A/N: - Here you go – enjoy!

Chapter 13 – Dream Invasions.

"Where am I?" Harry looked round, worried.

"Harry? What, in Merlin's name, are you doing in my dreams?"

"Hermione!" Harry gasped. Suddenly he saw a snake slithering towards Hermione – it lunged at her and she just disappeared.

"Not Hermione anymore," said a low hissing voice, chilling him from the very depths of his being. There was a flash of almost blinding light and Voldemort was stood where Hermione had been only seconds before.

"I don't understand…"

"You don't need to," Voldemort laughed, "but understand this – you won't have anyone left to turn to once I'm finished with all of them!" he snapped his fingers and disappeared.

"NO!" Harry screamed. He shut his eyes and focused hard and suddenly knew where he should be going next. He felt a familiar sensation and found himself jerking forward in a vortex of colour.

After landing with a loud 'thud', Harry got up and looked round. He was outside Hagrid's hut.

"'Arry, run!" a voice called from inside. He burst in but found only Voldemort stood there.

"My, my, he put up quite a fight," Voldemort sniggered.

"What did you do to him and Hermione?" asked the enraged Harry.

"Stopped them before they became dangerous…the little witch woke up before I could take her. But I shall not attempt to catch her this time – I have more important problems to deal with." He laughed as he disappeared. Harry focused on Voldemort once more and thought about who he'd want to eliminate next. A tugging feeling in the pit of his stomach told him to go to the burrow. Of course – the Weasleys! If Voldemort destroyed one of them then the whole family would be destroyed from the inside out.

"I know you're here!" Harry yelled as he stepped into the house.

"Fool," a voice cackled, but it was not Voldemort.

"Pettigrew!" Harry was gob-smacked, "where's Voldemort?"

"My master is dealing with several problems that need to be taken care of…I am merely here to give you a choice," he gazed out of the window at the waxing moon which would be full in a few days time, "but I'm afraid I must leave you – for I have certain problems of my own to deal with…"

"Lupin," Harry whispered, despairing.

"Where to go? Where to go, young Harry? Follow me or my master – either way someone is eliminated from the equation…" Pettigrew smirked, disappearing with a loud crack. Whatever Harry did, he had to act fast. After a few painful moments, he decided reluctantly to go after Voldemort – Lupin could handle Pettigrew now he knew about the silver hand. Harry focused on Voldemort and found himself moving once more…

He found himself in McGonagall's office and, pulling out his wand, he scanned the room.

"You're too late, Potter," said a silky voice behind him.

"Sna --- Professor Snape?!" Harry whirled round, confused.

"Ronald Weasley was running round the school like a headless Niffler trying to find help because you were apparently having a fit of some sort."

"What's going on?"

"Voldemort is attacking those who pose the biggest threat to him. So far he has taken Minerva but no others."

"He took Hagrid but Hermione woke up before he could take her," Harry's voice cracked as he said it.

"Then it is more serious than I imagined. How do you know where he is?"

"I just get this weird feeling…wait a minute, how did you know Voldemort was in here?"

"I found Minerva after levitating you to the hospital wing. I was going to ask her assistance in calling a meeting of the Order but I found her having the same style of fit as you had been having. I entered her head through Occlumency and Voldemort was there – draining her spirit away and capturing it. He will torture and kill those he takes. I will explain later but I do not know all the details. For now, I trust you can decide the next location." Snape looked at him expectantly. Harry shut his eyes tightly and opened them with a start.

"Weasley's Wizard Wheezes!"

"What?"

"Fred or George!" Harry exclaimed. He and Snape felt themselves being transported there and started to wonder which Weasley twin was the unfortunate victim.

They found Voldemort in a heated duel with Fred Weasley.

"Harry! I was so tired at the end of the day – I must've dozed off and not realised!" Fred yelled, voice showing a significant amount of panic, "And I couldn't wake up and he was here!"

"Fred, you have to wake up!"

