He was in a meadow. The sky was clear blue, not a cloud in sight and the sun shone brightly though there was no warmth on his skin. The grass was a dark healthy green and tickled against his skin, though he felt nothing nor could he smell the fresh scent of grass. It was a scentless, silent, strange meadow.

Suddenly a cloud began to form up above, it was a deep dark black cloud that grew and grew from a small speck. He took a deep breath and held his wand up to the air.

"Expelliarmus" he shouted.

The cloud vanished and suddenly he was jerked out of the meadow and back into the dark, dingy dungeon that stank of stale musty parchments and strange potion ingredients. Professor Snape slammed a hand on the desk as he stood up, pushing his greasy black hair out of his pale pointed face.

"You have managed to push me out while keeping your mind clear" Snape acknowledged. "However you are still incompetent at hiding your memories, building barriers, fighting your opponent. You are useless"

Harry glared at him. "Yes sir" he said stiffly, curling a hand into a fist as he attempted to get his anger under control.

"We can't have you being sloppy Potter, you had felt that emotional outburst from the Dark Lord recently, don't lie I can tell" Snape sneered. "With Umbridge breathing down our necks we cannot afford your laziness. We must prevent those dreams"

"But why?" Harry asked desperately, although he knew no matter how many times he'll ask he won't get an answer.

"Again Potter" Snape said coolly pulling his wand out. "Legilimens!"

And so it began again.

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Ginny's eyes widened in worry as Harry staggered in paler than usual. She got up and ran to his side, slipping herself under his arm so she could support him. Ron had also seen Harry in time to hold up Harry's other side.

"Bloody hell mate, what the hell is he doing to you?" Ron muttered.

"Doesn't matter" Harry mumbled. "I'm too tired to care, help me to bed please"

"Harry" Ginny whispered.

"It's nothing Gin" Harry said in a weak attempt to reassure her. "It's just tiring to defend your mind over and over again"

Two large shadows loomed over them; they turned slightly to see the Weasley twins standing behind them with equally worried looks.

"Hermione told us you just-"

"Came back" the other twin finished. "Here Harry we'll carry you"

"What?! No!"

Fred and George scooped Harry up from either side and carried him up the stairs into the boy's dormitory ignoring Neville's stunned look and Dean and Seamus sniggers as the twins dumped Harry on the bed.

"Right then Harry-kins" Fred said clapping his hands together. "Would you like us to strip you and tuck you into bed and tell you a bedtime story?"

"Or how about we skip the foreplay and just jump into bed" George suggested with a wink.

Ginny smacked the twins over the head. "Hands off you man-whores, he's mine" Harry blushed heavily as the twins left cackling evilly, Ron shuddered and Ginny pursued her lips in a Mrs Weasley like manner. "Best be going then" she said bending down and kissing Harry's forehead. "Goodnight Harry, get some sleep"

Ginny left the dormitory to find the twins waiting for her on the landing. "Yes?" she asked tersely.

"Whoa Ginny, calm down" George said calmly. "We only have a suggestion"

"Oh?"

Fred chucked a small vial of pink and orange pastilles to her; she caught it and stared at it for a moment. "Puking pastilles, we finally got it right, tested it on everyone...but Snape of course"

"Of course" Ginny said smirking exactly identical to her older brothers. "And I think I know a little elf that could do the deed for us"

"The crazy one?" the twins asked in unison.

"More like...eccentric, Dobby is really a sweetheart"

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Harry, Hermione and Ron were sitting down in the library doing a potions essay. They had gone to their lesson only to find that Snape was absent due to a flu virus, it had been reported by gossiping students that he was in the hospital wing, puking constantly and nothing Madam Pomphrey does could stop it. Harry had a nagging suspicion that the twins had something to do with it.

"Hello Harry" Cho said shyly causing the trio to look up. "Erm...i was wondering if I could talk to you alone"

"Err...Sure, what is it?" Harry asked getting up and leading Cho round a book case. "Is it about the DA?"

