Title: Descent to Hell
Team: Caerphilly Catapults
Position: Chaser 1
Round: QL Daily Prophet Expelliarmus Competition
Prompt: 4) Descendo – [action] falling
Additional Prompts used: N/A
Word count: 2691
Betas: Bea

A/N Mentions of Canon death

Harry apparated onto the doorstep of Grimmauld Place. He loved his friends dearly and he knew that they were concerned about him, but sometimes Harry just needed to be alone. He opened the door quietly so as not to disturb the portrait of Sirius' delightful mum. Shutting the door behind him, he slipped silently up the stairs; he really didn't want to see Kreacher right now. On the top floor landing Harry brought out his wand and pointed it at the hatch in the ceiling, muttering, "Descendo'' and a silver ladder descended from the ceiling. Harry quickly climbed up it and waved his wand at the ladder again so that the ladder rose back up so he was alone. Harry had conjured himself up a bed in the loft so that he could sleep in peace if anyone came calling to Grimmauld Place. Exhausted from his day spent in the company of all his friends, he collapsed onto the bed fully clothed and quickly fell into an uneasy sleep.

Even when he was sleeping, Harry's mind seemed unable to rest and his dreams were often punctuated by nightmares. Thankfully, not the type he had put up with for the last several years, but still disturbing enough that no matter how long he slept for, Harry always awoke just as tired as when he went to sleep. Tonight, Harry was dreaming about playing Quidditch. He was zooming about on his Nimbus 2000 high above the Quidditch Stadium searching for the Snitch when he looked down and saw Dementors swarming onto the pitch. Everything went cold and Harry could feel his mind and vision fogging up as the terrified screams of his mother and Voldemort's high, cold, cruel laugh filled his ears. Next thing Harry knew, he was plummeting towards the ground, his mind suddenly clear. The ground was coming nearer and nearer and Harry couldn't reach his wand from inside his robes.

Harry awoke with a start suddenly, feeling exhausted. He looked at his watch and found that it was only four in the morning. Yawning and stretching, Harry got up and decided to have a shower to try and wake up fully. It wasn't worth trying to go back to bed. He had an early training session with the Head Auror this morning and he didn't want to risk sleeping in and missing it. He pointed his wand at the trapdoor.
"Descendo," Harry said, stifling another yawn as he made his way back down to the top floor landing.

Harry was exhausted by the time he got home that evening and was extremely clumsy. He tripped over his robes as he shut the front door, landing with a thump against the front door and the resulting bang echoed through the house, followed by the screech of Mrs Black shouting about Mudbloods and Blood Traitors.
"Shut up, you miserable old hag," Harry said grumpily, shutting the curtains over her portrait.
"Master is home very late," Kreacher croaked as he came up the stairs from the kitchen. "Would master like some dinner? Kreacher has been keeping it warm."
"Thanks, Kreacher," Harry said as a huge yawn threatened to split his head in two.

Twenty minutes later Harry trudged his way up the stairs to the top floor landing. He didn't trust himself to Apparate up the stairs in his tired state. He really didn't fancy a trip to St Mungo's because he had splinched himself Apparating up to bed.
"Descendo," Harry yawned again and wearily climbed the silver ladder, waved his wand lazily back at the trapdoor before collapsing onto his bed. He was asleep almost instantly.
Harry slept fitfully, tossing and turning in the bed restlessly. Harry, Ron and Hermione were clinging desperately to the back of a half-blind old dragon as they made their escape from Gringotts. Fear gripped Harry as he clung to the back of the dragon as they flew further and further north. His hands were numb from the cold and he was incredibly uncomfortable so he tried to readjust his grip so he was more secure but the dragon turned as he did this and Harry heard Hermione scream as he slipped off the back of the dragon and found himself falling rapidly towards the ground. The ground was rapidly coming nearer and nearer.

Harry woke with a start, breathing rapidly and covered in a cold sweat. Harry groaned as he checked his watch. Two in the morning. He had only been asleep for four hours. He didn't need to be at work until ten this morning so Harry snuggled back under the covers and tried to get back to sleep but it was no use. His brain simply wouldn't let him get back to sleep. Harry supposed he was afraid of having yet another dream about falling. He assumed he was having these dreams because he was struggling to work out what he wanted from life now that Voldemort had been defeated and he could actually do what he wanted. Although, it would be nice if he could do it without being followed about by reporters. Harry had no idea why anyone would be interested to know that 'The Boy-Who-Lived-Twice' had been seen eating ice-cream with friends in Diagon Alley. Yawning, Harry got up to go and shower.
"Descendo," Harry yawned again. If he didn't get a good night of sleep soon, he was going to end up with a trip to the St Mungo's due to some work-related injury during training.