"I can't – what if----" Fred was cut off and Voldemort threw himself at the Weasley boy. Fred screamed in shock and was gone.

"Stupid boy – easiest to capture so far," Voldemort trailed off and fell into a momentary daze, "my servant calls for aid…good luck finding me this time, Potter – because again you will arrive too late!" Voldemort was gone as soon as the words had left his mouth.

"Lupin! The Defence Against the Dark Arts Office!"

"How---?"

"I met Pettigrew when I was misled to the Burrow and he said he had a problem of his own to deal with," Harry shut his eyes and was gone. Snape cursed and followed Harry's example and both were soon spinning through the vortex once more.

"Harry! What a pleasant surprise!" Lupin's breathless voice called as Harry and Snape landed outside the open door of Lupin's office.

"How'd he know I was here?"

"Marauders Map, most probably," a new, slightly hoarse voice answered.

"Headmaster!" Harry grinned. Snape nodded to Dumbledore and both men burst into the office, wands drawn. Harry followed and noted the look of fury on Voldemort's face. He was infuriated at the swiftness of their arrival, growling menacingly as he threw himself at Dumbledore, who blocked him with ease. Lupin was fighting Pettigrew with no great difficulty.

"Losing your touch, Peter?" Lupin teased, a lop-sided grin playing across his features.

"I'll kill you, Remus, if it's the last thing I do!"

"Ha!" Lupin gave a short, bark-like laugh, "your hand isn't posing any problems at the moment and you're no match for me magically!"

"He's not – but I am!" Voldemort hissed, "I'm not even going to waste my time capturing you…" he lunged for Lupin, aiming for the shocked werewolf's throat.

"Master – we cannot kill anyone, not yet!" Pettigrew squeaked as he watched Lupin dodge Voldemort and saw his master get ready to lunge at his ex-friend once more, "we have to wait for the right moment." Pettigrew jumped up and down nervously and Voldemort glanced round at his perplexed servant, keeping his wand aimed at Lupin's chest. Suddenly it all made sense: Pettigrew wanted the 'honour' of killing the last of his old school friends.

"Very well," Voldemort sighed, launching himself at Lupin again but only to capture this time. But Lupin was ready – he conjured a shield and Voldemort, being totally unprepared for it, came to a halt mere inches before he would've hit the shield.

"Severus," Dumbledore hissed in the Potions Master's ear while Lupin was still acting as Voldemort's current distraction, "you are here through Occlumency and you can free yourself easiest from this nightmare. Sound the alarm and wake all the students. Then go to the hospital wing and wake Harry. Then wake Remus – I shall get out myself as I too am here through Occlumency."

"But can't Lupin and Potter wake by the alarm?"

"Not possible. To do that they would need a few moments solid concentration to focus on waking," Dumbledore glanced at Lupin, "and I do not think that solid concentration is an option. I don't care how you wake them as long as they are woken in time."

"Very well," Snape nodded and disappeared, drawing Voldemort's attention over to where Harry and Dumbledore were stood. Harry felt his stomach turn: his and Lupin's lives were in the hands of Professor Severus Snape, which were very greasy and slippery indeed!

"Where's Severus gone?" Lupin called as he was once more attacked by Pettigrew, who was sweating buckets and had a black eye and a nasty gash on his right arm. Lupin himself was sporting a large bruise on his left cheek where Pettigrew's hand had caught him a little. Suddenly, Harry disappeared, "Harry!" Lupin yelled, fearing the worst.

"No…" Voldemort whispered, releasing a string of curses in quick succession.

"Calm yourself, Remus – Harry has escaped."

Harry heard Lupin shout his name but he couldn't answer. He was whirling around and came grinding to a halt, swiftly being plunged into blackness. A familiar pain shot through his head. Voldemort was feeling a very strong emotion – in this case, anger. He cried out and sat up, opening his eyes.

"Calm down, Mr. Potter, you are quite alright," Madame Pomfrey smiled warmly at him.

