Unofficial Portkey Archive

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Harry Potter characters. They are he property of J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., etc. No money was made from the creating

Chapter 3: The Emptying

"Will you hurry it up, Reynor," a man growled lowly as he and the old Death Eater hurried up a flight of stone stairs. "We only have a few minutes to get into position, so move those old bones of yours."

"These old bones are moving as fast as they can," Reynor wheezed through short quick breaths, leaning against the rickety wooden banister that lined the staircase.

"You may be getting too old for this kind of work," he laughed condescendingly as he reached the top and quickly took a peak around the corner. "Best keep up or I may just leave you behind."

"I will keep up," the old man replied after releasing a muffled cough. "I would never want to spend a day in this awful place."

"You feel such a place as awful? I hear it's quite nice during the summer," the man joked as he quickly ran around the corner.

Reynor rolled his eyes at the comment and did his best to keep up, but his legs would never be able to match the speed of the energetic wizard in front of him.

"How could it ever be nice in Azkaban?" he muttered softly.

The two quickly made their way through the maze of corridors of the wizard prison until they reached the door that sealed off the Northern wing, where nearly half of the prison's captives were held. Reynor had never been in the prison before and was somewhat surprised to see that it was not as bad as all the stories told; however, by no means would it be a place any wizard or witch would like to become a permanent resident. What bothered the old Death Eater the most was the eerie silence that consumed the stale and musty air.

"We move on their signal," the man whispered to Reynor as he looked down at his rustic pocket watch. "Let see if these beasts are truly as reliable as our Lord says they are."

A sudden roar of cell doors unlocking rang throughout the prison, causing great commotion amongst the confused occupants. Cries of freedom were howled into the air by some prisoners, while others were skeptical, screaming that it had to be some sort of trick. Though whatever the cries were for, the Northern wing of the wizard prison had come alive.

Reynor was lost in the roars, but suddenly regained focus when his body started to grow cold; the white wisps of his breath becoming visible. He looked towards his energetic comrade, and soon realized that he was eying the other end of the corridor with extreme interest. Reynor slowly turned and looked, finding a large group of Dementors moving slowly towards them.

"They are reliable," the man snickered as the first Dementor floated passed him and opened the door of the Northern wing. The large group proceeded into the wing, and the cries that were once joyous had suddenly turned to ones of utter terror.

The man noticed Reynor's trembling figure and let out a sigh of disappointment. "You wait here. I don't want your body to give out before the mission is over," he scoffed as he followed the last Dementor, leaving Reynor against the wall of the corridor.

The man's look of disgust soon turned into a lopsided grin when he took in the sight in front of him. The prisoners were trapped, the rock wall of the prison behind them and certain death in front. The Dementors had swiftly moved in and cornered the entire group, preventing any attempt of escape, whether it be out the door in which the Dementors entered from or to the sanctity of their cells.

"What is the meaning of this?" one prisoner shouted at the Dementors, his rage overpowering his fear. "Is this some sort of disgusting joke?"

"Actually, no it isn't," the man spoke out as he made his way towards the group, two Dementors parting to allow him to walk through. "This by no means is a joke. To the majority of you, I will by your worst nightmare, but to some of you, particularly one of you, I will be a savior."

"Vincent!" a prisoner exclaimed happily as he pushed his way through the crowd of prisoner. The prisoner was Lucius Malfoy. "Is it really you?"

Lucius Malfoy had been placed in the prison a year ago under the charges of conspiring with the Dark Lord, Voldemort. He, along with several other Death Eaters, was arrested in the Ministry of Magic while trying to retrieve the prophecy of Harry Potter for their Lord. Their plans had failed due to the interruption of Harry and handful of Hogwarts students, and for their crimes, each received a life sentence in the wizard prison.

Vincent could see that the time, whether it be short, Lucius spent in Azkaban had been very difficult on him. He was a man who always received the best things that the Magical World had to offer; so such a new and horrific setting had taken its toll. His clothes were dirty and stunk of sweat and dirt. His once bright blonde hair was now as dark as night and his face held an uncultivated beard.

"It is me, Lucius," Vincent laughed as pulled his filth-covered friend into a tight embrace. "It is good to see you my old comrade."

"I see that you spared no expense with this rescue," Lucius laughed as he turned and looked at the Dementors.

"These Dementors once served the Dark Lord willingly," Vincent replied, his attention returning to the still creatures. "I see nothing wrong in reacquiring their services."

