Chapter 41: The Vision
"Dreams." Professor Trelawney echoed. "The most mysterious and unexplained ability of the human brain. A creation carefully constructed by our subconscious mind."
"Right," Harry answered as Trelawney circled around him, occasionally placing a hand on his shoulder. Hermione was sitting by his side, quietly. But Harry could tell she was full of regret already. Maybe coming here wasn't the best idea Afterall.
"Alright. So, as you pace that house, are there any particular details which you notice? Anything out of the usual?"
Harry blinked, "Well, aside from a dead body… no."
"And you wish to know more about this location, and about the body? Is that correct?" Trelawney asked.
Harry nodded.
"Interesting. Very interesting, Mister Potter." Trelawney answered. Then she walked over to the centre of the circular classroom and past her desk, towards a big, wooden cabinet. She conjured a potion flask from inside and then closed the cabinet door. "I believe I might have something just right for your situation." She walked up to him and offered the flask.
The flask itself was quite small. Inside it, was a dark blue liquid. There was just enough for one mouthful. "What is it?" Harry asked.
"It was given to me by a friend from Bulgaria. The potion can summon visions. I believe that's what you're after, isn't it?" The professor told him.
Harry looked back at Hermione who seemed irritated. "You want him to just drink some random liquid we don't even know the name of?"
"Oculi divinat," Trelawney answered. "That's the name of this particular potion. It's been said that the potion allows a witch or wizard to foresee the future. If my analysis is true, and Mister Potter's dream is an event from the distant future, this potion might show more of what is to come."
"Uh-huh. And why haven't you tried this potion yourself, Professor?" Hermione asked.
Trelawney looked back at Hermione, "I don't predict from potions, I use spheres, particularly spheres made of Amethyst. Potions and cards have never been my speciality or preference."
Hermione glanced at Harry, "Is the potion safe?"
The professor nodded at them both, "I'm certain of it. But then again, breaking into the future has never been safe. There are chances Mister Potter could see things he might not be ready for."
"For example?" Harry asked.
"Death. Maybe even your own death, Potter. I used to know a wizard who saw his own death once. He saw himself drowning, and so from that day onward, he kept a good distance to the sea. Even when bathing, he would take caution. He spent more than half of his life avoiding something that could end it."
"And what happened to him?" Hermione asked.
"He slipped and hit his head on the way home."
"Right," Harry added.
"He was in a huge rush because it started to rain, and the newsman warned of a storm that week." Professor Trelawney gave Harry a sad smile. "If you were to see your death in this vision, it will affect your whole life, surely."
Harry looked back at the flask. He was about to hand it back and say, 'no thanks.' But then he thought about his dream, about that body in the room, and how much this whole thing has affected him already. He uncorked the flask and raised it to his lips.
"Harry!" Hermione called.
He looked at her and smiled, "I think I've seen enough in my life by now to tough this one through. Let's not forget that I've already died once, Hermione." He placed the flask cork on his lap and took hold of Hermione's hand. "I'll be alright."
The worried look on her face didn't leave, but she nodded, as her other hand covered his.
Harry took a deep breath and then downed the flask.
Surprisingly enough, the liquid was sweet. Too sweet, almost. The sweetness numbed his entire mouth, and as he swallowed, the numbness followed the liquid inside his throat and through his entire body. He leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes.
"This feels weird." His voice sounded strange in his ears. The numbness was spreading even further. It covered almost his entire body. He could no longer feel Hermione's grip on his hand. He couldn't even feel himself. In a matter of seconds, all of his senses were gone. He wanted to open his eyes but failed. Then after several long moments, he was starting to feel things again. There was a lovely smell invading his nostrils. A million different smells, actually. Some of them were similar, some of them were strangers. He could hear the crackling of wood in a fireplace, the turning of a page. Long, quiet breaths. He could feel pressure on his right side, but it was nice. Finally, his eyes opened.
"Hermione?" He looked over at her.
Her eyes lifted from the pages of an old book as she looked back at him. God, she was beautiful. Magnificent. Perfect. Dazzling. Exquisite. She looked more amazing than ever before, now in her matured age. She was the most beautiful woman he ever met. He hated himself for not appreciating that enough.
