Unofficial Portkey Archive

AN: Ack I'm so sorry for the slow update! I could have gotten this up four days ago but then my dad pulled me away from the computer and I got writer's block and it all just muddled up =P. Haha, but thanks to MrKlortho who made me all urgent and jumpy in wanting to finish this chapter quickly because I don't like to make people wait =P! Hehe, enjoy this chapter, it might be confusing...

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters in Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling does. The plot and any extra characters belong to me :)

The wind was blinding, whipping at his face, making him feel sick- but that didn't matter. He wanted to know what was happening. Did he faint? Was this a dream? Perhaps he was hullicinating...and how did he end up in this situation anyways?

He struggled to keep his mind intact as he reached out to remember. He had been with Hermione...in the library. They got bored...so they left. They had headed towards the Great Hall cheerfully and happily...and then it all crashed down upon them. Screaming, crying...Death Eaters. He remembered it all now. There were Death Eaters..dozens...and he had, had a twisting feeling in his stomach that they were here for him.

And he had been right.

They had called out his name in such a spine-chilling voice. And a shiny silver hand...that hand had reached towards him...

And so he was here..spiraling away to some place that perhaps wasn't even on the face of earth. But he wasn't alone. He knew that for he could feel that pressure on his arm. Or maybe it was just him and his hopeless desire that he wasn't alone, and instead it could've been a chair that had toppled onto his arm and..

No, he would think positively.

Harry felt his glasses slip off the bridge of his nose. Bullocks. He wanted to open his eyes but the pressure was so intense that he couldn't. Even if he did, his eyeballs would probably pop out.

For a fleeting second he had thought his wand was gone. But thankfully, it was still there, banging lightly against his side from within the pockets of his robes...

Bam.

The floor came at him at full force. He felt his knees buckle beneath him as he tumbled onto the ground. Something squishy, it wasn't wood or marble...it was dirt. Harry groaned as he slowly blinked his green eyes open.

Where am I? His bones moaned and his head spun.

"Harry..."

Was he hearing voices now?

"Harry." It came clearer.

He felt a tug on his arm. He fell back, turned his head, and looked at the figure tugging at his arm in surprise. "...Hermione?!"

Of course it was Hermione. But he was so surprised that she was here with him. Her hair was bushier than ever, dirt smudged on her cheeks and hands, her face pale, but her eyes still shone. "Harry." She repeated in a mere whisper.

"Hermione." Harry felt his stomach settle, his mind halt as he wrapped his arms around the girl beside him. "Hermione." He felt his voice choke up. He wasn't alone...but then, they weren't safe. He didn't want her to be in danger...why was she here? No, he had to protect her..

"Why are you here?" Harry looked into her wide eyes, looking for an answer but found nothing but fright in her eyes.

She stood up slowly, brushing off her robes but her eyes never leaving his face as she simply answered, "I..I knew I couldn't let you go alone."

"Go where?" Harry found himself asking.

Hermione stared. "I don't know..."

Harry found himself at lost as he stood up. Looking around at his surroundings. "But what happened.."

"Death Eaters..don't you remember? One of them reached out to you...and suddenly you started disappearing and I didn't have time to think but to grab onto you..." Her voice shoke, but she seemed to be regaining her composure. "...What's going to happen now?"

Harry stared at her, then at the darkness that hung around them. There seemed to be nothing at all. Just darkness and nothing else but darkness and the ground beneath their feet. "Voldemort."

"What?"

Harry narrowed his eyes. "Voldemort."

Hermione looked at him wildly. "Harry..."

"I don't know, I just have this feeling.." He kicked the ground with frustration. "Who else would come after me? Didn't I make him lose all his powers seventeen years ago? He's the only person that I can think of that would bother coming after me. I mean, I haven't done anything else that's bad to anyone else.."

Hermione bit her lip, looking upwards as she did so. Darkness. "But..we can't just stand here.."

"It's kind of weird..." Harry started. "So we're whisked away to this...place, and then there's no one here to kill us."

"Yet." Hermione finished.

Harry glanced at her ruefully. "Ok..not yet. But still...are they just going to let us wander here until we die? Or what?"

