Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. Special thanks to Anna Rose for betaing and keeping me from making a big mistake.
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Ch 33: OWL POST
Only in dreams
We see what it means
Reach out our hands
Hold on to hers
But when we wake
It's all been erased
And so it seems
Only in dreams
(Only in Dreams by Weezer)
While Harry was sitting in front of the television with Annie, another girl many miles away was trying to post a letter. She had been very careful with her wording, but the end result had been the same: a desperate plea for Harry to come back to Hogwarts and, more importantly, to her.
The girl had even taken extra care in including a portkey with the letter. She wanted Harry to be able to escape unnoticed from wherever he was as easy as possible. However, as no one knew exactly where Harry was and whether or not he would have a chance in using the portkey himself, they had to make sure it lead to a controlled area. For all they knew a Death Eater would take it. The portkey would therefore take Harry straight to Dumbledore's office, just in case.
Hermione hoped that Harry had managed to stay out of the Death Eaters grasp and that he was still alive. All this time since Halloween she had not been able to do anything but worry. She could stay awake a entire night without a problem. Even books didn't manage to capture her attention for long anymore.
When Harry had disappeared it was as though a part of her had disappeared too. She doubted she could ever go back to the way she was as long as Harry was missing, nor did she want to. She deserved to suffer after the way she had treated him.
However, the part of her that still cared was angry at Harry. Not for being taken by the Death Eaters, but for not coming back to her. The whole world knew he had escaped from Voldemort. She had a hard time believing he just couldn't find a way; he had come to Hogwarts in a flying car in his second year and now he even knew how to Apparate. It shouldn't be that difficult, so something had to be holding him back. Had she really hurt him so much that he didn't want to see her again?
Hermione's stomach made an unpleasant turn. If that was the case ... she doubted she could ever live with herself. Harry was her everything and she had been stupid to believe they needed a break. Looking back, she couldn't believe she had been so upset by McGonagall's words, where the Professor had said that Hermione hadn't done quite as well on her latest tests as she usually did.
"Come on now, Hedwig," coaxed Hermione to the snowy owl on her shoulders. Hedwig's amber eyes defiantly stared back at her. "Why won't you take it? It's for Harry!"
Hedwig flew from her shoulder and to the opposite wall of the room. Hedwig had never rejected Hermione before; actually the owl usually seemed quite fond of her. Hermione couldn't understand this sudden change.
"Please, Hedwig," said Hermione, near tears now. Did this mean Harry was dead after all? Had the reporters from the Daily Prophet made a mistake when they claimed they had seen Harry? She didn't know what to believe, but she knew she couldn't lose him all over again. Not when there was a chance that he could still be alive and that this letter could be all they needed to be reunited. She just couldn't lose Harry.
However, Hedwig was firm in not making it easy for Hermione to fasten the letter and flapped her wings stubbornly.
Hermione almost went frantic. She was now so angry and upset all at once that her face had a startling, deep red colour. "FINE THEN!" she cried, "I'll just give this letter to another owl then shall I?"
The owl blinked and seemed to consider her options. Hermione calmed down slightly.
-
Harry was back in the Dark Lord's chamber. Harry recognized the room in all its glory, including the potion he had been forced to take in the corner. He was amazed by the fact that the potion no longer smelled so horrid. The sour smell had changed to be more bittersweet, almost tempting. He wondered if it would taste different if he had to take the rest sometime.
Harry suddenly realized he was pointing his wand at a door quietly, waiting for something. He had other things on his mind at the moment. He couldn't let his attention wander.
The something was revealed when the door burst open and three men came in. Two of them were masked and muscular, dragging the third man between them carelessly. Harry recognized the pathetic looking man instantly.
"Ah, Peter Pettigrew," said Harry, glaring at the man dangerously. He loathed betrayers and this man was the worst sort. The man whimpered and looked away, like he knew just what Harry was thinking. "You are the traitor who helped the boy out!"
The two masked guards threw Pettigrew down to the floor. The small form of the man stayed where he was, shaking pathetically. The whimpering soon changed to sobbing. Though, Harry had to admit, the man had a good reason to be afraid.
"My Lord!" the man tried. "The boy forced me to! He had a life-debt over me, my Master, and I had to comply!"
Harry twirled the wand made of holly wood and phoenix feather between his fingers. He sighed. "Wormtail, Wormtail, Wormtail. You really do fit your name, do you not?"
"Master..."
"You have always been a rat."
"Please, Master..."
"Pity though, considering you were the one who helped me back to power. However, I have no use for you anymore. I cannot keep cowards here as much as I cannot keep traitors, and you fit the two options perfectly!"
