Disclaimer: We do not take credit in any part to the genius of J. K. Rowling, only for the piles of wadded paper behind us.

Chapter Nine

Dawning of the Nightmares

The bell tower struck midnight, and instantly Harry felt different. His body became so cold, and Harry woke with a start. He looked around and gasped at what he saw. He was somehow reliving the night he had just had. It was even more haunting now that he was watching it from a distance.

Harry had no choice but to watch as the evening wore on, Ginny die again, as every time he tried to turn away it was still there. And every time he tried to wake up it didn't work. When the dream came to the point where Harry laid down to go to sleep he closed his eyes, preparing for the dream to end. When he opened his eyes again, to his horror, the dream started again.

The dream came to a close again, and began once again. The dream ended and began again. Ginny's dying screams echoed through his mind, and Voldemort's cruel laugh pierced through her screams. Harry closed his eyes and put his hands over his ears in an attempt to drown and block the sounds and visions that were tormenting him. But, no matter how he tried the sounds echoed hauntingly through the ghostly dream that was on an endlessly tormenting loop in Harry's mind. Tears filling his eyes, as he fought them on his knees, Harry eventually let out a tremendous yell of pain, and sat up in his bed making that same yell.

Neville, Seamus and Dean all fell out of their bedsin fright. Ron had jumped down and grabbed Harry as he sat forward. "What happened?" Ron asked, surprisingly awake for the time of morning it was.

"I was dreaming about Ginny," Harry said, sitting up a bit more.

"Dreaming about Ginny?" Seamus said. "You woke us up for that?"

"Shut up!" Ron snapped. "If you don't want to listen then go back to bed. What happened mate?" Ron sat down on Harry's bed and looked at him with concern.

"I was reliving the whole evening before and after her death," Harry said. "It was horrible. Eventually everything was running together so it seemed more and more real in the dream."

"I don't know how that would feel, but I'm sorry," Ron said. "Sorry that I ran off from you and Hermione. I don't know why I just did."

"I appreciate your apology," Harry said. They embraced in a quick hug, and then Ron went back to sleep, but Harry lay awake in his bed until dawn.

At breakfast, and after Ron's apology to Hermione, Harry told them all the details of the dream. Ron reacted much the same as Harry had, but Hermione was thoughtfully listening. "Harry, do you realize what that is?" she asked him.

"No," he said, looking to Ron for a clue.

"You're being given a chance to avenge Ginny," she said. "You can keep watching the dream, and figure out how he get there and how he left."

"But that still doesn't solve the problem of how he knew we were there alone," Harry said.

"One step at a time, mate," Ron said, clapping Harry on the back slightly. "Just take it one step at a time."

Everybody quieted down, and Ron, Harry, and Hermione turned to see Dumbledore standing up. "As many of you know, a student has been killed while on these grounds. Her name was Ginerva Weasley from Gryffindor House. I must therefore caution all of you to remain on guard. Don't go anywhere alone, and do not leave the common rooms after curfew; not matter what. Now you all have busy schedules before you, so I will not keep you any longer.

A/N: Sorry it took us so long to get this up, we were not able to talk to each other.