Hey Guys! I'm so sorry about the delay...first it was AP testing...and then finals….and then graduation…and then college…..and then finals! Thanks for those of you who have stuck with the story though...little by little I have been adding and deleting and then adding toward the story...this chapter if going to be a little dark….sorrry about that..let me know what you think

Chapter Four

Ron gasped for air as he put his hands on his knees, watching as Harry's figure turned around the corner. He really should have known, if anybody knew this castle better than the founders themselves, it was Harry. Rapid footsteps were approaching him as he slowly turned his head. Hermione.

She looked like a frantic mess. Her hair looked like a frizzy birdsnest, her clothes crumpled and out of the usual neat order they were always out of in. And her eyes were wide and bloodshot. For a brief moment Ron wondered what he looked like.

"What are you doing just standing there? You were suppose to be looking for Harry!" She snapped at him.

Ron gave her a disbelieving look. His breath still labored and hard.

She grabbed the collar of his shirt and started dragging him helplessly along.

"I-" Ron tried to get out as Hermione interrupted him.

"I've just been in the common room." She reported to him heartbrokenly.

"Yes I-"

"And everybody told me that he had just walked in and left just moments ago."

"Yes, Herm-"

"And so I thought I'll check the east side of the castle, because I knew you were checking the west."

"Yes, but-"

"So Imagine my surprise when I see you. Standing. On the east side."

"Yeah I-"

"I know you're stressed Ronald, I know I'm stressed, I know everybody's stressed! However I would think you would be capable to follow simple instructions! After-"

"HERMIONE! SHUT THE HELL UP AND LISTEN TO ME!" Ron yelled.

Almost instantaneously she had stopped moving, and stared at him with big brown eyes.

"I was just going to tell you that I followed Harry over here and he once again managed to give me the slip. And if you would just shut that big know-it-all mouth of your and listen to me, we wouldn't have wasted so much time! I am sick of you nit picking me and everything I do! I am not perfect and you're not perfect either! So if you could just get over that bossy attitude of yours, we might get something accomplished!" Ron said heatedly.

Hermione's lower lip started to tremble as she listened to him, however he didn't notice and continued on.

"And you know this whole thing is stupid! We shouldn't even be looking for Harry! Did you even stop to think that maybe Harry needs space? Maybe Harry doesn't want to be found. Maybe that's why HE IS RUNNING FROM US!"

As soon as Ron yelled the last part Hermione broke down in tears.

Ron turned around at the sound of her cries and immediately felt terrible.

Sirius had slept in late...like really late. At first he had comfortably drifted back into consciousness, and then he looked at the clock. Within seconds he was putting on his pants while stumbling through his door. It was embarrassing to say he wasn't allowed to sleep in late while in the comfort of his own home. However, that Weasley woman was a beast, especially when it was about cleaning the house.

Slowly he crept down the stairs and eased himself around the corner towards the

kitchen. Weird sounds were coming from the kitchen, which indicated that Molly was indeed in the kitchen. Maybe if he could slide past the kitchen Mama Weasley wouldn't notice him. As Sirius walked quietly and quickly walked past the doorway of the kitchen without being caught. Heart pounding in his throat he slyly inched past the entrance of the kitchen. His head peeking over his shoulder, making sure nobody saw him.

It was then he heard the crying. Fighting the urge to run away as fast as possible, he turned back towards the kitchen and inched closer. There on the table he saw Mrs. Weasley sobbing in her hands. Sirius froze, unsure what to do. It was in this uncertainty that Mrs. Weasley looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy. Mentally kicking himself for not running when he had the chance, he took a seat.

"Molly what's wrong," Sirius asked softly.

The poor woman just stared at him. Her lips quivering and her hands shaking. It was the first time since Sirius had met the woman, that she had nothing to say. What ever she was crying about was bad. Very bad.

Sirius's heart started pounding violently in his chest.

"Molly, tell me what has happened! Is it your children? Has somebody died?" Sirius cried.

Then as if his words had lit a match in the Weasley woman's eyes, he witnessed the most terrifying sight he had ever seen in his life. A furious Mrs. Weasley. It all happened in an instant, and suddenly the table was flipped over and woman was smashing plates and breaking chairs.

Sirius sat there shocked at the damage going on around him. It was as if the woman turned into a fierce tornado of destruction. Now Sirius had no love for his family house, but she was breaking very expensive and old family heirlooms.