Hermione found herself confused also. For once she was confused. She looked around her once more and realized that going to the library for help wouldn't be an option now. There was nothing here but herself and Harry plus the air they were breathing. And for once, it was all too sudden for her to figure it out. "Let's...find our way out." She blurted out and realized how hopelessly stupid that sounded.

Yet Harry didn't seem to think so. "You're right. Let's...find our way out."

Hermione looked at him doubtfully. "Don't you feel like we've just been thrown into the middle of like...a story and we don't know the ending or the beginning?"

"That's why we've just...got to go with it.." Harry said hesitantly. "I mean, what else can we do?"

"...True," She sighed. "Ok, let's go...that way," She pointed a finger towards the tunnel of darkness and glanced at Harry from over her arm with a wistful smile. "Alright?"

Harry managed to smile back and nodded, "Alright."

Hermione reached into her pocket and pulled out her wand, with Harry doing the same thing. They walked side by side towards the direction Hermione had indicated when she suddenly stopped. "Oh, I'm so stupid!" She layed her wand on her open palm.

Harry frowned. "What?"

"Point me," Hermione mumbled as her wand began to spin and stopped, pointing towards their left. "There. I think we might be in a maze of some sort...so if north is that way..." She indicated towards her left. "Then...let's go in that direction?"

"...Okay," Harry replied bluntly as they turned.

Hermione frowned, "Oh, this really is frustrating.."

Harry nodded, "We really can't see anything ahead of us...Lumos."

A beam of light erupted from the tip of Harry's wand, though it didn't do much good through the thick cloak of blackness that hugged them. "Well, it was worth a try," He uttered.

They walked in silence for a good five minutes, both feeling utterly lost and confused, helpless and frustrated. Hermione was extremely agitated that the situation they were in made no sense at all, while Harry was just completely muddled in his own thoughts.

"Why didn't the skeleton cross the road?" He suddenly asked.

Hermione snapped her head at him. "Harry Potter!"

"What?"

"Why are you asking such a stupid question when we're here, stuck in this... void!" Hermione rolled her eyes.

Harry shrugged, "Well? Do you know the answer?"

Hermione shook her head and looked ahead of her. "Oh please."

"Because he had no guts!!" Harry answered loudly while staring intently at Hermione's face which showed nothing but frustration. He coughed and fell silent.

"Ha ha ha." Hermione murmured when finally she doubled over in laughter.

Harry turned to look at her in surprise at her sudden reaction and realized that she was laughing so hard that she even had tears in her eyes. "Whoa...Hermione. I thought you said it was stupid."

"It is!" Her laughter had subsided into giggles while Harry just stared at her in bewilderment while she giggled a bit more.

Harry found himself rather amused and couldn't help but laugh along with her. "You are so weird, Potter."

"Well, you are too," Harry retorted with a lop-sided grin.

Hermione brushed a strand of hair away from her face as she shook her head. "Really. I'm serious. You're weird."

"Thank you," He replied with that same grin.

She laughed and quickened her pace without a second glance at Harry. "You silly git."

Ron shook his head clear as he stared once more at the spot where Hermione and Harry had disappeared. Wow. He glanced around him at all the remaining amazed and shocked students of Hogwarts whom were all staring at the same spot Ron was.

"Um, where did they go?" Colin Creevey broke the silence as he crawled out from under a wooden plank most likely from one of the splintered house tables.

"They..just disappeared," Ron replied.

Lavender stood up from her crouched position next to Parvati who was sniffling. "Parvati's bleeding.." She began when Ron just glared. "Use a healing charm."

Lavender fell silent and glanced at Parvati numbly.

"We've got to get everyone down to the lake." Ron began slowly.

"Mr. Weasley, you can go with the rest of them, we will take care of this." The stern voice of Professor McGonagall made him jump.

The red-head's shoulders sagged. "But what about...Hermione...and Harry?"

"We'll...get them back." Surprisingly it was Snape who answered, a blank look on his face.

Professor McGonagall sucked in a shaky breath, a weary look on her face. "Go now." She ordered with authority as the students filed out of the Great Hall in silence. "Severus.."

"The Dark Lord...has returned," The Potions Master declared in a voice with no emotion as he rolled up his sleeve to stare down at the burning Dark Mark on his arm.

