[This chapter's title was inspired by the song: Nightmare by Flora Cash]
"Harry?! Harry?! wake up!" Harry got up covered in cold sweat with Hermione hovering over him. He was breathing heavily but looking relieved as if he was waking from the most terrifying nightmare.
"you must've had quite a nightmare didn't you mate?" Ron said while sitting at the corner of Harry's bed.
"you were having that dream again, weren't you Harry?" Hermione watched him drinking the pumpkin juice Ron handed him.
"Its the same one I've had the last couple of nights.. for some reason I keep having it." Harry said while he noticed Ron and Hermione exchange worried looks at each other.
He hated to involve his friends in his problems. All he ever wanted was a normal, ordinary and boring life, away from trouble, danger and everything that no teenager should deal with like he had to.
"As Professor Trelawney taught us last year, when you have the same dream over and over, its not in vein." Hermione said while walking back and forth Infront of the guys. "Lets retrace our steps again, tell us everything.. exactly what you saw in your dream. even the smallest the detail can help."
Harry looked at his friends being determined to analyze it, but he was tired. he couldn't face trying to think about it again. it was the third time he was having that same, energy draining dream. He knew though how lucky he was to have the two of them as his best friends, fighting with and for him.
"Umm.. well.. I saw a field. A beautiful flower field. I wish I could tell you the name of the flower but I can't. It's a beautiful haunting-looking dark red flower. the sky is filled with thick clouds as if a massive storm is about to begin. As I look around, I see nothing on the horizon but the field and an ancient looking tree. Nothing else on sight. I begin walking towards the giant tree, and as I get closer, I witness a man. A pale tall man that the sight of him made my scar hurt so much I had trouble standing still. it was a different kind of pain from everything I ever experienced. A few moments later, when I got control back of myself, I then saw a second person stepping out from behind the tree, standing next to the pale man. For some reason I couldn't figure out their faces. While I tried to move forward trying to get a better look at the men, I woke up."
"I really think we should share this with the adults Harry." Hermione said looking confused, trying to understand the meaning of those details.
"NO!" Harry seemed to roar at her. "I definitely don't want to cause any problems with this until I have at least a clue on what it could mean, when it's probably nothing or it's just my fears taking form. I can handle it for now"
"Not even Sirius?" asked Ron trying to convince his friend to do the right thing. He was still traumatized by last year's events.
He would've been happy to let the adults deal with the life threatening, scary missions this time instead of them. Especially when every year the danger gets bigger.
"Especially not Sirius. He already have enough on his plate then to worry about my stupid dreams..". Even though he would love to have Sirius by his side, he knew the best thing for him is to hide until his name gets cleared. Harry couldn't even think about losing another loved one. He started to feel happy again knowing that he got a family he can trust again. A family that does not abuse him, mistreat him and make him feel like a stain or a liability.
"If this is what you want, we are behind you Harry." Hermione concluded. "However, that means that we need to figure out that dream! - you and I will spend as much time as it takes in the library to at least identify the kind of tree and flower you mentioned."
Harry and Ron looked amused at each other as they witness the angry spark in her eyes when she talked about the library. she couldn't wait to go back to studying after the last year's devastation she went through, being absolutely shocked and devastated, losing the annual award for 'highest-performing student'. as if it wasn't heartbreaking enough, she lost the title to none other than Draco Malfoy. All she could remember from that moment is Draco's smugged face looking directly at her, smiling as he received the award. Harry and Ron could smell the revenge she was plotting inside her mind.
"Well.. it doesn't seem like I have a choice now do I". Harry said while Ron looked at him trying not to laugh at Hermione, who was still daydreaming.
"You won the first two years! So you came in second last year.. its still pretty bloody brilliant, you should be prou.."
"Don't you dare finish that sentence Ronald!" Hermione said in the most quiet yet terrifying voice the guys ever heard her use, cutting Ron's attempt to calm her down.
"Imagine being second to that awful, foul little cockroach! I can still hear everyone applauding him while he was staring at me, smiling, knowing he won and I lost."
"You will get him this year.. I just know you will". Harry reassured her.
While the three friends kept talking about getting excited for the upcoming fourth year, they heard Fred and George coming in all ecstatic into the tent, shouting at them to come outside as the Quidditch World Cup's final game is about to begin.
While the group was on their way to the game's arena, the twins and the rest of the group kept teasing Ron about his "crush" for the one of the players in the Bulgarian National Quidditch team, Viktor Krum.