"What about the rest of them?" Lucius asked as he focused his attention on the bewildered prisoners.

"You are the only Death Eater in this wing, correct?" Vincent asked, his eyes narrowing upon the prisoners.

"That's correct," he replied. "There are a few in the Western Wing, but most of them are in the Southern Wing."

"Well then," Vincent started as he took a step towards the prisoners. "I have an offer for you all," he announced. "I am giving you all the opportunity to escape; however, in return for your freedom, you will have to become a servant of the Dark Lord, Voldemort!"

"Be a servant of that wizard?" a rather large prisoner asked with pure shock, his lower lip trembling.

"What madness has taken you?" another prisoner shouted.

"I'd rather die in his prison than be one of his puppets!" another shouted, causing the rest of the prisoners to roar along with him.

"The guards from the Ministry of Magic will have your heads for this!" an old man scolded, waving his fists in the air.

Vincent released a disappointed sigh as the prisoners of the Northern wing started to rally against the Dark Lord. He turned to Lucius and lightly shook his head, knowing that their refusal to cooperate would bring a grave consequence.

"The guards won't be arriving anytime soon for they have already been disposed of by this kind creatures," Vincent grinned was he opened his arms as if he were presenting the Dementors. The prisoners grew incredibly silent after this statement, causing Vincent's grin to grow wider. "Though if it is death that you ask for…that certainly can be arranged."

Vincent snapped his fingers. The Dementors gave him a slow but clear nod before proceeding towards the prisoners.

"It's time we leave this place," Vincent said as he patted Lucius on the back of his shoulder. "We have a lot of catching up to do."

"What about the others?" Lucius asked, referring to the other Death Eaters who were prisoners of Azkaban.

"No worries, my friend," he grinned as he turned and faced the door. "Cross is taking care of their release as we speak. Now, lets leave this place. Their screams are starting to annoy me."

The two Death Eaters walked towards the door that led out of the Northern Wing, ignoring the excruciating cries of the prisoners, whom one by one were being kissed by the Dementors.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Harry's eyes shot open and he suddenly jerked out of Hermione's arms, startling both Hermione and Ron.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione asked urgently as she placed her hands on his arm, trying to steady him.

"Just a nightmare," he replied with a sigh as he rested against the seat, rubbing the sweat of his brow and taking in a deep breath. "Only a nightmare."

"Nightmare? Must be some nightmare to make you jump out of your seat," Ron grinned nervously as he crossed his arms.

"It seemed pretty real," Harry commented after taking another deep breath and gently placing a hand on top of Hermione's.

"Was it like the ones you had two years ago?" Hermione asked, a tone of concern growing in her voice. "You know…the dreams that were conjured by Voldemort?"

"No…I don't think so," he answered while slowly shaking his head. `No…it can't be…could it? Lucius Malfoy…Willard Cross…is Voldemort trying something? Who is Vincent?'

"Are you sure?" she asked, her grip on his arm tightening, breaking his train of thought.

"They're different…" he replied, unsure of how to express the differences in words. "It doesn't feel like Voldemort. My scar doesn't hurt at all. I don't feel his presence. I think it was just an everyday nightmare…everyone has those, right?"

"I suppose," Hermione said, her worry for him could be clearly seen in his eyes.

"Yeah, just an everyday nightmare," Ron reaffirmed, obviously uneasy with the topic. He then turned and looked out the window. "We're at Hogsmeade."

Harry and Hermione gazed out of the window, but to their surprise, the town was completely still. It was jarringly silent. If it weren't from the flickering candlelight that could be seen from various windows, one would assume the town had been abandoned. Harry felt a chill run up his spine as he turned and looked his friends, uncomfortable expressions on both their faces.

"I've never seen Hogsmeade this empty before," Hermione said quietly. "Something must be wrong."

"What could possibly be wrong?" Ron exclaimed, his eyes moving quickly, trying to find someone. "Everything was normal when we left London."

The door of the compartment was suddenly pulled opened. The three quickly turned, Harry instinctively drawing his wand and stepping in front of Hermione and Ron. They all released a sigh of relief when they found Ginny standing there, a look of shock on her face.

"What's the matter with all of you?" she asked, completely startled, as Harry lowered his wand.

"It's nothing," Ron replied quickly as straightened his robes. "Just wondering why Hogsmeade is so quiet."