The professors of Hogwarts made no noise as they stared solemnly up at the enchanted ceiling, hoping that the school's owl would reach their headmaster in time...but for now, they could only wait...and pray.

How long had it been now? Seconds? Minutes? Hours? Perhaps even a day? It was impossible to tell. How long they had walked or how far they were from their starting point was unknown to them. Nothing changed around them. It was just the walls of darkness and the darkness ahead with the dirt ground beneath their tired feet.

Harry wondered how long they would last...maybe Voldemort's plan was just to starve them in this tunnel of nothingness.

"Don't give up."

He wiped up sweat from his brow, glancing at Hermione as he did so. "I'm not."

"Good." Was her short reply.

Harry shook his head. She seemed confident that they would reach something, perhaps the end of the tunnel, or maybe someone, something. Anything at all. And so Hermione Granger continued to walk with her head held high and her wand leading them north. Harry now wondered how she did it all. Got top marks, Head Girl, and had so much energy to continue on.

Yes, she was different, in Harry's opinion. Any girl now would have collasped and begged for a ride on his back. But no, this was Hermione and Hermione walked on her own feet and carried her own load. Harry smiled inwardly.

"Why are you smiling?"

"Am I?" Harry asked, oblivious to his own facial expression.

She simply tilted her head at him. "Yes you are."

"Just thinking..."

"About?"

Harry blushed. "Nothing really..."

Hermione looked at him sternly and Harry felt that it was Professor McGonagall who stared back at him instead. "Really Harry, you should learn to express yourself more."

He stuck his hands into his pockets looking awfully embarrassed. "You." He finally managed to say.

"Me?" Hermione blinked.

"Uh huh," Harry nodded more to himself than to her.

She turned a light rose before looking ahead again. "Oh."

And so silence once again blanketed them which left Harry to himself to think about what was ahead. Hermione went back also to her own thoughts...would they be alive in the next five minutes? How long was five minutes anyways? Why did she follow Harry? She could've been safe and sound back at Hogwarts probably...but no, that was foolish thinking. She was glad that she was here. Glad to be with Harry.

And so she wondered why she was glad. Well, she would have felt bad if she had just watched him disappear from right beneath her nose. And she was glad...because Harry wasn't alone now. And she was glad...well, she was glad to be by Harry's side.

Did he appreciate it? She pondered on that thought a bit more..what did he think of her? Hmm..what did she think of him? Hermione wanted to giggle but her throat seemed dry and soar.

Did Harry like her? ...Haha. Did Harry love her? Hermione managed to swallow as she mentally smacked herself. What was that? Another foolish thought no doubt. Silly, childish thoughts, she scolded mentally...and yet try as she might, those thoughts still rang fresh and clear in her mind...

"Harry!!"

Harry jerked his head around so quickly that Hermione was brought back to earth from her revere. "Did you just say my name?"

"No.." She uttered.

They stopped in their tracks, looking left to right for any sign of movement. "I thought it wasn't you..it sounded like...a male..." Harry said.

Hermione closed her fingers around her wand, ready to shoot any curse she knew at anything that would jump out at them...

"Harry!!" A figure came through the darkness...or to be exact...a dog.

A large black dog emerged from the shadows looking as if it were panting and out of breath...Hermione stepped back, not really sure whether to hex the dog or not...

"It knows how to talk?" Harry asked in bewilderment.

The dog scratched itself before suddenly, in place of where the dog use to be, was a middle aged man. His black hair was in disarray and his face seemed worn and tired, his eyes dull and weary. But nonetheless, this stranger wore a smile.

"Harry!" The stranger called again.

Harry lowered his wand slightly, not really knowing what to do but to ask, "Who are you?"

The man's face seemed to look even more weary, but the smile was still there. "Why, it's me! Sirius Black! Your godfather, Harry!"

Hermione's brow srunched up in confusion. "What? Harry's godfather? The godfather that was supposedly framed for the murder of thirteen people?"

The man, or Sirius Black, turned to Hermione. "Yes! Yes...that's me alright, miss..."

"...Granger," Hermione offered.

