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A New Dream

Harry woke up to a cold, dark Sunday morning, scar burning. His dream was still vivid in his mind. He always relied on his dreams for guidance to what Lord Voldemort was planning next but since that last year at Hogwarts, he didn't know what to think of them.

Harry was fighting Voldemort again, but this time there was a young girl, about his age, fighting in front of him. He was standing next to (this was a HUGE shock) Draco Malfoy, both fighting and trying to not hit the girl. He could never see the girl's face and her voice was low and icy. Then he saw Cho, lying still on the floor. Malfoy covered for him while Harry picked up Cho and backed up.

"You fools!" said Voldemort. "She'll finish you off before you even scratch her!" The girl started coming out of the darkness and… Harry woke up to his Aunt Petunia calling him down for breakfast.

Harry didn't like to think of that last year. It was the worst in his opinion. The only upsides were that everyone finally believed him that Voldemort was back to power and that his aunt, uncle, and cousin were treating him like he existed, but in a lot of trouble.

Plus, he had got to kiss Cho Chang under the mistletoe and go out with her for a brief period. But now, so it seems, that he has moved on and the temptation to be with her was no longer so large, but almost non-existent.

Aunt Petunia gave him a bagel and cream cheese for breakfast, though Harry thought it should have a sticker that read, "Assembly Required." on it. The bagel was still in the bag and the cream cheese was sitting there, unopened, waiting for him to do his first work of the day.

He ate his bagel in silence, staring at the doorway that lead up to his room, his wonderful, glorious, away-from-it-all room. The heavy-duty homework assigned that summer was not the most fun thing to be doing on a summer day, even as gloomy as this, but Harry had no choice.

But when he got to his room, something there surprised him. Three owls sat on his bed and Hedwig on the windowsill. He detached the letters and parcels from the owls' legs as they stared at him. The owls drank from Hedwig's water dish (with many glares from Hedwig) and made themselves comfortable on Harry's bed. He only hoped that they didn't give them any 'gifts' as well (if you know what I mean).

The first was from Hermione. There was a letter telling him 'Happy Birthday' with all the usual, "this will help you with your studies. I hope you and Ron aren't going to slack off a lot like you did last year… blah, blah, blah." Hermione got him a book, which (of course) was on the list of required reading for his 6th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (which he found out later as he read said list).

The second parcel was from Ron. It was only a newspaper clipping of an article in the Daily Prophet, but Harry, knowing Ron, thought there was a surprise that Harry knew he would love inside it:

Inquisitor Quits As Dark Lord Regains Power

Former High Inquisitor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Dolores Umbridge, resigned after running into Hogsmeade, screaming, "They're all mad! They're all bloody mad!" and muttering about half-breeds and poltergeists. Headmaster Albus Dumbledore says that they will be appointing a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher soon.

He didn't need to read the rest of the article. Ron hasn't disappointed him yet. He smiled and grinned and almost danced around the room to this wonderful news. He thought it was about time. He had only waited all summer for something like this. Normally he would go to the mirror that Sirius had given him last year… but not anymore.

Harry stopped smiling. He felt sick again. He started breathing deeply, heavier and heavier with each step he took. Lying back on his bed, he took the other letter from the last owl as it flew away quickly. It was his letter from Hogwarts. He didn't want to go back. It was the first time he had ever not wanted to go back to Hogwarts with all of his friends.

Harry would of course go anyway. He needed Hermione and Ron to help him. Besides, who knew what was going to happen this time?