Chapter 13
(Hermione)
I awoke the next morning in a cold sweat. The nightmare of a cold-blooded murderer still fresh in my mind. I couldn't help but think that if she started tampering with her dreams, would the nightmares be able to come true as well? There were so many risks with this type of magic. Controlling dreams? Basically, in the muggle world, it was telepathy. An entire army could be on the same thought process without the opposition overhearing any type of communication. It was brilliant, secretive, and just may be the thing to save the Order and my friends without any casualties! Still, I was scared senseless. How was I ever going to find the courage to do something like this?
I met Professor Lupin at 6:00 like he suggested at the bakery. Conversation started casual, and about nothing in particular. I wanted to get down to business right away, so I finally said, "Look, Professor. I appreciate you trying to keep me calm and everything, but I'd like to get right down to this training thing before I completely change my mind and go back to my fear driven life again." Lupin raised his eyebrows and did just what I suggested, got to the point.
"Alright, Hermione. Let's get to it, then. You have to know that I am not 100% up-to-date on this type of magic. It has never been fully supported by the Ministry of Magic and as you know, it's very secretive." He paused as if he wanted me to say something and when nothing came out of my mouth, he continued. "So, there really is no better way then to just jump into it and hope it works."
"Waaaaait just one minute, Professor. I was reading in the book that people can go insane from this! My mind can literally leave my brain and never come back. Shouldn't I at least have some sort of control training or mock magic in order to get a feel as to what I am going to be dealing with?" But before I even ended my questions and concerns, from the sympathetic and sad smile I was getting from Lupin, I knew I was going in blind.
"I'm so sorry to tell you Hermione that there is no training or anything like that for what we are doing. You are very logical and strong-minded. People who are considered dreamers, creative, and overly-imaginative are the ones who get in trouble because the logical side of their brain cannot reign in the other part. You will not have any trouble with this, you have my word."
Well, it's not like I could do much if I did have trouble with it, I thought. "Professor Lupin, I want to do this because I do not want to see any of my friends hurt or killed, if this makes me insane, I promise I will find a way to haunt your dreams for the rest of your life."
"Keeping humor is very important as well." He added with a chuckle. "Oh, Hermione. Thank you so much for this, you will not realize it for a while, but this may be the decision that saves us all."
"What do we have to do first, Professor?"
"You get to take a nap."
"What? I'm just going to sleep?"
"Well, no. Not exactly. As you fall asleep and you go into a R.E.M. cycle, I cast a spell on you that in simple terms, has your dreams come alive..." He faded off. My dreams come alive? Voldemort every night? I swallowed hard, my face turning pale. Lupin must have noticed for he stopped the explanation immediately when he saw my face. I got up ran to the bathroom and up came the bagel and coffee I recently consumed. I started to shake and knew it was from the fear of seeing Voldemort more realistic in my dreams. How was I ever going to do this?