A/N: Sorry it took awhile to update. I mean I know it was only a week, but I'm so used to updating every few days. Unfortunately I had to attend a funeral for a dear neighbor who died of cancer; Team Nance! ... and then I went to the hospital as I have mysteriously temporarily lost hearing in my left ear. What a Thanksgiving Break, I have had! Anyway I rewrote this twice... and I hope you like it! I plan to update soon!

Disclaimer: JK Rowling is my gurrrrrl.

Y6: The Nightmare Cave

I am alone. I lay on a cold floor. So very cold… but how did I get here? Where am I? … I know this place; no I don't.

But that door… I know that door. It's a metal but it looks simply like wood. Wait how do I know its metal? I'm touching it now. It too is cold just like the floor.

I hear a noise. I am laying back on the floor now. I don't question how I got there. I just am.

There are voices.

"Please!" a woman pleads.

"Tell us where they keep the hallow," a low voice of a man grumbles out.

"I don't know what you're saying, please," the woman is crying.

I am now watching the woman cry. I know her, I think. Could it be Bathsheba? Bathsheba Addison? Our house maid? Her hair is disheveled. There are cuts on her face and around her wrists. Her skin is tinging gray as if she is already dead.

"Bathsheba," I whisper but she does not hear me.

I walk in front of her. I bend down and touch her. But she doesn't acknowledge my fingers weaving through her hair trying to calm her as she had calmed me as a child. Bathsheba wasn't much older than me. But today she could've been my mother… or my grandmother… or, I don't know, but she looks quite old… and dead… she looks so dead.

"We want the cloak!" a woman with long brown hair screeched at Bathsheba.

I know her too… but how? Where have I seen that brown hair that rolled past her shoulders? Where have I seen those red lips curl? Where, oh where, have I seen those dark, angry eyes? Have they ever looked upon me?

"I don't kno—" They put a wand to Bathsheba's neck and she choked down sobs.

"Do not lie to me," the man said slowly.

Tears were leaving her eyes, she stayed silent.

I was still petting Bathsheba. I needed her to remember me but my eyes still examined the other woman.

"Crucio!" the man bellowed.

Bathsheba cried out as she rolled about in pain. I flew away from her startled. I then looked to the man, he was still hurti—TORTURING—her… and he was enjoying it.

"No! No!" I cried at him, I pushed him but he did not move. It was as if I wasn't there!

"That's enough," the woman muttered.

The man stopped and Bathsheba lay in a pile of tears. I ran back to her side. I hushed her and whispered her name but she still only responded with tears.

"Is it in the house?!" the man asked.

But Bathsheba could not answer. She did not know.

"Everte Stratum!" the man yelled.

And Bathsheba flew across the room, her head cracking through the glass cabinet. Glass splattered across the floor as Bathsheba crumpled at the cabinet's feet.

"You idiot!" the woman yelled as she ran to Bathsheba. I ran with her!

Bathsheba lay on the floor now unmoving. Blood trickled out of her mouth and poured from her head. Her eyes were closed and her limbs were limp. I was speechless. I was crying. I couldn't breathe because it couldn't be true.

…but I had seen this… this 'image' before.

"You killed her!" the woman screeched at her husband angrily. She pounded him on the chest as he swore under his breath; he hadn't meant to kill her, not yet at least.

The floor fell beneath me. I was back in the basement of the house. I lied on the cold floor again. But once I realized where I was and what had happened to Bathsheba, I ran for the door. I was at the small stair set when the door opened. Light flooded the room and I squinted in pain. That's when something large and hard hit me!

I tumbled backwards slamming myself into the ground. The object was on me and I had to use all my strength to push it off. That's when I realized… Looking down at the body, I gagged. It was Bathsheba. They threw her dead body at me.

I screamed out!

….

"Miss Connors!" Pomfrey rolled Cara awake.

She was still screaming as she thrashed about in her bed. She had had many nightmares before, but none so vivid and detailed. And this was the first one where she had actually woke up and remembered.

"Miss Connors," Pomfrey began to pull out her wand.

Cara was still crying and thrashing, but she looked to Pomfrey trying to calm herself.

Pomfrey started to wave her wand casting a spell that would put Cara to ease and fall back into deep sleep.

"No," Cara tried to beg but Pomfrey was already in mid motion, "I-I-remem-," she was trying to fight off the spell but she was too weak, "ber—I remember."

Pomfrey hadn't even acknowledged what Cara had said and left the girl to sleep.

….

I am on the cold floor again. The basement. But Bathsheba – well, her body – isn't here.

I push myself up from the cold floor looking around. But it is too dark down here to see anything except what is by the door where light just barely seeps out.

"Bathsheba?" I whisper…

I will not believe that she is dead. My eyes were wrong. What I saw wasn't true!

