Shitza: I just realised an awful mistake. When writing the timetable for Harry I noticed I've missed putting in Defense Against the Dark Arts. So sorry, from here on there will be a Defense against the dark Arts lesson 3:30pm on Thursdays. Also, I'm sorry for delaying this chapter, but as I've been writing all over the last chapters, I've been on a short vacation from writing. I needed a simple break. Yet now I'm back, don't worry, it will take more then that to make me quit this story.

The story has also turned, from being General/ Action/ Adventure to Fantasy /Action/ Adventure. The reason will become clear in this chapter. This chapter is also very long and took me a while to write.

Also, once again things are heating up, I did tell you this fic was going to be darker, I hope you don't run away, but just so you know. Also, if you spot any mistakes or have any questions, tell me. I hate making mistakes, but I do too often.

Hope on seeing you all on my reviews, please review, I didn't get so many last time. Oh well, I know school's keeping everyone busy, but please, if you are reading this, please review. Right now I really need those reviews.

Lastly, I won't hold you corrupted anymore, I've been talking enough. I don't own Harry potter or any of the things from the book. Now, finally, on to the story.

Chapter 15 Waking up in Darkness

It was a sleepy bunch of young teens that fell onto their beds. Harry James Anemone Potter, Ronald August Gryffindor Weasley, Hermione Irene le Fay Granger, Neville Mercury Hufflepuff Longbottom, Draco Jonathan Slytherin Malfoy and Cassandra Emerald Ravenclaw Ridgeback, the six most powerful servants to the Light, all slept peacefully, not knowing what to expect when they woke up.

Outside once again the winds were turning, from peace too war. Once again fate had things for them. They could not, not even the heir of Hufflepuff could see what awaited them as once again darkness came as a new force.

In the Headmasters Office, Albus too felt the upcoming war. He was old now, so old, even if witches and wizards generally became older then the Muggles, he was now slowly drifting into darkness. And with that he also could feel it.

Down in the kitchen the house elves panicked, hiding under tables and chairs. One hid herself in the oven. All of them tried to escape that creepy feeling they had in themselves.

Dark clouds emerged, the wildlife fled. This time, darkness didn't come as a physical force. Slowly, it would arrive, more terrible then the Dark Lord himself.

Cassandra was the first one to wake up. Once she entered the Ravenclaw Common room she sensed something had to be wrong. She noticed, moments later she had been right.

Hermione and Draco as the second and third ones to notice the abrupt change in the castle. They both got dressed and headed down towards the Great hall. On their way they saw some slight differences, for example. It was awfully quiet, and so cold. But it wasn't the normal cold you felt on the skin, the cold first entered their hearts, before rummaging around in your whole body.

"Something is wrong!" Hermione said alert. She looked back, saw nothing but felt that something was up. The two of them headed for the great hall, in order to get something to eat.

Fourthly Harry was next. Sleepily he entered the shower, but he knew he needed to get up. He just wished that the house elves could serve them breakfast an hour later then nine.

Yet how much he turned the temperature up, it wouldn't get warmer. It was a cold rain of water that hit his bare skin. Panting he ran out. What had happened? He performed several charms, yet nothing worked. Giving up he got dressed, feeling very dirty he performed several cleaning charms on himself. With that settled he walked over to the window, to get a good view of the weather. He couldn't believe his eyes. Snow, in September! How?

He ran downstairs, bumping into several students heading for class. He was in such a hurry he didn't snap up what they said. He was lucky he didn't.

Next came Neville, who had woken up by Harry's sudden hurry. He yawned ones and too felt the coldness in his bones. Panicking he ran over to a crystal bowl and put a hand on it. It turned pitch black with a slight glow of red.

'Darkness, here? I thought that the castle was protected with enough magic to drive anything out. What can have entered here?'

The heir of Hufflepuff cautiously made his way down, feeling how the darkness grew. To his sorrow he felt it come from his friends in Gryffindor. He passed Dean, who eyed him menacingly before throwing a curse after him. Luckily Lavender got hit of it and the two of them started to fight, not duel. This was a real blood field. Neville ran, he needed to find the others.

Lastly Ron woke up, from a nightmare. He had dreamt that the school had been cursed, making everyone evil. He climbed out of bad, breathing the ice-cold air and felt the cold. The cold, it hadn't been a dream.

He ran out from the common room and took a shortcut down, a hidden trapdoor, which led down to the Entrance Hall.