"Ah, Miss. Granger," Black's smile broadened, though Hermione thought he was awfully strange to be smiling in a place like this.

Harry simply stared. "You're..my godfather? But how...and why are you here?!" His head spun from the many questions that he wanted to ask, but none seem to come out from his dry lips.

"No time to answer all your questions Harry, but when we get out of here I'll tell you everything," Sirius said with a wave of his hand. "Come on, we have to hurry."

"Hurry? Hurry where?" Hermione questioned.

"Silly girl, hurry and get out of here of course!" Sirius turned around and took a few steps forward before looking over his shoulder at Harry. "Coming?"

Hermione opened her mouth when she felt Harry catch her arm and pull her forwards. She stared and pulled him back. "Harry!" She hissed.

"What? Hurry or else he might not wait for us!"

"No," Hermione lowered her voice. "How can we trust him? For all we know..he could be Voldemort himself."

"Don't be silly," Harry rolled his eyes.

"I think you're acting before thinking, Harry." Hermione said firmly. "He just appeared out of no where, literally. And we're just going to follow him?"

Harry looked at her desperately. "What else can we do? We've just been wandering about for the past how many minutes? ...Who knows how long we've been here! He's our only chance!"

"Harry?" Harry's godfather called from ahead.

Hermione turned quickly to Harry, looking at him pleadingly but Harry seemed determined. "Come on." Harry tugged at her sleeve again before running up to catch up with Sirius.

She could only suck in a breath and pray that everything would end up alright as she followed in Harry's footsteps to join the two a few feet away. I hope you know what you're doing Harry...

"Did you know my parents? James and Lily?" Hermione caught a snippet of their conversation as she caught up to them.

Sirius's expression seemed grave. "Yes...yes I did know your parents Harry. We were..great friends...best friends..all four...err..three of us."

Harry turned to him questioningly. "Four?"

"...Well, one of us turned bad," Sirius sighed and shook his head almost like a dog shaking off water. "He betrayed Lily and James...went to the dark side...that's why everything's the way it is now, Harry."

"Oh.."

Hermione frowned, placing her wand on her palm once again. "Point me..." She murmered as softly as she could.

While she did this, Harry was entranced with Sirius' story. How he had gone to school with Lily and James...and another named Peter (supposedly the one who betrayed his parents). Harry held in his questions, wanting and longing to know every little thing he could about the parents he never knew...the parents he had dreamed to have.

"Yes, Lily was very pretty. I do believe I had the hots for her back in fifth year..."

"What did she look like then?" Harry had immediately asked.

"Oh...brilliant green eyes, I must say, you have her eyes! Dark red hair...she had curled it a bit in that year...but we all teased her about it," Sirius added thoughtfully before patting Harry on the back. "Good times.."

Hermione glanced up at them again, then at her wand which was pointing...to her right. She glanced hastily back up again to see where they were heading to...which was her...left.

They weren't going the right way.

She swallowed and reached out to Harry when they stopped walking.

"Oh, Miss.Granger, it's too formal, may I call you..."

Hermione frowned deeply. "You may call me nothing."

Harry spun around and looked at her in surprise. "Hermione?"

"This is wrong!" She exclaimed. "I mean, he's not Sirius Black! At least I don't think so."

Sirius stared at her wide-eyed. "What?"

Hermione raised her palm, indicating towards her wand. "You're leading us in the opposite direction. You're trying to lead us somewhere aren't you? Perhaps straight into the lion's den am I correct?"

Harry looked from Hermione then back to Sirius, wanting to believe her yet wishing it was really his godfather that he had just met...that his stories of his parents were real...but..

"Ah, we knew it would be harder once you came along." Sirius Black laughed almost menacingly and snapped his finger at Hermione. "You aren't suppose to be here young lady."

Harry stepped away from the imposture, looking wildly at Hermione, almost in pain that he hadn't believed her before. "Hermione..."

She said nothing but shifted her eyes to him. Harry couldn't tell what her eyes were trying say to him. Did she forgive him for being so stupid? Or was she hurt? Was she angry? But her eyes seemed to show none of these emotions except for immense concentration...

