Chapter 6.
The Dream.
A man with greasy black hair and a long pointed nose was brewing a bubbling eerie green potion in the dungeons of Hogwarts. He chanted a series of spells with a queer accent and an inhuman throaty sound. One by one, the bubbles in the potion rose to the top of the ceiling, popped, and a human shriek of terror filled the room. The potion was illuminated and poured into a crystal vile where it turned into the clear color of water. He pocketed the vile, and limped towards the door. Voices… voices… endless voices and sounds filled the room with laughter, tears, and low musical notes that bonded together and then separated like a chemical symbol. And then the room filled with blood and a sword was thrown clumsily, clanging emptily on the floor. A thin shadow was laughing wickedly, wildly dancing on the stained walls, and a boy with black hair was bathing in the crimson liquid, his glasses broken on the floor.
Auri screamed and burst unexpectedly into the reality world, her eyes wide and streams of sweat gliding down her cheeks. She bumped her head harshly on the bedpost, panting heavily. Hermione was at her side, patting her hand and smiling uneasily in her school robes.
"I heard voices… t-there was blood and a sword… and a boy…" she breathed, and suddenly bit her lip, realizing who the boy from her dream was.
Hermione looked concerned but then smiled and said soothingly, "I'm sure it was just a nightmare. Now get dressed for your lessons."
Aurora obeyed, quickly slipping into her black school robes and half-heartedly combed her hair. She gathered her schoolbooks and cauldron, and hurried towards the Great Hall.
"G'morning, Auri," Ron waved at her, devouring a piece of buttered toast. She waved back meekly and sliced a piece of butter onto her bread, swallowing it down with hot tea.
"You don't look too happy," Ron noticed, biting into his toast. "Not enough sleep?"
"Something like that," she stared down into her tea. She would have to tell this boy Harry about her dreams sometime. But suppose… suppose he won't believe her, and then she would have to reveal her true identity, which would cause even more problems. She wafted the thought out of her head, and half smiling, bid them good-bye and headed for her first class. Already there were a few people in the potions room, sitting at their desks and staring glumly into space. She took a seat by the window and placed her textbook on the desk. Professor Snape appeared as soon as the room was filled up with loud, chattering students. He limped towards them, his greasy hair sliding into his eyes and suppressed a throaty grunt, leaning on his desk. Auri stared at the potions teacher, her mouth slightly open, and flashes of her dream came hurtling through her mind. Snape! Snape was the one in her dream creating the potion, the one that supposedly killed Harry… or did it? The professor limped towards her and jeered into her face, "Something particularly amusing, Ms. Patterson? Perhaps you would like to share it with the class." Auri quickly pressed her mouth closed and blushed, mumbling, "No, sir."
"Good choice," Snape growled and the Slytherins snickered. "Now then, for this day we will be making… Ms. Patterson, do you wish to interrupt me every second?" Auri's hand shot into the air as she remembered something very bold she was daring to ask the potions master.
"Sir, were you here last night making a potion?" she began uncertainly.
Professor Snape's face turned even paler than it already was and his mouth twitched. "I beg your pardon?"
"What I said, professor," she replied, not meaning to sound rude. The class hushed and the Slytherins leaned in to listen in on the conversation.
"How did you…" the professor began, his eyebrows furrowed into a straight line, and his greasy hair flopping up and down.
"So I am correct," Auri's lips curled into a content smile.
"You have no right to presume," Snape said in an even, steady voice. "What did you see then, Ms. Patterson?"
"You were… you were brewing a potion, sir," Auri said nervously. "And then the potion turned green and…"
"Isn't ravishing how some people can predict the future?" the professor said after a pause. "Unfortunately, you haven't any proof, and you also don't have any… significant powers." For a moment Snape's coal-black eyes bore into her own in a frightening, steady glare, and Auri shuddered but held his gaze. "You've got talent," Snape continued with a nasty smirk. "You are skillful at being late for class. Disrespect, Ms. Patterson. Now before you impose any serious accusations on your own professor, I will ask you to take out your textbooks and turn to page 31."
Aurora turned a bright red, and while she was murdering her ingredients her mind was on something else. There was something dark and unpredictable about Professor Snape, and she pondered if her dreams really were significant if he reacted so strangely to her simple accusation.
All throughout her next classes, Auri's mind couldn't stay focused and the professors grew weary and impatient of her. She finally decided to explain her secret to Harry, which she hoped would stop the torture and empty feeling in her stomach.