"What - what are you gonna do to me?" squeaked Pettigrew, glancing up at Harry with very round, terrified eyes.
"Why, I shall kill you of course," said Harry. He chuckled softly at the man's reaction. "Goodbye Wormtail. Avada-"
"Master - WAIT!"
"-Kedavra!" The green light left Harry's wand and hit the small man in the head. Pettigrew died instantly as his life was sucked out of his body with the curse. The silver hand vanished as well, like it was nothing more than a ghost.
-
Harry woke with a start. He lay panting in his bed for a while. His body was itching again, as though he really had used the Killing Curse only moments ago in his dream. His entire body was shaking with excitement and anticipation.
Harry forced his breathing to relax and even out. He really didn't want to get out of his bed and he knew that if he didn't calm down immediately he had to kill even more birds. He also noticed that his scar hurt a bit.
Harry closed his eyes and begged for sleep to come back for him. To his surprise, it did only after a few minutes.
-
Harry was amazed that he had managed to stay with Annie for so long without going crazy. It had been fifteen days since he had stumbled in her arms by accident. They didn't even get along all that great and they constantly snapped at each other. However, since when did Harry get along with anybody? In fact, if it hadn't been for Annie's tough and sometimes rude attitude, they would have gotten along even less. Harry knew where her boundaries lay and as long as he stayed outside of them she would respect his.
The `movie night' as Annie had called it the night before had gone well and Harry had found himself enjoying it. It was a nice way to get his mind on other things. It wasn't exactly a very wizard-thing to do, but Harry found himself caring less and less. No wizard had found him yet and no one knew where he was. Usually it would just be him and Annie in the little compartment. As long as it stayed that way, he had no rush to find another place to live.
Harry soon discovered that she liked to party. Every Friday and Saturday night, she would leave the house with a bag full of alcoholic drinks and disappear. Harry enjoyed these nights because he could do whatever he wanted, but he couldn't help but feel that he missed out on some fun.
He watched with amusement every time she came home, very drunk but grinning from ear to ear and giggling like a little school girl. She was easy to handle then. However, one time she had been so drunk that Harry had been forced to hold her hair up while she puked over the sink. One night she didn't even come home until the day after. Harry guessed her boyfriend had something to do with that.
Harry stretched his muscles as he walked down the stairs at nine o'clock that morning. There was light in the kitchen and Annie sat by the table as he entered, sipping to her morning coffee.
"Hi," he said, getting a nod in return. He sat down in front of her. It took some time before either of them said anything.
"Sleep well?" she finally asked, setting the cup down at the table.
"Yes, but I had this weird dream," said Harry, thinking back.
"Oh? What about?"
Harry frowned slightly. He knew he couldn't tell her about the part where Pettigrew was killed, so he settled on telling her the other things he had dreamt that night. "That's just it. I can't remember much of it. I think it could be something from my former life though."
"Really?" asked Annie, sounding only mildly interested.
Harry didn't care. He just wanted to talk to someone about it. "I cannot understand it," he said. "I see myself dancing with someone ... everything was perfect. I remember she had her hair in a ponytail, a red top and a black skirt... yet, I cannot remember her face! It does not make any sense! Then I remember following her to someplace. She was very upset. That is where I woke up. I just ... wish I knew what it was all about. It can be important. It felt important."
Annie tapped the rim of the cup with her finger, thinking. "Sure it wasn't just a dream?"
"No," said Harry, already having thought about the possibility. "But I have dreamt of her before. I am beginning to think there is more to it."
"Hum," was all Annie said. She got up from the table, taking the cup with her. "Go make yourself some breakfast. I've already had some."
"Okay," said Harry and followed her into the kitchen. He took out a bowl, a box of corn cereal and some milk. He had quickly taken a liking to the simple and good way to start the day.
-
Later that day, Harry watched Annie as she prepared to go out. She had afternoon classes to attend to five days a week and after she was done there she usually went to her boyfriend. Harry noticed she didn't seem too eager to get going and she almost used an eternity putting on her jacket.
"You know," said Harry, "If you don't like him anymore, you could just break up."
Annie paused, her hands still buttoning on her jacket. She quickly bent down to put on her shoes. "That's none of your business. Even if it were, I wouldn't have time to stay and chat. I only have eight minutes before the bus leaves without me, and I need to hurry."
"Fair enough," said Harry, knowing Muggles depended on other ways of transportation than Wizards did. "Wouldn't it be cool to just appear wherever you wanted, whenever you wanted? Just like that?" he asked casually and snapped his fingers.
