"What?!" Anna gasped. She could feel her face pale. "Hermione's been petrified?"

Harry merely tugged on her arm. "Just come on!" He led her to the hospital wing, and sure enough, there Hermione laid. Anna rushed to her side, almost not believing it. "No..." She whispered. She had just been in the library with Hermione hours before this had happened. "I shouldn't have left her..."

"Anna, you couldn't have known." Harry consoled her. "Besides, if you hadn't, you might have been petrified too."

Anna shook her head. "Whoever's doing this, they've been going after Muggle-borns."

"Miss Potter." Madame Pomfrey said firmly. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"I can't leave her!" Anna protested.

"Anna..." Harry said gently. "Just come on..." He took her hand, tugging her out of the wing. When they were in the hallway she broke down, and Harry gathered her into his arms.

"T-this is all m-my fault!" Anna sobbed, and Harry shook his head.

"None of what happened is your fault."

"N-none of this would have h-happened if I had just s-stayed in the library with her!"

Harry shushed her as she sobbed into his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around his sister's shaking frame. He kissed her head, sighing softly as he tried to think of a way to calm her down. Then it came to him. "Let's go and see Cedric, okay?"

Anna silently nodded, and he kept an arm wrapped tightly around her as they made their way to the Hufflepuff common room. He knocked on the door to the entrance, and a fourth year girl answered. "Yes?"

"Is Cedric in there?" Harry asked, to which the girl nodded. "Can you get him please? It's rather important. Tell him that Anna needs him."

The girl disappeared back into the room, soon returning with Cedric, who took one look at Anna before pulling her into a warm embrace. "What happened?" He whispered to Harry.

"Hermione." Harry whispered back. "She's been petrified. Anna's really taken it hard, she blames herself for it."

Cedric nodded slowly. "I'll take care of her from here, is it alright if I bring her back to Gryffindor Tower later?"

Harry nodded. "You seem to really be the only one that can calm her down."

Cedric didn't bring Anna into the common room, rather, he brought her to his dorm, which was empty of other boys. He sat on his bed, pulling her into his chest. "None of what happened is your fault Anna. You couldn't have known that she would be petrified. I'm sure that if you had known you would have stayed with her." He continued to comfort her until her sobs had ceased, and she used her robe sleeve to wipe at her tear-stained cheek.

"Thank you Cedric." Anna murmured quietly, and Cedric smiled at her. "You needed help, and I was only too happy to give it to you."

"I should get back, they're probably going to be worried about me."

"I'll walk back with you."

"You don't have to-"

"Anna." Cedric said in a playfully stern voice. "I'm walking you back and that's final."

Anna rolled her eyes. "You're so stubborn, you should have been a bloody Gryffindor."

"No thanks. I fall victim to Fred and George's pranks enough as it is." Cedric chuckled as they left and made their way to Gryffindor Tower.

"You and everybody else. Except Malfoy. They can never prank him enough in my opinion."

"Too true." Cedric chuckled.

"Potter!"

Anna groaned. Speak of the devil. She turned to face the blonde and his two bodyguards. "What the hell do you want Malfoy? I'm really not in the mood."

"Word's going around that your little Mudblood friend Granger got petrified."

Anna wondered how they found out, then remembered that Ron had a really hard time keeping his mouth shut. "What about it?"

"I'm willing to bet that whoever opened the Chamber is going to go after blood traitors next. You'll be the first to go."

"You know Malfoy, from the way that you're talking, it almost sounds like you were the one who opened the Chamber."

Draco scoffed. "I wish. No, it wasn't me. If it was, Granger would have been the first to go."

"Malfoy, I hexed you once, I can do it again. Or I might just punch you in that pretty little nose of yours."

"I'd like to see you try-"

Wham!

Anna's fist made direct contact with Draco's nose, and he went sprawling to the ground. Crabbe and Goyle went to attack Anna, but Cedric had his wand out in a flash. "If I were you I would be less focused on getting revenge and more focused on getting your friend there to the hospital wing. His nose is bleeding pretty badly." He smirked before continuing to walk down the hall with Anna.

