Disclaimer: I obviously don't own the idea of Harry Potter or any of the money making forms of it.

Again a thanks to my beta, Throckmorton.


Book 1 – Part 5: Nightmare

Perhaps it was from all the excitement that day, or maybe it was the fact he had faced off with Malfoy, but for whatever reason, that night was not a restful one.

Harry had been happy with how well, 'well' being a relative term, his nightmares had been going thus far. He had only woken up twice to the sound of his glass of water, on the nightstand beside his bed, just beginning to vibrate; and the other times he had woken up from rather disturbing dreams had only caused him to wake up slightly alarmed, but he hadn't disturbed his dorm mates.

Harry tucked himself into bed, everything that had happened that day causing him to fall asleep quickly…

Voldemort and his followers cut across the field, going to a muggle farm house in the country. It was night, and the crested moon gave little light. They came to the house, their ruthlessness quickly being shown as Voldemort gave the nod for his Death Eaters to charge in, while he looked up at the sky.

"Morsmordre!" With a stab of his wand towards the sky, a huge green skull came into being, a snake slithering out of the mouth.

He then turned, blasting the front door away, and joined the Death Eaters who had entered through the back and sides of the house.

The father of the house charged at him with a bat, trying to defend his family, but to no avail… With a flick of the wand, Voldemort caused him to slam into the wall.

"Pathetic," he hissed. "Avada Kedavra!"

Green exploded about the house, leaving behind a silent body…

Soon after, he and the Death Eaters came out of the house, forcing the rest of the terrified family out with them. With a hideous smile, looking at his followers, one of them clearly being Lucius, he flung his wand forward, his followers' doing so as well.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Green boomed forth.

Harry shot up, waking up to someone screaming…

Himself…

- - -

Ron woke up to the sound of pained moaning and the rattling of glass. He sat up quickly to find the water glass on the side table about to fall off the edge. He took it as he looked past it to find Harry turning his sweaty head from side to side, just as his bed started to tremble.

With a gasp he got up, knowing accidental magic when he saw it, remembering the twins' happening once or twice.

He grabbed Harry's arm just as all of the beds started shaking violently, Neville, Dean, and Seamus quickly waking up.

"What's happening?" Dean asked, dazed and confused.

"I don't know!" Ron said, shaking Harry, trying to wake him up. "Harry! Wake up!"

He didn't, it just got worse as everything on the floor began sliding across the floor away from his bed. A moment later, all of the curtains on the bed posts tore and were ripped from their links, falling to the floor that now had items randomly shattering, opening, or tearing.

"I'll get help!" Neville shouted, bolting out the door, the sound of the heater in the center of their room shifting angrily behind him.

Harry yelled as if his life depended on it as he instantly sat up, shaking nearly uncontrollably, his hair sticking to his forehead.

"Harry!" Ron breathed, wide eyed, Dean and Seamus just staring at him from their slowly stilling beds, the things on the floor going immobile once again.

Harry felt drained, beyond emotional, and horrible, and even more so as the realization of what he had just seen settled into his mind. He put his face in his hands, choking back sobs, somehow managing to keep most of his tears in his eyes.

He collected himself as quickly and as best he could, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed.

"I need some air," he croaked, forcing his wobbly legs to function as he wiped the tears away that had escaped his eyes and had begun to run down his cheeks.

He heard Ron behind him, but at this moment, he didn't want his friends to see him like this, not until he got the green flashes out of his thoughts.

"Alone please," he whispered, hoping he wouldn't hurt his friend's feelings too much. He was just trying to help after all.

"Sure, Harry…" Ron said as Harry went to the door.

- - -

Neville ran as fast as he could to Professor McGonagall's door and held nothing back as he began pounding on her door, suddenly hearing someone's deafening scream boom forth from the room he had just left.

"Help! Professor! It's Harry! Help! Come quick!"

The door swung open, a suddenly wide awake McGonagall standing beyond it in her night robes.

"What is it, Longbottom?!" she asked, her voice high as she ran with him to the boys' dorm, seeing the fear in his eyes.

