Chapter Three: The Dream

A few classes (and dinner) later, Harry was exhausted. He slowly walked up the stairs toward comfort. After what seemed to be hours, Harry collapsed onto the four-poster bed. Unfortunately, it took a long time for the Boy-Who-Lived to fall into the darkness of sleep. This is because, a few minutes later, Ron and the other Gryffindor boys came up to the room and started talking about everything. Harry sat up.

"Can't you guys go down into the common room and talk?" he asked.

Reluctantly, they went downstairs, mumbling about girls talking about them and other stuff. Finally, Harry fell into the abyss of sleep and started to dream. Or possibly remember something. He couldn't really tell.

/Beginning of Dream/Memory/

Harry was standing in Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore was staring at something in the cabinet behind the desk. He couldn't tell what. Harry cleared his throat. The headmaster turned around to face the Boy-Who-Lived.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Harry inquired. Dumbledore nodded. He motioned for Harry to take a seat.

"Where were you at four o'clock yesterday afternoon, Harry?" Dumbledore inquired.

Harry was confused. "I was in the common room since classes were over before that time," he responded.

One of Dumbledore's eyebrows shot up. "Really? Because Mr. Malfoy was hexed at that time in the court yard and he claims that you were the one that did it."

Harry was shocked. "I was not there at all during that time. Just ask Hermione and Ron."

"Professor Snape also saw you do it."

Harry glared at the headmaster. "You seem so sure that I hexed him."

"You have a bad history with Mr. Malfoy. The two of you almost dueled in your first year. You two actually dueled in your second year. The list goes on and on and on."

Harry touched the pocket that his wand was in. "I DIDN'T DO IT! HOW COULD YOU BE SUCH AN ASSHOLE? ASK HERMIONE AND RON! I WAS NOT THERE!"

"Your shouting and denying proves that you hexed him."

Harry wanted to hex the headmaster into oblivion. He couldn't believe how stupid he was being. Harry couldn't believe that he defended him in front of other people. Now, he was fuming.
"For hexing Mr. Malfoy, you get six weeks of detention. Also, for calling me an 'asshole', I will tack on a month. I will also take away seventy points from Gryffindor for hexing a student and for your foul language. Now, get out of my office! NOW!"

Harry stood up and left, still glaring and fuming at Dumbledore.

/End of Dream/Memory/

Harry woke up, really pissed off. Now he realized why he hated (scratch that despised) Dumbledore. How could I forget why I despise Dumbledore as much as Voldemort does? he wondered. He now wanted nothing more than to kill the Headmaster of Hogwarts. There was a slight problem to this: He couldn't kill him in front of everybody. He quickly sat up and put on his muggle clothes as he thought of how he could do it.

When he was putting on his jeans, he thought of a plan. He wasn't sure if it would work, but he knew that if he didn't try, Albus Dumbledore would remain alive. Harry knew that he had to try it.

But, how could he find the person who could help him when he didn't know where he was? Harry knew that if he found him, his people would probably try to kill him on one hand. On the other hand, they probably would bring him to the one who could help him. Of course, he knew that he'd have to do something for him, but if that meant that he could kill Dumbledore, he'd do it.

When could he try it? That was a tough question. He could try it today, tomorrow, or even during Christmas break. Harry knew he had to try it soon. He just had to.

When he was finished getting dressed, he ran down the steps toward the common room. There, he saw Ron and Hermione having an argument like they always did. Harry cleared his throat.

The two best friends of the Boy-Who-Lived turned their heads toward him. Hermione smiled at him and Ron just nodded toward him, looking him over.

"So Harry, are you in a better mood today than you were last night?" Ron asked. Harry looked sheepishly at his feet and nodded.

"Sorry about that, Ron. Yesterday was a really long day and I wanted to go to sleep," Harry answered. Ron waved it away. "Let's go to breakfast. I'm seriously starving." Ron, who didn't need to be told twice, bolted down the stairs and waited outside for the other two members of the Golden Trio.

Hermione started to go down the stairs when she heard, "Hey, 'Mione, I have a question." She turned around to look at her best friend with the emerald eyes.

"What is it, Harry?" she asked curiously.

"I was just wondering if you heard the Order mention anything about where Voldemort is hiding." There was a very uncomfortable silence between the two of them for a few minutes.

"Yeah, I did. They believe that he is hiding at the manor he built before he started the war, but I know that he's not there."

"Where do you think he is hiding?"

"I know that he is hiding at Malfoy Manor."

"How do you know?" He could tell that he sounded anxious to find out. Hermione looked right at him.

"Because I've seen him there during the summer. I had a vision then that showed him sitting at a table. Malfoy's father was sitting to his right."

"But how do you know that it's Malfoy Manor?"

"In any rich house, the guest sits at the head of the table. The master of the house always sits to the guest's right. Why were you asking these questions?"

"No reason at all. I was just curious." Fortunately, she took that answer because she turned toward the portrait and walked out to meet Ron. Harry followed a few minutes later after memorizing the information.