Viktor was a tall, muscular guy with dark hair and dark eyes. A very talented seeker that got his very prestigious spot on the team at the age of eighteen while still being a student at the Durmstrang Institute.
"Don't you just love Krum Ron?" George teased him by acting goofy and over the top around him.
"Oh shut it, I don't love him. I just think he is bloody fantastic, alright? now piss off" Ron became even redder than usual.
Ron was upset thinking to himself of how awesome Victor is. how he cant get him out of his head even after the games he saw with him ended. he knew it was a crush. he didn't want anyone to know though.
Ron felt like even if he admitted to himself and others about his real feeling towards Viktor, it wouldn't change anything. it will only reassure him that this is a longing that will never come to life. after all, he was just another Weasley with nothing special to show for or offer.
During the game, the group enjoyed the spectacular show on a scale they haven't seen before. Harry and the twins kept a very close observation of almost every single detail, move or strategy of the teams. of course most of them are used to come to these games but this year's game was special. Hermione enjoyed this new experience but Harry especially was amazed by the event brought up thoughts about missing out on many major events in the wizarding world. it got him thinking on what if? what if Voldemort didn't murder his parents that night in Godric's Hollow? what if he could've had that childhood he never got to have? after a few seconds of wondering, he snapped back and continue to absorb the game.
As the game came to an end, the group made their way back to their tents after a disappointing loss when Ireland defeated Bulgaria, 170-160 points score. while sitting around making fun of Ron about his "boyfriend" losing the game.
a few hours later they hear screams coming from outside thinking they are fans fooling around. Arthur came busting into the tent shouting. "STOP IT, STOP IT IMMIDIATELY." "those are not the fans".
The group looking at Arthur confused as to what is going on.
"The place is under attack! Everyone follow me and stay together!".
The group exists the tent to complete chaos. fires and smoke everywhere they look, people screaming and running. Harry begins to feel faint and loses consciousness. Harry is back at the field of flowers. This time however, it feels more realistic than ever. The energy get more heavy, almost too heavy to handle. then.. he sees that the old tree is closer than last time but the men in front of it were gone. he begins walking towards the tree, getting closer and closer. when he is only a few feet away from it, he wakes up.
Harry opened his eyes and felt like his head is about to explode. He is too weak but finds a strength to get up. He looked around only to realize he is alone in the ruins filled with abandoned tents, small fires left from the chaos and black smoke everywhere.
though it was quite, it was too quite to calm Harry down. He starts to walk towards the portkey that got them here from The Burrow. a few seconds after he started walking, the place was so quite he could hear steps coming not far from where he stood. He decided to hide behind one of the half burned tents. He sees a man who's face is partially obscured by the darkness, reveals only hints of his features. His gaze giving a crazy, piercing and crazed intensity. A crooked smile stretches across his face, revealing a row of rotten, sharp, menacing teeth. As he moves, his steps are silent, confident yet ghostly. As he approaches to the center of the place, he pointed his wand to the sky with intense movement and shouts: "Morsmordre!".
In the dark skies suddenly appears a big mystical green skull with a snake protruding from its mouth. The man looked up in the sky with the most insane proud look on his face. his evil looking smile and horrifying laughter echoed through the smoke. Harry frightened and startled, trips over and caught the attention of the man, which caught the sight of Harry. After a few second of just standing there still, He started to make his way towards Harry. The boy gets up quickly and starts to run. a few seconds later that seemed like eternity, Harry hears faint voices shouting out his name. he turns around and sees that the man is no longer there. Hermione ran towards Harry so fast, hugging him not knowing what he went through and that he is weak, that they almost fell. Ron catches up and the two asked him what happened to him. Harry barely let out a sound before a circle of Aurors surrounding them, lashed out yelling: "Stupefy!".
The trio ducked to avoid getting hit, confused as to why they are being attacked, when Arthur comes to their rescue.
The Aurors thought they had summoned the green skull in the sky. but after the tension cooled down and all was explained by Harry, the Aurors shock and terror in their eyes were quite telling. they were afraid the death eaters, supporters of Lord Voldemort, made their comeback. Harry was unsure what was the symbol in the sky meant. "It's his mark Harry, The Dark Lord's mark".
Arthur and the trio got back to the portkey where everyone else awaited them.
One week after the stressful events of Quidditch World, Harry was still processing the events. but mostly he was curious as to who was the man that summoned the dark mark. was he somehow connected to his nightmare? even though those questions were left unanswered, he at least was a bit relived that the dream did not came back after that night. a temporary silver lining.