The next chapter is up. I was busy with my studies and work so this chapter took some time as probably the next few will take, since it's my last semester of my B.A. and the exams almost here.

Enjoy! R&R

Thanks for all the reviews!

Chapter 8: Don't mix potions with alcohol.

Ron at first thought about going straight away and to tell Hermione what he just found, but decided that this can wait and that more important is to escort Harry to the breakfast so the professors won't suspect anything.

Harry was taking his time at the bathroom; he didn't want to go to the breakfast because he knew what awaits him there: full Great Hall with everybody staring.

"Harry, are you all right there mate?" called Ron after twenty minutes, "What taking you so long, I'm starving."

"So, go without me, Hermione probably waiting for you," Harry's answer came.

"I'm not leaving you in your condition," said Ron, "you barely walk straight. You'll get in trouble with the professors."

"Then I'm not coming!"

"I won't let you stay here either. Who knows what you are going to do drunk," insisted Ron, "come out and let's go or I'll be calling McGonagall!"

Harry mumbled something unrecognizable but left the bathroom fully dressed and followed Ron to the Great Hall.

The breakfast had already begun. When they entered, the Great Hall suddenly fell into silence, and everybody's eyes were at Harry. Harry didn't pay any attention. His mind was floating and he walked as in a daze. Ron, unnoticed guided him to the Gryffindor table, toward their seats beside Hermione. Hermione, without too many words passed the 'Daily Prophet' she was reading to Ron, who glanced at the front page and then back at his girlfriend, his eyes wide open.

"Waz wrong?" asked Harry. Ron and Hermione exchanged looks, considering if it wise to show the newspaper to Harry. But Harry was too quick, even in his condition, his Seeker instincts were good, so he snatched the 'Prophet' from Ron and scanned the front page

"Told you I had a good reason," he addressed to Ron, throwing the newspaper back at his friend, and it was his only response.

The front page held a large black headline: 'Halloween present for the Boy-Who-Lived'.

Underneath it was a large picture of the orphanage with the Dark Mark above it. Smaller picture showed the inscription that was left on the wall. The story told about the murder of 25 orphans and 7 staff members.

"You knew about it?" asked Hermione.

"I saw it!" said Harry, in uncaring tone.

"You had one of those dreams, didn't you?" Harry just shrugged.

"Don't you care at all?" Hermione asked.

"It's not as I could do anything," Harry shrugged again.

Ron leaned back and tugged Hermione on her robe. When she paid him attention, Ron whispered to her behind Harry's back "He is drunk!"

"WHAT?!" shrieked Hermione,

"Shh," shushed her Ron, "The Professors!"

"Sorry," Hermione apologized while she sent a glance toward the staff table to see if they noticed something.

"We must give him a Sobering Potion before the classes start," said Ron, "but we can't just walk to Pomfrey and ask her about it."

"Then we are going to do it the muggle way!" said Hermione in determined voice and left the Great Hall. She returned a few minutes later with a smoking goblet in her hand.

"Drink this!" she handed the goblet to Harry.

Harry obeyed and took a sip, instantly spitting it back. "Drink this that instant or I'm going straight to McGonagall!" threatened Hermione. Harry grimaced but drank the contents of the goblet nevertheless.

"What did you give him?" asked Ron.

"Black coffee," Hermione shrugged, "I asked Dobby to make it. It's a muggle method, proven to work."

The coffee indeed helped to clear Harry's mind, but now he was aware of the eyes that were staring at him. He grabbed the newspaper again and read the article about the events once again, now with clear mind.

"Harry, are you O.K." asked worried Hermione.

Harry's head was now resting on the table; his forehead was pressed to the cool surface.

"Of course I'm not, Hermione, but I don't want to talk about it!" he snapped.

"That why you were drinking?" she whispered, "Harry, it's not good for you!"

"Please leave the lectures for the professors, Hermione; I'm not in the mood right now!" said Harry.

"Harry, you know we care for you," she gently said.

"Sorry, 'Mione," he apologized.

-aaaaa-

When the breakfast was over the trio made their way to the dungeons for the Potions.

"Loved the present, Potter?" Malfoy's sneering voice came.

"You are sick, Malfoy," said Hermione, "to laugh about people being killed."

"They were nothing but filthy muggles," Malfoy spat, "You should know, mudblood, you are one of them."

Ron was about to launch on Malfoy, but Harry stopped him.

"Tell me, Malfoy, do you realize at all what's going on? What if it was your mother there?" he said in a cold voice.

"No way, Potter, my mother is a pureblood!"

"You are living in a dreamland, Malfoy. As soon as Voldemort becomes sick of your daddy; he won't care if he and your family are purebloods, half-bloods or muggle born," continued Harry.

"He will never do it to one of his followers!"

