Story: War
Chapter: 17
Rating of Chapter: R
My other Fics: Stress, Wake Me From This Nightmare, Psychokinesis, Forlorn
Thanks: Thanks to Cheryl and Muirnin for their continuous support and help with this fic.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. The only things I own are the plot, any characters, spells etc that you do not recognize.
Author Notes: N/A
Chapter 17: Dreams, Plans and Attacks
A cold chill swept through the open-roofed chamber in which the Dark Lord stood along with his supporters. A stout balding man waddled into the room and knelt down in front of Voldemort. "Is everything going to plan?" he sneered, not even looking at Wormtail.
"Y-Yes," stuttered Wormtail, the sweat dripping from his brow. "Those potions have been working to perfection, our army is almost ready."
"And what about our other plan?" Voldemort questioned bitterly.
"P-Perfect, it should be happening any t-time in the next twenty f-four hours." A sly smile crept on the face of he-who-must-not-be-named as he felt the sweet scent of victory within his grasp.
*
Harry unbuttoned the buttons on Hermione's shirt as he pulled her onto him as they collapsed on his bed. He trailed gently kisses up her neck and across her jaw before capturing her lips once more. His hands travelled through her hair while his tongue slipped into her mouth. She rolled him over and tugged his shirt over his head as she lay on top of him proceeding to kiss him with all the passion she could conjure.
Harry briefly pulled away from her and looked deeply into her eyes. "Your beautiful. Are you sure you're ready?" She smiled and nodded. Her soft eyes made him melt until he watched her eyes roll to the top of her head as she crashed down on top of him. Harry held her in his arms and stared at a huge claw that was pierced into her back, the blood trailing onto his hands. "No!"
He looked straight ahead and saw two huge green beasts on all fours. Harry noticed that one had a claw missing, that claw had killed the woman he loved. The beast had a long tail and red eyes with a horn on its head, almost like a rhinoceros but bigger and green. Harry watched on as Voldemort appeared between the two beasts. "Avada Kedavra!" he yelled, his wand pointed directly at Harry's heart. The green light flashed before his eyes before a black screen appeared before him.
Harry opened his eyes and woke with a start. He stared up at his bed canopy, his heart racing as sweat formed on his forehead. These dreams had to stop, Voldemort had to stop. Harry knew he was the only one who could make these things stop and it was time to do something about it. Tomorrow he would see Snape…and ask him for more Occlumency lessons. Harry could imagine Snape's pale face and greasy hair as he grinned while watching Harry crawl to him for help. Unfortunately those were Harry's last thoughts before drifting back into an uneasy sleep.
*
The next morning at breakfast Harry decided to keep quiet about his latest dream. He took a seat between Hermione and Ron as he glanced up at the head table. Snape appeared to be starting right at him. Harry attempted to shrug it off by checking up on Felipe. He was sitting quietly with his classmates, a buttered croissant on his plate.
"Alright?" Ron questioned. Harry turned back to Ron, and then to Hermione, who was looking concerned.
"Yeah I'm fine. I was just thinking of the first hex I'm going to cast on Felipe."
"Harry he's not worth it, ignore him," instructed Hermione, eyeing him seriously. Harry found it hard to listen to Hermione, at the minute beating the crap out of Felipe seemed like the greatest idea in the world.
Harry felt a chill run down his spine as a cold hand landed on his shoulder, he held still noticing the startled look on Hermione's face, and the panic-stricken one on Ron. Snape leant his head next to Harry's ear. "Noon, my office." He turned away with a blink of the eye and left the hall.
"What was that all about?" Ron asked, staring at Harry nervously. Harry shook his head.
"I don't know, I guess I'll find out at noon." The trio exchanged nervous and puzzled faces before continuing a quiet breakfast.
*
Harry glanced at his watch nervously, it was ten thirty and the long hand on his watch seemed to be taking an eternity to move. "Ready!" Hermione called as she walked into the Gryffindor Common Room with her elbow pads and kneepads attached.
"You look just the part," stated Harry with a grin.
"Thanks," answered Hermione uncertainly. She picked up the Cleansweep what she had borrowed from Ron. "Wish me luck."
"You don't need luck," said Harry, placing a soft kiss on her lips. She beamed and left the room to begin her lessons. Harry sat back down and thought about why Snape wanted to see him. It seemed too much of a coincidence that he had been called to Snape's office on the same day he was going to ask him for Occlumency lessons. AHHHHHH! Harry jumped up off his seat and ran to the window, he gazed up at the sky to see Hermione high up in the air, too high. He rushed into his room, opened up the trunk at the foot of his bed and pulled out his Firebolt. He ran back into the main room and pushed the biggest window open, before mounting his broom. He kicked up from the ground and raised slightly in the air before moving slowly out of the window, he sped up slightly as the force of being so high sent Hermione off her broom.
He flew as quickly as he could towards Hermione. As she fell down quickly past him he flung out an arm and gripped onto the collar of her robe. Hermione noticed Ron's beloved broom heading to the ground so she whipped out her wand and cast a quick `Wingardium Leviosa' to ease it to the ground.
"I can't hold on," muttered Harry as he felt his grip on Hermione loosening. Hold on Harry don't let her fall. The voice in his mind called out. Hermione's robe slipped out of his hand but he caught her by the hand that he now held in a firm grip. As he moved slowly towards ground he felt his grasp on the broom fail as he slipped off towards ground, he saw Hermione stay floating in the air as he hit the ground with a thud.