"It's Harry, I think he's having a nightmare," he said, just as they came to the hall leading directly to the dormitory door.

They found Harry hurriedly exiting, wiping his red, tearful eyes.

"Potter? What's happened? Are you alright?" she asked as he approached, but it was as if he didn't even hear her.

"Nightmare — need air," he stated, his voice hoarse and shaky.

He went past them as McGonagall turned to Neville.

"Longbottom, tell your dorm mates that I'm going with Potter, he'll return to bed later, so try to go to sleep if you can, and stay in your dorm," she said, leaving no chance to ask questions as she followed Harry.

"Yes, Professor," he said, following her directions.

She fell into step beside Harry, allowing him to lead them out of Gryffindor tower.

Harry glanced over at her, once again trying to rub away in signs of past tears.

"I'm escorting you outside, someone of your age should not go alone at this time of night," she said softly as they continued down the halls.

She didn't say anything else as they exited the castle, and it only took her a moment to figure out where he was headed — Hagrid's place.

- - -

Neville entered the room, Ron and the other boys having turned on the lights.

He could hardly believe his eyes.

The room was nearly in shambles. The fallen curtains were ripped, and broken bottles, books, and little boxes were all over the floor, having been hit by the powerful force from Harry's accidental magic.

"Everyone alright?" Neville asked, looking up at Ron.

He nodded, still a little in shock.

"Where's Harry?" Ron asked. "You saw him leave, right?"

"Yeah, Professor McGonagall is with him, she told me we are to stay here, and maybe try to sleep, but she said he'll come back later," he said, Dean picking up part of his torn curtain.

"I've never seen anything like that…I wonder what his dream was about to cause all this to happen," Seamus said.

"I'd rather not know," Dean stated.

"You think it was about You-Know-Who?" Seamus asked.

Ron glared at him which caused Seamus to drop the subject immediately.

Ron pulled out his wand and looked down.

"Reparo!" Ron said, fixing a broken bottle of candy before he looked back up, his eyes settling on all of their things that had formed a kind of arc beyond Harry's bed, as if a spherical field had been extending outward.

Ron clenched his jaw, coming to a decision.

"Alright guys, let's agree right here and now that anything that has or will happen in this room, stays in this room," he said, his eyes moving to each of them. "We keep it to ourselves."

Neville nodded, Dean and Seamus nodding soon after.

"What we have seen here, will stay here. I'm proud to keep Potter's secret, he stopped You-Know-Who, after all," Dean said.

"Good," Ron said, before looking around the room. "Now, do any of you happen to know a sewing charm?" he asked, looking at the curtains.

- - -

Harry and McGonagall came to Hagrid's door. The time was around 3 am.

McGonagall reached over and above Harry and knocked on the heavy door.

They heard movement inside, as if someone was stretching.

"Comin'" a voice said tiredly.

He got to the door and opened it, standing about three feet from the outside.

He looked out, his eyes instantly going down and meeting a clearly troubled Harry.

"Harry? Wha'?" He looked up to find McGonagall just behind Harry, her eyes slightly worried.

"I think he'd like to talk to you alone. After waking up, he headed straight here. I'm going to talk with Professor Dumbledore, he needs to be told what happened, and I need to check in on the other boys. I'll be back later," she said simply, before giving a nod and heading off.

Hagrid beckoned Harry in, resting a heavy but gentle hand on his shoulder.

Hagrid was understandably concerned, but became even more so when he felt Harry trembling.

Hagrid shut the door and then turned to Harry, lowering himself to his height by kneeling down on one knee.

Harry sniffled.

"Bad dream?" Hagrid asked.

Harry nodded, about to break down as the memory shaded slightly back into focus.

Hagrid must have noticed because he pulled him into his embrace, just as he had earlier before term.

"It's alright now, it's over, yer with me now," Hagrid said. Harry nodded against him.

After Hagrid was sure Harry had calmed, he all but picked him up and gently placed him on the couch. Hagrid sat down on his large chair, taking hold of his umbrella and shooting a few more sparks into the fireplace to get its flames really going again, the night a little chilly.