"Anna, I'm starting to think that you have a death wish."

Anna smiled innocently. "Why, whatever do you mean Cedric?"

"Always the innocent one aren't you?"

"Everyone knows that I'm a perfect angel."

Cedric shook his head as he laughed. "You're impossible."

"And yet you love this impossible girl."

"How, I can't see why."

"Oi!" Anna protested, looking a bit put out, and Cedric chuckled as he ruffled her hair, yelping as she swatted his hand away. "That hurt, you know!"

"Good. That's what you get for messing up my hair."

"It's all unruly anyways."

"Which is exactly why I don't need you messing it up even more than it already is." She stuck her tongue out at him as they reached Gryffindor Tower. "Thanks again Ced."

"Sure thing Annie. I'll see you tomorrow."

Anna waved to him before entering her common room and collapsing on the couch. Alicia Spinnet raised an eyebrow. "That was a rather dramatic flop."

"I deserve to be dramatic after punching Malfoy in the nose."

"Since I'm older, I suppose that I should reprimand you, but there's no way in Godric that's happening. The little git had it coming to him."

Anna grinned at Alicia. "Alicia, this is why you're one of my favorite Gryffindors. Honestly, Percy could learn a thing or two from you."

"Just don't tell him that." Alicia giggled. "He would be appalled that you thought someone would make a better prefect than him."

Anna pretended to zip her lips. "Your secret is safe with me." She then stood up. "I'm heading to bed, so I'll see you tomorrow."

"Night Potter."

Anna was so exhausted that she didn't even bother changing out of her robes before collapsing onto her bed and falling into a deep sleep.

Adriana smiled at Anna; they were in the meadow that was by this time quite familiar to Anna. "You are so close, dear Anna. But I must warn you, the closer that you get, the harder that Uther will work to make sure that you do not achieve your goal. He loved his son dearly, and does not want his name to be tarnished."

"But that's not fair!" Anna objected. "Arthur killed a whole village! He deserves to be punished, not you!"

Adriana smiled sadly. "Much too often the guilty go unpunished, much like the man who killed your parents. He disappeared for years, yes, but he will return Anna, and you must make sure that your brother is ready to fight him when the time comes. A shame, really. If only things had been different, if he had lived a different life, than Voldemort may have done great things for the world. Alas, instead he let his greed and hunger for power consume him. Be cautious Anna, you do not comprehend just how powerful he really is. War is coming, and you must make sure that you are prepared. It will not happen for a few years yet, but it is indeed coming."

"Right now I'm more concerned about helping you."

Again Adriana smiled. "You have a selfless heart, Anna, it is one of the reasons you are worthy of my wand. Keep that innocent heart of yours, use it to help people."

"I will." Anna promised, and Adriana pressed a hand to the young girl's cheek. "So young...and already having gone through so much-" Suddenly Adriana stumbled backwards, and Anna looked at her in alarm. "Adriana?!"

"He is here." Adriana's face contorted in pain. "Uther. Anna, you must go. Now!"

"But Adriana-"

"If you do not leave now, then he may keep you in this dreamscape forever! You must leave now before it is too late!"

"It's already too late." Anna heard a dark chuckle, and she turned to look at Uther. It wasn't his ghost form, but rather what he looked like when he had been alive. He had handsome features, dark blonde hair with light blue eyes. He had a few scars on his face which Anna guessed must have been from previous battles and wars. Adriana stood protectively in front of Anna. "You shall not harm this child."

"My dear Adriana, you really do not have any choice in the matter." Uther snapped his fingers, and Adriana vanished, causing Anna to gasp in alarm.

"Now, now." Uther chuckled softly. "You need not worry. If you agree to my terms, than I shall not hurt you. If you don't...well, then you shall be stuck here for the rest of eternity."

"You aren't just a regular ghost..." Anna said slowly, and Uther nodded. "Clever girl, aren't you? No, I am much stronger than the other ghosts that roam your school, which was why I was chained to that one hallway you somehow managed to find. But my power has been growing and soon, I shall be able to at last destroy that foul school of yours."