"What is it, darling?" She asked him, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. He wished he could have done that for her. He wanted to touch her so badly right now. But his body was still not fully functioning.
"You're ravishing." He stated, weakly.
She gave him that cute smile. The smile she only reserved for him. The one which always ended with a bite of her bottom lip. She loved to tease him, always. A devilish angel. But only when with him.
His arms seemed to have started working again, as he ran his hand over her thigh. She was wearing denim shorts, definitely not her first choice of clothing. But then Harry noticed how hot it was. It was definitely a hot summer day. He smiled to himself, knowing that he must've been the genius to light up a fireplace in the middle of the summer season.
"You're not that bad yourself, Mister handsome." She answered, running a hand over his right cheek. He could feel a stubble on his face. Interesting, he never pictured himself with a beard, and now he wondered if it fit him. Hermione seemed to like it though.
That was when he noticed the ring on her finger. A silver wedding ring. He knew that ring very well. He's already seen it once before. At Gringotts. His mother's. He glanced at his own hand and also saw a silver ring. He had a wife.
His entire body was working now, and he finally managed to shift himself onto her. Their lips met soon enough, and he tasted her. God. It was incredible. Just like always. The world would stop around them, and the only thing that existed was her, and her lips. Lord almighty, he would die for those fucking lips. After all these years, she was still the most magnificent being in his world.
Hermione shoved him off playfully, "Alright, stop right there. You know we can't."
"Why not?"
She laughed, "Uhm, I don't know. Maybe because the kids are in the garden and they could burst in any minute."
"Well, daddy loves mummy. They know that."
Hermione giggled into his neck as he kissed her around the ears. Then she shoved him off again, "No means no, handsome."
"Alright, later then," Harry informed.
"If you wash the dishes." Hermione countered.
"Shouldn't one of the boys be doing that now? They should start earning their keep." Harry joked.
"You know they'll just use magic to do it."
"So would I, though." Harry chuckled.
"Harry, you know we have to show them that living without magic is also possible. I don't want them to become dependant on it. We never have, and neither should the kids."
Harry leaned closer and kissed her forehead, "You know I agree with you, honey."
"Well, you should back me up more. The other day Beamey walked into their room and saw clothes levitating from under beds. That's just pure laziness right there. I wonder who they inherited that from."
Harry laughed, "Hey, I'm quite a hard-working man."
"When you want to be," Hermione smirked.
They sat there in silence. Hermione returned to her book and Harry admired her recent redecoration of the living room. It was refreshing to have different furniture now. His mother wanted them to change things up, Afterall.
Harry heard the back door open in the kitchen. Echoes of laughter followed. Hermione looked up at him, "Harry, you have to wake up."
"What?"
She closed the book, and tossed it aside, "Harry! Wake up now!" Her hands went onto his shoulders, she looked scared.
"What are you talking about? I'm awake." Then the numbness returned to him again. But this time it felt like it was working in reverse. It started with his fingers and slowly made its way to his head.
"Harry, can you hear me? Wake up!" The numbness was overtaking him again. He started to lose everything. He could no longer feel her touch. He could no longer smell her. His vision was starting to fade.
"I don't want to. I want to stay with you, Hermione!"
"Wake up, come on!"
"Please. I love you so much! Please don't let me go."
"Harry, you have to wake up. You have to!"
"But I love you!"
"If you love me, you have to wake up!" She sounded hysterical now, he could barely see her face anymore.
"Alright." He closed his eyes, hating every moment of darkness which surrounded him. The sound of distant laughter was fading away. Everything was gone too quickly. He didn't have enough time to appreciate it all, this felt like torture.
"I can't do it any longer, Hermione. I'm opening my eyes." And he did as he said.
She was back. Her amazing face. There were tears in her eyes. She was leaning over him. It seemed like they were on the floor. Harry noticed Professor Trelawney in the corner of his eye. She looked excited.
"Harry?"
"I'm here." He told her, still trying to hold down the shock. "What in the world just happened?" He sat up, Hermione supported him back into his chair as he wiped some sweat from his face.
"The vision was very powerful. Too powerful, almost. You fell from the chair. We feared you might have suffered brain death, a complete loss of function." Trelawney explained.
"It felt like it," Harry informed. Hermione's hold was strong around his waist. He placed an arm around her and she buried her face in his shoulder.