But she didn't answer. So I crawled to the door. I sat on the top step with my ear to the cracks in the door, listening.

Is Bathsheba still upstairs?

I don't hear—

"Grab the girl," the deep voice of the man growled.

Footsteps echoed above me and they came closer, I could hear the feet take the staircase leading towards me. They paused outside my door. I heard a clicking and took a step back tripping down the steps.

I was on the floor when the light poured back in blinding me. The person came down the steps quickly and grabbed me by my collar lifting me up.

"No! Stop it!" I moaned as I noticed it was the woman who was in the room where Bathsheba had been killed.

"Oh shut your mouth," she sneered at me.

I struggled against her hold. I won't go with her, I won't let her ju—wait she had heard me!

She didn't hear me before! But she can now!

"You can hear me?" I said but the words felt unnatural as they left my mouth.

It was as if my brain hadn't wanted me to say it.

And she didn't answer… not like she didn't want to, as if she hadn't heard me again.

But why can she only hear me sometimes?

She was pushing me ahead of her and I stumbled on the staircase with every step. I was in the hallway before I knew it. I shoved her hard and she let go of me. I ran for the door but something hit me in the back. I was on the ground, sore from the hit. She grabbed me by my hair and dragged me. I tried to stand but I couldn't get up properly.

"The little bitch tried to run again," the woman threw me at the man's feet.

I looked slowly up taking in everything. His dark pants and white button up… and his long black cloak. He had a gray wand that he spun in his fingers. Everything about him was dark, it matched the woman perfectly.

"Stand," he ordered.

Hesitantly, I rose. I could feel myself shake. Every bone in my body ached with fear. I could feel a ball in my throat; I was so very scared.

He looked at me, coming close. He bent his head placing his chin on my shoulder. I could feel his slow breath on my neck.

He whispered into my ear, "It'd be a shame to hurt a pretty thing like you."

I shook with every word he said and I watched as the woman glared at the man.

But I took a deep breath and said as steady as I could, "Then perhaps you should let this pretty thing go. She—me—really wouldn't want such an honorable man to feel any shame."

He laughed making jump. He slowly pulled away from my ear and that knot was back in my throat. He was eyeing me up and down. I felt naked, the way he stared.

"Ask her," the woman said impatient. I looked to her, she was smiling but there was something angry in her eyes. What had I done to her?

The man waved the woman off as he began to circle me, "You're really quite funny, you know that?"

I couldn't say anything, the way he circled me brushing his hand against me was terrifying. And the woman glared more heatedly at me with every second ticking by.

"Artemis!" the woman yelled to the man.

He glared at her then stepped away from me. In one swift motion, he hit me. I clattered to the floor surprised by the heavy blow. My cheek throbbed from his slap.

"STAND!" he yelled to me spitting as he did so.

I stood quickly, tears beginning to fall.

"Where is the cloak?" he said slowly.

I had heard this question before… too many times.

"I don't know," I lied.

"Crucio!" The woman screeched and I fell to the floor.

I was on fire. I was being hit by a thousand stones, by a thousand lightning bolts! I couldn't breathe!

She let me go. I was sobbing and I couldn't stop. I'm not sure I wanted to. I was so scared and I hurt so much. I couldn't remember how long I had been here now. They had asked me the same questions over and over again for days, weeks I'm sure.

Then I fell through the floor. But it hadn't heart like as if I had actually fallen through a floor. I was on the cold floor and my body was numb. I had stopped crying. I barely remember crying. It was as if I hadn't been crying in a long time.

But the room was still dark and I felt like…. I felt like singing. But I couldn't think of any words. I think I am humming a tune but I don't know. Am I?

"CRUCIO!" I heard a voice from above.

But it wasn't his… it wasn't Art—Artemis.

"Did the Other bring friends?" I felt the words tumble out of my mouth but I hadn't meant to same them… but I was supposed too… I know I was… but why did I say them?

"STOP!" someone was yelling above her.

I know this voice! It's his, that boy! ... Sirius!

"STOP!" he yelled again, "FATHER! How do you expect him to do anything when he can barely function?!"

Father? Sirius' father was up there? What was his name…? I know it... Reg—no that was his brother… Oriel? No, Orion, I think.

"Sirius," I whispered then said desperately needing him, "Sirius!"

I want out of this place! I don't know where I am!

"Step away, Sirius!" Orion yelled… then he said something else but I didn't hear—no I don't remember the words.

Then a loud crash!

What had he done?! What's going on?!

I pushed myself up so dizzy! But I need him to answer me! He has to help me get out.

"SIRIUS!" I yelled, "Please Sirius! SIRIUS!"

I kept yelling for him! I need to get out! I know him! It's Sirius!

But then the door opened.

And I saw the silhouette of the man… Orion.

And I knew… no I remembered, what came next.

I remembered.