The Princess of Light

Chapter 5.24 (The snake-attack)

Harry was shaking in his bed.

He couldn't tell dream from reality but he was pretty sure all the boys were surrounding him, looking worried.

Was him vomiting from the pain a dream or not?

Harry pushed himself up in bed, his eyes squeezed shut and his face green. "Your dad," he panted, his chest heaving. "Your dad's...been attacked..."

"What?" Said Ron uncomprehendingly.

"Your dad! He's been bitten, it's serious, there was blood everywhere...."

"I'm going for help." Neville said.

"Harry, mate," said Ron uncertainly, "you...you were just...dreaming..."

"No, I wasn't!" Harry snapped, "I was there, I saw it...I did it."

Dean and Seamus were muttering but that was the last thing Harry cared about.

He was sweating and shivering feverishly. He retched again and Ron leapt backwards out of the way.

"Harry, you're not well." Ron said shakily. "Neville's gone for help."

"I'm fine!" Harry choked, wiping his mouth on his pyjamas and shaking uncontrollably. "There's nothing wrong with me, it's your dad you've got to worry about - we need to find out where he is - he's bleeding like mad - I was - it was a huge snake."

He tried to get out of bed but Ron pushed him back into it. Dean and Seamus were still whispering somewhere nearby.

He didn't know how long they sat there but suddenly there were hurried footsteps coming up the stairs and she heard Neville's voice again.

"Over here, Professor."

Professor McGonagall came hurrying into the dormitory in her tartan dressing gown, her glasses perched lopsidedly on the bridge of her bony nose.

"What is it, Potter? Where does it hurt?"

"It's Ron's dad," he said, sitting up again. "He's been attacked by a snake and it's serious, I saw it happen."

"What do you mean, you saw it happen?" Said Professor McGonagall, her dark eyebrows contracting.

"I don't know...I was asleep and then I was there..."

"You mean you dreamed this?"

"No!" Said Harry angrily. "I was having a dream at first about something completely different, something stupid...and then this interrupted it. It was real, I didn't imagine it. Mr. Weasley was asleep on the floor and he was attacked by a gigantic snake, there was a load of blood, he collapsed, someone's got to find out where he is..."

Professor McGonagall was gazing at him through her lopsided spectacles as though horrified at what she was seeing. "I'm not lying and I'm not mad!" Harry told her, his voice rising to a shout. "I tell you, I saw it happen!"

"I believe you, Potter." Said Professor McGonagall curtly. "Put on your dressing gown - we're going to see the Headmaster."

Harry seemed so relieved she believed him, that he did not hesitate and jumped out of bed at once, pulled on his dressing gown and pushed his glasses back on to his nose.

"Weasley, you ought to come too." Said Professor McGonagall.

They followed her out of the dormitory, down the spiral stairs into the common room, through the portrait hole and off along the Fat Lady's moonlit corridor.

Within a few minutes they had reached the stone gargoyle guarding the entrance to Dumbledore's office.

"Fizzing Whizbee." Said Professor McGonagall.