's bed. The boy looked up at them with a slightly amused grin, Harry almost fell back at the sight of him.
The poor Gryffindor was hairless, eyebrow less, and completely covered with blistering festering rashes.
Ron asked, making a face, "What the bloody hell type of potion were you making Seamus?" The grin left his face and Hermione gave the red head a good smack on the head, "Excuse Ronald, Seamus, how are you feeling?" He nodded, "Alright. They're working on finding a countercurse."
Seamus turned to Lavender devilishly, "Although, a kiss would definately make me feel loads better Lav." She rolled her round eyes, "In your dreams Finnigan."
"How did you know?" he countered. Harry was among the few who laughed, at least the fella's spirits were up.
As the others left for some treats, Harry excused himself to find the tearoom. But seeing how Harry had only been to St. Mungo's a few times, he couldn't remember which way to go. Trying to find a nearby floor guide, Harry wandered away and finally found a door, leading to a floor. He stepped inside and regretted it immediately.
It was the closed ward, sitting nearby the door, in some chairs, were Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom. Neville's parents. They were in long white robes, staring blankly at his face. Their faces were pale and their eyes seemed too big for their faces. They looked much worse then last time. The man's head fell forward, and he slumped slightly in his chair.
Harry murmured, moving away, "I'm...er, I got-"
Mr. Longbottom continued to stay motionless while Mrs. Longbottom steadily got out of her chair, locking her gaze at the boy. Those dark eyes were empty and so bottomless that it made Harry's stomach tremble in helplessness.
He froze as she reached out and brushed her cold fingers across his arm, saying in a voice so soft Harry hardly heard it, "James."
His bright green eyes widened. She bent her skinny frame forward so that her thin face was inches from his, "Will follow to death. Harry Potter. J-James and Lily...friends-" She began gripping his arm forcefully and brought him closer, whispering even softer words that Harry couldn't make out.
Finally, her grip loosened enough for him to yank out of and Harry sprinted out of the closed ward, out into one of the corridors. Harry rushed back to Seamus's room and Hermione looked up at him as he entered, her eyes blank, "Harry. Get your tea?"
He responded, "Yeah. I'm going back to Hogwarts, see you."
She said coolly, getting up, "No rush, the rest of us are leaving as well. Goodbye Seamus."
The rash-boy waved and Harry once again followed the group in and out of the Floo Network; landing back at Hogwarts. Harry wanted a little time alone to gather his thoughts, and ended up locking himself in his Head Boy Dorm.
He sat by his window, stroking Hedwig's feathers quietly. The Gryffindor considered putting up a keep-out spell but he didn't have the energy for it.
The memory of his visit to the Longbottom's troubled him sincerely.
The night passed overhead, and suddenly a hand tapped his shoulder, "Deep thoughts Harry?"
Jumping, Harry spun around to the gray streaked Marauder. Hedwig bolted and flew to her cage, roosting on top of it crossly. Harry let out a sigh, "Professor, I didn't hear you come in." The man smiled easily, "Harry, I've asked you to call me Remus countless times. Do mind me, please."
The teenager snorted in humor and Remus Lupin sat down on the edge of the window beside him, "How are you doing? Ron and Hermione said ever since they've gotten back, you've locked yourself up in your room." Harry shrugged, "Don't have a lock," and looked back out his window. The werewolf grinned, "I know something that will cheer you up."
Reaching into his robe pocket, he pulled out the Marauder map dramatically.
The green eyed boy blinked, "I-I thought it was lost..."
"No, I kept it. Don't let me catch you in the halls alone, alright? Dumbledore and the rest of the professors had a conversation with the portraits today, about three students roaming the corridors at night and being attacked by dementors."
He stared at him expectantly and Harry gave in, "Yeah, but we didn't know dementors were there, honestly. Didn't Dumbledore know already though?" Remus exclaimed, "It turns out that there had been minor attacks all this year, kept quiet, but the one you encountered made the situation more serious then before. Harry, be careful."
The teen nodded, resisting to make a sarcasticcomment and the man gave his shoulder a squeeze before leaving the room. Harry spent the last few hours of the night, watching Hogwarts through his map, eyeing the people moving throughout the castle.
Around the fifth floor corridor, a dot moved slowly and deliberately. What got Harry's attention was a question mark hanging around it.
The map didn't have an answer for the question: Who was walking down that corridor?
Harry burrowed his brows; 'That's odd.'
He got up off his bed and went out on a midnight stroll, against Lupin's wishes. He knew he shouldn't but for all they knew, it could be someone dangerous. Like a dementor or even...Voldemort.
Harry wanted to find out, being the headstrong too-curious-for-his-own-good type.
He moved past the third and fourth floor corridor, to the hardly lit fifth. He felt a chilling rush of air push past him and it blew his map down the hall. The skinny boy went after the map and bent over to pick it up, grasping his fingers around the parchment.
The second he looked down at the map, two things occurred.
Harry saw the question mark dot beside his dot and he was shoved against the marble wall; his Invisibility Cloak, Marauders map, and wand clattering to the ground.
Harry felt all of the air go out of his lungs as his back hit the solid wall unkindly, he coughed and straightened up. Two hands clutched his front collar and yanked him up. Squinting his eyes, Harry saw a hooded figure was right in front of him. Sort of short, and the air surrounding it was crackling with anger.
A low muffled voice emerged from behind the heavy hood, hiding the person's identity, "What the hell do you think you're doing out here? Are you dense?"
Harry whispered, not letting any fear slip out of his mouth, "I was going to ask you the same thing."
The hands clenched him constricted, throwing him against the wall again, and Harry's head bounced on the marble. He moaned, setting a hand over the back of his head, "Ow! Bloody hell!"
One of the slender hands covered his mouth roughly and theit whispered coarsely, "You, of all people, should know the dangers of wandering the corridors alone at night. Do you even care about what people would feel if you were found dead or worse, in the very hallways of Hogwarts? Do you know of how much importance you are to everybody?"
His bright green eyes fixed an intensely fiery gaze, "Oh yeah, I'm the goddamn Wizarding Savior."
He didn't prepare to be strike hard across the mouth, he crumpled to the floor, clutching his bleeding chin. The hooded figure crouched down, robes swirling, "I'm not talking about that, asshole. I mean your importance and loyalty to your friends. Did you ever once think of your friends or anyone else's feelings? All you ever think and care about now is yourself, bitching about not wanting to defeat Voldemort and whining abouthow life sucks for you because of your damn teenage mood swings. Here's a newsflash, you are the only hope the world has, so suck it up. Your arrogance and temper tantrums are tiring, Harry Potter. If I catch you out here again, there will be hell to pay. And you'll be the one cashing in."
Breathing hard, Harry asked, "Who are you?"
The hooded figure stood up, "I'll be watching you, know well." Before it disappeared, Harry saw something silver flash on the figure's neck.
After several moments, he got the feeling back in his legs and numbly go back to the Head Dorm. Harry couldn't make it up the stairs and curled up on one of the couches. The words that stranger told him hit him hard. Harder then the punch in his jaw.
He couldn't think about this. As the fire began dimmer, Harry's eyes flickered away. He soon realized that the silvery thing on the figure's neck, it was a necklace. And the silvery thing hanging from the end of the necklace, was a daisy charm.
The embers of the fireplace cooled and total darkness consumed.
