Chapter Forty Five

Harry nodded and felt himself be pulled from the pensive. Harry wasn't sure what to say, he hadn't realised he'd been so long in there. There was no excuse, Severus was standing, leaning on the edge of Dumbledore's desk, looking rather displeased.

"I… I'm very sorry Professor." Harry said, "I saw the cabinet was open so I went to close it and I saw a flash of Bellatrix's face, it was about her I wanted to come and see you..." it sounded like a pathetic reason and Harry knew it.

Dumbledore however, simply gave a small smile, "It's all right Harry, sometimes curiosity will get the better of all of us."

Dumbledore gestured for Harry to sit down and walked around the desk, taking a seat in his large, comfortable chair. Severus drew a chair in the air and waited for it to touch down and sat next to Harry.

Dumbledore waved his wand and the pensive floated over and landed on the desk. He tapped the surface of the fog with the tip of his wand. A figure rose from the surface and rotated slowly.

She was about sixteen and looking rather unhappy, "He put a hex on me, Professor Dumbledore, and I was only teasing him sir, I only said I'd seen him kissing Florence behind the greenhouse last Thursday..."

"But why Bertha?" Dumbledore said sadly, shaking his head, "Why did you have to follow him in the first place?"

"Bertha?" Harry asked, "Is that Bertha Jorkins?"

Dumbledore and Severus nodded, "Yes, that was Bertha while she was still in school."

"She doesn't look crazy or forgetful." Harry said, "Just a bit of a snitch."

Dumbledore smirked a little, "You may be right there Harry. Anyway, what did you need to talk to me about?"

Harry shuffled in his chair for a moment, Dumbledore seemed to have a lot on his plate for Harry to be bothering him with dreams he'd had in class.

"Harry came to me rather upset, go on Harry." Severus said, gently but firmly.

Harry took a deep breath, "I had a dream, in Divination but it wasn't a dream, it was more than a dream, I was really there."

Dumbledore looked thoughtfully at Harry, "Go on, what was in this dream?"

"Voldemort. He was saying he was angry at… at Bellatrix, she'd failed him at something. I think Bertha is dead."

Dumbledore nodded, "Yes, I have feared the same myself."

"There is someone else dead as well. Someone escaped them but now he's dead. I was wondering if it was… well maybe..."

"You are worried about Mr Crouch?" Dumbledore guessed.

Harry nodded, "Yes."

Dumbledore was quiet for a moment, his long fingers running down the length of his beard, "Interesting, very interesting. We found no sign of Mr Crouch on the grounds but Mr Fudge is determined that both he and Bertha will turn up. Time will tell I suppose."

Harry nodded, "He wasn't hurting Bellatrix, because she's pregnant. Which is weird, I never thought he'd care about a baby. He had a young girl with him though, she was looking after him and a snake, a really really big snake."

Dumbledore nodded, "You scar, it hurt, didn't it?"

Harry nodded, "More than anything. It woke me up screaming."

"And has your scar hurt at any other time, other than when it woke you up during the summer?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry was confused, "How did you know about that?"

Dumbledore gave him a small smile, "There are many who care about you Harry."

"It's not hurt like this, no." Harry said, "Just the odd ache."

Dumbledore nodded. He stood up and returned the pensive to it's shelf, taking several more thoughts from his head and adding them to the mix of swirling thoughts.

Severus looked at Harry, waiting a few minutes while Dumbledore seemed lost in his own little world.

"Albus?" Severus asked.

"Sorry." Dumbledore said, turning back to face them, "I was just thinking."

"Do you have any idea why my scar hurts so badly sometimes?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore nodded, "I do, but I can give you only what I think, I have no proof or definite answers."

"Any answer is better than no answer." Harry said.

Dumbledore smiled, "Right you are Harry. Well then, I believe that you feel your scar hurt when Voldemort is very near or feeling some great emotion. The curse that failed, that gave you that scar, has connected you both."

"So what Harry saw was real?" Severus asked, "There is the other matter we discussed that would tie in."

Dumbledore sighed, "I fear so. Harry, did you see Voldemort in this dream?"

Harry shook his head, "No, not really just the back of his chair. But he doesn't have a body does he? But then how was he holding his wand..."

"How indeed? There are many questions yet to be answered I'm afraid." Dumbledore said, "But all answers will come along in the end."

There was another long stretch of silence between them, and Harry watched as Dumbledore added several more thoughts to the pensive.

"Professor, may I ask you another question?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore nodded, "Harry you can ask me anything, although I may not answer." he smiled, with a twinkle in his eye.

"I was wondering about the trials I saw, specifically that last one, that was in Mr Crouch's office." Harry asked, he could see Severus straighten up out of the corner of his eye.

Dumbledore nodded, "Yes I remember it well. I attended several such trials over the years, most were in the large court room, which I believe you also saw."

Harry nodded, "Yeah. Why wasn't this one?"

Dumbledore paused, thinking for a moment, "It was a difficult trial. You see, all those accused had evidence against them, but the evidence was lacking a crime. More over, all those who were accused were of high born families, it would have been a great scandal if they had been thrown in prison."