Harry felt a tug on his collar before he wrenched his head around and saw the fake Sirius Black cackling, flinging something over his head...around his neck...a necklace? He didn't know... and then he saw nothing but brilliant white light..he called out her name, yet nothing came out. He couldn't turn around, couldn't look back to see those honey-brown eyes. Nothing. But he heard her voice..her voice...

Believe in yourself, Harry.

Trees...green trees, lush green trees. Mountains...tall and blue. And the grass. Yes, the grass was beautiful and stretched far off into the distance. Green as green could get. And the sky, a beautiful cloudless cerulean blue sky.

And yet the sky was changing so fast. From the spotless blue sky to the velvet star-filled night sky. Then to the sky of dawn and of the sun's first rays across the sky...and then back to the spotless blue sky...and now there were clouds...then it was dusk...crimson and gold streaks hung onto the sky now...

And he finally realized it was changing...days were going by....or...were they going back? He felt far away...detached from his body, not with anything. He felt light, even lighter than a feather, and he couldn't really think...was he dead? Maybe this was death...

But the sky and the clouds and the trees and the grass stopped. Just stopped in place, from all the changing it had done. And just stopped. And now he felt himself coming to a stop also. He couldn't move...but he was moving anyways. But not with his own free will...he felt like a puppet..someone was moving him.

He came around a tree, a bush, and more trees, and finally to a clearing and was met with a familiar sight of the ancient looming castle. Hogwarts. He felt his heart flutter at the sight of it, it was like his home wasn't it? And now he was back, somehow or the other, but what about...about...who...

There was someone...had to..remember someone...he was back at Hogwarts...that was good. But..hadn't someone come with him...who...and where...

His heart pounded furiously and his head ached from the stress of wanting to remember. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind from his thoughts but nothing came or went. He simply felt himself walk forwards..pass the Forbidden Forest...pass the familiar hut of Hagrid's..that wasn't there.

For a fleeting moment he thought it wasn't there. And it wasn't. He blinked, wanted to rub his eyes, but he couldn't. His hands wouldn't come up and rub his eyes, and so his feet carried him onwards as if that was normal. No Hagrid's Hut. Or actually...there was a hut. A much newer hut...strange.

He entered the doors of Hogwarts now, feeling the cool cedar wood of the door...it felt smoother. No, it was just his imagination.

Now he was proceeding up a set of stone stairs. Familiar stone stairs...wouldn't this lead to...the Great Hall? Of course it did...and the torches all looked the same...still flickered and casted funny shadows on the walls. He could feel his footsteps echoing through the empty hallways. Where was everyone? ....Who was everyone?

His head pounded again from wanting to remember.

And now he was infront of the grand doors of the Great Hall. Was it him or did it look shinier? Smoother again? He felt his hands push the doors open, he wanted to swallow and of course he couldn't.

Floating candles met his eyes...the enchanted ceiling showed a sky of sunset. Pink, yellow, purple, and orange streaked across the ceiling with a distant and faded moon. The four house tables met his eyes next, and the banners of the four houses hung in just the same way as...before? What was before...there wasn't a before was there...? He shook his head once again and proceeded towards Gryffindor table.

"Oh there you are!" He felt a hand on his shoulder. A broad strong hand, and he turned and felt his lips curve into a grin.

"What? Missed me already?" He felt himself saying...but why was that voice so alien. So different than...than who? Than what...than before? But there was no before...there was just now?

"Naw, we didn't miss you, but she sure did!" A young man with black hair said with a merry twinkle in his eyes.

He felt himself look around. "Then where is she?"

"Oh, probably in the library..." The library. His head pounded once again. Wasn't the library her spot...who was she...and once again nothing came. He shook his head.

A mousy little figure stared up at him curiously from the table. "You alright there?"

"Yes..yes I'm fine, Peter." He replied and sat down next to the young man with black hair. Sirius. Of course, it was Sirius. Silly him to have forgotten.

"Look." Sirius pointed towards the Great Hall doors.

A beautiful young woman had just pushed open the doors, her long fingers clutching onto the handle as she scanned the room as if she were looking for someone. And finally, a set of emerald jaded eyes landed upon himself and he felt himself swallow as the girl smiled with her smooth pink lips.