"Dumbledore, Lupin, McGonagall, Hagrid, Hermione, Fred – are they all alright?" Harry looked round worriedly.

"Remus and I are safe," Dumbledore entered, followed closely by Snape and Lupin, who were shooting filthy looks at each other, "and Miss. Granger is perfectly alright and is with Ronald Weasley. They will be along later. But the others are not so fortunate. By harnessing their spirits, Voldemort can torture them and kill them. Any wounds he inflicts on their spirits will appear on the bodies. This is both a blessing and a curse."

"How can it be a blessing?"

"Because if he had the bodies as well then we would not be able to heal the wounds he inflicts. And now we also have a lead on how to find him. We can use Occlumency to track their spirits. But we must tread carefully now in whatever we do," Dumbledore sighed and Harry could only watch as the bodies of Hagrid, McGonagall and Fred Weasley were levitated through the door, "Severus found young Mr. Weasley," said Dumbledore, seeing Harry's puzzled face. The bodies were laid on some beds at the end of the ward and that area was sectioned off.

"Headmaster, we must put up new wards around the castle. If any more-----"

"Remus has seen to it, Poppy. No wizard of evil purpose shall enter their spells and charms in here and no more souls will be taken. All are safe for as long as they remain inside the school grounds. Now, I have more important business to attend to – namely, getting the students back to bed. I believe, in light of tonight's events, that the students should get tomorrow off and school shall start on Wednesday."

"What time is it?" Harry asked.

"Eleven-thirty at night," Dumbledore replied, "Remus, I need you to come with me. Severus, you need to set about your business…"

"Ah, will this madness never end," Pomfrey sighed as Dumbledore, Lupin and Snape left the hospital wing in silence.

"I don't get it…"

"No-one does, Potter. Even Dumbledore does not understand all that goes on in this world at the present time," Pomfrey sighed again and retreated to her office at the end of the ward.

"Madame Pomfrey?" Harry asked her retreating back.

"Yes?"

"When can I leave the hospital wing?"

"Tomorrow morning at the earliest…as long as you promise not to go snooping around the place or Dumbledore will be after my blood."

"I promise; it had never even crossed my mind!" Harry grinned cheekily as he led down and shut his eyes, feeling happy that he could get a little peaceful sleep, although for the most part it was plagued with nightmares.

"Harry, mate, you're ok! I was so worried!" Ron slapped his friend on the back cheerfully.

"Hi, Ron,"

"Have you seen Hermione anywhere? I can't find her and I want to see how gutted she is that there's no lessons today."

"That would be something worth seeing!" Harry laughed, "But I'm afraid I haven't seen her anywhere."

The next few days were harsh and the teachers were giving seemingly endless amounts of homework with students fighting increasingly harder to keep up with it. The purpose for this was to try and keep everyone's minds away from Voldemort, although the Order, unknown to everyone except Harry, Hermione and the Weasley children, were still trying to track him down to free the lost spirits. However, these attempts were in vain and the Order seemed to doubt the possibility of rescuing their fellow members more and more each day.

By Friday the school was exhausted, teachers and pupils alike. The students had very little enthusiasm for their work while the staff had very little enthusiasm for teaching it. The only teacher that remained relentless in his giving of work was Snape…which didn't really come as a surprise to anyone. But it still seemed highly unfair that Snape was giving them double the usual amount of homework to make up for the lack of it in other lessons.

"Potter!" he hissed in double potions that afternoon, "I get the feeling that you are not paying the slightest bit of attention to anything I'm saying."

"Sorry, sir,"

"What were you thinking about that was so distracting?"

"Voldemort," Harry answered simply, for once basking in the gasps that echoed round the room at the sound of the Dark Lord's name.

"Mr. Potter, please see me after the lesson." Snape said, having gone ever so slightly paler than usual, however impossible that may seem!

"Yes, Professor Snape," sighed Harry wearily. The class continued to discuss the inner healing qualities of various potions and also how healing potions could be reversed by using a few simple ingredients so that they could kill if the need arose.