"No actually...i was...hoping...this Valentine's Day is a Hogsmead visit and...Could we go together? As a date?"

Cho's eyes were shining with a mixture of hope and sadness, her cheeks were flushed pink and her hands clasped together. Harry hated what he had to do next, that he would be the one to make her sadness increase.

"I'm sorry Cho but I can't" he said apologetically. "I got a girlfriend and I love her, a lot"

"But...but..." Cho stuttered. "Please! Oh please Harry...i need you...it's been lonely without Cedric and you knew him so well"

"Cho...you don't want to go out with me because I am me" Harry said gently. "You want to have some sort of connection with Cedric...I'm sorry but I don't want to talk about it and I don't want to start some sort of twisted relationship especially when I have something so special with Ginny"

Cho let out a muffled sob. "I thought you were nice!" she cried out, tears beginning to trail down her cheeks. "I thought you would be kind! I hate you Harry Potter!"

Harry stepped aside allowing her to flee the library before anyone saw her crying. Ron and Hermione walked round the bookcase with sympathetic looks on their faces.

"Blimey mate you sure do get into the weirdest situations" Ron said patting Harry's shoulder. "I always thought there was something wrong with Cho"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Idiot" she muttered darkly. "You did the right thing Harry" she said louder. "You couldn't string her along but you couldn't turn her down instantly...at least you tried"

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Ginny staggered into her dormitory covered head to foot in mud, her clothes sticking to her skin from the sudden burst of rain not so long ago and her eyes closing slowly from tiredness. She had been up early to practise for the up-coming Quidditch game instead of going on a date with Harry like most girls should be doing with their boyfriends. Not that she would have done much since Hermione begged her permission a while back to arrange an interview for Harry so they could solve one of the many problems of Harry's life.

Umbridge's decrees were slowly turning Hogwarts into a police state, Hermione had hoped to publish the truth in Luna's father's magazine in hope to encourage more students to rebel, to trust Harry, to fight against Umbridge and prepare them for this new war. Ginny had a feeling it would take a while due to the Quibbler not having a good reputation like the Daily Prophet or Witch Weekly.

Flopping on the bed Ginny sighed blissfully and was all prepared to go straight to sleep and dream about Harry when the door slammed open and Hermione stood there proudly with an evil glint in her eye.

"What the hell Hermione?" Ginny demanded.

"Get in the shower; I'll pick your clothes out" Hermione ordered striding towards Ginny's trunk as if Ginny hadn't spoken. "You're going out on a date"

A small smile formed on Ginny's lips has she ran to the bathroom. She was not going to smell of sweat and mud on a date with Harry. Within an hour Hermione had gotten Ginny dressed in a dark green jumper and knee length black skirt, her red silky hair done in a small pony-tail to show her earrings which were simple silver studs shaped in stars. Ginny ran down the stairs to find Harry waiting in his own Weasley jumper and black trousers, she couldn't help but giggle at the fact they matched.

Harry smiled brightly up at her and took her hand into his. "You look beautiful" he said sincerely as they left the common room.

"Thank you" Ginny said blushing lightly. "You look pretty good yourself"

They talked casually about the horrors of Rita Skeeter and Angelina Johnson's training techniques up until they ended up in the Hogwarts kitchens were Dobby excitedly led them to a candle lit table in the corner.

"Wow Harry this is amazing" Ginny exclaimed.

"It's nothing really" Harry mumbled feeling self-conscious. "Dobby helped a great deal...i just wanted to have some time with you, we hadn't had much time with the DA, Quidditch, Umbridge and Occlumency"

Ginny went up on her tip-toes and kissed his lips firmly. "You're too sweet for me"

Harry slipped his fingers into her hair, holding her to him as he kissed her deeply and more passionately. "I think it's the other way round, you're too sweet for me" he whispered hoarsely against her lips before kissing her one more time.