Harry managed to get home that night without disturbing Mrs Black although, how he didn't know. Ron and Hermione had caught up with him at lunch time and insisted he come and join them for dinner at their flat. Harry felt it would be rude to refuse. He knew they were just worried about him but Harry just really wanted to sleep and had slipped away from them as soon as he felt he could do so politely.
"Descendo," Harry said as he reached the top landing. Harry was awake enough tonight to at least change out of his robes and into his pyjamas. He was hoping that, maybe, by actually getting ready for bed properly, he might get a decent night's sleep, devoid of nightmares.

Harry was to be disappointed though. Tonight, Harry found himself high in the air on one of the school brooms, facing Malfoy who was holding Neville's Remembrall. Malfoy's face sneered at him as he launched the Remembrall and Harry took off after it on the rattly old school broom that didn't seem to want to obey Harry's wishes at all. Harry couldn't get it to do what he wanted and next thing Harry knew he had slipped off his broom and was falling to the ground once more only to wake with a start in bed just as he hit the ground. Harry groaned and checked his watch. Midnight.

The following night Harry decided to ask Kreacher to make him a cup of hot chocolate before bed to try and get him nice and sleepy. "Descendo," Harry said before climbing the ladder. He pulled on his pyjamas and climbed into bed. Harry was once again flying on his Nimbus 2000 high above the Quidditch Pitch. He spotted the Snitch and urged his broom forward to catch it when his broom started to buck wildly, trying to throw him off. Harry clung on desperately but he was suddenly so tired that his arms ached and holding onto the bucking broom was becoming harder and harder. The broom bucked once more and Harry was falling, with an ever-increasing pace though a blur of other figures on brooms, only to be jerked awake in bed as he hit the ground.

"Harry, are you sure you're okay?" Hermione asked, greatly concerned at the slight grey tinge Harry had to his skin.
"I'm fine Hermione, honestly," Harry said as a great yawn almost split his head in two. "I'm just really tired, that's all. I've not been sleeping well. I'm going to have a cup of hot chocolate and read a book in bed tonight to try and wind down to get a goodnight's sleep." Hermione didn't look convinced. "I'll be okay but you'll understand that I won't join you all in the pub tonight."
"Of course, Harry," Hermione said sympathetically.

Later that evening Harry sat in bed reading a book and drinking his hot chocolate. He really needed to try and get a better routine to try and get better sleep, but the Auror training schedule was so hectic that this didn't look likely. Harry yawned as he finished his hot chocolate, feeling warm and sleepy and very content. He was going to get a good night's sleep tonight. He just knew it. He was wrong. Once again Harry was playing Quidditch, flying on his Nimbus 2000. Harry's stomach felt as though it was tied up in knots. He was very anxious. What was going to go wrong this time? Whoosh. A Bludger narrowly missed Harry. Harry watched as the Bludger that had narrowly missed him stopped in mid-air and came pelting back towards him; he ducked and felt his hair ruffle as the Bludger just missed taking his head off. Harry sped off away from the rogue Bludger, zooming past Draco Malfoy on his Nimbus 2001. Harry could hear the Bludger racing along behind him and Harry was forced to do a weird pirouette in mid-air to avoid another pass from the Bludger.
"Training for the ballet, Potter?" Malfoy yelled at him.
Harry had spotted the Snitch hovering inches above Malfoy's ear. Wham. Harry had lingered too long and the Bludger had collided painfully with him knocking him off his broom. Heart pounding, a cold sweat breaking out all over his body, Harry plummeted towards the ground. Once more Harry jerked awake as he hit the ground. This was getting ridiculous. How many more nights like this would he have to endure? He looked at his watch and realised that it was five in the morning. That was definitely the most sleep he had had in a long time. Getting out of bed Harry pointed his wand at the trap door muttering "Descendo" as he went to get a shower and get ready for another day of Auror training.

"You're looking better this morning, Harry," Hermione said as they drank a cup of coffee together.
"Yeah. I got the most sleep I've had in a while, last night," Harry said, taking a sip of his coffee. "I think I'm starting to find what works. Still having nightmares about falling every night though."
"Maybe you should see someone to talk about that with?" Hermione suggested.
"Hmm…maybe," Harry said. He really didn't feel like discussing his dreams with anyone. They had to do some things during their seventh year that weren't entirely legal. While he was sure nothing would be made of it since it had been to defeat Voldemort, Harry really didn't want to dredge up the past. He most definitely didn't want to discuss the fact that he was somewhat enjoying all the dreams he was having that featured Malfoy.

