"Harry!"

Harry's eyes snapped open. Ron stood over him, his face a mix of emotions.

"You okay?" he asked tentatively.

Harry sat up. He was in his dorm at Hogwarts.

Ron handed him a wet washcloth, "You're drenched in sweat, mate. That must have been one hell of a nightmare."

Harry nodded and took the washcloth. He wiped his brow and took a deep breath.

"Feel better?" asked Ron.

"A little," he said. "What time is it?"

"A little after three," said Ron. "What were you screaming about?"

His dream ran through his mind and his scar prickled. "I…I don't remember," he lied.

Ron was silent a moment. He looked his best friend over, "Whatever it was, it must have been awful."

"Heh, couldn't be worse than my life," said Harry.

"True," said Ron, "But I'm sure something will top it." He looked at his friend and smiled. Harry started to laugh. Then Ron started. A moment later, they were both laughing so hard, tears were rolling down their cheeks. After a few minutes, their laughter started to fade. Harry wiped a tear off his cheek, still chuckling. Ron took a deep breath, trying to stop his laughter. After a few deep breaths, they were finally able to compose themselves.

"Woo," said Ron, "I haven't laughed that hard for a long time."

"Me either. Haven't had much to laugh at," said Harry.

"Well," said Ron, stretching, "I'm going back to bed. Night, Harry."

"Night Ron," said Harry.

Ron went back to his bed and fell asleep the moment his head hit his pillow. Harry, on the other hand, stayed awake. He rolled over onto his side and stared out the window. The stars shone brightly in the night sky. His head was filled with images from his nightmare. He squeezed his eyes shut and willed the images to vanish. He sought peace in the one place where he could truly be happy. In the back of his mind, where images of his family and friends were so vivid and loving, that was where he retreated. His nightmarish images faded and friendly faces filled his mind. He rolled onto his back and fell asleep, snoring softly.