A/N: I do not own anything Harry Potter. This chapter takes place during the holiday break just so you know. Thank you to those who have added me to their Favorites/Alerts and to those that have taken the time to review! You guys are so awesome! Please see the A/N below for a few points I wanted to address in some recent reviews. Enjoy this chapter and as always, happy reading! XO

Chapter 29

Annie woke up suddenly, dripping in cold sweat and gasping for air. She sat bolt upright and clutched her hair.

Not this again, she thought to herself. Why now? The last time I had a nightmare was before Dad and I moved into the new house. Why now?

She pushed the blankets off her legs and swung her feet off the bed. She walked out of the dormitory and down the stairs. She paused at the door to the boys' dormitories and then turned the handle and made her way up to the fourth year boys' room. She opened the door and tip-toed quietly over to Harry's bed and slipped through the curtains. She sat down on the edge of the bed and shook his shoulder.

"Harry?" she whispered as quietly as she could so as to not wake the other boys. "Harry? Please wake up."

Harry opened his eyes and looked in the direction of Annie. He reached out to his bedside table, found his glasses and pushed them onto his face.

"Annie?" he said squinting into the darkness. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Annie shook her head. "No. I need you."

Harry ran a hand over his face and sat up. He swung his feet out of bed and grabbed her hand and led her down into the common room. They sat down on the couch and Harry kept hold of Annie's hand.

"What's going on?" he asked yawning widely. He looked around at the clock and noticed that it was four in the morning.

"I had a nightmare," she said biting her lip. Harry held out his arms and she burrowed herself into his chest.

"You're still getting those?" he asked wrapping his arms around her and rubbing her shoulder. "I thought they stopped over the summer?"

"Apparently not,' she said. "And I still can't remember what it was about. I think that's what scares me the most."

"Yeah, I know. Any idea what could have caused this one?"

Annie shook her head again and let a tear fall down her cheek onto Harry's t-shirt. Harry hugged her tighter and wiped the tear from her eye.

"Okay, calm down, pup," he said soothingly rubbing her shoulder again. "They're not real. They're just dreams."

"I know. They're just freaky," she said playing with a piece of string on the couch. "Usually they came last year when I was worried about dad getting caught. And then I got one before dad and I moved into the new house because I was going somewhere new. Tonight, I have no idea. I just don't have a good feeling about this one."

Harry nodded. For as long as he could remember, Annie always had crazy nightmares that would wake her up but she could never remember what they were about. She would always get them after she visited Sirius in Azkaban but they got worse last year when he broke out. She would never admit it out loud, but Harry knew she worried about him constantly and that caused her to have several nightmares a week. Now that Sirius was free, they stopped happening. Actually, the last one he heard about had been the one the night before Annie moved out. He could tell why the one she had tonight would freak her out because she hadn't had a reason to have one in so long.

Before long, Harry's light snores filled the common room as he fell asleep with Annie tucked under his arm against his chest. But Annie wasn't asleep. She was wide awake, too afraid to go back to sleep. As the sun started to shine through the windows, students started to come down into the common room and going down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Annie looked around at the staircase leading to the boys' dormitories and saw Ron making his way over to them. She nudged Harry in the stomach and he woke up yawning as their friend sat down in one of the armchairs.

"Hey, why'd you sleep down here last night?" he asked looking between the two of them.

Harry ruffled Annie's hair and stood up to stretch his back.

"Annie woke me up last night because she had a nightmare," he said raising his arms above his head. "Must've fallen asleep. Did you get any more sleep last night?"

"No, you know I never do," Annie answered getting to her feet as well.

"I thought those stopped," Ron said looking confused.

"I thought so too. I'll be back."

Annie walked away from Ron and Harry and went up to the stairs to the girls' dormitory. She walked in the room and found Hermione brushing her hair. She opened up her trunk took out her jeans and her Gwenog Jones jersey and pulled them on.

"Hey, are you okay?" Hermione asked turning around from the mirror.