The six arrived in the same time, all of them white as sheets. Looking at each other they knew it was now or never. The school had been hit, by a negative force, dark magic, or negative leftovers of magic. These strong winds rarely erupted in these kinds of storms like the one which had erupted and it the castle. No magic could block it, not even the strongest spells in the world could do anything about it. Only a few could be immune by its terrible strength, only real strong wizards or witches remained untouched.

The only real Negative wind that had ever erupted had inflated half of London into darkness and that one had erupted during the rule of Grindelwald, one of the foulest wizards of known.

Once again these winds had stroke, making the school, and Hogsmeade evil.

"We better take a closer look on how worse this have gotten." Draco said once the panic had settled and everyone had managed to cry out what they felt, which didn't include Ron, Draco or Harry. "I'll check the corridors, the classrooms and towers. Cassandra, you'll better take the mountains around, you'll fly there easily. There are some Muggle villages around in the mountains that need to be checked. Hermione, you'll check the Staff and the teachers' offices. Also go and see how Dumbledore and ghosts has been affected by all this, I fear the worst. Ron, you'll check the forests. Neville, you'll go down to the lake and see how the sea creatures have taken it all. Harry, you'll be down at Hogsmeade, I'm dead sure the wind must have passed there too."

They separated, heading for different directions. Draco ran down to the dungeons, Hermione followed going to check up on Snape's office. Neville, Harry, Ron and Cassandra went outside. There they separated. Cassandra transformed into an eagle and flew off. Ron took his lion Animagi form and left towards Hagrid's cabin, which lay at the edge of the forest. Neville ran down to the lake, where he performed an Agua-Lung Charm he had learnt during the summer. Harry took his own Animagi form of the White Phoenix and flew off at the direction of Hogsmeade.

---Hurry Draco, hurry--- (know it's lame, but couldn't come up with something better)

Draco ran through the corridors, the hallways and narrow paths he could find. Everywhere he could sense the darkness coming and whenever he used his mind ability to read others, he saw it. That cold blindness of hate, he hated the sight of it and wondered what could pull up such a strong wind that it destroyed all these minds.

He hurried as fast as he could, following the corridors up. Lastly he came to the North Tower, where fortunately Professor Trelawney had left. He turned back, going down. On the sixth floor corridor he finally found a light thought, which unfortunately was screaming urgently. Screaming urgently for help.

He ran to the direction he thought he had heard the pleas coming from. It was a girl, about five years old. He had no idea of how she had gotten there, she must have run from the village once she noticed the evil going on. Unfortunately for her she had run to the last place you wanted to be on. Six seventh years, Pansy Parkinson, Gregory Goyle, Vincent Grabbe, Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott and Millicent Bulstrode, all from Slytherin attacked her. He could feel her pain as curse after curse hit her.

"Stop it this instant!" he shouted sending six Ice Charms at them. Panting he looked up and saw six ice statues glowing in the faint sunlight.

The girl ran over to him, she didn't say anything but hugged him. He smiled, he knew she mustn't know who he was or else she wouldn't even have touched him. Slytherin was one of the foulest names in the world. He smiled, hugging the girl back. He couldn't understand how that little girl could be unaffected, but he was happy to see a light soul, except himself and the others.

He took the girls hand in his and walked down to the entrance where they waited for the others to come.

---Cassandra's Unpleasant Experiences---

Cassandra flew the fastest she could fly, till she soon enough reached the nearest mountain village, five thousand miles from Hogwarts. The village lay in another valley. She landed some metres away, where she transformed back to her usual self and as an extra last thing before entering she transfigured her robe to assemble a knee-high, sleeveless dress. She walked in, all her senses trying to pick up any sense of darkness. She couldn't find anything coming from the village, but she knew it lay there, waiting to take action. She would wait too. She hated it, but the secret of magic would soon be discovered. Especially if these things kept on going.

She sat in a small square, where the Muggles where holding some kind of festivities. She sighed, the darkness grew. She knew Muggles couldn't sense it as she could and she was relieved that this village so far was unharmed.

'Please let it remain like this.' She thought.

She didn't know how it all would turn out to become.

Indeed darkness lay there. It laid in the trees, they were weak and hadn't been able to call of the darkness when it came. Now it formed its strength in its branches and roots.

Creaks and falling branches could be heard as the forest began moving, slowly it reached the village. She ran over to the nearing edge. Panicking she didn't know what to do. She didn't know if fire would be the best of options. The Muggles still hadn't noticed the growing dangers. Fire might as well attract too much attention and there where so many trees.