"I doubt Hogsmeade being quiet is the reason you all being jumpy," Ginny said as she hesitantly walked into compartment and proceeded to pull her trunk out from underneath the seat. "It is a little strange, isn't it? I guess the town can't be lively all the time."

"There's something more to it," Hermione said as she helped Harry pull out her trunk out from under their seat. She looked outside again before continuing. "I can see Hagrid standing outside…he has a very worried look on his face. He always happy when he welcomes us back from summer holiday."

"He's probably worried about one of his creatures," Ron reasoned after taking a quick look at their troubled Care of Magical Creatures Professor. "You know how he gets about them."

"If that's the case," Hermione said as she took another look outside the window, "then why are Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall standing outside with him?"

Harry and Ron took another look and noticed the two standing in Hagrid's shadow. The question caused an unsettling feeling in the pit of Harry's stomach. Never before has any other person aside from Hagrid ever greeted them on their return to Hogwarts. The four knowing that they wanted answers, exited the train, retrieved their pets, and quickly made their way through the growing crowd of students to the professors.

"Hello Hagrid," Harry said with a weak smile as the four came up to him, unable to mask the anxious look that once covered his face.

"'Lo Harry…Ron…Hermione…Ginny," Hagrid replied, nodding his head to each of them as he said their names. "Good ter see yehs again."

"It's good to see you too," Harry said as he looked towards Snape and McGonagall. "What's going on? Why are Professor McGonagall and Snape here?"

"Professor McGonagall will answer yer questions, Harry," he answered as she shook his head. "Somethin' big has happened. Dumbledore wans everyone ter go ter the castle righ' away."

"When you say big…" Ron exclaimed with a hint of dread in his voice, "you mean, something bad, don't you?"

"Students, please listen!" McGongall called out before Hagrid had the chance to reply. The conservations between the students quickly ended and they were all quiet, listening attentively to their Transfiguration Professor. "We have just been alerted by the Ministry of Magic that sometime during the late afternoon Azkaban Prison was destroyed."

Harry's eyes grew wide as loud gasps and waves of commotion rushed through the students like a wildfire.

"Destroyed?" Neville Longbotttom squeaked as he turned and gave a fearful look at Seamus Finnigan.

"Did the convicts escape?" Padma Patil asked urgently.

"Many of the convicts were found dead, but yes, some did escape," McGonagall answered tentatively, causing another uproar to occur.

"How could something like this happen?" Padma's twin sister, Parvati, cried out to McGonagall. "Why didn't the Ministry of Magic stop it?" However, to her dismay, Professor McGonagall didn't hear her question.

"Please students!" McGonagall started again, regaining their attention. "There is no need for panic or fear."

"How could we not panic?" a girl from Hufflepuff squealed. "Azkaban prisoner has just been destroyed!"

"We all could be in danger!" a first year screamed.

The comment caused another rush of commotion to sweep through the students. Harry noticed the frustration growing in the professors' eyes, especially Snape's. Only Dumbledore had the ability to silence and communicate to the whole school during such a crisis, and without him present, chaos continued to grow.

"Silence! All of you!" Snape roared at the top of his lungs, startling the students. "If I hear another sound out of any of you, you will be serving detention in the dungeons for the entire year!"

"Thank you for that, Severus," McGonagall said, appreciating the assistance, but not the tactic. "Please students. We will all travel up to the castle together and once we arrive, Professor Dumbledore will explain the situation in further detail. So please, at this time, proceed to the carriages."

The students did as they were told and started on their way. The destruction of the prison was now the topic of all the conversations. Some students were incredibly frightened by it, while some, whom were ironically Slytherin, didn't seem to be upset by it at all. Harry noticed a look of satisfaction on the face of Draco Malfoy, which didn't make his turning stomach feel any better.

"Ron, I'm going to ride with Dean and Seamus, okay?" Ginny stated when she spotted Dean, Seamus, and Neville entering a carriage.

"All right," he replied as he handed her Pigwidgeon. "Take Pig with you."

She nodded as took the cage and quickly hurried over to the Gryffindor boys.

"This one is empty," Hermione said when she found an empty carriage.

The three quickly entered the carriage and stored their trunks underneath their seats. Hermione placed Crookshanks in her lap and for the first time noticed how frantically he was acting, his head constantly moving, his ears sticking straight out, almost as if he was preempting something horrible was about to happen. Harry noticed the same unsteadiness in Hedwig, whose eyes were constantly moving around the carriage.

