Author's Note: Sorry for the delay! This chapter took quite a bit of time to write down. I had actually trashed several versions of the chapter before finally deciding on this one. FAIR WARNING! This chapter does not include Hermione or Bellatrix in it... (I know, I know. Sad isn't it?) But it really needed to be written to establish a few key things that are going to occur within the next few chapters. So, without further ado, here's the chapter!

Shadow Realm

"Is there really any truth to what

we see in life?"

The wind whips at his robes while cold, stinging rain thrashes against his uncovered face. The weather acts as Mother Nature's guardian sent from the heavens to keep him from his goal, but Harry takes off his glasses to wipe the water from his bleary eyes and trudges up the precipitous trail. He can't remember what possessed him to take this route. Was it a missive he received from Moody? Or was there a mention of this place in Professor Dumbledore's secret library? He can't remember, but he knows for a fact that this is where he needs to go and where it will all end.

As he climbs ever higher, the treacherous terrain levels off and finally reveals a dark swamp. The deep, dank mire swiftly encompasses Harry as he travels further into its depths. I don't remember anything like this mentioned in what I read about this place, he thinks to himself as he furtively glances around in the darkness. "Lumos," he whispers quietly and a weak light flickers from the tip of his wand.

A loud squawking noise erupts from a cluster of brambles, causing him to jump back. An ungainly crow emerges from the brush. Its black, dusty wings beat at the thick, humid air as it tries to take flight. Harry notices the bird's left wing is missing a few of its primary flight feathers and slowly tries to make his way towards the pitiful creature. "It's okay," he soothes as he moves closer to the frightened animal. "Let me try to help."

The bird caws loudly as it tries vainly to fly away from the wizard. Harry pauses his advancement when he hears, deep within the brush, a low menacing growl. He steps back warily as he watches the poor raven fluttering helplessly. It is at that moment that he notices the bright glistening droplets of blood tainting the ground surrounding the bird. 'Why didn't I notice the blood before?' he questions himself as he tries to will himself to turn around and get away from the menacing creature that is hidden in the thicket.

The growls increase in pitch and are accompanied by the crackle of breaking branches as the beast moves closer. Straining to determine how far the animal is away from him, Harry realises that it isn't a four-legged animal, but something walking about the brambles on two legs. Clearing his throat, he calls out, "Who's there?" He lifts his wand higher as he tries to pierce the darkness with the weak light of his wand. Harry's voice wavers as he tightens his grip on his wand, "Lumos Maxima."

A ball of brilliant light shoots from his wand and hovers gently over the clearing as his eyes try to adjust to the new ambiance. "Who's there?" Harry cries out again as he notices the light reflecting off two glittering spheres well above his head. A low growl answers again as the breaking of twigs move ever closer to him and the now dead bird.

The wizard takes several steps backward as the leaves in the foreground rustle as the creature approaches the outer ring of brush. He glances around nervously as he white-knuckles his wand. "Stupify!" A jet of blue streams out of his wand and connects with the now visible snout of a werewolf. The creature lets out a howl of anger as it tears its way out of the thick foliage. Rubbing its snout where the curse landed, the beast growls menacingly as its eyes settle on Harry.

Large didn't even come close to describing the beast. Its powerful sinewy ribbons of muscles dance underneath its taunt skin as it comes closer to the wizard. Dust from its shabby grey fur glitters in the light as it flutters lazily to the ground. Spittle waterfalls over the beast's sharp knife-like teeth as the smell of human prey reaches its keen nose. A low growl emanates deep from its throat as it raises its dagger-like claws towards its new victim.

Harry barely jumps out of the path of the wide swipe of the werewolf's paw. The wizard stumbles to his knees as a branch twists and snaps under his foot. Harry struggles vainly to get up before the beast was upon him, but he knew it was too late when he feels the hard calloused palm clamp down upon his shoulder. "Why?" He mutters looking into the creature's eyes. "Why, Remus?"

A loud howl is his response as a wide gaping maw enters his vision. The fetid breath of the werewolf overcomes the damp smells of the forest. The last thing the young man saw was razor sharp teeth inching closer and closer to his face.