"James!" She waved lightly and headed towards the table, her black robes swishing around her with a shiny Head Girl badge pinned onto them. "Where have you been? You were suppose to meet me in the library!"

"Ooh, for another snogging session no doubt," Sirius teased and got a spoonful of mashed potatoes flung at him.

He felt himself smile now, brought the girl's hands into his own and felt himself peck her on the forehead as she took a seat next to him. "I'm sorry, must have slipped my mind." He lowered his voice so only she could here. "But I'll make it up to you, Lily."

Peter poked at his peas thoughtfully. "I wonder where Moony is?"

"Ah, it's a fullmoon tonight," Lily replied softly and turned to him. "Are you fellas going to join him again?"

He felt himself open his mouth to reply. "No. Of course not. Only you Lily. Got to spend some time with you shouldn't I?"

Lily smiled, "Really?"

"Yes, really," He pecked her on the cheek again before standing up, holding onto the dainty long fingers of his love. "Want to go now?"

"Already?" She looked at him in surprise.

"Well if you want.."

"Of course," She stood up and they said their good-byes to their friends.

"Are you sure you don't want to spend the night with Remus? It's pretty tough on him isn't it?"

He felt himself nod, "Oh, Sirius will take care of it."

"...Very well."

And then it all seemed so fast. They had just walked out of the Great Hall doors when he found himself no longer in the hallway that would normally greet them. Instead, he found himself walking through an unfamiliar hallway...no, it was familiar. Wasn't it?

"Dust Bunnies." He felt himself mutter to a portait containing nothing but a single grain of rice. The portait swung open and the two crawled into what seemed to be the Head Boy dormitory.

And once again it seemed so fast...they had entered and now they were suddenly sitting on the bed, side by side, with the scarlet drapes drawn around them with only the light from the tips of their wands.

"Lily...there's something I have to tell you."

"Mmm?" She snuggled into the crook of his neck.

"I slipped.."

She glanced up at him with her emerald eyes. "What? Did you bruise yourself?"

"No...I don't mean that kind of slip," He felt himself look nervously at the top of her head. "I meant that I slipped about Moony's..."

A short little gasp came from the girl in his arms. "No..how did that happen James?"

"...I don't know," He found himself replying. "I was talking...to Peter, and..."

"Who was it?"

"...Snape."

Lily pulled out of his arms, looking at him in shock. "Snape?!"

"I'm sorry Lil..but we made sure Snape would swear not to tell anyone."

"You know Snape though! He wouldn't give up this chance...to tell anyone that Moony's a werewolf...you know how much Snape hates us!" Lily cried out in exasperation.

"I know...I know..." He groaned. "But what else can I do?"

He felt the comforting arms of the girl next to him come around him in a comforting embrace. "It's alright...we'll...just have to keep a hard watch on him..."

"...I don't think I would be able to face Moony again if Snape did anything..."

"Don't worry...it'll work out."

And then once again it felt fast-forwarded. More comforting words...suddenly they were under the blankets...bliss...something...and then he was once again in that white nonethingness. White brilliant light...but he could hear her crying out in pleasure...and then nothing again...

The sky was no longer dusk.

Nor was it night.

Day came and he found himself staring outside the window of the Owlery deep in thought yet he could not think of what he was thinking of...

Until the door banged open and the owls screeched and clattered in their cages.

"James."

He turned around slowly, saw the figure of the woman he loved most on the face of Earth and even the universe. Lily Evans stood by the door, her hair matted from being outside in the rain, and her robes dripped with rainwater too.

"Lily."

"You lied."

"Lily..."

"You lied!"

"...No..Lily, it wasn't me...it was Snape...I told you! That night.."

There was finger in his face again. "That night! You still have the heart to talk about that night!"

"...Lily, please...graduation is tonight, don't you think we could bring this up some other day.."

"No!" Jaded eyes flashed at him. "You don't know what mess you've gotten me into now."

He felt himself stare at her, afraid..no, afraid to be found out? No...afraid to lose her? "What are you saying?!"

"We're going to have a child," She spat out almost in venom.

He felt himself feel light...almost faint..he stumbled forward and clutched her hand which she instantly wrenched away. "Pardon?"