"Don't ever do that to me again. You hear me, Harry? No more potions." She sobbed.
"Alright." A part of him was still suffering shock. But another part was looking back at his vision. It felt so real. Every part.
"What did you see?" Trelawney asked.
"I was in the Potter manor, with Hermione." Upon hearing her name, she wiped her eyes and looked up at him.
"We were talking, and that's it. Was it really the future?"
Professor Trelawney smiled, "I can sense there some things you're not telling me. If you pay attention to those hidden factors, you will find your answer."
Kids… marriage. He had those things. With her. He felt nauseous. The world was spinning. Hermione… she was the mother of his kids. They had MULTIPLE children!
"Alright but, I didn't see the house from my dream, none of that was in there."
Trelawney looked surprised, "My boy, I said you will see the future, I never specified what exactly you will see. No one knows that. Now, from what I've learned, Oculi divinat has powerful effects on the person who consumes it. The potion could even come through as an addictive drug because it often makes the consumer feel and see things they desire. Knowing that it's the future, they will go to any measure to experience it again."
"What does that mean, exactly?" Hermione asked.
"My Bulgarian friend consumes this potion on a regular basis. Oculi divinat shows the future, yes. But that future could either be very distant or only possible if the consumer follows a certain path. The future you saw, Mister Potter, the chance of you experiencing that future in real life is one in a million. Your decisions will certainly change the outcome you've seen in that vision. You might experience something similar, but there are small chances you'll experience identical events. Oculi divinat is a mischievous potion, it shows desires of the heart which could be possible, but only that. That's why certain wizards and witches are addicted to the potion. You must be cautious from now on. And you'll have to rest plenty, too." Trelawney explained.
"And you allowed for a student to consume this potion? Why didn't you tell us before he swallowed the thing?" Hermione asked.
"Mister Potter seemed desperate to envision the future, I figured Oculi divinat will show him a future he most desired to see. There was quite a high chance that his vision would be the dream he saw, that is if the dream is really the future. However, seeing as he didn't experience that in the vision, I have two explanations. Either Mister Potter's dream is not based in the future and it's just a regular dream, or Mister Potter doesn't truly desire to figure out where that dream is and most importantly, whose body is located in the centre of that room. Both are probable." The professor explained.
Hermione looked back at Harry.
"I guess there are other things I desire more." He saw the image of Hermione in his head, sitting next to him on the sofa. Then he looked back at the real Hermione, the one in front of him. Her look only told him one thing, 'You're telling me everything, later.'
"So, what exactly did it feel like? The vision." Trelawney asked.
Harry shook his head, "I could never find words to describe it. I felt present and completely absent at the same time. It was like seeing memories from a pensieve but instead of standing nearby and spectating, I was there, personally. I was part of it. It felt similar to a dream."
"How so?"
"I couldn't quite remember how I got to where I was, but it didn't matter. A lot of things didn't make sense, but that didn't matter either. I wanted to ask questions, to protest against what was happening, but then other ideas and thoughts would enter my mind and I would accept them just like that." Harry clicked his fingers.
"Ah, I see. I'm afraid that's the curse of Oculi. You see some wizards thought they could use the potion to communicate with people from the future. Some wanted to gain information. Like scores of upcoming Quidditch tournaments, so they could bet on the right team. But they were quick to find out that it simply does not work like that. Once you enter the vision, you are powerless. The person you were in that vision, the thoughts you had and things you said, they are not you."
Harry thought about the vision again. About the things which crossed his mind. It felt strange. To be yourself, but also not yourself at the same time.
Professor Trelawney glanced at the clock, "Dear me, time flies when exciting things happen. I'm afraid I must leave now, dinner is about to start in the great hall. I believe you can find your way out?"
"We'll manage. Thank you… for the help, professor." Hermione answered.
Trelawny smiled and made her way out. Before crossing the doorstep of her classroom, she turned back around and looked at Harry, "Oh yes, Mister Potter. I would like to inform you that I do not have any more Oculi left. It was only one flask. In case you get the temptation, don't bother ravaging my cabinet." And then she walked out, leaving Harry and Hermione alone.
Hermione stood up and offered Harry her hands, "Alright, let's go back to the common room."
