Chapter 8

Quidditch practice

I don't own any characters of HP

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The weekend finally arrived Angelina had called for the Quidditch tryouts to be held that afternoon. So after lunch the team headed down to the pitch and met the new hopefuls for the Keeper's position. Ginny and Hermione sat in the Stands to give Ron moral support. Harry was delighted he was getting to fly. The day was perfect, the September sun still had some warmth in it and the wind was calm.

Only three people had turned out to tryout and this pleased Ron, "Less competition" he thought.

Ron started off shaky but when his nerves settled he steadied himself and did a very good job. Hermione and Ginny clapped in the Stands when Ron flew back down to the ground. After a brief discussion with the team, Ron was selected as the new Gryffindor Goalkeeper.

Ron borrowed Hedwig when they were back at the castle and sent a letter to Bill (his older brother) and to his mum also telling them of the great news. Fred and George were dancing around the Common Room chanting,

"Another Weasley on the team! Another Weasley on the team!"

The Ravenclaw team was holding their tryouts later that day and Harry knew that Cho would be there.

"Fancy a walk down to the lake and around the pitch?" he asked

"But we've just come in" Hermione whined.

"Come on Ron, we'll be in for the rest of the weekend" Harry said looking out the window; he could just make out the goalposts from the Common room.

After a bit of persuasion his two friends finally agreed.

It wasn't long before Ron and Hermione realised why Harry wanted to go for a walk. The Ravenclaw team was having a group discussion in the centre of the pitch and by the looks of it Cho had been selected as Captain. She had a list in her hand and was yelling instructions to her team about where people were starting from and who was to do what.

She saw the three walking over and Harry caught her eye and gave a little wave but Cho didn't wave back. She looked annoyed and told her team to get ready while she walked over to Harry.

"Potter" she said hotly

"Potter" Harry thought, "When did she ever call me that?"

"You know" she yelled as she walked up to them, "You know you can't be here, we didn't interrupt your training so you are not interrupting ours. You might take notes and steal our moves, now go away."

"But Cho we were only…."

"I don't want to hear it; I need to return to my team. Leave or I will call Madam Hooch."

She stormed off leaving the three friends standing with their mouths open.

"Fine, if she wants to be like that, leave her. Come on Harry we'll go," Hermione yelled dragging Harry's arm away.

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When they returned to the castle Harry muttered an excuse and went up to his dorm. Ron and Hermione both gave Harry looks to say "if you need us, you know where we are."

Harry got to his bed and lying on his back he looked up to the canopy on top of his four poster bed and thought,

"Well that explains it, she definitely blames me for everything, she wouldn't even look at me earlier. I'm back to square one with her. Out of all the pretty girls in the school why do I have to fancy the one girl who's boyfriend Voldermort decided to kill in front of me. Talk about passion killer! There goes any chance I ever had."

Harry could feel a headache starting and he closed his eyes hoping this would ease the pain. It wasn't long before Harry had dozed off.

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Harry dreamt he was in a huge room and he was facing a stone altar, once more Harry was looking through the eyes of Voldermort,

"Tonight Wormtail, I will get what I desire. I have waited long enough and finally my plan will be put into practice. Call my men to me and bring our new recruit also, it is time they knew; shortly they will receive my mark and join me. Go Wormtail, time is of the essence."

"My Lord" a voice appeared in the corner of the room.

"Severus" Voldermort replied, "Come forward and kneel infront of your Lord."

Snape crossed the room and knelt infront of Voldermort. One by one he requested his men to kneel down and worship him as they arrived.

The real Harry tossed and turned on his bed, his scar hurting more and more, but Harry didn't wake up.

"Bring in our newest member," he continued.

He turned around again looking at the stone altar; he then genuflected and bowed his head. When the far door squeaked open Voldermort stood and turned to face his followers,

"Fellow Death Eaters, my most loyal, who respect me and I respect in return I would like to introduce you to our newest member. They join us during interesting times and I welcome them to our circle of friends."

Harry couldn't tell if it was the girl from earlier or a boy because their hood covered their face. As the person came forward Voldermort stretched out his pale white bony hand and they kissed it gently and knelt before him. Harry's scar was burning and like during the Summer he thought he felt blood trickle down from it but still Harry refused to wake up, he was determined to see who the new Death Eater was going to be.

"Wormtail" Voldermort called, "Bring me my cloak"

"Yes, my Lord" Wormtail said bowing to his master.

