The Dream Trilogy Book Two: Tread On My Dreams (A Harry Potter FanFiction)

Chapter Two

Chapter Song: The Adventure by Angels and Airwaves

Chapter Image by the incredible Visenya at The Dark Arts

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Chapter Two

The walls were dank. Moisture trickled along soft emerald moss that glistened in the shadowy torchlight, the air tasted old and bitter. Harry crouched in the small inlet of stone, knowing he had very little time to decide what to do. His mind raced too fast for him to think clearly, his ears rang and he couldn't swallow enough breath to fill his lungs. He clutched the sword in his hands, feeling the weight of the metal reassure him, ground him, hearten him. 

The song, sweet and mournful, rang through the air, and Harry clung to it as fiercely as the hilt between his fingers. He was not alone, he had to remember that, he was not alone. 

The ground vibrated beneath his feet, and Harry knew he had to move, now. He skirted behind a pillar, shying away from the belly of the chamber, hanging onto the gloomy edges. The beast was cumbersome and hindered by blindness, but Harry could tell it smelt him, hungered for him, and would not be deterred from its pray. If only he had more time. 

The ghost of a boy was screaming at his pet, commanding it in a language that slipped through Harry's thoughts like vapour. His eyes watered as they scanned the bright auditorium; he knew where he had to go, but he didn't know if his trembling legs would carry him. 

He tried to quash the overwhelming fear with clear thinking, strategy. The ground was solid beneath his feet, the sword was cold still in his grasp. He pictured the amount of steps he was going to take, what the burst of energy would feel like, then ran. 

The ghost boy screamed, the beast reared its serpentine head, and Harry found himself skidding to a halt, raising the blade, beating the creature back. He could see her, she was so close. He couldn't let anything happen to her, it was all his fault... 

The sword hit true, sliding into the creature's skull with a sickening thud as it roared in fury. Elation washed through Harry, his thoughts already turning to the copper headed girl by the stone statue. But his victory was premature.  

The beast's jaw clamped down, and one of its long, deadly fangs shredded into Harry's shoulder. He heard himself scream as the blood gushed out and the poison flowed in. Burning hot light filled his body, and even as he pulled himself free he knew it was over.  

The ghost boy laughed, his affection for the snake monster evaporating as soon as Harry's defeat was ensured. The beast slumped to the ground where Harry already lay, feeling helpless as the life slipped away from him. The poison was working quickly, fighting Harry for breath as the sensation faded from his fingers. Tears leaked from his eyes, desperation holding onto consciousness. But he was dying and there was nothing he could do. 

He was dying. 

He was dying...

***

He hit the floor with a considerable amount of pain, taking the vast majority of the bedspread with him. Panting, Harry flung his arm up to the bedside cabinet, grabbed his wand and cried "Lumos!" into the darkness. It was just a nightmare, he told himself as his breathing gradually slowed down, just another nightmare.  

He leant against the bed frame, slowing his heart down and combing the shadows to comfort himself he was safe and alone. The realism of the dream was slowly ebbing away, leaving him with only the cold sweat on his skin and thudding pain in his forehead. It's just a dream, he reassured himself again. They're all just dreams. 

That's what he told himself at any rate.  

He rubbed his forehead to alleviate some of the pressure, then stood and moved over to his window to watch the dawn teetering on the edge of the horizon. The back garden was dark, but Harry could still make out the stone ornaments playing hide and seek in the shrubs.