"Do you mean if they hadn't been so powerful, if they had been from a normal family they would have been thrown in Azkaban?" Harry asked, the very idea left a nasty taste in his mouth.

"No one will know for sure. Mr Crouch was a… he is very dedicated to routing out the evil amongst us, he was most shocked when his son was one of the accused." Dumbledore said, "There are, however, many people within the Ministry who believe that the family you come from leans you more leeway in certain cases."

"What happened to Mr Crouch's son?" Harry asked, "I've barely ever even heard of him."

"He died, of the Dragon Pox, not long after that event took place. His mother also passed away before too long. Very sad really." Dumbledore sighed, "Anyway, I think it is best that you be getting back to your friends, Harry. If your scar hurts you again, or you have another dream like this you are to come straight to me, do you understand?"

Harry nodded, "Yes Professor."

"Good. Now run along Harry." Dumbledore said, standing up, the door of the his office opened gently, "Oh and Harry, good luck in the third task."

Harry smiled, "Thank you Professor."

Severus also stood up and took Harry's shoulder, guiding him towards the door.

"Oh Severus, could I have a quick word?" Dumbledore asked.

Severus looked down to Harry, "When would you-"

"Now, please Severus, I'm sure Harry knows the way back to the Great Hall, I imagine he is hungry and I wouldn't want to keep him." Dumbledore smiled.

Severus let Harry's shoulder go and nodded to the headmaster. Harry left the room, stepping onto the slowly moving staircase; alone.

"Do you think it means You-know-who is getting stronger?" Daphne asked, leaning across the table to whisper to Harry.

It wasn't really needed, there was a lot of noise around them in the Great Hall but it felt like there was always someone listening.

Harry nodded, "Yes. I'm almost sure of it. He's gotten a body from somewhere as well, I don't know how but he has, he can use a wand and everything."

Pansy chewed her bottom lip, "Harry I don't mean to doubt you, really but, are you sure you weren't just dreaming? Divination is boring as anything, I've fallen asleep before, dreamed I was getting chased by a giant pink rabbit."

Harry shook his head firmly, "No, trust me I wish I'd just been dreaming but this wasn't a dream, I know it. This was more real than any dream I've ever had before. In some ways it's more real to me than this is now. A giant pink rabbit? Really?"

Pansy grinned, "Don't judge."

The four of them sat quietly, picking at their dinners. There was an air of excitement in the Hall, it wasn't long now before the third task and everyone was buzzing with excitement, all those who weren't involved that was.

The Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students had stopped eating at the Hogwarts tables again, as tensions grew.

Hermione waited until nearly the end of dinner to come over and sit with them, Neville as well.

"I managed to talk to Viktor." she said, picking up a bit of bread and butter, "He's all right, but he doesn't remember anything else. He just said he was hit from behind."

"Is he injured?" Draco asked.

Hermione shook his head, "Not really, he has a nasty lump but that's all. Madam Pomfrey could fix him up in a second but Karkaroff is still convinced that it is all some big plot to make sure Hogwarts wins and wont let anyone near them. I had to talk to Viktor through one of the port holes."

"It must have taken a lot of force to knock out Krum like that." Daphne mused.

Harry shook his head, "I know, and there is no way that Mr Crouch was up to that. He could barely stand, let alone attack someone like Krum. There was someone else there, I just don't know who it was."

"You said Fudge thought it might have been Madam Maxime?" Pansy said.

"No, well, yes." Harry said, "But that was only because she's half giant and Mr Crouch was near the Beauxbatons carriage, no other reason. I didn't see her around there though and it would have taken a lot to hide her."

"I don't think much of Fudge, Father never did either." Draco sniffed.

Harry managed to hide his grin by taking a long drink, at least he had the support of his friends.

That help became even more invaluable over the next few days. Harry knew that his friends should have been practising for their exams, which were to end the day of the last task. Instead they spent most of their time helping Harry by firing jinxes at him.

"Harry no!" Neville said, as Harry slumped to the floor, his legs twitching madly, "You have to use a blocking spell first."

Harry nodded, as the twitching died down, "Yeah I know. I got you too though." he grinned.

Neville conceded the point with a smile as the feeling slowly returned to his arm, "You're getting good at least."

Harry shrugged, "Yeah I guess. Still, we don't know what I'm going to be up against, we have no idea what's going to happen in that maze."

"That's why we're getting you ready." Draco said, firmly.

"Exactly Potter." Daphne grinned, "Stop moaning."

Harry laughed and stood up, ready for Hermione and Neville to ask him the appropriate way to stop various magical creatures and plants.

He didn't do too badly, at least he was going to ace next years Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures and Defence Against the Dark Arts with everything he was learning.

Every day was the same, every free moment Harry spent learning and training as much as he could.

Harry was getting daily letters from Lily and Sirius with tips and well wishes. He knew they were only trying to help, that it was all they could do to help, but it made him feel that much more nervous about what was about to happen.

He lay awake at night, staring at the canopy over his bed, a large stack of letters and books on his bedside table and covers reminded him of what was to come, spilling onto the floor every time he turned over. It felt like he was drowning in worry, not just his but everyone else's as well.