She passed a long winding corridor of bickering portraits and quickly whispering "Bats and Newts" to the Fat Lady, walked into the Gryffindor Common Room. Ron and Hermione were whispering heatedly and when she took a seat by the fire, Hermione turned red and pursed her lips.
Auri stared strangely at Ron and Hermione and gave them a quizzical look, which could only mean "what in the world are you trying to hide from me." Ron grinned sheepishly and Hermione stared down in her textbook, as if discovering some fantastic fact. Auri groaned but then shook her head, "Secrets are something that I shall have to put up with… Where's Harry?"
"Oh… Harry?" Hermione sounded surprised. "He's been out for a long time. Why?"
"I've got to… got to tell him something," Auri pressed the words.
"He's in Hagrid's cabin," Ron replied and Hermione slapped him on the back of his head. "Ow!" he winced and glared at Hermione.
"Why is everyone being so strange today?" Auri sighed and added, "Where exactly would that place be?"
"You don't know?" Ron was startled. "It's in the Forbidden Forest on the edge, but blimey, don't be seen or you'll get detention."
"Thank you," she replied, her voice slightly quivering, and found her way out of the castle.
The cold autumn air brushed past her hair and calmed her nerves. She took a deep breath and walked quickly towards a pumpkin patch. Professor Snape was standing profile and with him another man… or was it a woman? Auri gasped and automatically dropped down by a rather large looking pumpkin, her hair wrapping her shoulders. He looked past her head and stumbled towards her pumpkin, scanning his eyes against the landscape.
Then he pulled the man or woman's cloak and roughly lifted it to his eyes, hissing, "I'll have you know this will not go wrong. And keep a close watch on the long haired girl." Then he thrust a small vile with green liquid into the cloak and spun on his heal.
Auri pressed a hand to her mouth, falling completely on the ground. Her dreams are true! And this meant that she had to tell Harry now, or there would be a terrible mistake. She rose slowly from her hiding place and took a run for the small log cabin on the edge of the forest. She rapped on the door several times but nobody answered. She heard the haste stomp of feet and low voices. She knocked again, and a large gruff looking man with a shaggy brown beard opened the door.
"I-I-I-I-I," she stammered at the giant man. "I-I-I'm Au-auri. P-p-please d-don't hurt me. C-can I come in?"
The giant laughed heartily and dragged her into the warm room. "No need ter be afraid," he said in a friendly tone.
"I-I wasn't afraid," Auri blushed and took a seat by a small wooden table with tea.
Harry appeared out of a closet, arms crossed over his chest. "So Ron ratted, didn't he? Couldn't keep a secret!"
"Y-yes," Auri said uncertainly. "But I asked for it, so you shouldn't blame him."
"Now don't start fightin,'" the giant man warned, placing the teakettle on the old stove.
"What is he?" she whispered to Harry. "I-I mean, who?"
"He's a giant and his name is Hagrid, and he's a hell of a good friend, and he's not a what," he replied quite loudly.
"Shut up!" Auri shushed him. "You should be nice because I came here for a reason."
"Oh?" Harry lifted his eyebrows. "To steal my friends and to ruin my life? Or is there something else?"
"You're so…" Auri said through gritted teeth but couldn't help it. "Poor little rich boy! You didn't lose your parents the way I have!"
Harry blinked at her, startled.
"That's right!" Auri blinked back the tears. "I was given up and sent to an orphanage. It's a wonder I ended up here!"
He didn't say anything. She slammed her fist on the table hard, and shaking her head, said in a hoarse tone, "You know what? I'm leaving. I can't take this. I was about to tell you something important, but I think I'll just let you die!"
"What?" Harry yelled after her. Before he could say anything, Auri slammed the door shut and walked quickly to the castle, her head held high.
"Couldn't keep er girl with yer without upsettin'er, could yer?" Hagrid shook his big shaggy head, placing the teakettle on the table.
"Why does everyone think everything's my fault?" Harry replied angrily. "Why can't they lay off me for a bit?"
"Just because yer had a har' past doesn't mean that other people didn't," Hagrid said calmly, pouring tea into one of the cups.
"First Ron can't keep a secret, I get accused with some stupid girl, and now you Hagrid can't even be on my side!" Harry stormed out of the cabin, his invisibility cloak flaring off his shoulder.