"Mark my words, Malfoy, and wake up!" Harry practically hissed those words and turned to his friends.

"Watch your friends, Potter, or they might end like your parents and Diggory!" Malfoy wanted to be the one who says the last word.

-aaaaa-

Snape arrived, few minutes late, "In!" he barked. Everyone entered and took their places. "Thomas, five points from Gryffindor for taking your time to settle down!" he addressed to Dean, who was searching his quill in his bag.

The Gryffindors groaned. Snape was definitely not in a good mood.

"Potter, stay after the lesson!" he ordered to Harry, who gave Ron a look as if to say 'What did I do?" Ron shrugged his shoulders and mouthed "Snape…"

During the lesson Harry couldn't concentrate. Too many things were on his mind. He constantly kept thinking about his last vision, the pictures of the bloodied hall came in his view and he felt sick. Harry thought about his visit to his parents' graves and about the two hours he spent with Sirius and Remus and then he thought about Hedwig. He was so distracted that he didn't pay attention to what he was adding to his potion. The potion became acid green instead of dark blue and some kind of smoke was coming from it. The smoke soon covered the whole classroom.

"Everybody, cover their faces and get out!" yelled Snape, "Don't breathe the fumes!"

Somebody grabbed Harry by his robe and dragged him out of the classroom.

When they were out, Snape closed the door and demanded a silence.

"Look around and check if your friends are with you, is anybody missing?" he asked in a loud voice.

Harry looked around, he saw Hermione being held by Ron, Seamus helping Lavender to clean her face, Neville and Dean talking quietly and… He couldn't see Parvati. It seems that all the Slytherins were there too.

"Parvati is missing!" he ran toward Snape. Snape scanned the teenagers and when he didn't see her as well he turned toward the door. "Everybody go to the Hospital Wing. Granger, tell Madam Pomfrey what happened. I want to see every one of you there when I'm back!" he instructed in a hurry. He cast some spell on him and entered the classroom.

Harry was about to leave with the others to the Hospital Wing but he wanted to know where was Parvati, he felt responsible for her, since it was his potion that went wrong, and he didn't want the nurse to check him. So when nobody was looking, he slipped away and returned to the classroom.

He saw Snape emerging from it a few moments later with Parvati's still form in his hands. Guilt overcame him. He blamed himself for another hurt person and he needed to shut the guilt off.

He ran to his dorm, not paying attention to the sting in his eyes and a funny taste in his mouth. He dug the bottle of the Fire Whisky from his trunk and took four large gulps from the amber liquid, before putting the bottle back and leaving to the Hospital Wing with a hope that he'll be able to dodge the health check.

In the Hospital Wing the whole class was standing in a line in front of Madam Pomfrey's desk with a cauldron on it and Professor Snape was giving each student a cup with something to drink. Harry stood behind Ron at the line and asked his friend what's going on.

"Where have you been?" demanded Ron when he noticed Harry.

"In the bathroom," Harry lied, "So, what's up?"

"Snape is giving us some potion to counteract the fumes we inhaled," explained Ron, "Where is Madam Pomfrey?" asked Harry.

"She is with Parvati," said Hermione, "She was the most effected. Snape brought her half an hour ago."

"Is she going to be O.K.?" Harry asked, his voice shaking. The whisky he drank numbed the guilt a little bit, but not enough.

"Pomfrey said she is going to be fine, she said the fumes weren't deadly, they just make you fall into deep sleep if you inhale much of them. They are used in Mungo to put a patient in a sleep before unpleasant procedures."

-aaaaa-

"Where have you been, Potter?" demanded Professor Snape as Harry approached the desk.

"The bathroom," Harry repeated his lie.

"Five points from Gryffindor for not following the Professor's orders," sneered Snape, "and another thirty for the accident and detention."

"I already have two weeks of detention with Professor Lupin," Harry frowned.

"I was supposed to inform you that your detention with Lupin will hold place today from seven o'clock, therefore I expect you at fife thirty today and don't be late!" with that Snape handed him the cup with the potion.

When every student had a cup in their hand, Snape called for a silence, deducting points from Gryffindor on the way.

"You are going to drink the antidote to the fumes you inhaled, thanks to Potter!" the students looked at Harry. "You'll feel a little tired afterwards, the feeling will last for half an hour, but it's better than you fall in deep sleep in the middle of your lessons. There aren't supposed to be any side effects unless you drank some alcohol in a range of two hours before taking the potion. As I'm sure you didn't…" and he gave them the look that practically said 'I'll tear you apart if you did!', "drink the potion now and get out of here. Your homework is to write an essay about the Calming Drought, what Potter did wrong and what his potion turned into!"

"Professor," Hermione approached Snape, "What happens if you drink the antidote with alcohol?"

"Why, Ms. Granger, have you been drinking?" Snape asked with malicious smile.