Hagrid looked at Harry, watching him sigh.

"Wanna talk about it?" Hagrid asked.

Harry closed his eyes, knowing what he was about to tell Hagrid was going to be hard to tell, and possibly harder to hear and accept, but at this point, there was no one else he'd rather share it with.

He did say to go to him if I ever thought I was going crazy, Harry thought. And if I don't tell someone about this, I will.

He finally opened his eyes, and nodded. Having collected his thoughts, he started, his calm not entirely forced.

"I'm certain I'm not going crazy, but I know that if I told most people this, they would think I was. I don't really want anyone else to know, not even my friends. It's not because I don't trust them…I just don't want to put this on them…" his voice trailed off, Hagrid patiently waiting for him to continue.

"I've been having these kinds of dreams off and on as long as I can remember, but what I have found is that they aren't dreams, they're memories."

Harry didn't look up, afraid of what he might find in Hagrid's eyes.

"Before you got me, a part of me thought I was mental. I thought, 'What is wrong with me? Why am I seeing these things? Did I somehow do these things? Or am I that warped to imagine them and make myself think they're memories?' But coming here, I've discovered that is not the case; instead, I've realized whose memories they are."

At that, Harry slowly met Hagrid's eyes. Seeing Hagrid seemed to be following, he looked away, knowing there was no turning back now.

"They're Voldemort's."

Harry waited for Hagrid to shout, freak, run out, or to even call him crazy, but he did none of those things.

He heard Hagrid lean back a little, but didn't dare look at him to see the expression on his face. Was it of Horror? Fear? Pity?

"I believe yeh," Hagrid said finally. "If yuh think these are memories, I believe yeh. And if yeh ever want ter talk about what yev seen, I'll try tuh help yuh."

Harry met his gaze, and found understanding, determination, purpose, and unyielding compassion.

"Thanks, Hagrid." There was really nothing else he could say.

"So…was this dream worse than the others?" Hagrid asked, knowing Harry probably needed to talk about it.

"Yeah, the last time I had one this bad was about a year ago…"

"With the Dursley's?" Hagrid asked.

Harry nodded.

"What did you see tonight?" Hagrid asked.

"Voldemort and his Death Eaters, he put this big green skull thing in the sky, before…" he took a breath, willing himself to continue. "They killed that whole family. I saw Malfoy's father…"

"Lucius?"

"Yeah."

Hagrid's face was a mixture of being livid, serious, and grim.

"The Death Eaters are still here, aren't they?" Harry asked quietly.

"I'm 'fraid some are, Harry."

"They're waiting for him to return, aren't they?"

Hagrid didn't answer, but by the look on is face, Harry knew the answer.

"Is there anything else you need ter tell me?" Hagrid asked.

"Uh, well…actually…"

"There's somethin' else?" Hagrid asked.

"I've sort of been having these, I suppose you could call them 'phase outs'…"

"'Phase outs'?"

"Sometimes I get these quick flashes of memories when I see something that I guess triggers them."

Harry looked down.

"I know what happened to Neville's parents. That was part of the reason I definitely decided to get to know him after helping him find his toad. When he got his toad back, and after that whole thing with Malfoy on the train we told you about, he introduced himself. When I heard his last name, I got this flash of this woman telling Voldemort that they had taken care of the Longbottoms, and that there were now two less…'Au-rors?'"

"Yes, they were great Aurors — dark wizard catchers," Hagrid said sadly, exhaling shakily, the realization that Harry was really seeing Voldemort's memories, shaking him more than hearing his name ever could.

"I've seen other things too," Harry said, progressing slowly and carefully, despite how much he just wanted to poor it all out. He had never been able to share this with anyone before.

"Like what?"

"Things from when he was a boy. He wasn't very good on a broom," Harry said, smiling a little.

"Have you seen anything else?"

"Just little things, like some memories about his classes. Professor Binns has always been, er…boring…"

Hagrid chuckled at that, before clearing his throat. There was a long pause.

"Well, do yer want anything? I'm gonna get a drink fer meself."

"No, I'm good," Harry said.

