The Crucible
by Jardyn39
Part Two of "The Apprentice Piece"
Chapter 11: The Dream
They ventured downstairs to find everyone downstairs in the kitchen. Harry was rather glad no-one asked them about the letters and instead they enjoyed a light meal.
After coffee, Winky disappeared from the table but re-appeared almost at once beside Hermione.
"What is it Winky?" she asked.
"Pardon me, Miss Hermione," she said, "but I was just tidying Mister Harry's room up and I found a letter."
"It's okay, Winky," said Harry, "we left them out. But you shouldn't have done any tidying for me."
She fixed Harry with a stern look before saying, "Winky is not tidying because she has to, Winky is tidying because she wants to help."
Harry decided not to argue and Winky returned her attention to Hermione. She held out her hands and offered an envelope to Hermione. Harry recognised it at once. It was the only letter with an unbroken seal.
Hermione gasped when she looked at the envelope. She looked up at Harry and showed him the envelope.
"Thank you, Winky," said Harry, "I promised to deliver it to the addressee but you've done it for me."
Mrs Granger looked over Hermione's shoulder. Written clearly on the front of the envelope was the name of the addressee. It said "To Miss Hermione Jane Granger" and underneath it now said "Strictly Private and Confidential"
"This letter was written by Harry's mother," Hermione said in wonder.
"Open it," said Mr Granger.
"Er," began Lupin as Hermione turned over the envelope and was about to open it when she stopped to read some more writing that appeared on the back. "You might need to be alone before reading that, Hermione."
She looked up at Lupin and grinned. "It just told me that!"
Lupin laughed and nodded. Hermione excused herself and went up to her room.
"How did my Mum do that?" Harry asked but was distracted when he noticed that Mrs Granger had what was an unmistakably smug expression.
"Don't even think about it," sighed Mr Granger and Lupin snorted.
Harry watched this exchange and wondered what the three of them had found to talk about all day. Lupin got up and put the kettle on the stove.
He looked back to Mrs Granger who was now smiling at him.
"Thanks for being here today," he said, "it means a lot to me."
*
Later that evening Harry found himself wandering aimlessly into the living room. He wanted to continue reading his mother's letters but, at the same time, didn't want to without Hermione being there.
He went over to the tapestry and found it very difficult to restrain himself from having another go at restoring it. It wouldn't do being caught by Hermione, even though he didn't think she would re-appear that evening.
He felt his scar prickle a little and he rubbed away the pain in annoyance and didn't think anything of it.
Finally he decided he might as well go to bed.
*
Harry dreamt he was walking through a mist, neither noticeably cold or wet. Somewhere out ahead of him were the sounds of an argument. He hurried forward until he became vaguely aware of something dark in the distance.
He stopped as soon as he could see it clearly. He was looking at an absurdly large bottle. It was the shape of a butterbeer bottle but was made of entirely clear glass and had an enormous cork stuffed into the top.
Inside, two figures were struggling. One kept trying to climb up the neck of the bottle, clearly attempting to get to the cork and an exit. The other figure generally crouched down near the bottom of the bottle.
Harry watched for some time. Mostly the climbing figure would slip and fall before trying again. Every now and again, though, he almost made it to the top. That was when the second figure would tentatively rise and grab at the feet of the first figure, making him fall again.
The two figures were either ignoring Harry or couldn't see him.
Suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass. Harry looked around wildly, but saw nothing but mist. He looked back. The bottle looked intact but the figures inside were now behaving strangely. There were standing still and clutching each other, both with looks of shear terror. They were looking behind him at some point high up.
Harry had the strange sensation that something was approaching from behind, although he heard nothing. He looked as the figures in the bottle crouched down and a large shadow seemed to fall other them all.
Harry turned slowly and began to look up but before he could make out what the giant dark shape might be, the dream dissolved.
*
"He's waking," Harry heard an unfamiliar voice whisper. He held his eyes closed for a moment and thought. He should be safe at Grimmauld Place.
Harry opened his eyes and was a little surprised to find himself sitting but looking down at unfamiliar black robes. He looked again and saw bony un-naturally white hands with long thin fingers. Now sure what was happening, he raised his head to see two hooded figures kneeling before him.
To the side an unmoving body lay, legs spayed out with a robe covering their head and arms.
"Do it now!" whispered one figure. The other figure was visibly trembling. The first nudged the other hard and they both rose, not revealing their faces.
Harry watched with fascination as they approached him. With growing shock he realised what they were about to do. One held a cloth sack and the other a short length of rope. Before Harry could react he found the sack had been placed over his head and the rope tied around his neck.
Harry woke with a start, still fighting his two assailants.
*
Harry woke to find he really was fighting two assailants. He stopped struggling when he realised it was Lupin and Mr Granger who were wrestling with him.
"Hey!" he shouted, "What are you doing?"
Lupin released him at once and said, "It's okay, we can release him now."
Mr Granger pulled back from him, a look of anger and fear still on his face. Lupin banged with his fist on the door next to Harry and said loudly, "It's okay now."
Immediately the door swung open and Mrs Granger collapsed next to Harry who was still lying on his back, totally bewildered.
"Harry," she said crying, "are you okay?"
Lupin knelt down and helped Harry up. Both of them were shaking.
"What happened?" asked Harry in bewilderment.
*
Harry sat in the kitchen staring at his mug of now cold coffee listening as the others told Professor Dumbledore what had happened.
Voldemort had managed to possess him and had attempted to kill Hermione, or that's what they assumed he was trying to do. He had got as far as the passageway outside her room when Winky had challenged him. She was hurt, but not too badly. Dobby had raised the alarm and he, Lupin and Mr Granger had fought him while Mrs Granger tended Winky.
They had been afraid to use spells against Voldemort in case it hurt Harry.
Hermione had slept through everything. She was still sleeping. Although Mrs Granger thought she might have been reading late into the night, they were clearly concerned about her.
When the talking stopped, Harry raised his head and he and Dumbledore looked at each other, each knowing the terrible consequences of what had happened that night.
*
Dumbledore returned to the kitchen and smiled at the waiting group.
"Hermione is fine," he said, "just very tired. Winky has confirmed that she did indeed read late into the night. We should be very thankful that Winky decided to watch over her, though."
Harry sighed with relief.
"She is now sleeping soundly," Dumbledore continued. "I think it was the letter. It took a lot out of her. It looks very magical, although I can't read it myself."
Dumbledore sat next to Harry and said, "Harry, I want you to tell me what you dreamt about in as much detail as you can recall."