FicWad

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter Universe and all the characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

Harry sat under his invisibility cloak again in the darkness that was the Restricted Section. Gripping his quill hard is his fingers, threatening to break it through the force. His parchment was littered with notes, scribbles, comments and questions.

Two more weeks had passed now, and his research produced little result after looking into multiple books, marking this as a month total of research without finding his answers, others were answered but new ones had taken their place with the main question still being unexplained; How was Voldemort capable of returning to physical bodies?

There was, however one subject that repeatedly came to his attention; soul anchoring, in which the soul itself of a living wizard or witch would be mutilated by some means, splitting off a portion which would then be chained to earth.

That, however was all the information he seemed capable of finding. The means of mutilation were left open, as was the process of binding it to earth. But he was growing confident that this was the method Voldemort had used. It seemed, even as vague as it was; the best explanation to his wretched soul clinging to earth.

In what sense would the soul be bound to earth? What means, if there are any, are known to destroy it? Had this anything to do with Dumbledore's theory?

More than a month had passed since he last properly saw Dumbledore, which had been after his memory lesson. He had only seen Dumbledore a few times during the meals this month.

Was the Headmaster going on more 'explorations', retrieving more about Voldemort's past? Researching his unknown theory? Collecting memories? Probably all three of them he mused. Frustrated at all the unanswered questions.

I just have to figure this out, then he will have no choice but to tell me.

He took of his glasses, and rubbed his tired eyes before repositioning his glasses again, glancing at the large mechanical clock which had been ticking In near complete silence. 1:00 a.m. it had become late again.

He had spent the last two weeks doing practice in the evening, still going to the Restricted Section after curfew, it made each day a busy day when coupled with lessons and homework.

The good news was that he now had a good idea of the damage his spells could do judging by the damage on the pillars after each spell. The damage was easy to fix as Hogwarts was a self-repairing castle, coupled with a Reparo Charm it would result in quickly repairing the pillars, reviving his practice targets.

He had learned the Frigoris Pedes Charm (which was quite awkward, as he had to do it on his own feet), Scalpere, and Expulso. The Bone-Breaking Curse however, proved to be a bit more difficult and required more time to get down right.

He picked up his books and items, yawning before putting them back where they came from, being careful not to wake the portraits.
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Morning arrived and the first trip of the term to Hogsmeade was nearing. Harry had wondered whether these trips would still be allowed, given the increasingly tight security measures around the school. Turns out they were still allowed, setting the trio on their way to Hogsmeade for a break.

"Hey, Potter, I'm supposed to give you this." Called out a familiar voice.

Harry turned around, seeing Greengrass standing, in her outstretched hand was a scroll of parchment with Harry's name written upon it in familiar thin, slanting writing.

"Thanks, Greengrass…you also going to Hogsmeade?"

"Yeah, I'm going with Tracey, might see you there," she replied, glancing to Ron before leaving.

"It's probably Dumbledore's next lesson!" Harry told Ron and Hermione, pulling open the parchment and quickly reading its contents. "Monday evening!" He felt anxious already, however it was more for the opportunity to ask his questions than viewing the actual memories.

"Yeah." Was all Ron said as he frowned at the retreating figure of Greengrass.

They continued on their way until they arrived at Filch who was standing at the oak front doors as usual, checking off the names of people who had permission to go into Hogsmeade. The process took even longer than normal as Filch was triplechecking everybody with his Secrecy Sensor.

"What does it matter if we're smuggling Dark stuff OUT?" demanded Ron, eyeing the long thin Secrecy Sensor with apprehension. "Surely you ought to be checking what we bring back IN?"

His cheek earned him a few extra jabs with the Sensor, and he was still wincing as they stepped out into the wind and sleet.

"Come on Tracey, I know that it's cold outside but your beginning to take the size a troll, not to mention we have Warming Charms to help us." Daphne whined at Tracey who had taken a good ten minutes to pick a matching pair of earmuffs and gloves alone. Not even having mentioned the rest, her patience was wearing a bit thin.

