DAMASCUS GATE

CHAPTER TWO-THE SCARE

We entered Potions class and took our seats.

Kelly and I sat next to each other as the rest of the seats were taken.

Professor Anicks began writing on the board the instructions for today's lesson.

"Hey," Kelly said suddenly turning to me. "Where's Peter? I've completely forgotten about him."

"Peter is missing for some reason," James whispered turning around in his seat to face us. "He just vanished completely. We have no idea where he is."

"Sheesh," Kelly said. "I had almost completely forgotten about him."

"You're not the only one," Sirius muttered darkly behind us.

In front of us were James and Lily. Behind Remus and I were Sirius and another 7th year Gryffindor named Elaine Davis.

I turned around and gave Sirius a scowl before returning to my Haxen Potion.

After class, we headed back to the common room for the 45 minute break.

Lily and James headed off to the library. Sirius curled up on the couch.

Remus and I took a walk around the castle. As we entered one of the connecting bridges that connected one part of the castle to the next, we bundled our cloaks around ourselves. A cold blast of air blew through the opened windows. Our breaths came out in puffs of steam and rose to the sky.

"I can't believe Peter is missing," I mused.

"I know," Remus said. "It's odd really. Peter was supposed to meet us in Diagon Alley a few weeks ago to get school supplies. He never showed up, but someone told Lily, James, Sirius and I that he went missing a few weeks before that. So we're genuinely confused. That person had to know something about Peter's disappearance no?"

I nodded.

"Yes," I admitted. "It does sound suspicious."

"Can I tell you my theory?" Remus asked as we stopped walking and faced each other.

"Sure," I said.

"Please don't tell the others," he said imploringly. "They'll only laugh and call me paranoid."

"You can trust me," I said earnestly.

Remus sighed and went over to the window. He crossed his arms on top of the sill, looking out at the afternoon sky. The grounds were dry and dead leaves blew around the grass. In some spots, the grass was brown.

I stood next to him.

"I have this feeling," Remus continued quietly, keeping his gaze on the lake. "That You-Know-Who is powerful and is gathering followers. I mean, I'm not sure Peter would go, but I'm not sure he wouldn't."

"That totally makes sense," I said softly.

"Really?" he asked turning to face me. "It doesn't sound far fetched?"

"No," I said shaking my head. "Why not? I've got a bad feeling as well."

Remus raised an eyebrow at me.

"You're not just saying that to humor me?"

I smiled and shook my head.

"You've known me for what? 6? 7 Years now? Have I ever humored you?"

Remus smiled and shook his head.

"Okay then," I beamed. "Let's head back to the common room okay?"

He beamed back and we continued on our way.

We went to the rest of our classes.

Before dinner, I headed up to the Owlery to send Mum and Dad a letter.

"Not that they're going to care," I muttered to myself as I attached the letter to Mia's leg.

She extended her wings and took flight effortlessly.

I heard someone behind me.

"Who's there? Sirius? I'll kill you if I find out it's you," I scolded.

I turned around.

No one there.

Shrugging, I turned back around and bent down to pick up my bag when someone grabbed me from behind and placed a cloth over my nose and mouth. I screamed but it was muffled.

Shortly, I felt my eyelids getting heavy and blackness swallowed me up.

REMUS.

I began getting worried. Kelly hadn't returned from the Owlery yet.

"Let's go check on her," I said to Lily.

Lily and I headed from the common room and up to the Owlery.

We entered the Owlery.

We saw Kelly lying on her side in the straw on the ground. One arm was stretched out while the other was draped over her side. Her hair had fallen over her face and bits of straw clung to her auburn hair.

"Kelly," I said as I dropped to my knees and skidded on the straw a few inches.

Lily dropped to her knees also.

I gently turned her over onto her back.

"She's got a pulse," Lily said feeling Kelly's neck.

"Good," I said relieved.

"Mmmf?" Kelly's voice came out groggily.

"Kelly?" I demanded worriedly. "What happened?"

"Remus? Lily?" Kelly asked as we helped her sit up. "What happened?"

"You tell us," Lily said eyeing her with concern.

"I came up here to send a letter to Mum and Dad when someone grabbed me from behind and placed a cloth over my nose and mouth," Kelly said as we helped her get to her feet.

Lily pulled bits of straw out of Kelly's hair.

"Did you see who it was?"

Kelly shook her head.

"No," she cringed. "But my head feels like a firecracker had gone off in it."

She rubbed her forehead.

"There's a cloth on the floor," Lily said eagerly pointing.

I picked it up.

"Let's go to Dumbledore,"

We headed to Dumbledore's office.

"What can I do for you three?" he asked, his blue eyes twinkling behind his half moon spectacles.

"Kelly was attacked," I said.

Immediately, pure concern filled his expression.

"Sit," he said gesturing to one of the comfy pouf chairs in front of his desk. Kelly sat down.

Professor Dumbledore arose from his seat and came around to the front of his desk and peered at Kelly.

"What happened?" he demanded.

Kelly began telling him what she told us.

"Here's the cloth, sir," I said handing Dumbledore the cloth.

Dumbledore pulled out his wand and waved it over the cloth.

"This cloth has been doused with Muggle Chloroform," he said.

"Oh my God," Lily breathed wide-eyed.

"Did you see your attacker?" Professor Dumbledore asked keeping his blue eyes on Kelly.

"No sir," she replied shaking her head. "He came up from behind me."

"I'm issuing a curfew," Professor Dumbledore said firmly. "No one is to leave the common room after 9 P.M."

We nodded.

