Chapter thirteen.
Sleepless Nights.

After a few hours of no sleep Harry sighed and got back up off his bed his scar twinging. Ron still wasn't back from the hospital wing. Harry picked up his timetable glancing at it; he had free periods for the rest of the day anyway. He went down to the Great Hall for lunch even though he wasn't that hungry. He saw Ginny sitting with Neville and sat down in between them, Ginny giving him a concerned look.

"Harry I thought you were supposed to be sleeping up there, you still look shattered." Ginny said to him worriedly.

"Oh don't worry about it Ginny, I'm fine." Harry assured her. Neville was stuck with his head behind the daily prophet; Harry caught sight of the headline and grabbed the paper off Neville. Neville looked at him alarmed.

"Sorry Neville, can I read this for a second?" Harry said smiling apologetically. He flattened it out on the table reading the headline, 'Auror Isabella Takard Accused Of Being Death Eater.' Ginny leaned her head over Harry's shoulder and gasped. Harry carried on reading the article.

'Early hours of this morning, the minister of magic Rufus Scrimgeour received an owl, the sender of which cannot be revealed, stating that newly appointed auror and Hogwarts potions teacher Isabella Takard is working secretly for you know who as an undercover death eater. A quote on the subject from a Ministry official, " This is a very serious accusation, and our source is fairly reliable. However investigations are still taking place here at the Ministry and we have no proof whatsoever that Isabella Takard is a death eater." Isabella Takard has been removed from her post as a potions teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and has been replaced with fellow auror at the Ministry Alistair Moody.'

"What are the Ministry playing at, there still going to let her work there?" Harry said outraged. Ginny looked at Harry suspiciously.

"You think she's guilty then?" Neville asked Harry.

"Well. I just think they should take these kind of things more seriously." Harry replied handing the prophet back to Neville, trying not to sound as if he had any reason to believe Isabella Takard was a death eater.

" Right." Ginny said sounding unconvinced. "I've got to go to Defence. See you Neville, Harry." She said quickly kissing him on the cheek and ran off down the great hall. Harry knew it was Mcgonagall who must have sent the ministry the owl. With no evidence he knew the Ministry wouldn't just take her word for it. After all, she didn't even know how Harry had known. At least she's out of the order now, Harry reassured himself. He grabbed some food to give to Ron, who he knew probably hadn't eaten anything and left Neville who had his head buried beneath the Daily Prophet once again. As Harry walked along the corridor towards the hospital wing he saw Zacharias Smith standing whispering with two other boys. Smith had joined the DA in Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts, but he had very much irritated Harry and Ron.
As Harry got closer to him he saw Smith glance at him and smirk as he turned away from the two boys he was whispering to, to face Harry.

"Everyone take a bow, the chosen one is here." He sniggered and the boys he was standing with were now laughing silently as if Smith had just said the funniest thing they had ever heard. Harry stopped and stared at Smith.

"What do you want Smith?" Harry said irritated.

"Just to tell you to watch your back chosen boy." Smith had a look on his face that disturbed Harry; it was as if Smith was a totally different person, sure he'd always been a bit annoying and rude but right now he was acting like a younger version of Malfoy. Harry ignored him and carried on walking, unable to get Smith out of his head wondering what he had meant by telling him to watch his back.

Harry arrived at the Hospital Wing with toast clutched in his hands for Ron. He saw Ron was asleep his head resting on the edge of Hermione's bed. Harry grabbed a chair from the other end of the room and placed it next to Ron's sitting down. He still had a lot of Homework to do; they were getting more and more with the N.E.W.T.S. coming up in the next year. But then, I didn't come here to do homework and get good results he reminded himself. Harry pushed Ron's shoulder lightly to try and wake him. Ron carried on sleeping, so he pushed him harder. Ron opened his eyes and looked at Harry annoyed.

"Why'd you wake me up?"

"Brought you some food." Harry told him handing him the toast he had brought him inside a napkin.

"Thanks Harry." Ron smiled appreciatively starting to shove a large piece of toast into his mouth.

"Has she woken up at all yet?" Harry asked Ron looking at Hermione who was still sleeping.

"Nope, but Mcgonagall came in bout an hour after you left last night and told Pomfrey to not say a word about how Hermione nearly…well you know. Pomfrey wasn't too happy about that but she had to agree didn't she." Ron informed Harry. Harry felt grateful towards Mcgonagall, despite her lack of knowledge on everything she seemed to be supporting him in everything he asked her.

"You seen the prophet today?" Ron shook his head and Harry told him about the article about Takard.

" Leestsheezeoutaway" Ron said with his mouth full of toast. Harry who was used to him speaking like this when he ate had understood him. "You have any idea what happened to Hermione yet?" Ron asked him now looking at Hermione again.

"Not a clue." Harry said wishing he knew.

"I really thought she was…" Ron gulped looking as if he was trying not to think about it.

"Oh Ron your so dramatic." Hermione said, her voice sounding faint. Harry turned and saw Hermione's eyes were open. He grinned at her and she made an effort to sit up. She gave him a weak smile; Harry guessed she still felt tired.

"Does either of you want to explain to me what happened?" Hermione said curiously. Eventually Harry and Ron told her everything that had happened since she passed out.

"So… I'm guessing the horcrux was destroyed with the love you felt. Voldemort's weakness it's so simple. You did the right thing telling Mcgonagall about Takard Harry, at least now she won't know anything else from the order." Hermione said looking at Harry approvingly.

"One down, three to go. Now what?" Ron said.