"No, of course not, Professor…"

"So it was one of your friends then?"

"Er… No sir, I'm just curios." Hermione made her best to sound unsuspicious.

"Well, to satisfy your curiosity," Snape eyed her for a few moments, as if reading her mind (Which he probably did, but he isn't going to admit, is he?); "The person will get sick and hallucinating, showing him his worst memories."

Hermione gasped, "It's like a Dementor,"

"Yes it is, Ms. Granger. The potion with the addition of alcohol to it was often been used in some circles, to torture people."

Hermione hurried to her friends and saw them emptying their cups.

-aaaaa-

They left the Hospital Wing and made their way to the Transfiguration class. Suddenly Harry felt as if he is going to be sick. His stomach was hurting really bad. He clasped his hand over his mouth and only managed to tell his friends about his bad feeling before he stormed toward the closest bathroom.

"What's wrong with Harry," asked Ron, "It can't be the potion; Snape said it doesn't have side effects."

"Unless it is mixed with alcohol…" whispered Hermione, "O, no, Harry," she added before she ran after him.

"Hermione, wait," shouted Ron, "You don't think he was drinking again, do you?" he asked as he catch up on her.

"I'm afraid he did," Hermione said, "And now he is going to have his worst nightmares being played as it is with Dementors."

"What are we going to do?" Ron was desperate, "we can't tell the Professors, he'll be expelled!"

"I'm going to the library; you go and keep an eye on him. I don't know when the hallucinations will show up."

Ron nodded and ran to the bathroom where Harry was. He heard Harry vomiting in one of the stalls. "Hold on there mate," Ron said, "Hermione checking how to help you."

Harry only groaned as an answer and threw up again. He finished after a few minutes, when he got up his head was spinning.

"How are you?" asked Ron.

"As if I was run over by a herd of Hippogriffs," admitted Harry.

"You were drinking again, why?" asked Ron.

Harry shrugged. "You know," said Ron, looking straight at Harry, "You are going to get hurt if you keep as you are now, but besides hurting yourself, you might hurt somebody else and then you won't be able to forgive yourself."

Harry shrugged again, "It doesn't matter. People are hurt around me anyway, first my parents then Cedric and now Parvati."

"It wasn't your fault, well, maybe Parvati was, but she is going to be fine." Ron said.

Harry said nothing, just stared at the floor.

Hermione came running "Harry, how are you?" she inquired.

"Just been separated from the toilet,"

"Any other strange feelings?" she kept asking.

"No, why should I?"

"Well, you see… the potion, when mixed with alcohol is acting like Dementor. I checked in some books, in about half an hour from drinking the potion you are going to re-live your worst nightmares…It will last for an hour. There is no antidote… I'm sorry, Harry…"

Harry turned pale, he wasn't afraid of seeing his nightmares again, he had seen them every night since the end of his forth year, but he didn't want his friends to witness him, while having them.

"Harry, I think you should go to Madam Pomfrey and tell her you don't feel well…" advised Hermione.

"No," Harry shook his head, "I'm going to lie down, don't worry about me, it's only for an hour, go to Transfiguration, I'll be fine."

"But, Harry…" started Ron.

"No!" Harry said more forcefully, "I'm going to the dorm, don't follow me or I'll hex you!" he threatened and left.

"Come on, let's go" said Ron, "I just hope he will realize that he has friends as soon as possible." Ron put his hand over Hermione's shoulder and they made their way to Transfiguration class.

-aaaaa-

As soon as Harry entered his dorm he put a strong locking charm on the door and a silencing charm as well. Then he got loose of his clothes that started to suffocate him and put his pajamas. Finally he climbed to his bed and lay down. He lay like that for about ten minutes. Everything was quit; suddenly he saw a shadow by Neville's bed. Harry turned his had and jumped with a surprise.

"What are you doing here, uncle?" he gasped.

The figure of uncle Vernon came nearer. "I came to teach you your lesson, boy!" it answered. Harry backed more and pulled out his wand. The figure just laughed.

"Do you think I'm afraid of you, when I have much powerful people who help me?"

His 'uncle' stepped forward and took his belt. "Your first lesson is going to begin!" with that he raised his belt and struck. Harry felt pain although the hit wasn't close to him at all, he cried with a pain. 'Vernon' hit again and again and Harry was curled up in his bed, trying to protect his face. Suddenly the pain stopped and the figure of uncle Vernon said "This is what will happen if you talk!" and he showed him a cage with a white bird in it, but the bird wasn't moving. "Hedwig! No!" Harry gathered his strength and jumped on his uncle in purpose to grab Hedwig, but he somehow fell through the figure. 'Vernon' laughed even lauder and then disappeared. Harry got up from the floor and looked around, his eyes wide with fear. As he turned his head toward the window he saw another figure.