"Huh?" she looked questionably at him and tucked some blonde hair behind her ear with her fingers. "What are you talking about?"
"Just imagine how it would be like. You would never have to take another bus in your life."
"I s'pose. How do I look?" Annie shrugged and waited for his answer. Harry suddenly had a feeling there was more behind that question than what she made it sound like. She didn't look very different from what she normally did, but her jacket clung nicely to her body and she had a necklace with the letter `A' around her neck. He decided on something safe.
"You look good. I don't think Luke will have any problems with it."
"Thanks," said Annie after a pregnant pause. "I'll be home by ten. Bye."
Harry watched her leave the house and went to shut the front door. He found himself standing on the same spot for a long time, deep in his thoughts. If he closed his eyes, he could practically see the girl from his dream, coming out from a bathroom. He could practically hear her asking him almost the same question Annie had just done while twirling around, making her brown hair flow around her neck elegantly.
"Beautiful," Harry echoed to himself. He suddenly knew he had to find this girl from his dream. There had to be a reason she would appear in his mind all the time.
If only he could remember her face.
Harry shook his head and forced his thoughts to return to the present. He knew he couldn't dwell with his past. He was still a Death Eater, but he could never return to his master. He would get killed instantly if he refused the potion. He could never offer himself to the weak and light side either, because there he was a wanted criminal. He laughed shortly when he thought what Annie would say if she knew she was keeping a wanted convict in her house.
Harry was glad Annie rarely brought her boyfriend back to her apartment. He knew it wasn't his business, but he didn't like seeing them together. It made him uneasy. Luke Joans never treated her well. Despite the harsh nature Harry was used to with the Death Eaters, he knew she deserved better.
-
After she had left, Harry went up to the room he began to think of as his to relax a little. However, he had only laid there for a couple of minutes when he was interrupted by a knock on the window. He turned his head and his eyes widened in amazement.
An owl? For him?
His heart began racing as he quickly drew his wand. It had to be a trap, it just had to be. He didn't know anyone who would send him an owl without having something to gain from it.
The owl was white and pretty. Harry instinctually knew it was a female. He still hadn't opened his window to let the owl in, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to. Perhaps doing a quick search over the letter would be a good idea?
His nerves on high alert, Harry opened the window with a spell and the owl flew in before landing on his bed, sticking out its leg and hooting softly. Harry didn't move, but instead raised his wand to do another spell.
First he checked the letter for Dark Arts, but couldn't find anything. He was surprised, however, when he realized it had a hidden portkey in it. Harry gritted his teeth in anger and felt his blood boil.
Did they really think he was that stupid? It was an insult to his intelligence!
Deciding it was not too early in the day for a little fun, Harry closed the window again with a snap. Then he turned to the owl, who's amber eyes widened in fear. Harry grinned.
"What do you have for me little one?" He raised his wand, deciding what to do first. "Finite Incantatum!" The spell destroyed the portkey with a loud crack that sent the both of them jumping in the air. The owl, however, did not return to the bed but instead to Harry's shoulder, nibbling his ear.
Harry quickly brushed her off with his arms. "Get off Hedwig!" he snapped angrily. Who did this stupid bird think it was anyway? Owls weren't supposed to behave like that. They were supposed to deliver the letter and then fly off again. He would be better off if he killed it.
Harry raised his wand again, trying to decide if he should torture or simply kill it right away. The owl's muscles tensed but the creature didn't move.
"You are not like most birds, are you?" asked Harry, not lowering his wand. By the way the owl glared back with its amber eyes made Harry think that he had said something to offend it.
Only then did he realize he had called the owl by name. The shock made him drop his wand.
"Hedwig, was it?" he breathed. Was it possible? Was he finally starting to remember things?
The owl hooted happily and flew back to his shoulder. Harry noticed how careful she was to not hurt him with her talons. He remembered the owls around the Stone Edge and how they seemed to be trained in how to make it hurt as much as possible.
"Pretty name. Whoever named you must have a good taste." Harry stroked her beak hesitantly. The owl seemed to agree with what he had said because she rubbed her head against Harry's neck.
"Stop that," he told the owl. "Bellatrix would never leave me alone if she saw this. You have no idea how annoying she can be."
Harry suddenly remembered Hedwig had brought a letter with her. Frowning, he freed her leg off the parchment. Other than the portkey he had cancelled, the letter didn't seem to have been tampered with.
Harry returned to his bed and sat down. The owl didn't leave his shoulder. It was like she had decided to never let him off her sight again.
Harry opened the letter and started to read.
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