Harry stood up slowly, everything seemed fine until his legs gave out from under him and he started falling to the ground. Hermione caught him just in time.
"That was weird," Harry informed, clutching onto Hermione.
"Can you walk?" Hermione asked, worried.
"I think so. My limbs still feel numb."
Hermione wrapped his arm around her neck and lifted him up, supporting almost his entire weight.
"Woah. When did you get so strong, Hermione?"
"You try carrying heavy books every day for six years." She answered as they struggled out of the classroom.
"Good point." Harry gave a weak laugh.
The journey to the common room was long and tedious. They had to take breaks every couple of minutes. By the time they got to the grand staircase, both of them were sweating.
"I have no idea how we're going to manage these stairs," Hermione informed.
And then, completely out of nowhere. Maria appeared. She was wearing casual clothes today, too. Her hair was tied into a ponytail.
"Hey guys. What's up?" she asked.
Hermione looked up, "Maria, Hey. Nothing much, we're just trying to get to the common room."
Maria looked confused, then she noticed how sweaty both of them were and how Harry was barely standing. "My god, do you need help?"
"I think we can-" Before Hermione finished, Maria was already grabbing Harry's free arm as she placed it around her neck. And now Harry was in between the two of them, as they carried him, like an injured soldier in the battlefield. It felt humiliating.
"Harry, what exactly happened?" Maria asked.
"It's a bit of a long story, to be honest," Harry answered, breathing heavily.
They carried him up the staircase, occasionally passing by a shocked student. And then, they finally reached the common room. It was empty, good thing it was dinner time. Maria and Hermione carried him to the sofa where he sat down.
"Harry, I'll be right back. I'll bring you some covers. Would you like the draught of peace?" Hermione asked.
"What happened to no more potions?" Harry asked, chuckling.
Hermione smiled, "You know this is different. But I guess you're right. I think it might weaken you even further. Best not experiment right now." And then she disappeared upstairs.
Maria walked closer and touched his forehead gently, "How are you feeling?"
"Strange." It was the only word Harry could think of right now. The world was still spinning slightly for him.
Maria stood up and took hold of his shoulders, "here maybe you should lie down."
Harry lied down as she told him, her hands remained on his shoulders as she looked down at him, smiling.
"Is that better?"
"Yeah, a little bit," Harry answered.
He noticed a strand of Maria's hair was free from her ponytail, almost touching Harry's face. She crouched next to him and ran her hands over his arm, gently adding pressure against his bicep. "Just relax. Your muscles are so tense." It felt nice.
There was a sense of an aura radiating off of her. It was intoxicating. Spreading through his entire vision. Add that to the list of strange things he's felt today.
"I can take care of you." Maria's voice was becoming quiet. She was fading away. And then she was gone.
Hermione hurried down the stairs and that's when she froze. Maria was crouching next to Harry, her hands all over him. Her face was so close to his. Her hands were clutching his arm so tightly. Hermione could see very clearly that Maria was using her hypnotic powers. Her aura was circulating the entire room.
"Maria," Hermione called.
And just like that, the aura was gone. The whole room lost its static and went back to normal.
"Hermione." Maria smiled as she stood up, "Harry fell asleep. I'm pretty sure he'll be out for a couple hours. I can't help but wonder what you two got up to."
"As Harry said, it's a long story… what were you doing just now?" Hermione asked.
"What do you mean?" Maria looked so innocent as she countered. It was almost believable.
"Something felt off when I came in. Didn't you feel it? The presence of magic?" Hermione didn't feel like dodging around. She went straight on, asking exactly what she wanted.
"I really don't know what you're talking about. Anyway, I best get going for dinner. It was nice seeing you. Take care of Harry. He looks exhausted." She informed and made her way out.
Hermione's gaze followed Maria as she walked towards the staircase. "Right." She walked over to the sofa and gently placed a cushion under Harry's head. Then she covered him with a duvet. He was already in a deep sleep "Well Harry, it looks like I really do have competition."
A/N: A lot of you have been asking for more Maria recently, here she is. Things are about to start getting tense at Hogwarts. The next chapter will expand on the events of the last two. There will be more about Animagi. Plus, Harry still has to talk to Hermione about his vision, right?