"No! I won't let you!" Anna ran forward, but suddenly stopped, as though being held back by invisible chains.

"I told you my dear that my power has been growing. You really think that a little girl can stop me?" He raised his hand, and Anna was lifted up into the air. "Now...what do you say we have a little bit of fun?"

"Anna!" Parvati was trying to wake Anna up for breakfast, but the girl wouldn't budge. In fact, she was breathing rather shallowly. In a panic, Parvati dashed into the older girls dorms. "Someone help, it's Anna! She won't wake up, I've tried everything!"

Alicia quickly walked over to Parvati. "Take me to her, I'll help you get her to Madame Pomfrey." She followed the younger girl, gasping when she saw Anna. Anna was pale, her body starting to convulse. Alicia picked the girl up, how Anna managed to stay so skinny, Alicia would never know. They reached the common room, where Fred was messing around with George and Lee. They stopped, however, when they saw Anna. "What happened?" Lee demanded as Fred dashed forwards and took Anna's body, which was now thrashing around to much for Alicia to keep a good grip.

"Patil woke up and found her like this, we don't know what happened." Alicia explained. Fred dashed out of the common room, pushing through the crowds in the halls as he tried to get to the hospital wing.

"Looks like Potter finally got what she deserved!" Pansy cackled, and Fred wanted nothing more than to hex her. There would be time for that later though, right now he had to get Anna to Madame Pomfrey. The matron gasped when she saw the girl. "Mr. Weasley, go and get the headmaster, immediately."

Fred ran off, returning in record time with Dumbledore, who placed his hand on Anna's head.

"There are old, dark forces at work." He said gravely. "She is trying to fight against them, but it is a great battle for her."

"But she'll be alright." Fred said. "She has to be. Can't you help her?"

"Right now she is stuck in her own mind. To bring her out of that could be disastrous. No, we need to let her fight this on her own. All that we can do is keep her here and observe."

"She'll be alright Freddie." George put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Anna is as tough as they come. If anyone can survive this, it's her."

"I shouldn't have been ignoring her." Fred muttered. "It's been weeks George. I shouldn't have listened to Wood."

"Hey, you see that now, that's the important thing. When she wakes up you can apologize to her and maybe finally tell her how you feel?"

"Yeah." Fred muttered. "Maybe."

"Although...you're probably going to want to break up with Angelina before you do that." George said, and Fred chuckled softly. "Yeah, yeah I should probably do that, shouldn't I?"

"Only if you don't want this to turn into some weird love triangle."

Fred laughed slightly before gazing down once more at Anna's body. Harry and Ron raced into the room, Harry almost knocking over a table of medical equipment. They had obviously been in the middle of dressing. Ron had only one shoe tied, and Harry was still in his pajama pants.

"How is she?" Harry panted, and Fred shook his head.

"We don't know, Dumbledore said that there's some kind of battle going on inside of her head, and that she's stuck in her own mind, or something like that."

"What a time for Hermione to be petrified." Ron glanced over at Hermione's bed. "I bet that she could help us figure this out."

Fred took Anna's hand into his own. Her hand was cold, almost as though she were dead. "Infant lose you." He whispered, and Harry walked over to him. "Fred, she'll make it, s-she has to." Harry had already lost his parents, and he didn't think that he could bear losing his sister too. She was the only family he had. His aunt and uncle had stopped feeling like family to him a long time ago. He was surprised that Madame Pomfrey was letting them all stay, but she knew that if she tried to get them out, they wouldn't listen. Besides, they weren't disturbing anybody so she let them stay there. "If anything changes, you let me know." She told them, and they all nodded.

"Wake up Anna." Harry whispered, and Alicia pulled him into a hug. "She needs to wake up." He whispered, feeling tears prick his eyes. "She has to, I can't lose her too."

"Come on Anna." Fred muttered. "Don't do this to us. We need you. Harry needs you, I need you." She couldn't do this to them, he wouldn't let her do this to them. Somehow, he would find a way to wake her up.