So what was her strength, just as she wouldn't be able to use fire she would definitely not be able to use levitation. Besides it wouldn't be able to stop the trees.

Wind came to her decision. Wind, yet a strong hurricane could rip the trees from the ground and put the somewhere else. Yet she shouldn't attract too much suspicion. She concentrated deeply, beginning to form her might wind at least two hundred miles from where the village lay. She hoped it would be big enough once it reached and she worked tiredly to draw it towards her. It was hard work, also she had to place protection on the village, so that the hurricane wouldn't rip half the village into dust. She didn't want to hurt anyone.

She was sweating badly, and her eyes kept glancing unfocused. She was happy still no Muggle had decided on walking out to where she stood.

It felt like hours before she could feel it coming. And it came. She was half terrified when she saw it, even more terrified then any of the Muggles who spotted it and ran towards the opposite direction. She was most afraid of loosing control of it.

The hurricane ripped the trees from the ground as she had predicted. Yet she hadn't thought of the landing. The trees didn't land where they had been ripped of from, no they landed on the village, destroying the roofs of the houses. Luckily the Muggles had already escaped and didn't see the magical damage they made. She panicked, but understood she needed help. Her own magic wasn't strong enough.

Giving up, for now, she transformed back into her Animagi form and flew off towards the castle.

---Hermione's Nightmare Tour---

Hermione ran to Professor Snape's Office. She found him sitting by his desk, writing. She sighed of relief until she noticed what he wrote. It was deaths declare of students who would accidentally die during his lessons. Feeling rather ill she didn't bother asking how he felt, she knew.

She hurried to the Staff room, where it all was a mess. The teachers were duelling with each other and in a corner Professor Trelawney sat, a crystal ball laid in her hand, it was pitch black with a slightly red aura around. The darkness must have damaged her by the most since she looked blankly at the wall. She guessed Seers were affected by this in a different way.

Now she was really panicking and she hoped that the headmasters at least hadn't been as badly affected by all this. She ran towards his office, running past a bunch of ghosts. They were spookily dark, and solid. It looked as if they had been frozen as soon as the dark wind had swept over. She closed her eyes, wishing this was a nightmare. She guessed at least it couldn't get worse.

She didn't know how wrong she was.

She came to the Headmaster's Office. Entered with the password, Chocolate cake. The office was dark, so she lit her wand. It was a most distressing scene that met her eyes. It looked like she hadn't been the first to enter his Office, on the contrary he must had more visitors. Papers lay thorn on the desk, ink had been spilt on the rugs. Chair lay smashed on the floor. She guessed he had had visitors, unless he hadn't gotten mad.

She ran over to his bedroom, to find, a nightmare worse then anything else. Professor Dumbledore lay on his bad, coughing and pale white. She couldn't believe it, she didn't want to believe it. Dumbledore was dying.

She fell to her knees, face buried in her hands. She guessed he couldn't hear her, he looked so dead, but she could hear light breathing. She was relieved that darkness hadn't taken him, but still it was weakening him.

She couldn't bare it, she couldn't stand it. She ran back to the entrance, blinded by tears. It was a miracle itself she found the way back.

---Ron Enters the Forbidden Realms---

No one answered from Hagrid's cabin, so he guessed that the giant was out, hopefully far away from here.

Ron ran as fast as he could to avoid trouble. He hated the forest, but still he hadn't found anything of the worst, spiders. It looked as every single creature had fled.

He roared happily, noticing how wrong he might have been. Still some creatures hadn't fled, but they only turned out to be ravens. He thanked Merlin nothing so far had happened because he certainly didn't feel like fighting at the moment.

He kept on running deeper into the forest, he spotted Cassandra once, as she flew at the same direction. That girl sure fascinated him. He didn't look on where he ran, so unfortunately he ran right into an old trap, which had been set out by some vampires. Of course vampires actually didn't live in Great Britain, but these had been survivors from the last battle between good and evil. He growled as he noticed he had been trapped in a iron cage. Growling he transformed back into himself. This was a huge mistake as now the vampires smelled magical blood, in which they hungered for.

Ron took out his wand and began to melt his way out. Yet he noticed this almost turned out to be too much for his old wand, so he put it back and placed a hand on the cold iron. He used his elemental magic, fire, and managed to melt himself out. He knew now who had set this trap, but he ignored it. He had other things in mind.

Leaving he didn't only leave an half ruined iron cage, he also left a good question. The Vampires all wondered, what had the world gone for? What would happen now, and... What would happen with all magic once the real pure ones had left.?

Ron had no idea how much this would affect Scotland's only living vampires.