"You saw this coming…didn't you, Harry?" Hermione asked him as the carriage started to move. She placed her hand over his and gave it a tight squeeze. "I saw the look in your eyes when McGonagall told us the news. I knew that something was wrong."

"Oh come off it, Hermione," Ron scoffed. "How is he --"

"I think I did," he confessed slowly, interrupting Ron. "At least…I think I did."

"What?" Ron asked with a look of shock. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"It's not like I didn't want to," he answered, his eyes meeting with Ron's. "I saw it in the dream I had on the train. I didn't think that it was real. I didn't think much of it. I, also, didn't want to make either of you worry over something that I thought was nothing."

"Are you sure that Voldemort isn't behind this?" Hermione asked again.

"I don't think that he's doing it. These dreams…visions…or whatever they are," Harry replied, "It doesn't feel like him. These dreams feel different from the ones that I had before."

"Dreams…" Hermione said slowly as her eyes grew wide. "Was this the reason why you couldn't sleep well last night?"

Harry gave Hermione a slowly nod.

Hermione took in a deep breath. Harry could tell that she was upset. She exhaled slowly and looked into his eyes. "If you don't think that Voldemort is behind this…do you think someone else is responsible for these dreams?"

"I don't know," Harry answered. "It could be someone else. These dreams could have just be a wild coincidence…I don't know."

"I don't think it's a coincidence at all, Harry," Hermione said softly as she squeezed his hand again. "And I know that you don't think it is either."

"If it was someone else, who do you think is behind it?" Ron asked.

"I don't have the slightest idea," he replied, the frustration of not knowing any answers building up inside him. "Who knows how many people out there are trying to get into my head."

"What did you see in your dream?" Hermione asked, a gentle calm returning to her.

Harry took in a deep breath and did the best that he could. He explained how he was looking through the eyes of Death Eater who possessed a sword that was pure evil. He explained that before Azkaban was destroyed, Lucius Malfoy and other captured Death Eaters were released, and that the Dementors had rejoined Voldemort. Though the thing that he had the most trouble explaining to them was that Willard Cross was also a part of the breakout.

"So he is still with You-Know-Who," Ron sighed as he rested his head against the wall of the carriage, a strange calmness in his voice. "All the Death Eaters are free…the Dementors are on his side…this isn't going to be good…not at all."

"He is rebuilding his army," Hermione said shakily. "He is going to start a war. The whole Wizarding world could be destroyed by it."

Harry wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gave her a comforting hug as he rested his head against hers. He didn't know what to say to comfort her. Hermione hated the idea of war and it was something that now seemed inevitable. The only real solution he could think of to prevent it is to destroy Voldemort before he had a chance to destroy the world; but that was something he didn't want to bring up for he knew reminding her of his prophecy would only upset her further.

The three were quiet the remainder of the trip towards the school. Though despite the uncomfortable situation, it was a comfortable silence. When their carriage came to halt, they proceeded to disembark, wanting desperately to hear further details about the emptying from Dumbledore. Bad news never sounded too bad when it came from their Headmaster.

"Hey Potter!" Harry heard from behind him. He turned and found Filch, the caretaker of the school, giving him a nasty look.

"Yes, Mr. Filch?" Harry replied.

"These men are from the Ministry of Magic," he said as he pointed to two elderly men standing by a horse drawn carriage, the insignia of the Ministry of Magic shining brightly on the door of the carriage. "They have some questions they want to ask you. You best talk to them."

"Er…okay, right away," he said with a nod. He turned to Hermione and Ron and the two gave him an unsure look.

"I'll take your trunk in, mate," Ron offered.

"And I'll take Hedwig," Hermione said after as she gave his arm a gentle squeeze.

Harry agreed and after taking in a slow breath, walked towards the two men. Aside from the wizards and witches who were members of the Order of the Phoenix, Harry didn't like those who worked at the Ministry. Any person who obediently worked for Cornelius Fudge must have been jinxed one too many times.

"Harry Potter, my name is Samuel Lewis," the taller of the two men said as he bowed his head. "And this is my partner, Vladek Frelaine."

"Nice to meet you," Harry replied trying his best to sound pleased that they were there.

"Lewis and I are undergoing an investigation about the breakout of Azkaban Prison," Frelaine said in gruff tone as he unrolled a parchment and pulled out his wand, "and we have a few questions we want you to answer."

