I was completely unaware as to what any of the others were doing, the Dementor's rattling breath flooding my thoughts. I was getting weaker and weaker by the second as it drained away my happiness, sucking the life out of me. I had to act. I focused all my energy into my happy memory, just as Professor Lupin had taught me. I thought all the way back to my first day at Hogwarts, we were at the train station and I was getting on the Hogwarts Express for the first time ever, I found an empty compartment and waved to Mum, Dad and Liza with a huge smile on my face. I remember being so excited. Then the compartment door slid open and three girls stood in the doorway, also with huge smiles lighting up their faces. They asked if they could join me and we made our introductions. We became friends that day and five years later, we still were. I closed my eyes.
"Expecto Patronum!" I yelled. A silver, wispy giraffe awkwardly leapt out from my wand and cantered after the Dementor, it's ears angrily pinned back and heavy snorts escaping it's nose. It's rare you would ever see a giraffe behave in such a way and if it hadn't been a near death situation, it would have almost been comical.
I was dropped to the ground and I quickly got back on my feet to see where the Dementor had gone. It had disappeared from sight but I wasn't about to take chances. I looked at the others, they were all gawking at me.
"Grab the stuff, let's go!" I ordered, taking charge. They snapped back into reality and did as I instructed. We sprinted all the way back to the house and didn't stop until we were inside. I collapsed on the kitchen floor just as Mum almost ran into the room, looking very panic-stricken and worried.
"What's happened?" She cried, crouching beside me. I covered my eyes trying to regain some strength.
"Demen... tor." Was the only word that Laurie was able to puff. I took my hand away from my eyes and saw my Mother staring down at me, an even more worried look on her face. She got up from beside me and hurried over to the fridge, getting out something rectangular in a silver wrapper. She unwrapped it and handed it to me, it was chocolate. I waved it off and sat up.
"It'll make you feel better, hun." She said sincerely. I shook my head.
"I feel fine." I assured her, standing up. She nodded and put it away.
"What in heaven's name are Dementors doing in Ottery St. Catchpole?" She rhetorically asked, when she had recovered herself, "I haven't heard news of any breakouts."
"It wasn't looking for anyone, Mum." Tyler explained, "It tried to kiss Sarah, it was sent here to attack." She looked at him, completely dumbfounded.
"H-how did you g-get away?" She stammered. Everyone looked at me.
"Sarah produced a Patronus Charm." Hermione answered quite calmly.
"None of us knew you could do that, Sarah." Ron stated, "We thought Harry was the only student." I gave him a weak smile.
"Not even I knew." Mum added, "How long have you been able to do that?"
"Since third year." I answered. Everyone wore an expression that resembled a silent 'what?'
"When Professor Lupin taught Harry," I went on, "he taught me as well, said I might need it one day. I haven't until just now."
"Why have you never told us?" Laurie asked.
"You never asked." I shrugged.
"Come on then, you can sit by the fire in here and warm yourselves up." Mum said, ushering everyone into our large living room.
Just as I was about to sit down in front of the fire between Hermione and Tyler, a searing pain washed over my head. It felt as if something very sharp had been lodged in my skull. I doubled over in pain, kneeling to the floor clutching my head. Everyone rushed to my side, I could hear them calling my name but I couldn't tear my mind away from the intense pain to answer them. Suddenly everything became distant. The voices were getting further and further away and I couldn't feel the floor anymore. It was as if I were floating. The pain faded and was replaced by an image, a moving image. A memory? No it wasn't a memory. It was something completely new to me.
I watched as a tall, skinny boy and a much plumper boy stood in an alleyway, their heads darting around as they sky became filled with dark clouds. The alleyway was pitch black, yet somehow I could see everything. The next minute, the plump boy had knocked the other to the ground and was running in the opposite direction, towards a dark, hooded figure, it was a creature that not only ten minutes before had threatened my life. In the corner of my eye, I saw something light up dully. I tore my eyes away from the plump boy and focused on the skinny boy who had recovered his wand and was now upright, backing away from a second hooded figure. A wisp of silver vapour emitted from his wand. Then, with a burst of sliver light, a huge stag came galloping out of the boy's wand. I instantly recognised the boy's unique features, his untidy jet-black hair, those startlingly green, almond shaped eyes and the lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead. Then, as fast as it had come the image was gone and I could once again hear the voices from my living room. The pain was completely gone and I recovered myself, sitting up, cross-legged on the floor. All around me, I saw wide-eyed and shocked faces.
"The Dementors are going to attack Harry." I blurted out.
"What? When?" Hermione asked, quite confused.
"Tomorrow night." I answered.
"Sarah, how do you know?" Tyler asked tentatively. I stared at the floor.
"I... I think I just had a vision." I whispered, unsure of the words.
I dreamt of Dementors all night. Of their haunting decayed bodies wrapped in black shredded cloaks and their sharp rattling breaths. The thought of them is enough send chills down your spine, let alone having one centimetres from your face. I didn't know how Harry did it. One was enough to make me want to run, that night with Sirius there were hundreds.
We were up early the in the morning, almost three o'clock, for the journey to Grimmauld Place. The matter of transport was not simple. As the majority of us were not of age to apparate, we were flying, and as Muggles would unlikely take the sight of eleven people flying on broomsticks well, the nightfall was needed to cover us. Alastor Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Nymphadora Tonks and Professor Remus Lupin were escorting us there. Before we set off, our guest's parents had all arrived to take them home.