"Relax, we have more than enough time left! And it's very cold outside, nobody wants to see two girls frozen to the bone." Tracey said as she grabbed another pair of gloves instead of putting them away.

"Summer will arrive at this pace though." Daphne said back, sitting down on her dorm bed.

"Okay, all set!" Tracey called out as soon as Daphne sat on her bed, having just been waiting for it.

"Thank you." Daphne said looking exasperated, rising again from her bed. Moving out of the dorms and out of the common room with Tracey.

The walk into Hogsmeade was not enjoyable. Daphne wrapped her scarf over her lower face; the exposed part soon felt both raw and numb. The road to the village was full of students bent double against the bitter wind. More than once Daphne wondered whether they might not have had a better time in the warm common room.

When they finally reached Hogsmeade they saw that Zonko's Joke Shop had been boarded up, Daphne could only guess to the reasons, but wasn't too let down by it. She was glad they were allowed to go at all, she hardly ever went to the joke shop anyway.

They walked on into the cold streets of the village, Warming Charms only doing so much to keep the relentless frigid winds out as they shivered. But soon she saw her favorite reason for coming to Hogsmeade; Honeydukes, the sweets shop.

She pointed a gloved hand towards the shop, but didn't say anything, Tracey knew it would be their first stop, it always was.

She soon felt her skin prickling from the heat inside the shop as they stepped inside, a blast of aroma's hitting her red nose.

Shelves were as always filled to the brim with sweets from top to bottom in every colour, throughout the shop were also baskets with a variety of random wild sweets, and on the counters stood the more delicate or intricate ones for sale. She nearly knew every candy here after six years of coming to the shop.

She grabbed a plastic bag and began loading it with all kinds of sweets she liked as she moved past the shelves and counters: Cauldron Cakes, Sugar Quills, Choco-Loco, Pumpkin Pastries… Had she already mentioned she loved sweets?

"Ah, Daphne and Tracey, great to see you two again, how is school?" asked a smiling Ambrosius Flume, who was a rather large, bald man, and the shop owner of Honeydukes.

"Quiet is the best way to describe it I guess." Daphne said absentmindedly, scanning the shelves for new sweets, throwing a few in her bag after spotting them.

"I can imagine, the same could be said for Hogsmeade, streets never been this deserted." Flume said looking a bit morose through his window and onto the near-deserted streets of the village.

"But dark times will pass and we can only make the best of it meanwhile." He said the look quickly leaving his face for a more upbeat one.

"Yes, your right." Said Daphne brought back to the situation at home. As of yet she still had to receive any bad news from her parents, so far the Death Eaters had not come back yet for more 'conversations'. Fortunately, Tracey also had yet to receive more visits.

"Say, Mr. Flumel do you know why Zonko's shop is boarded up?" Tracey asked, wondering if the Candy shop owner had heard or seen anything while in the village.

"I don't know the details, but I believe that he went away on a 'vacation' with his family, finding the weather a bit 'harsh' you see?" Flumel said, a mixture of serious and aloofness in his voice.

"Ah, he must have quite some muggleborns in his family then." Tracey mused.

"Indeed, I wish him good luck, but we are getting off topic. In a sweets shop you talk about sweets! Come over here I have my latest pride here." Flumel said cheerfully again, beckoning them over to the shops main counter.

Daphne plumbed her sweet filled bag down next to Tracey's, her bag towering over hers.

"I'm still amazed that you can always eat all those sweets and not look like a Jelly Slug." Tracey said looking at her monolith sized bag.

"Sometimes I'm also amazed of myself Tracey, it's okay, I guess it's just my metabolism." She said puffin out her chest a bit at her 'ability'.

"Now, ladies I present to you my new sweet; Mousse Cakes!" He exclaimed dramatically, setting a small brown cake in front of them, looking like it contained every known colour in the universe.