"Hi, Harry," the figure said, "Do you enjoy your life? 'Cause I find it pretty hard, since I'm DEAD!"

"C…Cedric…?" Harry stammered as he looked closely at the figure. And indeed, it was the figure of Cedric Diggory, sitting on the window still. Cedric was dead pale with black circles under his eyes, he had a black burned mark in the place the Killing Curse hit him.

"Yes, Harry, it's me, remember, you killed me," said the figure of Cedric, "how about I show you again how it happened so you won't forget."

Another figured appeared. It was clocked figure, but when it lifted her hood, Harry saw rat like face of Peter Pettigrew and a cold voice ordered: "Kill the spare!" a green light shoot toward Cedric and he fell, but this time without a sound.

"NOOO!" Harry yelled, he wanted to pull his wand out and to hurt Pettigrew, but couldn't find it.

Cedric got up, "Let's see it again," he suggested and the situation repeated itself till Harry was begging him to stop. "Please, I know that was my fault, but please stop…" he cried, kneeling in front of the place Cedric's body lay few seconds ago.

"You are right, I am going to stop!" said Cedric in a cold voice. He raised his wand and together with Pettigrew yelled 'Avada Kedavra!" A green light flew toward Harry and he found himself knocked of his feet, although nothing touched him. Then everything went quit again, Harry was breathing hard, he felt a real fear. It was nothing like the Dementors. The hallucinations were so real, that he actually felt every hit and every curse.

Suddenly he saw a few clocked figures; they made a cycle around him. Few seconds later one of the figures moved aside and somebody was thrown next to him. Harry realized that it was a girl with flaming red hair. When she turned her face toward Harry, he gasped, it was Ginny. The Death Eaters send a few curses at her; one of them was the Crusiatus Curse. Ginny was screaming. In moments between every curse she would look at him as if accusing him in the situation that they were in. Harry tried to shield her from the curses but they just went through him, causing him a pain. Finally a last blow came and he saw Ginny dead on the floor. By that moment Harry already was crying hard. His brain didn't acknowledge the fact that everything wasn't real. When the image of Ginny disappeared Harry was preparing himself for the worse.

His parents appeared. "Harry," said his father, "how are you going to fulfill the Prophecy if you are so weak?"

"You are going to doom the whole Wizarding World," added his mother.

"You can't find the strength to fight your uncle, how are you going to fight Voldemort?" his father continued, "I decided to save the world the trouble of keeping up with you!" With that the figure of his father pulled a muggle gun and pointed it on Harry.

"Good riddance!" the figure said. A few loud bangs were sound, Harry felt burning pain in his abdomen area then knew no more.

-aaaaa-

"Harry, open up!!!" shouted Ron Weasley and banged loudly on the dorm door. He and Hermione were back from Transfiguration class. They left straight to the dorms, while the others went to the dinner. They tried to listen to any sound coming from the room but heard nothing due to the Silencing Charm. Ron tried to open the door with 'Alohamora', but was unsuccessful. Frustrated and worried for his friend he banged on the door with a hope that Harry would hear and open the door. When no answer came, Hermione tried a few unlocking spells she new, luckily one of them opened the door.

Harry was laying on the floor, unconscious, his pajamas socked with sweat and his face with tears.

"I think he is fine now," whispered Hermione, "the hallucination must be over."

"What are we going to do with him?" asked Ron, "we can't leave him like that."

"Let's levitate him to his bed and let him sleep," said Hermione, "our next lesson is Care of Magical Creatures; we'll tell Hagrid that Harry is sick." As they were about to cast the levitating charm on Harry, he began to steer. Finally he opened his eyes.

"What happened?" he asked with hoarse voice.

"Don't you remember?" asked Ron, who kneeled beside Harry.

Harry thought for a moment, "I had the hallucinations, right?"

"Yea, how are you feeling?" asked Hermione.

"Awful!" Harry admitted, "I think I'm going to lie down. And by the way, it is not like a Dementor, it's more like dreams you see without being asleep."

"You know, Harry," said Hermione in her bossy tone, "I'm probably should tell you that you deserve that feeling because you were drinking. Do you realize how dangerous it is?"

"Leave it Hermione," said Harry, "I know it was wrong, but I needed it! I'm not going to be totally drunk, I can control this!" and he pushed himself from the floor and climbed back to bed, drowning the curtains behind him, "Tell whoever the Professor is that I'm sick!"

"By the way, Harry," remembered Hermione, "Professor McGonagall said you must bring her a note from Madam Pomfrey for you being sick."

"Fine!" Harry snapped.

"We are going to the lunch," called Ron, "I'll bring you something."

"Thanks, Ron!" came Harry's response.

When Ron and Hermione left, Harry took a few sips from the Fire Whisky and fell asleep.