"Now my child" Voldermort continued, "It is time for you to join us, but before I ask you to show yourself you must raise your left arm. Roll back your sleeve and let our ceremony begin."

Harry found himself reciting an incantation that he had never heard of before, it was like a prayer. The Death Eaters responded every few, minutes with chant. As the chanting continued the arm of the new member started to become red and steam was rising. It was like the arm was burning itself and slowly the Dark Mark was becoming visible on the skin, like a tattoo on the centre of the arm.

The more it burned the more the real Harry Potter screamed on his bed and finally the pain was so bad for Harry to bear he fell unconscious.

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Hermione had asked Ron earlier to check on Harry to see if he was alright but Ron had replied that Harry was fine, he just needed some space and that he might not appreciate them interrupting him.

There wasn't much to do on a Saturday afternoon except homework so Ron, Hermione and most of the Common Room were studying quietly when the first shout came from the boy's dormitories.

"What was that?" Lee Jordan asked looking up from his potions book

"What was what?" Fred said and a second scream was heard.

"HARRY!" Ron and Hermione jumped up. "Get Dumbledore and McGonagall" Ron ordered to his brother.

Harry's two friends ran to his bedside.

"Look at his scar" Hermione gasped.

"I knew it was bleeding that night" Ron said in a shocked voice. "Harry come on mate, it's alright wake up." Ron's voice was shaky with worry. "He's never this bad" he said to Hermione and to some of the people who had appeared in the doorway.

"He looks like he's in pain" Hermione whispered with tears in her eyes, "I hope he'll be okay."

"Mr. Weasley, what happened?" McGonagall said. She took one look at Harry and told everyone to leave the room and wait in the Common room. Dumbledore arrived just as Harry had fallen unconscious.

"Albus, I've never seen this before, he usually wakes up straight away, but the boy has slipped into a coma. His scar is a lot redder than usual and it looks like it has been bleeding," McGonagall stopped and looked at her headmaster for guidance.

He turned to Harry's friends, "Did anything happen that might have triggered this? Did Harry say anything prior to this?"

The two of them shook their heads and Hermione explained that he was a little upset about the way Cho had treated him but nothing else.

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When Harry had been placed in the hospital wing his scar had gone back to the way it usually was and there was no trace of blood. Dumbledore requested that Madam Pomfrey would contact him immediately no matter what time it was, if there was any change in Harry's condition.

"He is very weak but not currently in pain" she reassured Dumbledore.

"Thank you Poppy" he said with a slight nod, "I will inform his friends, who are desperately waiting for news."

He smiled at Pomfrey and left the hospital wing.

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When Dumbledore arrived back in his office, he began to pace up and down as it helped him to think better. He kept asking himself why there was a difference this time, what had frightened or hurt Harry so much he couldn't wake up. He decided to call Snape and Lupin to help him, they were both experts in the Dark Arts and Snape knew how Voldermort worked more than anyone else. He went to his fireplace and called for the two men. One by one they arrived.

Dumbledore told them about Harry falling asleep during the afternoon and how Ron had found him and Harry didn't wake up.

"Didn't wake up?" Lupin interrupted.

"Yes Remus, didn't wake up" Dumbledore repeated, "And that is why I have summoned you both. I know enough Dark Arts to get me through but to have a scar suddenly start to bleed and also leave the boy unconscious is a mystery to me. I'm afraid the stronger Voldermort becomes the worse Harry will feel it. Can you think of any reason why this would have happened? Unfortunately, I don't know what the dream or vision entailed until Harry wakes up."

How is Harry now?" Lupin asked gently

"He his in the hospital wing, I'm waiting for Poppy to tell me his state of health."

"You don't think he's locked in the dream Headmaster?" Snape questioned.

"I was hoping you could answer that for me, that is exactly what I am thinking" Dumbledore replied lifting his glasses up as he rubbed his eyes.

"I have never come across it Professor" Lupin said as he started to pace the room like Dumbledore had done earlier. He looked to Snape, who was leaning against a bookshelf,

"Severus have you?"

Snape's black greasy hair fell infront of his face as he shook his head, "No definitely not but when was the last time we were dealing with anyone like the Dark Lord. You know he would try anything but if there had been a meeting I would surely have been called and my arm hasn't hurt all day, but I will go and do some investigating later. I'll report back to you as soon as I can. Will that be all Professor?"

"Yes thank you Severus" Dumbledore smiled as Snape left his office.