"It's a chocolate cake with strawberry mousse and clotted dream, besides that it-"

"Doesn't matter, give me five of them." Daphne cut in, grinning, already knowing enough.

"You know, sometimes I just wish you suddenly woke up like the Jelly Slug that you are." Tracey said looking jealous at her and the cakes.
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Stepping outside the shop again with the friendly goodbyes of Flumel behind them, they were instantly assaulted by the cold again. Luckily for them they weren't bothered by their purchases as they were given Weightless and Shrinking Charms on their bags, however that was mostly done for Daphne's.

"Let's go to the Three Broomsticks," said Tracey. "It'll be warm."

"Yeah, I'm up for a Butterbeer." Daphne said, thinking about the sweet and warm drink.

They were coming directly to the left of the shop, partially walking along the blind spots of the building. The streets were not very busy; nobody was lingering to chat, just hurrying toward their destinations. The exceptions were the golden trio and a squat, bandylegged man with long, straggly, ginger hair

"Oh, look Daphne. It's the trio." Tracey said indicating her head to the entrance of the Three Broomsticks as they came closer.

"Mundungus!" she heard Harry suddenly yell making the man jump and drop an ancient suitcase, which burst open, releasing what looked like the entire contents of a junk shop window.

Daphne quickly pushes herself and Tracey to the wall of the shop, standing just around the corner, but still out of sight. Not even sure herself why she hid them, she guessed that it was because Potter's voice sounded quite different; hostile, and the atmosphere had quickly turned serious.

Daphne saw that Tracey had nearly blurted something out in the moment, but thankfully managed to keep silent in time. Their distance was too short now.

"Oh, 'ello, 'Arry," said the man who was apparently Mundungus, with a most unconvincing stab at airiness. "Well, don't let me keep ya."

She heard him scrabbling on the ground to retrieve the contents of his suitcase with every appearance of a man eager to be gone.

"Are you selling this stuff?" asked Potter, his voice sounding angry and restrained.

"Oh, well, gotta scrape a living," said Mundungus. "Gimme that!"

Weasley had apparently stooped down and picked up something.

"Hang on," He said slowly. "This looks familiar-"

"Thank you!" said Mundungus, shuffling of thick winter clothes suggesting he had snatched the object out of his hand and stuffed it back into the case. "Well, I'll see you all-URGH!"

Daphne jumped a bit at the sudden sound, Potter must have pinned Mundungus against the wall of the pub by the throat as she heard the broken words in his voice.

"Harry!" squealed Hermione. Distressed at the sudden move.

"You took that from Sirius's house, that had the Black family crest on it." Potter said in a low voice.

"I-no—what-?" spluttered Mundungus, who was likely turning purple.

"What did you do, the night he left and died? Strip the place?!" He continued, snarling.

"I—uh-"

"Is that how you repay us? Give it back!"

"Harry, you mustn't!" shrieked Granger,

There was a bang, and she heard gasping and spluttering, Mundungus had apparently managed to free himself, quickly seized his fallen case, then a loud crack followed, he had Disapparated.

Potter swore at the top of his voice, "COME BACK, YOU THIEVING-!"

"There's no point, Harry." Said Granger softly. "Mundungus will probably be far away by now. There's no point yelling."

"He's stole Sirius's stuff! Stole it!" She heard Potter say frustrated.

"Let's go inside for now Harry. It won't be the last we see of him" Weasley said supportively.

She heard them go through the door of the Three Broomsticks. Releasing the breath she had been unknowingly holding, coming out in a large cloud of condense.

"The hell was that all about!?" Tracey shouted, looking confused.

"Shh!" Daphne hissed at her, looking around if anyone else had seen them, suddenly paranoid at being overheard themselves.

"I don't know Tracey, a lot of it makes no sense. Stealing? When Sirius left and died? Did he mean THE Sirius Black?"