"Stop!" Harry cries as he fights viciously with the blanket that covers him. He falls to the hardwood floor of Aberforth's guest bedroom. The jolt of hitting the splintery floor awakens him fully. He looks about the room, trying vainly to see through the darkened shadows in the early hours of morning as he tries to figure out his surroundings. "Just a dream," Harry murmurs as he pulls the twisted blanket off of his sweaty body and throws it back on top of the bed.

He grips his head in his hands as a sharp pain etches into his brain like a knife. 'Tom,' he thinks as he tries to steady his breathing, praying that would alleviate the pain. Harry is vaguely aware of heavy footsteps falling outside of his door. The normally harsh knock of Aberforth is dulled by the pain and nausea that tries to swallow the young wizard whole.

The door bursts open as the burly wizard enters the room and strides over to the young man on the floor. "Harry!" Aberforth yells as he grips the wizard's shoulders. "Wake up! You were dreaming again!" The old wizard sighs with relief when he hears the boy let out a small moan. "Are you okay, Harry?" he asks as he helps Potter to his feet.

"It was so real," Harry begins as he rubs his temple. The pain he felt in his head barely there now that he is standing and more alert.

"Is everything allright?" A voice asks from the doorway. "Are you decent, Harry?"

"Yes, I am," He replies. "Come on in, Luna."

"Another nightmare, I presume." Luna states rather than asks as she walks through the door and into the room. "You should really try the devices I gave you to ward off His attempts into your mind."

"It wasn't a dream about Him," Harry begins as he sits down on the side of the bed. Aberforth sits down beside him as Luna conjures a chair for herself.

"Tell me about it," she says as she sits down and pulls her legs up into the chair. Wrapping her arms around her legs, she rests her chin on her knee. "Who was it this time then? Hermione? Bellatrix?"

"Remus," He answers with a sigh. "He was in his werewolf form. I was in a forest somewhere... well, it wasn't a forest exactly. It was more like a swamp on top of a mountain. He tried to eat me."

Luna stares at him for a moment. Her eyes really not seeing the young wizard in front of her as she thinks about the ramifications of Remus being in Harry's dream instead of the usual nightmares of Death-Eaters that pursue him. "Was there anyone else in the dream?" She asks as she closes her eyes to imagine the sleep realm Harry had previously spoke of.

"No one," He says as he thinks back to his dream. "Only a raven, but no person was there."

"The raven could have been a manifestation of a person guiding the dream, but I don't know for certain. Can you remember the dream?" Luna says dreamily as she opens her eyes and stares at the wizard.

"I remember most of it," Potter replies as he quirks an eyebrow and stares at his friend. "Do you want me to tell you the whole dream?"
Aberforth stares at the two and rolls his eyes. He has spent enough time with the young witch to know that she is going to try something from her father's strange paper. "I have customers to get ready for," he says gruffly as he stands up from his seat at the edge of the bed and walks towards the door. "Just keep quiet in here, allright? I don't need you lot making noise to attract the unwanted attentions of some of my less than savoury customers."

Harry nods his head in agreement as the older wizard treads through the open door and closes it firmly behind him. "Luna, do you still want me to tell you the whole dream? I don't think that I can explain it all as clearly as I saw it, but I can try if you..."

The blonde witch reaches for his hands and locks her eyes onto his. "No, I need you to show me what you saw."

Confusion mars his face as he tries to look away from her piercing blue eyes. "But how can I show..."

"Breath deep and stare into my eyes," She replies as she takes a deep breath herself and steadies her gaze on his. "Do not think of the dream. Allow me to be guided to it by your soul. Allow me to see the very nature of what it was that you saw."

Harry huffs at her response. I should have known it would be some sort of whimsical hogwash that she would try to use to help, he thinks as he refrains from rolling his eyes and does as she asks.

Time slips by as they continue to stare into each others eyes. Harry feels his back start to stiffen because of the angle he is sitting in. He opens his mouth to say to Luna that this is pointless but stops when he notices the room they are in wavers like a mirage. Leaves replace the wooden rafters of the dank dusty room and the pallet underneath him becomes a boulder. "How did you..." He starts as he looks around in amazement. He could even smell the rancid decay of the swamp nearby.

"Shh," Luna replies as she continues to hold his hand and walks toward the path that had first led Harry to raven. And to Remus.