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Lupin took a seat infront of his old headmaster's desk and he felt he was once again sixteen and sitting infront of his old Professor waiting for that familiar question,

"Is there anything you want to tell me?"

Many an afternoon Lupin went to his Professor just to talk about his secret life as a werewolf, about school work, about Lily and his feelings for her, that he couldn't tell James or Sirius, because he knew how they would react, and here he was again being that same frightened lonely teenager once more.

"Remus" Dumbledore's voice broke through his thoughts, "Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, tea would be lovely, thank you," Lupin said as he shifted in his seat.

As Dumbledore started to pour the tea Lupin continued,

"He will be okay won't he?" he asked his voice becoming shaky at the end. "I don't know what I would do if anything would happen to him, especially as Sirius has only been reunited with the boy. He's all we've got left and we promised James we would always be there for him no matter what." Sometimes he would scare us" he continued, "James that is, and he would say Remus old boy, if anything should ever happen to Lily and I, I know Harry will be safe. Sirius maybe his Godfather but you're the intelligent practical one that Harry needs. Of course we always told James to stop talking like that; he had nothing to worry about and that in eighteen years time we would all be together celebrating Harry's graduation from Hogwarts and bringing him to the Three Broomsticks for his first firewhiskey" Lupin sighed. "It was like James always knew that something was going to happen."

Tears welled in Lupin's eyes and he remained looking at a spot on the floor as if there was no-one else in the room and he had just been talking to himself.

"Remus" Dumbledore spoke, he had said nothing before this because he knew his old student needed to have his say and express his feelings. "Remus" he repeated, "Harry will be fine. We will find the answers to our questions and knowing Harry he would be more upset with me for leaving you get so upset about him," a grin appeared across his face.

"Just like James" Lupin said, "he was too stubborn and proud for his own good, and he hated being fussed over. Thank you Professor."

"I think you should go to the hospital wing, tell Poppy I requested that you stay by Harry's bed, he will need to see a friendly face when he wakes up."

Lupin stood up thanked Dumbledore once more and headed for the hospital wing.

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Lupin took a seat by his best friend's son's bed. He sat and watched Harry and gently touched his fingers over the boy's cheek.

"Come on Harry" he whispered, "Whatever frightened you this much is gone now. Please come back to us."

"Mmmm" Lupin heard from Harry.

"Harry" Lupin said louder, "Harry can you hear me?"

"Mmmm Remus, is that you?" Harry replied as his eyelids slowly lifted.

Lupin gave a warm relieved smile and nodded his head, "Yes it's me. How are you feeling?"

"Everything hurts but I'm okay, what happened?"

"We were hoping you could tell us, but not just now I need to call Madam Pomfrey and Professor Dumbledore."

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It wasn't long before Dumbledore and Snape arrived. After a quick chat with Pomfrey, Dumbledore asked Harry how he was feeling and if he was able to remember what happened.

With a little help from Lupin Harry sat up in the bed and told his headmaster and teachers about what he saw. He told them how he was Voldermort, about the altar and that someone was joining the circle of Death Eaters.

Snape interrupted Harry's story, "This must have been a vision Professor, because there were no attacks earlier and the only time the Dark Lord has this sort of ceremony is on Halloween night. Did you see anything else Potter? Do you know why you passed out?"

Easy Severus" Dumbledore said raising his finger.

"Harry" Dumbledore said turning to back to Harry, "because Voldermort has returned to his full form your scar will hurt a lot more and unfortunately the link is stronger which may explain why the scar is beginning to bleed also. Unfortunately I can not explain why this time you didn't wake up immediately. Did anything else happen?"

Harry shook his head. "No nothing Professor," he paused, "but there was one thing Voldermort, well I" he corrected himself, "made a comment just before everything went black." Harry stopped and looked straight into his headmaster's eyes, cleared his throat and continued, "He said we got one of Potter's own, this time men, one of the boy's followers."

Lupin gasped.

"Professor" Harry stopped and looking scared said, "It's someone I know, but I couldn't see their face because of their hood."

Looking down at his bed covers Harry thought out loud, "She was right for once."

"She was right for once, who was right for once?" Lupin questioned

"Oh! Professor Trelawney, she predicted that I would be betrayed this year"

"That old fraud" Snape spat, "Potter, you're worse to listen to her."

"This boy needs rest" Snape was interrupted by Pomfrey running across the room, "I think it's time you all left; the boy is looking too pale for my liking. Out you go, out, out, out"

Harry remained in the hospital wing for one more night and then he returned to his dorm.

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