A week or two later I felt someone grip my arm as I was leaving Transfigurations. "Alice, can I talk to you about something?"
"Uh sure Harry, give me a sec." I looked over my shoulder at Emily, who was still in the classroom with Professor McGonagall. "Hey Em Harry and I are heading out, I'll see you back in the common room ok?"
"That's fine!" She called across the room before returning to her conversation with McGonagall. It was obvious to me that Harry wanted us to talk alone and he wanted to talk somewhere that we couldn't be overheard.
"Should we head for the lake?" I asked him.
"We don't need to go that far, but it'd be nice to get outside for a few minutes." Once Harry was satisfied with the distance we had put between ourselves and the castle he pulled out a letter from his pocket. "Over the summer, I had this really terrible nightmare about…" Harry looked around again making sure we were alone. "Voldemort. There was this house, and Pettigrew was there with a third man. In my nightmare they killed a muggle. I know it sounds crazy but…" I stopped him.
"Harry it doesn't sound crazy because I had the same nightmare. I was really freaked out at first, but I didn't say anything to Remus because I had completely forgotten about it until now. Is that what you wanted to talk about?"
"Not quite." He answered. "When I woke up from the nightmare there was this white hot pain where my lightning bolts scar is. I told Ron about my dream and my scar, and he told me to write to Sirius about it, so I did. The first week of school he sent me this." Harry handed me his letter from Sirius.
Harry-
I'm flying north immediately. This news about your scar and this nightmare are the latest in a series of strange rumors that have reached me here. If it hurts again, go straight to Dumbledore. They say he's got Mad-Eye out of retirement, which means he's reading the signs, even if no one else is. I'll be in touch soon. My best to Alice, Ron, and Hermione. Keep your eyes open Harry. –Sirius
"Reading the signs?" I asked looking up from the letter.
"Sirius thinks it's only a matter of time before Voldemort rises to power again."
"But Harry, you were there, we defeated him our first year. He's gone."
"If that were true, why would his supporters be out torturing muggles at the World Cup?" Harry knew I didn't have an answer to his question so he brought the subject back to Sirius. "I'm worried about him coming so close. When he wrote that he was heading back this way I wrote to him again. I tried to convince him that I was fine, and that there was no point in coming back. He didn't seem convinced." Harry handed me a second letter which I unfolded and read.
Nice try Harry.
I'm back in the country and well hidden. I want you to keep me posted on everything that's going on at Hgowarts. Don't use Hedwig, keep changing owls, and don't worry about me, just keep watch out for yourself. Don't forget what I said about your scar. –Sirius
In a way I had no idea what Harry was going through, but I could also understand how he was feeling. "Harry, Sirius is right. I understand that you're worried about him, but he is an adult. I'm sure Sirius is more than capable of taking care of himself." It seemed ironic to me that I was telling Harry not to worry about Sirius when I worried most about Severus and Remus, who like Sirius were fully grown adults perfectly capable of taking care of themselves. "Look, I worry about Remus all the time, especially during the full moon and now that he's not here at Hogwarts he's always on the back of my mind. But I know that the best thing we can do is try to make them proud."
"You think he's going to be ok?" Harry asked his emerald eyes seemed to be brimming with tears.
"I think he knows what he's gotten himself into."
"I suppose you're right. We should head back into the castle."
"Yeah I'd hate to be late for Herbology. And Harry,"
"Yeah?"
"I just want you to know, you can talk to me about anything."
"Thanks Alice."