After the lesson, Harry remained behind, having told Ron and Hermione to go on ahead and meet him in the Common Room so that they could walk down to dinner together. But Harry still had to survive his little talk with Snape first.

"Potter, I am perfectly aware that you do not see any need to fear the use of Voldemort's name but there are other students who do not feel so comfortable with it."

"I know…but those people are just going to have to face up to it because they are going to be hearing his name a lot in these next few years."

"You are forbidden from mentioning it in my classes from now on, Potter. Disobeying will result in instant detention down here in the dungeons."

"Professor Lupin lets me say it in his classes," Harry smirked, knowing that commenting on Lupin would really get to Snape.

"Lupin is a fool,"

"He's a better teacher than you."

"Get out of my sight, Potter!" Snape bellowed, eyes glittering dangerously. Harry grinned rather slyly and left the dungeon in silence, leaving a fuming Snape staring after him.

"You're alive! Harry, mate, you're actually alive!" Ron cheered as Harry arrived triumphantly in the Common Room.

"Harry, what happened?" inquired Hermione.

"Snape was just angry because I said Voldemort's name in his lessons. He just doesn't want the Slytherins to get scared. And he doesn't want to hear his ex-master's name. So I told him that people would just have to get used to it."

"Harry, saying that was dangerous – did he give you a detention?"

"No, actually," Harry said, still sounding surprised himself.

"Weird," Ron commented, shivering slightly.

"Yeah," agreed Harry, "No doubt he'll find some way to get back at me though. Especially since I told him, to his face, that Lupin let me say Voldemort's name in his classes and also that Lupin was a way better teacher than him!"

"Harry, have you gone nuts?!" Ron's head snapped up.

"What? It's true!"

"Everyone knows that, Harry," Hermione frowned, "But you know as well as everyone else that Snape will look for any excuse to get Lupin into trouble or make it so he doesn't have to make the Wolfsbane potion for him. Don't you see? He'll twist what you said and Lupin will take the flack for it. Oh, Harry, you have to think before you speak!"

"When's the next full moon?"

"Tomorrow night," Hermione replied softly.

"Don't worry, mate. Lupin has Dumbledore firmly on his side, remember? Snape has to make the potion," Ron reassured Harry, "he doesn't want to have to face Dumbledore with his pathetic excuses if he doesn't!"

At dinner, the trio could hardly keep their eyes off Snape and Lupin. The two men were repeatedly glaring at each other and Harry guessed that Hermione and Ron had been right.

"I think there was another argument over the potion…" Ron said, stating the obvious.

"And my suspicion is that Dumbledore intervened and Lupin won again," smiled Harry, suppressing laughter with great difficulty.

"Of course he won it, Harry – don't be stupid," Hermione looked down her nose at him in exasperation, "you don't seriously think they'd let Lupin be in his werewolf form without his human wits about him, do you? Especially when Voldemort could attack at any moment."

"That's what happened when the other werewolves were here."

"But they're not here any more and this time there's more risks. Listen, before Voldemort tried to capture me last night he made the mistake of talking about his plans. He said I would be the first of many and that he would capture people when they were most vulnerable," Hermione sighed.

"I hate Voldemort," snarled Harry.

"King of the obvious," Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Hey, look at that," Ron interrupted. Harry and Hermione turned their attentions up to the staff table where Snape was now leaving his seat. The potions master left the Great Hall and Dumbledore followed with Lupin leaving the staff table shortly afterwards, leaving the other teachers to dismiss the students.

"What do you suppose was wrong with the teachers earlier?" Hermione asked for the fifth time that night.

"I don't know? But the teachers that left were all in the Order." Was the answer she received, also for the fifth time that night. Ron was sipping nervously at a Butterbeer and attempting the near impossible Potions homework they had been set. Harry, however, just sat and stared into the fire. Whatever the teachers' reasons for leaving dinner, Harry suspected that it was something to do with the Order and the captured spirits.

A/N: - Hope that was a good enough chapter for everyone!