"He did say it had the Black family crest on one of those items." Tracey said looking a bit shocked at the sudden events.

"This is just too absurd, why would Harry Potter be concerned about the stuff of Sirius Black being nicked?" she asked, frowning and biting her lip in thought.

"Maybe it was a different Sirius, who had in some way gained a few lost items from the Black family?" Tracey said, making another hypothesis.

"Possible, but it sounds equally far-stretched. Anyway we waited long enough, let's go inside, see what else we hear." She said, shivering in the cold.

"What? you want to continue spying on them? Eavesdropping?" Tracey said sounding incredulous.

"I call it information gathering." Daphne said simply, luckily still having the decency to blush a bit before dragging Tracey out of their corner to the door.

"It's the same Daphne, and haven't you heard enough?" Tracey said reluctantly coming along.

"No, far from enough. Let's get to the bottom of this Tracey! Aren't you curious?" Daphne asked, abandoning the little decency she had found moments before.

"Yes, but nowhere near your level. Your making me doubt again whether or not you should do better as a journalist, instead of potions maker." Tracey replied, but was still walking with her.

They waded through the people in the pub, making a bit of a detour to avoid being directly spotted, and ending up on a table behind them, a thin roster separating their tables for separation and privacy.

Privacy she paid no heed to as she and Tracey tried to stick as close to the wall as possible to hear them, positioning themselves to look as if they were conversing with each other, hoping to avoid any suspicion and not look like a complete eavesdroppers; which they actually were.

"Can't the Order control Mundungus?" Potter demanded of the other two in a furious whisper. "Can't they at least stop him stealing everything that's not fixed down when he's at headquarters?"

"Shh!" said Granger desperately, likely looking around to make sure nobody was listening. Making Daphne anxious for a moment, thinking they had been discovered, before relaxing again as Granger continued. "Harry, I'd be annoyed too, I know it's your things he's stealing—"

Potter gagged on his butterbeer; surprised.

"Yeah, it's also my stuff!" he said. "No wonder he wasn't pleased to see me! Well, I'm going to tell Dumbledore what's going on, he's the only one who scares Mundungus."

"Good idea," whispered Granger, sounding clearly pleased that Harry was calming down. "Ron, what are you staring at?"

"Nothing," said Weasley, making a bad attempt at covering whatever he had been staring at, Daphne could only guess that it had probably been Madam Rosmerta, whom multiple had crushes on.

"I expect 'nothing's' in the back getting more Firewhisky," said Granger waspishly.

Weasley ignored this jibe, sipping his drink in what he evidently considered to be a dignified silence.

Granger drummed her fingers on the table, something clearly bothering her. She waited for the moment Potter had finished his drink and said, "Shall we call it a day and go back to school, then?"

The other two silently agreed; it had likely not been a fun trip and the weather was getting worse, winds picking up even more force. They drew their cloaks tightly around them, rearranged their scarves, pulled on their gloves, then followed Katie Bell and a friend out of the pub and back up the High Street.

"Well… that raised even more questions if you ask me." Tracey said, arching an eyebrow at her.

"True but we also learned more, something about some Order business, and that they have headquarters. The stolen items also seemed to be Potter's property." Daphne summed up.

"So Sirius-something gave Potter his family Black stuff?" Tracey said, following her thoughts.

"Yes, maybe through a will, remember that this Sirius person died. He might have given it all to Potter." Daphne reasoned.

Tracey had opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by a scream from outside. A terrible one full of anguish. The voice screamed and screamed, the hairs on Daphne's neck standing up from terror.

She and Tracey shared a look, her eyes big and surprised, before they rushed out of the pub to see what was going on outside, the rest of the bar following them.

On the street she saw a Gryffindor; Katie Bell if she remembered correctly, hanging suspended in the air, being the source of the screaming as she continued. Her eyes open seeing only things she could see, clearly causing her terrible anguish.