"Just peachy," Annie said moodily. "Where the hell did my chocolate go? Remus only sent it yesterday." Annie started to throw the contents of her trunk around the room as she searched.

"It's right here," Hermione said picking up the chocolate from Annie's bedside table and watching her curiously. "You had another nightmare last night didn't you?"

Annie took the chocolate from Hermione and broke off a piece and popped it in her mouth.

"How could you tell?" she said through a mouth full of chocolate.

"Remus gave you a ton of this stuff last year," Hermione said taking it out of her friend's hand and placing it back on the table. "I thought those stopped."

"That seems what everyone is thinking," Annie answered crossing her arms and looking around the room. "Guess I better pick this shit up."

"Do you want any help?" Hermione asked cautiously.

"Nope, I've got it. Thanks though."

"Sure. If you need me, I'll be down in the common room okay?"

Annie nodded and Hermione left the room. She moved around the room, gathering her clothes and throwing them haphazardly into her trunk. When she was finished, she sat down on her bed and ran her hands through her hair.

"We have to tell her."

"No, just let her sleep."

"When she wakes up, everyone will know but her."

"We'll tell her when she wakes up."

"Harry, it's on the cover of her Evening Prophet."

"She'll know as soon as she picks it up to do her cross-word."

Ron and Hermione were sitting in the armchairs by the fire, Ron picking at the stuffing and Hermione brandishing a copy of the Evening Prophet. Harry sat on the couch with Annie's head resting in his lap, rubbing small circles on her back as she slept. He looked down at his cousin and pushed a few strands of hair off her face.

"We'll tell her when she wakes up," he repeated. "Come on, you know she was up all night because of that nightmare she had. This is the first time she's slept since then," he added when Hermione shot him an annoyed look.

Hermione threw the paper on the table and picked up her Arithmancy essay, watching as Harry took care of Annie. Just then, the portrait swung open and Professor McGonagall strode into the common room right up to where they were sitting. Harry looked up at his professor and gave a small smile.

"Good evening, Potter. Professor Dumbledore would like to see Ms. Black in his office right away," she said urgently looking down at Annie who was sprawled out on the couch. "You may come as well if you'd like."

"Yes, Professor," Harry said nodding his approval. "Let me just wake her up."

Harry gave Annie a shake and her eyes fluttered open. She lifted her head up and wiped the trickle of drool from her chin.

"Did I fall asleep?" she asked sitting up on the couch and looking around at Ron and Hermione and finally Professor McGonagall. "I didn't do anything, Professor. I was here the entire time, sleeping." Annie started nodding vigorously between Harry and Professor McGonagall.

"You are not in any trouble this time, Ms. Black," said the professor. "Professor Dumbledore would like to see you and Mr. Potter in his office."

Annie looked over at Harry who shrugged and got to his feet. Annie placed her own feet on the floor and stood up and followed Harry and Professor McGonagall out of Gryffindor Tower with Hermione's curiously worried eyes on her back. They walked all the way down to the first floor and right up to Professor Dumbledore's office. Professor McGonagall gave the password and the gargoyles leapt aside for them to make their way up the revolving staircase. Professor McGonagall knocked on the door to the office and walked in when she heard the headmaster say "enter." Harry and Annie followed the Transfiguration professor into the office and both received a shock.

"Dad?" they both said shocked to see both of their fathers there.

"Hey, kids," James and Sirius answered looking from one kid to the next.

"What are you doing here, dad?" Annie asked looking completely confused and looking around at all the adults in the room. "What's going on?"

"You don't know?" Sirius asked giving his daughter the same confused expression as she shook her head. "You really don't know what's going on?"

"Ms. Black, why don't you and Mr. Potter sit down and we will explain why I have called you to my office," Professor Dumbledore said peering over at her through his half-moon spectacles.