Sirius gathered his Gryffindor courage and jumped into the storm. He grabbed the woman's wrists before she could break anything else, and pulled her into him, holding her tight in his arms. And as sudden as a tornado passes, Mrs. Weasley was calm, that was until the rain came.

They stayed like that for a while, Sirius hugging this woman he barely knew, and her crying into his shoulder. Finally Mrs. Weasley seemed to have calmed down enough to talk. Wincing at the sight of the kitchen, he moved her towards the living room.

"Now than what has happened?" Sirius questioned cautiously, ready for anyother outbursts.

The red haired woman looked at her hands for a moment, and then into his eyes.

"There was an article in the Daily Prophet."

Sirius gave her a look of disbelief.

"That's why you were crying? An article in the Prophet?!"

She started to shake her head, "No you don't understand, it was about Harry."

Sirius snorted, "Molly, you can't believe anything the Prophet says, especially about Harry!"

"I know! I know that! It's just that it makes so much sense now! How thin he is, how shy he was. The way he would react when somebody would touch him."

Sirius was lost, however Molly kept rambling getting more and more emotional as she went on.

"And the boys told me they starved him! And Ron even said we should send him food! But I just thought he was a growing boy, they can always eat. I should have known! And George and Fred…and the...the...and the bars on the window!"

"Wait! Wait! Molly what are you talking about?! Who is starved? Who had bars on the window? What in the world are you talking about!"

The Weasley woman looked at him. "I'm talking about Harry." She then gave him her copy of the Prophet, and Sirius went cold.

Harry sat at the bank of the lake. His body shivering, but he wasn't sure if it was from the cold or the shock. He knew they would find him eventually, however at that moment he didn't care. He just needed to think. To re-evaluate his priorities. To make sure this wasn't a dream.

He couldn't really tell anyone what he was think about at the time, however before he knew it he was knee deep in the lake. He looked around him. He was in the lake, the ice cold water, and yet he felt nothing. That was a sign right? A sign of a dream. Yes that would be nice, he thought, if this was all just a dream. His body now violently shivering, without his knowledge.

He went in deeper. He wasn't going to drown himself or anything, he just needed to wake up. He knew that he didn't really know how to swim, however it was a dream, so there was no problem. He went in even deeper. He was up to his neck now. And then he was past his head, sinking. And suddenly he remembered Dudley watching a show, and it talked about how witches and wizards don't sink, they only float. He laughed to himself about that.

And then he realized he couldn't breath, and he was hurting. His eyes shot open as he started to panic. Flailing his arms and legs he somehow managed to get his head above the surface of water. He drank in a large gulp of good clean fresh air. And it was the best breath of air he had ever taken.

It was then he felt the vice grip of hands on his shoulders. He hadn't reached the surface himself. Somebody helped him.

His head shot up and looked into the piercing blue eyes of the headmaster. And all of a sudden everything was too real, and everything hurt and was raw.

"Profess-" Harry started,

The headmaster gave Harry a concerned glance. "Its alright Harry, I got you."

And then Harry realized how everything looked.

"I wasn't- I would never- I wasn't trying to-"

"Shhh Harry its ok." Dumbledore said to Harry comfortingly has he waded to the shore with Harry bridle style.

"No but I just wanted to wake up!" Harry tried to explain becoming more and more hysterical. "I thought it was a dream! I wanted to wake up! I- just-I. I need to wake up." And all of a sudden, Harry was tired. He was so exhausted. And with that Harry went limp in Albus Dumbledore's arms.

The headmaster moved quicker now as he reached the shore, where Severus was standing with Madame Pomfrey. Harry's two friends were standing side by side in horror as they watched their unconscious.

Albus handed the young boy to Severus as both he and Madame Pomfrey rushed back towards the castle with the boy. Albus followed at a fast pace, soaking wet, and trying to hold back tears, the whole school was outside watching with a silent vigil. Nobody said a word, though some were crying, though at that moment every student bowed their heads towards Harry Potter as he passed. Even the Slytherins. The whole school, at that moment stood together.

Sorry again for it being so late...Please let me know your thoughts and ideas..now that I am on break I will be updating at least once a week if not more.

Thankyou so much for reading I know this chapter was a little dark but thankyou again,

Sincerely,

The Dark Lady of the Light