The trio rushed forward to help, they grabbed Katie's legs, and she fell on top of them; Potter and Weasley managed to catch her but she was writhing so much they could hardly hold her. Instead they lowered her to the ground where she thrashed and screamed, apparently unable to recognize any of them.

She saw Potter look around in a hurry; except for them standing some distance away, there were no teachers to help.

"Stay there!" he shouted at the others over the howling wind. "I'm going for help!"

He began to sprint toward the school, jumping over a fence and disappearing around the corner.

She saw how the little group tried to calm the screaming Katie Bell down to no avail, she was completely delirious, thrashing around screaming her lungs out while the group now began to restrain her flailing limbs, trying to protect themselves and herself from getting any injuries.

Daphne briefly felt the need to try and help her, but stopped herself, realizing that it would do more bad than good. Two Slytherins joining in offering help would do nothing to reassure the situation. And even if that wasn't the problem they still would be dead weight, there was nothing they could do to help Bell in this unknown state, trying anything might make things worse.

She was soon relieved when she saw Potter running back again with the groundskeeper, his figure surprisingly fast, already understanding the situation.

"Get back!" shouted Hagrid. "Lemme see her!"

"Something's happened to her!" sobbed Leanne. "I don't know what —"

The groundskeeper stared at Bell for a second, then without a word, bent down, scooped her into his arms, and ran off toward the castle with her. Within seconds, bell's piercing screams had died away and the only sound was the roar of the wind.

The wind picked up even more now; rendering Daphne and the others unable to hear more of what they were saying to each other.

Weasley bent down, his hand outstretched, but Potter seized his arm and pulled him back, making a face that said he needed to be careful, before he crouched down. Something was poking out of the paper, something small as she didn't see anything from her position.

Potter turned back to the girl who had been with Bell asking questions to which she replied while Granger comforted her. The girl however seemed to realize something before breaking down in renewed sobs.

He turned back to the object on the ground, hesitated for a moment, then pulled his scarf from around his face and, ignoring his friends, and carefully covered the item in it and picked it up. He stood up, said something and began moving hurriedly towards the castle, the others following him.
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Harry and the others had come across Professor McGonagall first and followed her upstairs and into her office. The sleetspattered windows were rattling in their frames, and the room was chilly despite the fire crackling in the grate. Professor McGonagall closed the door and swept around her desk to face Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the still sobbing Leanne.

"Well?" she said sharply. "What happened?"

Haltingly, and with many pauses while she attempted to control her crying, Leanne told Professor McGonagall how Katie had gone to the bathroom in the Three Broomsticks and returned holding the unmarked package, how Katie had seemed a little odd, and how they had argued about the advisability of agreeing to deliver unknown objects, the argument culminating in the tussle over the parcel, which tore open. At this point, Leanne was so overcome, there was no getting another word out of her.

"All right," said Professor McGonagall, not unkindly, "go up to the hospital wing, please, Leanne, and get Madam Pomfrey to give you something for shock."

When she had left the room, Professor McGonagall turned back to Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"What happened when Katie touched the necklace?"

Harry took word to continue the story, telling the Professor how Katie had risen into the air and had begun screaming, after which they had pulled her down and taken her to the castle.

He had quickly asked for Dumbledore after his explanation, wanting to inform him on Malfoy's life threatening deed, surely the package had been meant for the headmaster, Katie had not gone to him with the package; meaning he hadn't been the target. The only other person of importance would then have been Dumbledore himself.

"The headmaster is away until Monday, Potter," said Professor McGonagall, looking surprised.

"Away?" Harry repeated angrily.

"Yes, Potter, away!" said Professor McGonagall tartly. "But anything you have to say about this horrible business can be said to me, I'm sure!"

For a split second, Harry hesitated. Professor McGonagall did not invite confidences; Dumbledore, though in many ways more intimidating, still seemed less likely to scorn a theory, however wild. This was a life-and-death matter.