Harry arrived home after work that night and ate the dinner that Kreacher had waiting for him. While he ate Kreacher, ran a hot bath for Harry. Harry sank his tired, aching muscles gratefully into the hot bath after dinner. Kreacher brought him up a hot chocolate and Harry enjoyed the hot chocolate while he read his book in the bath. When the water had started to turn cold (Harry had forgotten to apply a stasis charm to the bath water) he got out, yawned, pulled on a fresh pair of pyjamas and slowly climbed the last flight of stairs to the top landing. "Descendo" Harry yawned again and climbed the ladder. Harry was feeling nice and sleepy as he slipped under the covers of his bed and fell asleep straight away.

It was night and hovering above the highest tower of Hogwarts castle was the hideous green Dark Mark. Harry and Dumbledore were flying as fast as they could towards the castle. Harry was hoping against hope that all his friends were alive. Had the Felix Felicis run out? Harry would never forgive himself if one of his friends was hurt or worse…dead. Harry and Dumbledore landed on the tower, Harry under his invisibility cloak. They could hear the sounds of someone approaching and Harry felt his whole body stiffen and he fell backwards against the ramparts.
"Expelliarmus," Draco shouted as Dumbledore's wand sailed silently over the ramparts of the tower. There was fear in Draco's eyes despite his words to Dumbledore and Harry noticed that his wand hand was shaking slightly as he and Dumbledore chatted about the ways and means Draco had used to carry out his plan. Harry watched that awful scene play out again in his nightmare but it was as though someone had turned down the volume on the TV. Harry could see Draco and Dumbledore talking but there was no sound. Not until…
"Severus…please…"
"Avada Kedavra!"
Those last words were deafening, as though the volume had suddenly been restored to maximum, as Dumbledore was blasted into the air and falling backwards over the battlements of the tower. The Full-Body-Bind curse that had been on Harry was lifted as Harry, too, felt himself falling backwards over the tower ramparts. Cold air pierced through his robes until he woke with a start in his bed panting.

The next night Harry once more had a bath, hot chocolate and read his book before changing into fresh pyjamas and climbing into his bed between the freshly changed sheets, feeling the most relaxed he had felt in days. The new routine was certainly helping him to fall asleep quickly, and stay asleep for longer before his nightmares returned and Harry really hoped that tonight would finally be the night to break the circle of nightmares he had been having.

Once more Harry found himself in the room of requirement. Flames of Fiendfyre roared loudly all around them as Harry dived on his broom towards Malfoy and tried to pull him on his broom, but Malfoy was holding onto an unconscious Goyle and was too heavy.
"IF WE DIE FOR THEM, I'LL KILL YOU, HARRY!" Ron shouted.
Then Malfoy was on the broom behind Harry; Goyle was on the broom with Ron and Hermione as they sped towards the door to the room of requirement. A sudden burst of Fiendfyre beside Harry and Draco's broom caused Harry to turn the broom sharply and then Malfoy was falling off the broom down into the Fiendfyre. He let out a terrible scream as he fell into the fire and Harry jerked awake in his bed.

His heart was pounding so fast that Harry was amazed it hadn't left his chest. He was covered in a cold sweat and he was- crying- he was crying because Malfoy had died in that room. Great sobs were racking Harry's body and he couldn't breathe. Malfoy was dead and it was his fault. It was several minutes before Harry's heart rate returned to normal and his breathing steadied. Slowly, as Harry calmed down, he remembered that it was a dream. Draco wasn't dead. He didn't die in the Room of Requirement. Harry had saved him and he survived the Battle of Hogwarts.

Harry got out of bed muttering "Descendo" and he went downstairs for a shower. Harry stood under the hot stream of water pondering his latest dream. He wasn't the one who fell this time. This time it had been Draco and it had caused Harry the greatest distress he had ever known upon waking, to think that Draco had died. What was happening? Why had he been so upset by this dream? And why- why was he now referring to Malfoy as Draco? This was going to require a lot of solitary thought and avoiding Hermione lest she read too much into this. Assuming, of course, that Harry didn't read too much into it himself and yet another obsession he had with Draco Malfoy.