He continued deeper into the forest. Unfortunately he must have forgotten how deep the Acromantula spiders' homes dwelled. Because, unknowingly he ran deeper and deeper into their nests.

Here as he still hadn't forgotten, lived Aragog and Mosag, lord and lady of the Scottish Acromantula colony.

Ron received a shock once he realised where he had gotten himself into. Also he realised everything was a trap, the Acromantulas had set a trap for his arrival, a large net which he got caught in like a worthless fly.

"Well, well, what have we here!" Aragog said gleefully.

Ron growled in answer. He was happy lions' never showed fright in much and so far he hadn't started to whimper. That would blow everything of.

The spiders' eyes were oddly red. He guessed that the only little sense they had left had disappeared. He could see them, discussing if they should eat him, or poison him before eating. He wished they would take time deciding as he started to burn of the net that he was stuck in. he luckily found out he could still use his fiery powers even as a lion. He purred happily and fell out of the net. The spiders backed. What kind of creature had managed to escape their nets? This was too unreal for them.

Ron made them burn, pleading for help. He didn't show any mercy, they deserved it. Instead he roared, making all the remaining creatures remembering this day. But all his plans were soon smashed to the ground, by two shadows. One big, one smaller. Hagrid and his brother Grawp arrived. The Gamekeeper hadn't been in his cottage, no he had been in the forest all this time, and the storm had also affected him so now he was more giant then ever.

Ron retreated back to the castle. He knew there was nothing he would be able to do unless he wanted to hurt either Grawp or Hagrid.

He returned towards the castle, running as fast as he could. Blinded by the moment of fright. He had been so frightened of hurting the ones who stood him close.

---Neville Underwater---

Neville swum as fast as he could, avoiding the red-eyed fishes and Grindylows. He wondered how the underwater culture had been affected.

He was halfway on reaching the village, when he met someone he hadn't suspected to find. It was Moaning Myrtle, from the Girls' second floor Toilets. What was she doing here?

"You wouldn't want to go down there, they are worse then ever. This time they tried to kill me once I reached to close."

"You're Moaning Myrtle, aren't you?" he asked. The ghost nodded.

"I swam down here when I felt the darkness come. It has harder to reach down here, but as you can see everything down here has been affected."

"How come you then?"

"How I'm unaffected" she laughed softly all tears she usually cried seemed to be gone. "I hid in a stone. The dark force can't affect solid cold things, such as stones. Nor can it affect life suckers as vampires. I don't know why, I've heard certain ghouls are unaffected as well."

Neville looked down in the deep, even from here he saw the coldness deep down.

"Go back, brave Hufflepuff. We'll meet again."

With that Myrtle swam back to the bottom, to once again hide into the stone once more.

Neville swam back, to tell the others. He could feel that the Agua Lung Charm was wearing of, and he needed air to perform another one.

On his way he had a bad tackle with a bunch of angry pikes, but he reached the surface and from there he swam back to the beach. He knew, this was all very serious and something needed to be done.

---Harry and the Twisted Battle--- (another lame line, sorry once again)

Harry reached the village, minutes before anyone else reached their first destinations. A phoenix wings were fast, and he was a quick flyer. He reached the village long before the other had reached theirs. It was a shock to arrive, it was all quiet. The houses were dark, the streets empty. The wind howled, but other then that he couldn't hear anything. He began to worry, worry about how the people had been affected. He soon got his answer.

He passed the usual shops, which all had been destroyed. He came to the Shrieking Shack, which looked even darker then ever. If he hadn't known the reason for it being haunted, he could swear it was. Yet this time, the doors and windows weren't barricaded. They were open, and in the windows, dark curtains swayed. He heard a noise coming from it. He wondered, is this were the villagers had fled. Then... why?

He walked up to the house, listen carefully on the sounds inside. He heard low mumbles, but nothing came from inside, unless you counted a red eyed rat, who tried to bite him. This wasn't normal behaviour, he was sure of that.

He walked in, wand alert. He walked the hall, a small corridor until he stumbled across a hidden door. He opened it carefully. It creaked devastating and he wondered what kind of evilness that slept here.

His answer came when a screaming terrified looking woman jumped at him. Her screams echoed in his ears as she ran away. Her cloths were torn and her eyes wide of fright. He didn't recognise her, but her screams had frightened him, she had sounded close to a banshee.

He walked in, now dreading to look at all the disaster. To his surprise he found nothing, nothing at all. It must have been the woman, making all that noise.