"Er…sure, but I don't know who much help I would be," Harry said, unsure of where this questioning was going, but already not liking it.

"According to our records, your legal guardian is one, Keung Chang," Lewis stated as he crossed his arms. "Is this information correct?"

"Yes, that's true," Harry answered with a nod, noticing Frelaine jot notes down onto his parchment with his wand.

"Is it true that on numerous occasions during the months of June, July, and August that Mr. Chang has visited a Ms. Magnolia Reins, a prisoner of Azkaban Prison?" Lewis asked with an intrigued tone.

"That's true," Harry said as he raised an eyebrow. "What is this about?"

"We'll be asking the questions, Mr. Potter," Frelaine said with a fake smile as he looked up from his parchment.

"Do you know what Mr. Chang and Ms. Reins discussed during their meetings?" Lewis asked.

"I don't know," Harry replied with a shrug. "He never talked about it with me."

"Why is that?" Lewis asked.

"It was none of my business," Harry answered, his patience growing thin. "Besides, I didn't want to what they talked about."

"Why is that so?" Lewis asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Like I said, it was none of my businesses," Harry replied with a flat tone.

"Surely you must have been interested," Lewis said with a tone of disbelief. "You don't find it odd that Mr. Chang would want to visit the woman who murdered his lover? A woman, if I am not mistaken, has attempted to murder you on several occasions?"

"I don't know…the thought never crossed my mind," Harry stated, his voice slowly growing unfriendly, as he crossed his arms.

"Please answer our questions honestly, Mr. Potter," Frelaine said sternly, giving Harry a knowing look. "This is a Ministry of Magic investigation and lies hold high consequences."

"So you are saying that you have never had worried thoughts about your guardian getting so close with a woman who attempted to murder you?" Lewis asked again.

"I have every now and then," Harry urged them, "but they used to be friends before they became enemies. They were most likely trying to rekindle their friendship."

"Rekindle a friendship," Frelaine sneered as he rolled his eyes. "You know damn straight that they were not rekindling any sort of friendship."

"All right, I've had enough!" Harry said, finally raising his voice. "I have been patient with your questions, so if you want me to answer any more, you need to tell me what exactly you are investigating."

Lewis released an aggravated sigh but gave Harry a nod. "You are aware that Azkaban Prison was destroyed no more than a few hours ago."

"Yes, our professors just told us about it," Harry replied.

"Before the prison was destroyed, there was a breakout," Lewis said with a regretful tone. "The guards from the Ministry did not know how it happened and the Dementors didn't detect anything."

"Who broke out?" Harry asked timidly.

"Magnolia Reins did," Frelaine answered as he rolled up his parchment and pulled out a vibrating medallion out of his pocket.

"For the exception of Sirius Black, no one has ever escaped out of Azkaban Prison without some sort of assistance," Lewis continued, slowly starting to pace. "But before we even get to the issue at hand, don't you find it interesting that a convict managed to break out mere hours before the prison was destroyed?"

"That is interesting," Harry replied slowly.

"And you know what else is interesting?" Lewis asked. "Not all the convicts that were in the prison were killed during its destruction. The bodies of those who were tried of conspiring with the Dark Lord were not found anywhere in the ruins. It seems as if they escaped either before or during the prison's destruction."

"Are you saying that Magnolia Reins had something to do with the Death Eaters' escape?" Harry asked, quickly replaying his dream through his head, never once did he remember anything about Reins.

"It is highly plausible, isn't it?" Lewis suggested as rubbed his chin. "Though there is no way she could have aided in such an ordeal without being freed herself. And there is no way for a convict to escape the prison without aid."

Harry eyes suddenly grew wide when he finally realized the purpose of his questioning. "Are you telling me that you believe that Keung helped Magnolia Reins escape from Azkaban?"

"It is one of our theories," Lewis admitted.

"That is nonsense!" Harry roared. "Keung had nothing to do with any of this! He had nothing to do with Reins' escape! And I know he had nothing to do with the escape of the Death Eaters!"

"How can you be so certain of such things?" Lewis asked as if he were pointing a guilty finger at Harry. "I also have another theory that also includes you."

Harry clenched his fists and was ready to unleash his anger when Frelaine suddenly stepped in and showed the medallion to Lewis. "We need to go Sam. Minister Fudge has just summoned all the Aurors. We must head back to the Ministry."