Annie looked over at Harry who quickly looked down at his feet as he took one of the seats across from Dumbledore's desk. Something, it seemed, was going on and Annie was the only one who didn't know. She took the chair next to Harry's and looked over at Sirius who was standing next to James with his hands in his pockets. Sirius looked over at Dumbledore who nodded and gestured toward Annie. Sirius took his hands out of his pockets and ran them through his hair as he walked over and kneeled in front of his daughter.

"James and I thought we could make it here to tell you in person before the story was leaked to the Prophet, but it seems as though they've beaten us," he said taking her hands. Annie arched one of her eyebrows and looked into his concerned eyes. "Once we saw the headline, we thought for sure you would know what happened today but apparently you don't."

Annie looked up and around at James and Harry who were both looking at the floor, at Professor McGonagall who was looking at Dumbledore, and then at Dumbledore who was watching the father and daughter. She looked back down at Sirius who had taken a folded copy of the Evening Prophet out of his pocket. He placed it on her lap and she picked it up and read the bold headline at the top of the paper: Pettigrew Escapes Azkaban. Annie's jaw dropped. Escaped? How? Why? When? She asked all of these questions to herself before returning her gaze to meet Sirius's.

"Well, this just put a damper on my evening cross-word," she said giving a shaky laugh and waving the paper a little.

Sirius shook his head and laughed. James took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose as he chuckled quietly to himself.

"So, what's going on at the Ministry?" Harry asked looking between his dad and Sirius hoping to find some answers from the two Aurors.

"Well, we've put out a search warrant for the arrest of the mutant and we've got Aurors including Sirius and I on the hunt," James answered crossing his arms. "Basically, it's like the hunt for Padfoot all over again except we're not putting any Dementors at the entrances to Hogwarts." Both Harry and Dumbledore nodded their heads in gratitude.

"And how exactly did he escape, did you find that out?" Annie asked. "I thought he was put in a high-security cell where he can't transform."

Sirius sighed and ran his hand through his hair again. "He was. But somebody from the Magical Maintenance Staff, whom the Ministry believed to be dead, got into Azkaban by one of the guards and switched places with him using Polyjuice Potion," he explained now pacing the office.

"But how did you find out it was the bloke from the Ministry?" she asked feeling very confused and angry all at the same time.

"Wait, he was dead?" Harry asked now looking confused himself.

James and Sirius shared an exhausted look before turning back to the kids to answer their questions.

"The man had supposedly died at the World Cup when his tent was blasted apart by the Death Eaters, but he survived," James said pacing in the opposite direction of Sirius. "From what we can guess, he was kidnapped and he and the guard had been under the Imperius Curse which is why the man kept taking the Polyjuice. The question we are still trying to answer is by whom."

"We found out when the Minister arrived at Azkaban today to do his routine check and found the man inside the cell instead of Wormtail," Sirius continued. "Apparently he had run out of his supply of Polyjuice." Sirius stopped pacing and stooped down to Annie's level once more.

"He's been gone for months, kiddo," he said looking into her eyes. "We brought the man and the guard in for questioning but they can't remember a thing. Their minds have been obliviated so they have no idea who could have placed the curse on them. The man just knows that he's been in Azkaban and that he was supposed to take the Polyjuice every hour. Pettigrew is out there, Annie."

Annie looked into Sirius's fearful eyes. Her mother's murderer was at large once more and probably out to cause more murders. She looked at Harry who had been watching her as Sirius spoke.

"I guess this explains that dream you had over the summer, Harry," she said as James, Sirius, Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall all looked confused. "The one about Pettigrew and Voldemort when he killed that muggle man."

Harry nodded and turned to James. "I thought it was just a dream. Pettigrew had been locked up so it was impossible but the dream seemed so real. He'd already escaped at that point and he had been helping Voldemort get stronger."

Everyone turned to look at Professor Dumbledore.

"It of course is always a possibility that Lord Voldemort is getting stronger. Mr. Pettigrew's escape may be his plan to aid him in his progress," he said placing his chin on his crossed fingers. "For now we must take caution as always, and trust that you and your fellow Aurors will find the escapee."