"I think Draco Malfoy gave Katie that necklace, Professor. He Imperiused her."

On one side of him, Ron rubbed his nose in apparent embarrassment; on the other, Hermione shuffled her feet as though quite keen to put a bit of distance between herself and Harry.

"That is a very serious accusation, Potter," said Professor McGonagall, after a shocked pause. "Do you have any proof?"

He ignored the reaction of his friends and pushed on, telling her about following Malfoy to Borgin and Burkes and the conversation they had overheard between him and Mr. Borgin.

When he had finished speaking, Professor McGonagall looked slightly confused.

"Malfoy took something to Borgin and Burkes for repair?"

"No, Professor, he just wanted Borgin to tell him how to mend something, he didn't have it with him. But that's not the point, the thing is that he bought something at the same time, and I think it was that necklace-"

"You saw Malfoy leaving the shop with a similar package?"

"No, Professor, he told Borgin to keep it in the shop for him-"

"But Harry," Hermione interrupted, "Borgin asked him if he wanted to take it with him, and Malfoy said no-"

"Because he didn't want to touch it, obviously!" Said Harry angrily.

"What he actually said was, 'How would I look carrying that down the street?'" Said Hermione.

"Well, he would look a bit of a prat carrying a necklace," interjected Ron.

"Oh, Ron," said Hermione despairingly, "it would be all wrapped up, so he wouldn't have to touch it, and quite easy to hide inside a cloak, so nobody would see it! I think whatever he reserved at Borgin and Burkes was noisy or bulky, something he knew would draw attention to him if he carried it down the street-and in any case," she pressed on loudly, before Harry could interrupt,

"I asked Borgin about the necklace, don't you remember? When I went in to try and find out what Malfoy had asked him to keep, I saw it there. And Borgin just told me the price, he didn't say it was already sold or anything-"

"Well, you were being really obvious, he realized what you were up to within about five seconds, of course he wasn't going to tell you-anyway, Malfoy could've sent off for it since-"

"That's enough!" said Professor McGonagall, as Hermione opened her mouth to retort, looking furious. "Potter, I appreciate you telling me this, but we cannot point the finger of blame at Mr. Malfoy purely because he visited the shop where this necklace might have been purchased. The same is probably true of hundreds of people-"

"-that's what I said-" muttered Ron.

"-and in any case, we have put stringent security measures in place this year. I do not believe that necklace can possibly have entered this school without our knowledge-"

"But-"

"-and what is more," said Professor McGonagall, with an air of awful finality, "Mr. Malfoy was not in Hogsmeade today."

Harry gaped at her, deflating.

"How do you know, Professor?"

"Because he was doing detention with me. He has now failed to complete his Transfiguration homework twice in a row. So, thank you for telling me your suspicions, Potter," she said as she marched past them, "but I need to go up to the hospital wing now to check on Katie Bell. Good day to you all."

She held open her office door. They had no choice but to file past her without another word.

Harry was angry with the other two for siding with McGonagall, his theory may not have been foul-proof but he simply had no doubt; Draco Malfoy was behind these deeds.

Did they not see this was all Malfoy's doing? How he himself was doing this for their own sake? What if he hadn't stopped Ron when he had reached out to pick it up? What if Hermione had been Imperiused to deliver the package? He didn't even want to think any further on the thoughts, as an uneasy feeling briefly shot through him.

Malfoy may not have been in Hogsmeade but that meant nothing; He must have used an accomplice then, Crabbe or Goyle or, another Death Eater.

The walk to the common room was silent, he was frustrated that they didn't support his theory; rebutted it even! Maybe it would be better if he also kept this to himself.

They could have been hurt today, besides; they won't believe his theory anyway…
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It was past midnight, his vision was a dark whirlpool of visions and images flashing by, melting into a new ones as he tossed in his bed. A thousand voices buzzing through his head, incomprehensible and chaotic before they quieted down into a much more focused image and sound, which was however; much more horrible, as he suddenly stood in the Ministry again.