It took an hour to get there, two at the most, although it would have taken longer if Tonks hadn't convinced Moody that he was mad for wanting to double back and make sure no one was following us. Our large party was gathered in a small square, facing a row of unkempt looking houses. I presumed that was the location of headquarters and I looked up at the numbers on the row of grimy houses. I found number 11 but directly to the right was number 13. I turned back to Mum with a questioning look but she merely inclined her head forwards. I returned my gaze and realised what she had meant. Between numbers 11 and 13, a door had appeared which was then followed by walls and windows. Moody looked back at us.
"Well, come on then, hurry up." He growled, walking up the front steps and holding open the door. Everyone hurried past him and into a long, narrow hallway. He quietly shut the door behind us and ushered us along the hallway, down a few steps and into a large dining room area, where Arthur, Molly and Bill Weasley, Sirius and my Father were seated around a long wooden table. Remus, Tonks, Kingsley and Moody joined them while we stood around in the doorway. Dad stood and hugged me, who was closest to him, followed by Liza and then gave mum a kiss. He stood behind Tyler and Nate and placed his hands on their shoulders. Sirius grinned widely but did not make to stand, as the room was already overcrowded. Mrs Weasley stood, taking no notice of this fact, and made for Ron, kissing him on the head, who grumbled in protest. She then gathered Hermione into a hug before turning to everyone.
"How have we all been then?" She asked cheerily, "Fred, George and Ginny are still asleep but you can go up in second and wake them and I'll start breakfast. We just need to discuss some things first." She gestured to the many vacant seats, "Everyone take a seat." We did as she asked.
"I presume Dumbledore has spoken to all of you about the Order of the Phoenix?" Sirius asked. Everyone nodded, "And you understand that he is the Secret Keeper for headquarters? That only he can tell people of this location?" Everyone nodded once more, "Right then. Now, about the halls-"
"Don't worry, we filled them in on that already." Hermione cut in.
"And about Kreacher." Ron sighed. Sirius scowled.
"Well then go and get settled in your rooms, Hermione and Ron will show you where they are." Mrs Weasley said quickly, preventing further comments to be made about Kreacher, the Black Family's house-elf who had a strong resentment of what Sirius was using the house for and the people residing in it.
Hermione and Ron led us up a large, dark staircase to the second landing.
"Sarah, you and Liza will be sleeping in here," Hermione explained to us, pointing to one of the two doors on the landing, "With Ginny and I."
"And Tyler, you'll be sleeping in here," Ron explained to Tyler, inclining his head to the other, "With me."
There was a loud crack, and I felt a hand placed on my shoulder. I let out a small squeal before quickly cupping my hand over my mouth in remembrance to what Hermione had said about being quiet. I turned around and saw Fred and George Weasley, Ron's twin brothers.
"You know, Sarah, you really ought to be more quiet, never know what you could wake." Fred taunted. I glowered at him.
"I see you two both got your Apparation Licenses then." I grumbled, hitting him on the shoulder. He laughed, my attempt at an attack having, as usual, no effect.
"Cheer up, Sarah, you'll get used to it." George grinned, "Well anyway, back to the matter at hand. You my friend," He said, pointing to Nate, "will be bunking with us."
"This is going to be very enjoyable." Nate laughed.
"Oh, and Ginny's awake, she's playing with Crookshanks and Liriana." Fred added.
"Oh! Crookshanks! I had completely forgotten!" Hermione exclaimed, yanking open the door to room we were now sharing.
Crookshanks was Hermione's half cat, half Kneazle and Liriana was his sister. Liriana was mine and, unlike Hermione, I'd had her since she was a kitten.
The rest of the day disappeared quickly, Molly having given us chores to keep ourselves occupied Most of these however, merely involved Scourgify-ing any surface we could get our hands on.
"What time is it?" I asked no one in particular as we all sat around in a large, empty room, but for a few armchairs, waiting to be granted permission to go back down stairs.
"Nearly ten past nine." Ginny answered, glancing at her watch.
"He doesn't have much time." I said to Hermione, lowering my voice. Fred and George instantly looked up.
"Who doesn't have much time?" George asked nosily.
"And 'til what?" Fred added. I looked to Hermione for direction, she inclined her head towards them as if to say 'tell them'. I sighed.
"Harry's going to be attacked by Dementors tonight, at twenty three past nine to be exact." I explained. Ginny frowned.
"How do you know that?" She asked.
"I had a vision last night." I muttered, afraid of what they might think. Ginny gasped.
"Will he be alright?" Fred asked, not put off one bit by what I'd just said.
"I don't know. He produced his Patronus, so, I assume so." I replied. He nodded.
"I've been thinking about it, Sarah, and I think you should tell them. The adults, I mean." Hermione suggested.
"I agree." Tyler added, "They'll want to know, Sarah, we don't think you're crazy and neither will they." He said supportively, almost reading my thoughts.
"You're right. I'll tell them when they let us downstairs." I stated.
By the time they finally let us downstairs, it was past 9:23, and Mum explained that she had already told them about my vision. They found out that an owl had been sent to Harry's Aunt's and Uncle's, saying that Ministry representatives would be going there to destroy his wand. However, Dumbledore had managed to persuade the Ministry to lower the charges, and it was decided that a court hearing would be held the next day. Harry was collected from Privet Drive by the Advanced Guard, all Order members, and brought to Grimmauld Place.
The evening flew by quickly, as did the next day once Harry arrived back and told us that all charges had been dropped, until which we were all worried sick about him. The time for sleep soon came and I was left staring at my fully packed trunk at the end of my bed, ecstatically excited to return to Hogwarts, before climbing into bed and for the first time in a long while, entering a deep and dreamless sleep.
Chapter, oh yeah! Hope you're enjoying and please remember to review! :)