"Firstly there's Aberforth who we need to find. And we can't forget what Snape said. There's one inside the Hogwarts walls. So we probably should be spending some time in the library." Hermione instructed them. Ron groaned.

"A bit of hard work never hurt anyone Ron." Hermione told him firmly.

"Well I'm different, all this work will destroy my brain you know." Ron protested. Hermione laughed looking at Ron who smiled back at her sheepishly. She suddenly turned to look at Harry now with a more serious expression.

"Harry, last night when you performed that unforgivable curse on Snape, did you know you could do it?" She asked him tentatively as if waiting for him to start shouting at her. Harry had been waiting for her or Ron to mention this and he once again was unable to look at them.

"I've never been able to do it properly before, the worst thing is…I enjoyed the fact I was causing Snape so much pain." Harry mumbled the last part of what he was saying. He carried on voicing his thoughts as Ron and Hermione didn't speak as if waiting for him to carry on. Harry looked up at Hermione now seeing her look of concern. "You don't think I could turn…evil do you?" Hermione smiled sympathetically.

"No, not a chance. The fact you feel so bad about it says it all." Hermione finished. Harry found he felt much better after that. The three of them carried on talking until Madame Pomfrey kicked Harry and Ron out saying that they were distracting Hermione from her sleep. They had been told that Hermione would be allowed out of the hospital wing the next morning. When they arrived in the boy's dormitory Harry got out the two mirrors and handed one to Ron. Ron looked at him confused taking the mirror.

"Just see if they work with each other." Harry said. Harry tapped it his mirror and said Ron's name and Ron's face appeared in the mirror he was holding.

"Excellent." Ron said into the mirror grinning at Harry. So they did work, Harry wondered again who the mirror they found at Godric's hollow belonged to hoping maybe it was his dad's. But then how could it have been undamaged? That night Harry had another nightmare about Sirius's death and woke up at five in the morning, again tossing and turning unable to get back to sleep his scar once again twinging with pain.

The next morning in the great hall, Hermione was finally out of the hospital wing and had been told to tell people she had just been on the receiving end of a hex gone wrong. Harry who wasn't listening to anything Ron and Hermione had been saying felt Ron punch him in the arm.

"Sorry what?" Harry looked at them apologetically.

"You haven't been listening to us at all have you?" Hermione said.

"Yeah, course I have." Harry stifled a yawn.

"Why are you so tired anyway?" Ron asked him. Harry decided he should just tell them about his sleepless nights, after all, they were just dreams.

"Remember the dream about Cedric I had a while ago? Well…I keep having nightmares about things like that." Harry said quietly not telling them specifically what the nightmares were about. As he had predicted Ron and Hermione looked at him startled.

"You should tell someone Harry." Hermione advised him.

"There just bad dreams Hermione." Harry told her.

"But Harry…" Hermione started to protest but was interrupted by Ron.

"What else is it then if it's not just dreams?" Ron said defiantly sticking up for Harry which he appreciated.

"Ron, you never use your brain do you? Sometimes I wonder if you even have one." Hermione scowled at Ron who looked taken aback at Hermione's sudden spitefulness towards him. She ignored him and continued talking. "I'm not saying there more than dreams Ron, I'm saying maybe someone is making him have these dreams." Hermione raised her eyebrows. Harry realised what she was saying. She obviously thought Voldemort was causing him to have the nightmares.

"That really doesn't seem right Hermione, I mean…so what I have a few nightmares, it doesn't really help Voldemort in any way." Harry was sure Hermione was just being over concerned. Suddenly all the owls flew in but Harry didn't look up as he didn't expect to get any, he never got mail anymore since anyone that would write to him was right there in Hogwarts. He went back to eating his cereal when a big brown package landed in it spilling it everywhere. He picked it up, Ron and Hermione watching curiously and looked at the message attached to the package.

Harry,
These are two of our new finest most expensive products. We thought you would find use for them, so here they are free of charge.
Fred and George.

Harry handed the message to Ron and Hermione to read and he heard an outraged Ron.

"They never send me anything! And you get their products free of charge and the car!" Harry tore open the package and saw a pointed blue wizards hat, he read the packaging it was in aloud.

"Who needs veritaserum? When you can stick this on someone's head and get all their thoughts aloud from this hat! Works for three minutes at a time." Harry then saw something in small writing and squinted to see what it said. "May not work against good occlumens." Harry finished staring at the hat.

"I really don't know how they make some of these things." Hermione said with an impressed look on her face. Ron sat staring at the hat moodily, playing with his food. Harry looked at the second item in the package; it was a small empty black box with a tiny button on the side. Harry again read aloud the information.

"Press the small button and you will instantly be hidden away inside this box for as long as you want. Ideal for the moments when you're about to be caught for doing something you shouldn't be. Press the button again when the coast is clear."

Before Harry had time to try any of these out the bell rang. Ron stayed sitting and got up slowly.

"Do you want to be late for transfiguration?" Harry said grabbing his bag and getting up. The three of them walked up the stairway and Harry had tuned out again only hearing parts of Ron and Hermione's bickering.

"Ron, I wasn't saying you had no brain. I've already apologised for snapping at you can't you let it go?" Hermione said exasperatedly.

"No."

"And it's not my fault Fred and George gave Harry their new products and not you, so don't take it out on me."

"I'm not."

"Yes you are Ron!"

Harry again stopped listening to them and wondered if Hermione was right about Voldemort making him have those dreams of Cedric and Sirius and if he was why was he doing it?