The duo walk the winding path that led deeper into the forest and led them closer to the swamp. The smell of decay causes Harry to nearly gag as they walk into the clearing that he had first spotted the hurt raven. Feathers littered the grass like leaves as he and Luna look around for any sign of life. "Here is where I found the raven," he says as he looks about the ground at the edge of the clearing. "I don't understand why it hasn't came out yet, nor do I understand why there are so many feathers. I didn't see feathers when I first came here."

Harry scans the bushes at the edge of the clearing, straining to see movement caused by something other than the light breeze that had began to stir once they had arrived. He frowns suddenly when his eyes notice a few feathers that were not black. Potter reaches down to pick up the snow white feathers. Stroking one with his fingers, he feels a chill run down his spine when he realises that the feathers look vaguely familiar.

A low gravelly laugh reverberates through the clearing causing the wizard to turn around. Harry stares in confusion as he realises that the dark laughter is coming from his travelling companion. Luna's eyes lock onto his as she continues to laugh. The look he sees in her eyes is enough to make his blood run cold. The young witch's normally light blue eyes were an intense red that made his hair at the nape of his neck stand on end.

"Foolish Potter," Luna starts in a dusty deep voice that reminds Harry of a crypt opening. "Did you possibly think such a wisp of a girl could ever command such magic? Did you also think you could escape the inevitable? I am the future of this world. I am the future of all worlds. Do not underestimate me."

"Tom," Harry whispers as he feels pain explode in the back of his eyes. The pain is so intense that he falls to his knees and presses the heels of his hands into his eyes.

"Ah, so the pretense is over is it?" Voldemort stands where Luna had once been. "Maybe I should have cut to the chase sooner, but then I wouldn't have been able to enjoy watching how your mind attempts to perceive things. Your Order is finished. You are finished."

"Never," Harry whispers as he tries to fight back the migraine that brought him to his knees.

Voldemort laughs as the young wizard slowly opens his eyes.

"Harry! Wake up!" A voice yells as Harry feels himself slowly slip back into the real world. "Dammit, boy! Wake up!" Aberforth shakes Harry as he tries to wake the young wizard.

A low moan escapes Potter's mouth as his eyes slowly open. "What happened?" He asks groggily as he tries to sit up.

"Good, you're awake," the older wizard sighs as he stands up. "By Merlin, I thought I would never wake you."

Harry groans again as he swings his legs over the side of the bed. "How long were you trying to wake me?" He asks as he reaches for his glasses on the night table beside him.

"I would say a good twenty minutes," Aberforth replies as he strokes his beard. "Thought about throwing cold water on you, but was afraid you would start convulsing on me. What happened to you anyway? You were muttering in your sleep and almost started a fire with your wand."

"Almost started a..." Harry looks around the nightstand and realises his wand wasn't there. Looking at his hands again, he notices that he was still gripping his wand in his right hand. "I don't remember grabbing my wand," he mutters aloud. Looking about the room, he spots several new scorch marks on the bed sheets and a few on the wall near the door. "I'm sorry, Aberforth. If there is some way I can repay you for the damages I have caused. Just let me know if..."

The older wizard waves his hand in dismissal. "I'm just glad you are awake now."

Harry smiles wearily as he takes a deep breath. "I feel that I am going to need a real plan soon. I think there was more to the sleep I was in than just exhaustion. I believe He had something to do with it all. Maybe that is why you could not wake me." He leans his head forward into his waiting hands. "It just all seemed so real though. Everything about the dreams I had... I could have sworn that I was awake earlier. I could even smell and feel everything that was around me."

"You have had a lot happen to you within such a short time, Harry,"Aberforth states as he settles down into the chair in the corner of the room. "It has to be exhaustion. I did not sense any other magic in the room when I came in the room."

"But it was so real... He even spoke to me in my dream." Harry lifts his head from his hands and stares at the wall. "He said the Order is broken and that we will all lose."

The old wizard stares at the young man sitting in the bed and sighs. "You must not give up hope, my boy. What would Albus say if he heard you speak that way?" With a grunt, Aberforth stands up from the chair and walks towards the door. "Now, come on and get ready. Tonks and Andromeda should be here any minute to take us to the new hideout where we can all figure out how to defeat He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named."

Harry brightens at the prospect of finally seeing Tonks after such a long time. It feels like ages since he has seen the young Auror and he knew that she would have nearly all the information he needed to figure out how to end the nightmare that everyone was living in. "Okay, I will be down in a bit Aberforth. I just need to get ready and then we can be on our way."