Lewis examined the medallion and gave Frelaine a nod. He then slowly turned to Harry, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Well it seems that we must be going. Though don't be too surprised if we drop by again for further questioning."

"I can't wait," Harry replied sarcastically as he watched the two men climb into their carriage.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

"Harry…is everything all right?" Hermione asked when Harry took his seat next her at the Gryffindor table.

"No," Harry replied with a low tone, the anger swelling inside shown through his eyes fiercely. "I'll tell you about it after dinner."

He had arrived during the middle of the Sorting Ceremony. The old Sorting Hat, doing what he did best, dispersed the first year students amongst the four houses of Hogwarts. Harry was never really keen about the Sorting Hat's songs, and wasn't too disappointed when he had missed it.

"You won't believe it, mate?" Ron snickered, trying his best to lighten the mood. "Dumbledore stopped the Sorting Hat half way through its song and asked it to start the Sorting Ceremony. The old Hat was so angry that it started to argue with Dumbledore. It was amazingly funny."

Harry couldn't help but grin, the look of anger gently subsiding. Suddenly he wished that he was present during the Sorting Hat's Song.

When the Sorting Ceremony was complete, Professor Dumbledore stood from his chair. This was the moment that everyone had been waiting for. They all turned to face their Headmaster, ready for the news. A creepy silence fell upon the Great Hall, one that caused Harry's heart to start racing.

"You all have heard that Azkaban Prison has been destroyed," Dumbledore said with a calm and soothing tone. "I can say that many of you are having trouble grasping this and wish for it not to be true. I, too, wish for it to be a mistake, but I am sorry to say that the prison has been destroyed.

"Prior to your arrival, I received a letter from Cornelius Fudge and he informed me of the situation. It is true that many of the prisoners perished in the destruction of the prison and it is also true that there were several that survived. Please do not be alarmed by such news. The Ministry of Magic is doing everything in its power to apprehend the escapees.

"As for the reasons behind the destruction of Azkaban, who was responsible for it, and the means of how it happened are still unknown. I ensure you that all resources will be used to discover the answers to these questions. But despite our ignorance to the details of this tragedy, please do not feel that you are not safe.

"Hogwarts is a school that possesses many protective charms and barriers, and is one of the safest places in the Magical World. I have received concerned letters from many of your parents and I have also told them this. All have agreed that the safest place for you all is to be is here. So please be at peace. If you have concerns or worries, please feel free to address them with any of the professors or me. We want you all to feel safe.

"Life for you all and this school will continue on. I do expect you all to be ready for your classes tomorrow. Please continue with your dinner and get a good night's rest. A new school term starts tomorrow. I expect you all to be ready."

Dumbledore went back to his seat and the students returned to their meals. Harry looked at Hermione and gave her a warm smile. He wasn't very satisfied with the information that the Headmaster gave the school. None of the important questions had been answered and its mystery was as troubling as ever.

He released a soft sigh and started on his meal.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

"So they think you and Keung are behind the whole thing?" Ron asked as he rested against the large leather couch in the Head Chamber.

The rest of dinner had gone by relatively smoothly. Many of the students' worries were subdued by Dumbledore's comforting words, but the destruction of the Wizard Prison remained the topic of all the conversations. Students started formulating theories behind the incident and tested them against the others that were conjured. They would occasionally share their theories with the professors in hopes of shedding new light on the subject, but were always disappointed. However while Dumbeldore's words brought comfort to the students, it left Harry, Hermione, and Ron bothered.

"I don't know," Harry replied as he took a seat on the windowsill next to Hermione. "It's one of their theories," he continued in a mocking tone, gently resting the side of his head against hers.

"I can't believe that they're considering such a stupid theory!" Hermione exclaimed as she kicked the wall with the back of her heel. "They don't have the slightest idea what their doing. They're just going to point the finger at whoever Fudge doesn't like and harass them."

"You know how Fudge is," Ron sighed. "He never lets a grudge go. I'm sure if he could, he'd find a way to link this whole thing with Dumbledore too."

Hermione's brow furrowed, an expression that often meant that she has thought of something that the three had either overlooked or failed to bring up.

"Dumbledore didn't mention anything about the Dementors to the school, did he?" Hermione said quietly as she turned to look at Harry.

"No, he didn't mention anything about them," Harry replied with an unsure look.

"Why would he not tell us?" she asked.

"Probably doesn't want us to panic again," Ron answered uncertainly with a shrug. "We know that he keeps stuff away from us all the time."