He walked back to the village, and found the woman sitting praying to a statue. The statue had the form of an old man, Hengist of Woodcroft, the founder of the village.

"Old ancestor!" she said. "What have we done to deserve this curse. What have happened of the village. Merlin be us grateful, please stop it."

Harry walked up to her. She was probably the only person of reason in the whole village. By her preys, he could guess what had happened. Indeed had the village been affected, just as the school itself. He gently touched the woman's left arm. She turned, fear burning in her eyes. She saw the scar on his forehead and fell by his feet.

"Young Lord, help me! Evil spirits have conquered the souls of my friend and family. They all have turned against me. Please, young lord, help me. Oh great one, who have conquered over evil itself. Help me!"

She clung to his right leg, crying. Tears trickled down her face and dropped to the ground. He bent down and whispered.

"Tell me what happened, and I'll help you with all my and my friends might."

And she told him, told him everything. She told him of the cold coming, about how the people had changed and destroyed everything. About how wizards and witches had demolished each other and the torture had begun. She had fled downstairs and unfortunately the storm had crashed the floor, so rocks had rained down on her. Just in time she had been able to perform a magical shield. She had been badly scratched and bruised, but she guessed it had been worse for the others.

Harry slowly nodded understanding. He told the woman to make her way towards the castle, and find either Neville Hufflepuff, Cassandra Ravenclaw, Draco Slytherin, Ronald Gryffindor or Hermione Granger. The woman nodded in reply and began running. Running for safety.

Harry sighed. Here he was, trapped amongst a mass of cursed wizards. He didn't like it. These wizards and witches would not know what they did, so in that way he didn't want to hurt them. Yet, they would probably try to kill him.

He heard a couple of explosions, coming from the station. There finally he found the villagers, busy crumbling the station and melt away the iron on the engines. They didn't notice his arrival. He was really relieved by that.

Yet he didn't get much peace as a young boy, around eight, spotted him and in that way he told the others. Now every villager had noticed his arrival and they smiled, grinned evilly. They all raised their wands and performed an army of curses that easily would have destroyed a normal wizard to atoms. Only, he wasn't a normal wizard. He was something more. Much more.

The spell rebounded, most of them had been stunners, a few curses and three Killing Curses. How it was possible he could not tell. He could only see the real difference between them and Voldemort's favourite Killers. These were so poor, they might kill, mice he guessed. The villagers were very inexperienced in duelling.

Now the villagers really got angry. The three wizards who had sent Killers, three beefy looking men who now by their killers had received nosebleed, angrily and madly ran against him, angrily sparking knives in their hands.

Harry quickly dodged their attacks. He let a combination of Quidditch reflexes and Duelling skill take over. The villagers all looked stunned. Now more attacked, sending evil green flames at him. These weren't strong, one by one. But Harry soon realised further action was useless. He was strong, but would not be able to dodge a thousand curses, he knew that. He quickly transformed to the White Phoenix and flew off. Deep below he heard the villagers cheering, before a great battle erupted, everyone against everyone. In the air, Harry felt tears trickle down his cheeks. He cried, for the people deep below who didn't know what evilness they did.

TBC

To reviewers: This was quite long, hopefully I'll be able to update soon enough. Until then, see you!

Nightwing 509: Thanks for reviewing. Hopefully I'll be able to get another chapter up soon.

blaze potter: Hope you liked this, and sorry for not writing for a while, but as I said last chapter, I needed a break. God, I didn't even go near the computer for four days, that's a real record. Yet, I think I really needed that, ideas are flowing in once more. Hope you liked the trial in the extra chapter. Do you think I should post that, I don't know really?

midnight-fox-55: Oh, really. Well, you better let me know, I would love to read that one. Thanks for reviewing and hope you liked the update.

ThE 3 cAbAlLeRoS: Hopefully you received my mail, then you'll have the answers. Thanks for reviewing.

Star of Dawn: Good you are asking, here's the answer. The founders were making sure that their heirs were worthy for being what they were. They were making sure they found out certain things. A few times I've let them slip past things the heirs alone wouldn't be able to find, and make them alert on certain things. I know their role wasn't important but you'll find out more as you read the end of With the Founders, my prologue in this.

End Notes: Once again, sorry, yet I hope you enjoyed this. Hopefully you'll remember reviewing, because I really appreciate reading your words. Everything is welcome from flames (hate those but they are really useful) to admirations (don't expect you too, but they are nice)

Oh well, see you again. I'll go on writing chapter 16, I just have to catch up with my ideas first. See you!

Shitza