James and Sirius nodded. They turned back to their kids who were still sitting in the chairs across from Dumbledore. Sirius bent down and picked Annie up and walked over to shake the headmaster's hand.

"I wish you all the luck on your search," he said shaking James hand as Sirius turned to shake Professor McGonagall's.

"We'll keep you updated, Professor," James said walking toward the door with his arm around Harry. "Thank you."

They walked down the spiral staircase and stopped in the Entrance Hall. Sirius placed Annie down on her feet next to Harry and smiled.

"We'll find the rat bastard, kiddo, don't worry about it," he said pulling her into a hug.

"Yeah, I know you will," she said. When they broke apart, she turned to James and gave him a hug too.

"Alright, James, let her go," Sirius said clapping his best friend on the shoulder. "Can't you tell she wants to get back to sleep?"

Annie and Harry laughed as Harry bent down and let her climb onto his back.

"How did you know I was sleeping before this?" she asked.

"You look like shit," he said laughing as well. "Didn't you get any sleep last night?"

Annie yawned and shook her head.

"She had a nightmare last night," Harry explained hitching her higher up on his back. "She ran into my room and woke me up and has been up since then. I finally got her to fall asleep before Professor McGonagall came to get us."

"Are you okay, pup?" Sirius asked looking at her with concern once again.

"I'm okay now," she said hugging Harry tighter. "Just tired."

Sirius leaned forward and kissed his daughter of the top of her head. "Alright, just write me if you need me, okay?"

Annie nodded and smiled. "Okay. See you later."

"See you, dad," Harry said.

He turned around and made his way up the multiple staircases to Gryffindor Tower. He placed her down as he gave the password to the Fat Lady and helped her climb through the portrait hole. Once inside the common room they resumed their seats on the couch, Annie resting her head in Harry's lap. As Harry recounted what James and Sirius had told them, he rubbed Annie's back and she nodded back off to sleep.

A/N: Well that was an exciting chapter, I think. Let me know what you think.

And now I would like to address my latest reviews I have received.

From: dancer4813

Loved this chapter! :D But at some point when Annie's talking about the Weird Sisters concert it says 'Aunt Lily and Uncle George'. Do you mean Uncle James? Just wondering! ;)

Yes, I did mean Uncle James. Thank you for noticing my mistake and it has been corrected. Thank you for reading!

From: Sakura Lisel (addressing the Prologue)

Wait WHY didn't the Potters stand up for Sirius instead of letting him rot in jail for 12 years for the murder of both his girlfriend AND the muggles? Sure they probably couldn't get him off for what happened to the muggles, but why did they let the charge of killing his girlfriend stand instead of telling the ministry what Sirius told them what happened as the reason why he went after Petigrew?

First I'd like to say thank you for reading and reviewing. To answer your question: I guess the reason why the charge still stood was because back then was a mad time. Remember how Sirius was thrown into Azkaban without a trial? I guess the murder charge of his girlfriend could have been dropped, (I honestly didn't even think of this until you brought it up) but of course since there was no proof that Peter had really killed the muggles and Sirius was there at the scene, those charges still stood. Both James and Sirius were just starting out their jobs as Aurors so James probably didn't have as much sway in the Ministry as he would now which is why James couldn't get that charge dropped. Does this make any sense?

From: Blue Luver5000

I liked this chapter it is sweet! Update sooooon!

As always, thank you for reading and reviewing!

From: Guest (addressing chapter 12)

I really like your story and wish for you to continue BUT I'm telling you know if you even think of killing Sirius next year I WILL hunt you down and do something not so nice...

Any ways continue please :)

I just really liked this review. I thought it was very funny and I thought I should let them know (if they are still reading) that I love Sirius as well but just keep reading to see what I have in mind ;)

I hope this cleared up any questions you guys may have had. If you have any other questions feel free to ask by review or by private message. Thank you for reading! Until next time! XO