"Yeah," Harry said with a slow nod. "But there is something more to this…there is always something that he hides from us."

"You think Keung would tell us anything?" Ron asked in a hopeful voice.

"I don't know," he replied. "I suppose he would. He doesn't usually keep stuff away from me."

"You are going to tell Dumbledore about your dreams, right Harry?" Hermione asked, her serious eyes looked into his.

"I'm not sure," he answered quietly. "I still don't think that it's Voldemort who's behind them."

"You really should, Harry," Hermione said with a firm voice. "We don't know the reason why you're having these dreams and the last thing you want is to find out that Voldemort is trying to trick you again. Besides, if it really isn't Voldemort behind it and some other unexplainable forces, the information you get from them would be really good for the Order."

"But we still don't know if these dreams are real," Ron said. "It wouldn't be good if we gave Dumbledore bad information."

"If you don't think your dreams are a coincidence," Hermione urged Harry, "then it's a good enough reason to tell Dumbledore."

Harry rested his head against the window and took in a deep breath. He looked into her eyes and knew that he didn't have to think hard about the matter. Any information the Order received would be helpful and the last thing he'd ever want is for someone in the Order to get hurt when his information could have prevented it. As usual, his Hermione had it thought through.

He gave her a soft smile and gave her a nod. "You're right, Hermione."

"You should know by now that I often am," she smiled back as she rested her head against his shoulder.

Ron watched his friends snuggle together and fidgeted uncomfortably in he couch. He quickly looked up towards the clock that hung from the wall and after taking a quick breath, stood to his feet. "It's getting late. I'm going to head back to Gryffindor Tower. I'll see you guys tomorrow in class."

Harry noticed Ron's uneasiness, believing it had to do with his and Hermione's closeness, and was going to say something, but Hermione spoke first.

"You miss Nancy, don't you?" she said with a weak smile and all at once, Harry understood.

Ron gave her a nod. "It'll be weird not having her around to talk to, you know?"

"You know she'll come and visit," Harry said reassuringly.

"I know she will," Ron replied while staring at the rug that covered the floor, rubbing his shoes against it. "But it isn't making it any easier." He looked up at the two and gave them a weak grin. "But anyways, I'll see you two tomorrow at Breakfast." Ron gave them a quick wave and made his way out of the Head Chamber.

"He'll be all right, won't he?" Hermione asked with a worried tone in her voice as she stood from the windowsill.

"He'll be fine in a couple of days," Harry replied as he moved quietly behind her and wrapped his arms around her stomach, holding her against him. "Being back at school and not having his girlfriend with him…especially with what's happening…I'd be worried and lonesome too."

"Are you worried?" Hermione whispered as she shuddered gently.

"I am," he whispered into her ear as his arms tightened around her. "I'm worried that if I don't do something… a lot of people are going to get hurt. I'm worried that something might happen to you. I'm scared that I am not going to be able to protect you."

"It's you that I'm worried about," she said, tilting her head up to look at him.

"And you should know that you're all I worry about," he said with a lopsided grin.

Hermione gently turned in Harry's arms so that she was facing him and wrapped her arms around his chest, squeezing him tightly while burying her face into his neck. He rocked her tenderly and kissed the side of her head soothingly. She looked up at him, her eyes red from the worried tears that she was trying to hide. Harry gave her a warm smile and kissed her delicately on her lips, rubbing his forehead against hers after they broke their kiss.

"So…" he said in a playful voice, "your room or mine?"

"Harry James Potter!" Hermione gasped as she pulled away from his arms and placed her hands firmly on her hips. "Exactly what are you insinuating with that question? You know very well that I am not that kind of girl."

Harry's mouth dropped when he realized his tease had completely ruined the moment. "No…no…Hermione. Er…you know I didn't mean anything like that. You know that…I um…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…I --"

He stopped trying to untie his tongue when she started giggling at him. Her cheeks were bright pink and she did her best to cover her grin with her hand. He gave her a confused look as she took a step towards him, closing the small gap between them. She gave him a devilish smile and proceeded to take hold of his tie.

"You can share my bed with me, you big git," she giggled as she walked towards her room, leading her dumbfounded boyfriend by his red and gold tie.

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A/N: Sorry again for the slow updates. I don't have a lot of free time at the moment, but I am working on this story whenever I get the chance. Thank you to those who wrote reviews and again, thank you for bearing with me. Take care.

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