"A child! How much clearer can I get?!" She cried out through bitter tears.

"A..child?"

"God James, yes, a child! Now what?! Do you know what this means? I can't have a child now. Not now.."

He saw colours...he was dizzy. So many things were happening...what did this mean... a child. He was only seventeen...they couldn't have a child now... "Lily..."

"James..." She cried through tears threatening to tumble from her eyes. "But what about Moony? How could you have betrayed him? I knew something was weird that time...you always stay with him when it's a fullmoon...you were never selfish."

"Lily! I didn't...I swear...it was Snape! Remember that night, I told you! Snape heard...it wasn't me! I would never tell...."

But she didn't reply and he only recieved the anguish look on her pretty features...

And once again his feet left the ground, the scene went in fast motion once again and he suddenly was brought back down to earth with his head spinning and his mind a muddled mess. He was running now.

Running where? He didn't know. Running...his ribs ached, his heart ached, his whole body groaned but he kept on running. Over logs, pass the Quidditch Pitch, where was he going? Running away from Hogwarts?

And he turned back once more just to see one last glimpse of his home...and he heard a bitter cry that he didn't know how he could hear. He was so far from the castle, but that cry echoed out to him, from the north tower...the Astronomy Tower...he squinted his eyes, saw through his angry tears the figure of the girl he loved with his life...the girl he was running from...

"I HATE YOU JAMES POTTER!" The girl screamed out into the darkening sky and he felt his heart sink along with the setting sun....

He was running from her...why? He didn't want to take responsibility over that child...why? He ran.

But he stopped. Midway from a great big oak tree, he stopped running. He caught his breath, his brow furrowing in confusion. James Potter. I hate you James Potter. Why didn't that make sense to him? No...

This wasn't right.

His head spun...Believe in yourself... What was that? A voice...was he hearing things now? He spun around, backing away from the looming trees that seemed to gather closer to him...

Wake up...please...believe in yourself, and what you know..

That voice...it belonged to a girl. A girl he knew. Yes, it was a voice that he was familiar in hearing...a voice that had led him to the light everytime. That voice...who was it? He gripped his head in pain from trying to remember...why couldn't he remember? It was as if there was a block in his head...he couldn't get pass it.

Believe in yourself...

But there was something more to that phrase...a name perhaps? He couldn't hear it...couldn't remember...

Only you can get yourself out of this...

I'm trying too! His head screamed to nobody in particular. No. He remembered something now. He wasn't James Potter. No. Not at all. This wasn't right.

I believe in you...

His eyes shot open. Emerald green eyes. He wasn't James Potter. He was...

Harry...I believe in you.

He was Harry! Harry Potter...that was his name...not James Potter...he remembered now!

And that voice...it was her! His angel from above...it was...her.

Harry... that voice called again...almost desperate...

He wanted to reply to her. But where was she? Why was he in a different world? Where everyone called him James? That was his father...but wait...his father and mother had not wanted him? He had been a mistake?

His heart sank..

His father had betrayed one of his closest friends?

His heart sank further...

What was happening to him?

Harry. Wake up.

He shook his head furiously. No. She was right. He had to wake up. This wasn't real. His parents weren't like that. They loved him, loved him...that was why they had died. Because they loved him...

He shut his eyes.

No, I'm not a mistake...father loved me. Mum loved me...they died protecting me. This is all a lie.

And...and...Hermione..Hermione is calling me...
And it seemed to dawn on him. This wasn't his world. Wasn't the life his father had. This wasn't right.

He opened his eyes.

"This is a lie!!"

And he saw blinding white light, his feet once again left the floor..as he spun higher and higher to who knows where?

Thud.

"I knew you could do it..Harry."

And he looked up, through his bangs that fell in front of blazing green eyes, he saw through his round-framed glasses at the smiling and tear-stained face of her. Hermione Granger.

"...Hermione."

"I believed in you, and you didn't let me down," She smiled at him, opened her arms in which he thankfully fell into.

He shut his eyes, he was so tired. "What just happened?"

"Shh...catch your breath first...then I'll explain everything."

AN: Yes, that was confusing. But do not worry! Explaination in the next chapter =P! Thankies for reading!!