"Well done, Ha—"

She was cut off as the Death Eater Hermione had just struck down made a sudden recovery, making a slashing movement with his wand; a streak of what looked like purple flame passed right across Hermione's chest. She gave a tiny yelp as she crumpled on to the floor, where she lay motionless.

"HERMIONE!"

The scene blurred again, his head pounding before leaving him just as fast.

There were footsteps running along behind the doors, every now and then another heavy body would launch itself against one, so it creaked and shuddered; Luna and Neville were bewitching the doors along the opposite wall - then, as Harry reached the very top of the room, he heard Luna cry:

"Collo-"

He turned in time to see her flying through the air; five Death Eaters were surging into the room through the door she had not reached in time; Luna hit a desk, slid over its surface and on to the floor on the other side where she lay sprawled, blood seeping onto the cold hard floor in a small puddle, as still as Hermione.

Whirling sounds and images overtook his mind and vision again as the scene changed.

"RON, NO!"

Harry did not know what would happen if Ron touched the tentacles now flying behind the brain, but he was sure it would not be anything good. He darted forwards but Ron had already caught the brain in his outstretched hands, his mind completely confused from the spell of the previous Death Eater.

The moment they made contact with his skin, the tentacles began wrapping themselves around Ron's arms like ropes.

"Harry, look what's happen- No - no - I don't like it - no, stop - stop –"

But the thin ribbons were spinning around Ron's chest now; he tugged and tore at them as the brain was pulled tight against him like an octopus's body.

"Diffindo!" Yelled Harry, trying to sever the feelers wrapping themselves tightly around Ron before his eyes, but they would not break. Ron fell over, still weakly thrashing against his bonds.

"Harry, it'll suffocate him!" Screamed Ginny, immobilized by her broken ankle on the floor - then a jet of red light flew from one of the Death Eater's wands and hit her squarely in the face. She keeled over sideways and lay there, silent like Ron was now.

He was hurled away again, his head throbbing painfully again for a brief moment.

"Let's see how long Longbottom lasts before he cracks like his parents… unless Potter wants to give us the prophecy." Bellatrix said, smiled manically.

"DON'D GIB ID DO DEM!" roared Neville, his words sounding strange through his broken nose, who seemed beside himself, kicking and writhing as Bellatrix drew nearer to him and his captor, her wand raised. 'DON'D GIB ID DO DEM, HARRY!'

Bellatrix raised her wand. "Crucio."

Neville screamed, his legs drawn up to his chest so that the Death Eater holding him was momentarily holding him off the ground. The Death Eater dropped him and he fell to the floor, twitching and screaming in agony as Bellatrix continued to hold her Curse.

The scene changed, making him clutch his head and wonder how long this would continue and how much he could take.

He saw Sirius again.

It seemed to take Sirius an age to fall; his body curved in a graceful arc as he sank backwards through the ragged veil hanging from the arch.

Harry saw the look of mingled fear and surprise on his godfather's wasted, once-handsome face as he fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind the veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in a high wind, then fell back into place.

Harry heard Bellatrix Lestrange's triumphant scream, but knew it meant nothing, Sirius had only just fallen through the archway, he would reappear from the other side any second…

But Sirius did not reappear.

"SIRIUS!" Harry yelled. "SIRIUS!"

He finally awoke, gasping, wet all over his body from sweat, his head was having a painful headache, depriving his exhausted mind of a break. He thanked the heavens, Merlin, anyone or anything for allowing him to awaken from his nightmare, but cursed them all the same for giving it in the first place.

He rolled to his side, wet hair on his head clinging to his face, allowing his back some coolness. He suppressing a groan of pain at his headache. Balling his fists painfully hard, his nails digging into his palm as he heard Lupin's words echo throughout his head over and over again.

"There's nothing you can do, Harry… nothing… he's gone."