Chapter 15: Disturbing News

Harry lay on his bed in his dormitory with sleep miles away. He had quit tossing and turning hours ago. He was thinking about the day…the train ride, the sorting ceremony…everything…something was wrong he could feel now…and it didn't help that his scar was hurting ever since he got to Hogwarts, although not as intensely as it usually did.

"Harry Potter." He heard a muffled voice call.

He looked around the dormitory but found everything dark and quiet.

"Harry Potter." There was that voice again.

Harry got up and put on his glasses, but still found no one on inspecting the room.

"Harry Potter."

Lighting his wand, he traced the voice back to his trunk. He pulled out the magic mirror, put a finger to lips and walked out into the common room. Sitting in front of the fireplace he finally addressed the person in the mirror.

"Everything OK Remus?" Harry asked.

"First tell me is anyone around…close to you…if anyone is listening?" Remus asked.

"No…I don't think so…why?" Harry asked confused.

"Just check first…make sure no one is around." Remus replied hurriedly.

Harry searched the whole common room for anyone who might be hiding in the shadows before retuning back to the arm chair he was occupying.

"I am positive…there is no one here. What's wrong?"

"We just got out from an Order meeting, and this is very bad. Tell me have you noticed anything weird there?" The older man said.

"Yeah…I felt something was wrong and well…" Harry replied but trailed of in the middle.

"What?" Remus pushed.

"Well…my…my scar keeps hurting, but…but not as much as it usually does when Voldemort is around." Harry answered cautiously.

"Hmm…I see…well you have to be very careful. We just found out that Voldemort has recruited students from Hogwarts as his spies. Some of them are children of the present Death Eaters but some of them are new recruits…so you have to be careful who you spend time around or who you trust. They will definitely be watching you." Remus said.

'Well that certainly wasn't what I was expecting' Harry thought.

"But why does my scar hurts? It never hurt before when I was near a Death Eater." Harry inquired.

"Death Eaters have their own ways of communicating…the most powerful methods using Dark Magic. Some of the students there know that, their parents taught them probably. And it's probably the children of very trusted Death Eaters…"

"Like Malfoy!"

"Yes, like Malfoy. So you have to be warned against them. Anyways, this way they can communicate with Voldemort directly, and also he has established a connection like ours with one of the students…but of a different sort which allows him to watch whatever is going on there through his own eyes. It is almost as if he were there himself, that's why your scar hurts." Remus finished.

"So that means that he can watch us as well….and he is here! But won't Dumbledore know and do something." Harry asked shocked.

"He is doing everything he can, but the student who keeps up the connection won't be so open about it so he will be hard to find. Practice your Occlumency lessons Harry…that should be your first priority now that Voldemort has even got in Hogwarts…in a way. And warn your immediate circle of friends about it. Remember whatever you discuss…be very careful, anyone can be watching." Remus warned.

"But what about the other students? Won't Voldemort try to read their minds?" Harry asked.

"I don't think so…his first target will be you since he assumes you know the most. And it's also a good thing that no one else knows anything…I trust you that you wouldn't disclose any such information." Remus answered.

"Of course I won't. But the new Death Eaters….Ginny felt something like that in Diagon Alley…well something like what I felt today. How come you didn't find it out before?"

"Well…Voldemort has a notion that he has a spy in his inner circle, so he called up only those Death Eaters who were to perform the ceremony and those whose children were involved in the ceremony...The Death Eaters…all of them had a meeting a few hours ago…after the sorting finished in Hogwarts, that's how we found out….I think Voldemort knew that he won't be able to hide the information for long so he tried this way to take up as much information as possible before you know it. And he knew we wouldn't be able to suspect anything because previously he never recruited any Death Eaters until they graduated from school…as for the connection…although he didn't mention in the meeting…our source found out about it in his own way…if you know what I mean." Remus concluded.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up…but I just thought this information was very important and that you should know at once. Dumbledore knows surely but none of us know which students they are…so be careul Harry…be very, very careful" Remus said.

"I will be…and don't worry about waking me…I wasn't sleepy anyways." Harry said still trying to absorb all of the information he received.

"I think you should head off to bed now….Good night." Remus said.

"Good night." Harry said, and within moments the older man's face was gone from the mirror.

Harry leaned against the armchair he was sitting on and thought about what Remus had said…this was not good at all….everyone in Hogwarts was in danger. In his mind, Harry Potter thought of a few possible Death Eaters.

Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Crabbe, Goyle…

"There are Death Eaters in the school." A voice said behind him, breaking his train of thought.

Harry whipped out his wand and stood facing the intruder.

"Ginny!" Harry said sitting back down trying to control his racing heart beat.

"You ok?" Ginny asked sitting down on the next chair.

"Yeah." Harry replied and looked around making sure no one else was present.

"How did you know about the Death Eaters? You weren't spying were you? And besides what are you down up so late?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"I wasn't able to sleep…what are you suggesting? Besides…I told you something was wrong in Diagon Alley right…I felt the same thing today…and I knew something was wrong….The whole time during dinner, Malfoy and a few other students didn't take their eyes off us…and immediately I knew they were up to something. I thought about it…but couldn't put a finger on it. The just now I realized…that all those students were staring at us…just a few students, and not the whole table…and I knew something was terribly wrong, and the best explanation I got was that they might have joined Voldemort's circle…but then…it is to far-fetched…they are still in school they couldn't have…"

"No…you're right." Harry interrupted. "There are Death Eaters in the school. I just got off talking to Remus he told me everything."

"What everything?" Ginny asked curious.

With one last glance around the room, Harry told Ginny everything he heard from Remus.

Ginny was quiet for a moment absorbing all the information just revealed to her.

"So that why you were so jumpy when I came in." Ginny said teasingly.

"Well…I…I…you know…I was just being careful." Harry replied blushing.

"I know, I know." Ginny said smiling. "I would've been the same way…its ok. But…Harry…this is bad…I mean if Voldemort has spies here and he can see…I don't know…"

"I know." Harry said leaning back into his armchair. "It means extra trouble…listen Ginny be careful…don't trust anyone…I…well…you know last time…Voldemort took over you…you know…"

"Yeah I understand….its ok…I will take care of it….don't worry…you take care…there are a lot of people after you now...so you have to be very careful…" Ginny said.

"Yeah I know." Harry said looking into the fire.

Both stayed silent for sometime each musing in their own thoughts.

"What about Dumbledore…he would do something?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah…but I don't think there is much he can do…we have no idea who the students are…" Harry answered.

"Malfoy is one of them…probably the one with the connection!" Ginny interrupted.

"We don't know that for sure…maybe he is not the one…maybe Voldemort chose someone else…someone we wouldn't suspect…" Harry said.

Another silence followed, each thinking about the same thing…things were going to get ugly around Hogwarts…and they didn't know what to do…or whom to trust anymore.

"I think we should return to bed…we have a lot to explain tomorrow." Harry said finally getting up.

"Yeah I think we should." Ginny yawned and got up too.

"Well then…good night." Ginny said and walked toward the stairs.

"Yeah…good night." Harry replied, watching her go up the stairs until she was out of sight.

'She is beautiful…' Harry thought.

Smiling, and shaking his head, he headed up to his own dormitory looking forward to the comfort of his bed, although he didn't expect an easy night with the disturbing news still fresh in his mind…

A/N: Reviews are appreciated!

Take care...cya!