Hagrid got up and went to some cabinets. When he came back, he found Harry sleeping soundly. Not having the heart to wake him, he instead retrieved a blanket, and covered him.

"Yer parents would be awf'ly proud of yeh," he whispered, before quietly sitting back down, his eyes falling upon the lightning shaped scar that seemed to gleam in the firelight.

- - -

"Where is he right now?" Dumbledore asked.

"He's at Hagrid's at the moment. Right after he woke up, he seemed pretty determined to go to him. I figured there wasn't any harm in that," McGonagall said.

Dumbledore stood up, his blue starred robe and matching hat upon him.

"Did you look at the dormitory?" he asked as they left his office.

"No, I knew you would want to be told as soon as possible."

Dumbledore nodded. "Right assumption."

They headed to the Gryffindor Tower.

"I think we should see the damage done, I don't want to make Harry any more uncomfortable than he already is."

"I agree."

They came to the dorms, and gave a knock on the door before entering.

"Professor Dumbledore," Ron said, trying to keep his voice from shaking. He hadn't expected Harry to be back already, but upon quick observation, Ron and the others saw that Harry wasn't with them.

The room was a little better. What little that could be properly 'reparo'ed had been, but the curtains were beyond the repair abilities of a first year, so they had folded them the best they could and put them aside.

The beds were still in the positions they had been shaken to, which could only be noticed by the careful eye of someone like Dumbledore or McGonagall.

Dumbledore took in the room, taking into account that Harry's friends had cleaned it up some.

What kind of dream he must have had to cause this…Dumbledore thought. And what power he must possess.

"I thought it best that I come and talk to you all before allowing Harry to come back. What happened?" he asked, instinctively looking to Ron.

"I, uh…woke up to a glass shaking, and saw that Harry was having a nightmare. I tried to wake him up, but he just wouldn't. Right after, most of this happened," he said, motioning to the gathered broken things and folded torn curtains. "Neville then left to go get help. Harry was really upset when he woke up, sir," Ron finished, not wanting to tell exactly how upset.

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said, stepping more into the room.

He looked around, as if seeing more than what the others could, before pulling out his wand. With a few quick swishes, jabs, and some whispers the room was transformed back to how it was.

Ron and the other boys were dumbfounded.

"I suggest you four go ahead and sleep, Mr. Potter may or may not come back to sleep here tonight," Dumbledore said, dimming the lights, but catching the hesitancy from Ron and Neville.

He has good friends…and he's going to need them, Dumbledore thought, before leaving with McGonagall as the boys reluctantly tucked themselves in.

- - -

Hagrid heard them coming, so quietly got up, and went outside.

"Professors," Hagrid greeted.

"How is he, Hagrid?" McGonagall asked.

"Sleeping now," he said gruffly.

"Did he talk to you?" McGonagall asked.

"Yeah, but he said he'd rather no one else know about what…" Hagrid trailed off, looking at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore put his hand up, not needing any other explanations.

"Harry trusts you, Hagrid, I'm not going to undermine what you have built with him," Dumbledore said. "However, anything that you feel you can tell us would be appreciated."

"Of course, sir. Um…" Hagrid thought for a moment, trying to decide what he could tell them.

"I can't tell yeh the details, obviously, but these dreams…are of a ser'us nature, and I think I can safely tell yuh, without betrayin' Harry's wishes, that he has been havin' 'em for as long as he can remember. And the last one as bad as this happened over a year ago."

Dumbledore gave a small nod.

"I think it would be best for Harry to stay here for the night, doesn't really make much sense to wake him when morning will be here soon," Dumbledore said. "That way also, you can keep an eye on him, in case he has another nightmare, Hagrid. Minerva will tell his friends to bring a set of clothes tomorrow morning. Luckily, tomorrow is the weekend, so no classes to fall asleep in."

Hagrid nodded as Dumbledore and McGonagall went back to the castle.

- - -

A/N: For those of you who review, -thanks- each of you help me type faster. :)

And if any of you have specific questions about why the characters are developing the way they are, feel free to ask, I'll answer any questions in my next part.

Next part: Contemplation