Luckily it wasn't a long fall, but he was more bothered about what was keeping Hermione up, or more who it was. Hermione was brought slowly to the ground and his eyes focused on Felipe who had caught Hermione with a spell in mid-air. He stormed over to Felipe, grabbed him by the collar and threw him to the ground. Harry swung back an arm but was held back by Hermione. He stood up and glared furiously at him. "Harry calm down!" Hermione pleaded as Felipe struggled to his feet.
"He jinxed my broom, I should kill him!" Harry screamed, but Hermione kept a firm hold on him.
"No Harry, he didn't do anything wrong." Felipe smirked at Harry as he left; this went unnoticed by Hermione as she struggled to hold Harry back. "Harry you have to calm down about this."
"Doesn't it seem a little bit suspicious that one minute I'm holding you and the broom perfectly, the next minute I'm thrown off and Felipe `happens' to be there?" Harry snapped.
"I know it seems odd, but he was only protecting me. That's no reason to attack him." Harry continued to breathe hard but eventually calmed himself down.
*
It was noon and Harry knocked on the door to Professor Snape's office. As he heard a brief `enter' he proceeded to slowly open the door. He stared up at the pale professor who was standing at the far end of the room, his wand drawn. "Ready to begin Potter?" Harry nodded uncertainly. "Very well, you know how it works…LEGLIMENS!" he roared. Harry was caught completely off guard and had no chance to react as another whirlwind of memories ricocheted through his mind. He opened his eyes and realised that he was staring at the black polished shoes of Snape, he stumbled up to his feet.
"Sorry sir." Snape shook his head.
"Sorry won't cut it against the Dark Lord, Potter, you need to get your act together if you are going to defeat him. I believe that in your current state you will never defeat him…why? Because he is stronger than you." Snape spat.
"No he isn't! I'm stronger than him, I can beat him!" Harry responded furiously, anger rising through him.
"Prove it, Leglimens!" Harry clenched the sides of his head as visions erupted through him, first Hermione, then Ron, then Felipe, then Voldemort, then him and Hermione in a rather pre-occupied position that he hoped to God, Snape didn't see. The next vision he saw was Snape glaring at him. "Failed," mocked Snape. "You'll never save your mudblood if you can't even master Occlumency." Harry saw red as Snape cast the spell again.
As soon as a glimpse of a memory came Harry felt himself forcing it away. Go away, get out, I won't let you in! He focused even harder and he realised he was blocking Snape from entering. Get out…get out…GET OUT! Harry broke free of the visions and he saw Snape drop his wand in amazement. "You did it," he said bitterly. "You blocked me." Harry smiled and couldn't believe what he had done. "Strangely you seemed to know more of what you were doing this time…been practicing?"
Harry shook his head; he wasn't about to tell Snape he had been practicing Occlumency with his girlfriend. "So is this really it?" he questioned.
"Yes, well done," Snape forced out between gritted teeth. Harry couldn't believe what Snape had said, although he did owe him a thank you. He took in a deep breath before speaking.
"Thank you Professor, without you saying those things I never could have done it." Snape nodded simple without a facial expression developing. "So that's it then…I guess I'll see you soon." Harry turned to place a hand on the doorknob before the sound of Snape's voice pulled him to a halt.
"Yes, next Tuesday, two o'clock." Snape instructed. Harry eyed him in puzzlement. "For your next lesson," added Snape.
"Bu-"
"Just because you mastered it once doesn't mean that this is over," interrupted Snape. "You still need more practice, goodbye." Snape sat back at his desk and looked down at a piece of parchment leaving Harry to remove himself from the office. As Harry was about to leave a thought came to his head.
"Professor, how did you know I wanted Occlumency lessons today?" he asked, his eyes meeting the cold-hearted Professors.
"I'm a Leglimens, am I not?" Snape responded coldly. "Now for the last time, goodbye."
*
Hermione opened the door to leave the girl's bathroom, her mind still on Harry. She could understand him getting angry but sometimes he went a little over the top. As she opened the door and left she noticed a person lying on the ground a few metres away. "Oh God!" she exclaimed as she hurried over to him and kneeled down. "Felipe, what happened." He flickered his eyes open, the cuts and bruises on his face widening.
"I wuz attacked," he groaned.
"By who," asked Hermione.
"'Arry-`Arry did this to me." He held out a hand which Hermione couldn't help but take, she couldn't believe that Harry would do this much. But whoever had done this too an innocent person was in the wrong in her book.
*
Hermione laid Felipe down on the sofa in the Prefect Common Room. "I'll go and get you some ice." She made her way out of the room to go to the hospital wing for a pack of ice to help heal Felipe's wounds. She should take him to the hospital wing anyway, but if Harry did have anything to do with this she didn't want to get him into trouble, as he must have a logical explanation.
As she walked down a small corridor nearing Snape's office she saw Harry standing outside. She walked over to him and stared into his emerald eyes, searching for any sign of guilt. "Hermione what is it?" he asked.
"Felipe, he's been attacked." Harry scrunched up his brow trying to look concerned. Although given half a chance he would have attacked him too. "He says you did it."
Harry raised his eyebrows. "And you believed him?" he questioned. Hermione looked deeply at him.
"I don't know what to believe."
"Hermione, I'll admit that I would love to kick the magic out of Felipe, but I didn't do it. Trust me." Hermione thought for a moment, she could tell Harry was telling the truth but who else would have motive to do this.
"Who else could have done it?" she asked.
"I don't know, anybody who talked to him for more than a minute," answered Harry sarcastically.
Author Notes: If you are interested to get more of an insight on what the dream meant, I'll do my best to explain it. Harry was dreaming of loving Hermione and being intimate with her again, then he had nightmare's of losing Hermione and dying himself, which would mean failure.