"I want you to go to Madam Elkin to get checked over," Dumbledore said to Kelly.

"I'm okay, sir," she said smiling.

Dumbledore shook his head.

"I don't care. Go get checked over,"

Kelly nodded.

We knew better than to argue with him.

"Let me know if anything unusual happens," Dumbledore said urgently.

"We will sir," Lily said softly.

So we got up and left his office.

Obediently, Kelly went to Madam Elkins to get checked over. She was alright.

We headed back to the common room.

"Is everything alright?" James demanded worriedly.

We explained what happened to him.

"Shit," Sirius said wide-eyed.

Lily gave him a reproving glare, but nodded.

Kelly sat down on the couch.

I hefted the pants legs up to my slacks and crouched down in front of her.

"That was the most frightening thing I've ever been through," Kelly said shivering.

"I'm sure," Sirius said putting an arm around her shoulders.

"We're here if you want to talk," I said staring up into her face.

Kelly smiled.

"Thanks. I'm heading to bed now. I'm exhausted,"

She got up and left the common room.

"We've got to keep an eye on her," James said.

"I agree," Sirius said nodding.

"There was a reason why that person attacked her…but why?" I mused standing up and pacing the common room.

"Not sure," Lily said.

So we all headed off to bed.

KELLY.

I fell asleep and dreamed again:

I saw Dumbledore and I chained to a wall in some sort of dungeon.

Someone was speaking to a gray wolf standing on all fours not to far from where we were chained.

"Kill them," the voice hissed. It sounded almost like a snake.

The wolf came into view. It was Remus.

The wolfs ears flattened out sideways and it charged for me, the canines and incisors gleaming. I felt the teeth sink into my neck. I screamed.

I woke up screaming.

"Again!" Lily's voice asked worriedly.

The light was turned on and she appeared at my side.

"Kelly? What happened this time?" she asked.

I kept screaming and couldn't stop.

"Someone get McGonagall!" I heard a girls' voice cry.

Someone ran from the girl's dorm.

REMUS.

I heard screaming coming from the girls' dorm. Being a werewolf gave me extra sensitive hearing. I immediately snapped awake and switched on my light. I was in a pair of navy plaid flannel lounge pants and a white tee-shirt.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up. I realized even Sirius' was awake.

We headed out of the boys dorm and into the common room, where Kelly was sitting and thrashing on the couch, being held down by Lily and Professor McGonagall.

"What's going on?" I demanded anxiously, peering from Kelly to Lily, to McGonagall.

"Please go on back to bed, Mr. Lupin," McGonagall said gently but firmly.

"No," I said folding my arms over my chest. "What's going on? What's wrong with Kelly?"

"She had another nightmare," Lily explained swallowing. "This must've been real bad because she went into a fit."

"Let me help," I said as I went over to Kelly and gently but firmly sat down on the couch and turned her back against my chest. I pinned my arm under her throat and with my free arm, wrapped it around her midsection just below her chest pinning her arms at her sides. She stopped thrashing.

She was breathing heavily. Her head rested back against my chest.

McGonagall was now able to give her a sip of a potion that no doubt must've been the Calming Draught.

I felt Kelly's body relaxing against mine.

I loosened my grip a bit.

"What happened, Miss Richards?" Professor McGonagall asked worriedly.

Kelly didn't reply.

"Kelly? Please tell us what happened," Lily pleaded in a calm tone.

"I had a dream that Dumbledore and I were chained to a wall somewhere and this person was telling this gray wolf to attack us," Kelly choked out. "I felt the teeth sinking into my skin before I woke up."

Lily and I exchanged looks.

"I assure you that nothing will happen to you or Professor Dumbledore," McGonagall said reassuringly and gently. "Has this been the only nightmare you've had?"

"No," I said turning my eyes onto Professor McGonagall. "She had one similar earlier."

"Okay," McGonagall said. "Just try and get some sleep again. If anything else should happen, don't hesitate to let me know okay?"

We nodded and she left.

I slowly released Kelly.

She leaned forward with her elbows resting on her thighs and buried her face in her hands.

"Why am I dreaming this?" she muttered. "You must think I'm a freak of some sort."

"Not at all," Sirius said sitting across from us on the chair. "There's obviously a reason for it."

"But what could that be?" Lily asked turning her eyes onto Sirius.

"That I don't know," Sirius mused. "But there's a definite reason."

"But if it was just a nightmare, why go into a fit?" Lily mused.

"That I don't know either," Kelly replied. "It seems the stronger the dream, the stronger my reaction to it is."

"Are you going to be okay?" Sirius asked.

Kelly nodded without raising her head.

Sirius put a hand on her shoulder before heading back to the boy's dorm.

Lily rubbed Kelly's back before she too, headed back to the girls' dorm.

I stood up and stretched. Kelly did too.

"Maybe the reason you're dreaming about Dumbledore is because you have a crush on him," I teased her trying to make her laugh.

Kelly just gave me a stiff look.

"You're joking at a time like this?"

Immediately, I felt guilty.

"No, I was just trying to cheer you up," I said looking upset that I had upset her.

"How can I be cheerful when I'm having these horrible nightmares?" Kelly demanded.

"I'm sorry…" I began but she cut me off.

"Good-night, Moony,"

With that, she headed off back to the girls' dorm leaving me standing there completely upset.

I remained in the common room, unable to sleep. I kept pacing back and forth trying to understand what had just happened, and trying to come with an idea as to why she was having these nightmares.

I even turned to my textbooks. I was sitting at the table pouring over my textbooks when exhaustion finally took over. I ended up falling asleep with my right cheek pressing against the page in the book.