Harry met me. Ron and Hermione by the foot of the marble staircase later than expected after their last D.A. meeting. Hermion was reading a book, I was mentally preparing S.S. scheduels Ron was leaning against a pillar, trying to memorize facts for hisTransfiguration homework. It was the only way we could meet after dinner.
"What kept you?" Ron asked, as Harry sank into the seat beside me.
Harry did not answer. He was in a state of shock.
"Are you all right, Harry?" Hermione asked, peering at him .Harry gave a halfhearted shrug. In truth,it seemed he didn't know whetherhe was all right or not.
"What's up?" said Ron, hoisting himself up onhis elbow to get a clearer view of Harry. "What's happened?"
"Is it Cho?" Hermione asked in a businesslike way. "Did she corner you after the meeting?"
Looking numbly surprised, Harry nodded. Ron sniggered, breaking offwhen Hermione caught his eye.
"So — er — what did she want?" he asked in a mock casual voice.
"She —" Harry began, rather hoarsely; he cleared his throat andtried again. "She — er —"
"Did you kiss?"I asked briskly.
Ron stared avidly at Harry.
"Well?" he demanded.
Harry looked from Ron's expression of mingled curiosity and hilarity to Hermione's slight frown to my smirk, and nodded.
"HA!"
Ron made a triumphant gesture with his fist and went into a raucous peal of laughter that made several timid-looking second years walking across jump. A reluctant grin spread over Harry'sface as he watched Ron rolling around on the floor. Hermionegave Ron a look of deep disgust.
"Well?" Ron said finally, looking up at Harry. "How was it?"
Harry considered for a moment."Wet," he said truthfully.Ron made a noise that might have indicated jubilation or disgust,it was hard to tell.
"Because she was crying," Harry continued heavily.
"Oh," said Ron, his smile fading slightly. "Are you that bad atkissing?"
"Dunno," said Harry, who, it seemed, hadn't considered this, and immediatelyfelt rather worried. "Maybe I am."
"Of course you're not," said Hermione absently.
"How do you know?" said Ron in a sharp voice.
"Because Cho spends half her time crying these days,"i said vaguely. "She does it at mealtimes, in the loos, all over theplace."
"You'd think a bit of kissing would cheer her up," said Ron,grinning.
"Ron," said Hermione in a dignified voice, "you are the most insensitive wart I have everhad the misfortune to meet."
"What's that supposed to mean?" said Ron indignantly. "What sortof person cries while someone's kissing them?"
"Yeah," said Harry, slightly desperately, "who does?"
Hermione and I looked at the pair of them with pity. Tell me, are all boys like this?
"Don't you understand how Cho's feeling at the moment?" I asked.
"No," said Harry and Ron together.
I sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
"Well, obviously, she's feeling very sad, because of Cedric dying.Then I expect she's feeling confused because she liked Cedric and nowshe likes Harry, and she can't work out who she likes best. Then she'llbe feeling guilty, thinking it's an insult to Cedric's memory to be kissing Harry at all, and she'll be worrying about what everyone elsemight say about her if she starts going out with Harry. And she probably can't work out what her feelings toward Harry are anyway, because he was the one who was with Cedric when Cedric died, so that'sall very mixed up and painful. Oh, and she's afraid she's going to bethrown off the Ravenclaw Quidditch team because she's been flying sobadly."
A slightly stunned silence greeted the end of this speech, then Ronsaid, "One person can't feel all that at once, they'd explode."
"Just because you've got the emotional range of a teaspoon doesn'tmean we all have," said Hermione nastily.
"She was the one who started it," said Harry. "I wouldn't've — shejust sort of came at me — and next thing she's crying all over me — Ididn't know what to do —"
"Don't blame you, mate," said Ron, looking alarmed at the verythought.
"You just had to be nice to her," said Hermione, looking up anxiously. "You were, weren't you?"
"Well," said Harry, an unpleasant heat creeping up his face, "I sortof — patted her on the back a bit."
Hermione looked as though she was restraining herself from rollingher eyes with extreme difficulty. I didn't try to resist. I rolled my eyes.
"Well, I suppose it could have been worse," Hermione said. "Are you going to see her again?"
"I'll have to, won't I?" said Harry. "We've got D.A. meetings,haven't we?"
"You know what I mean," said Hermione impatiently.
"Oh well," said Hermione distantly, "you'll have plenty of opportunities to ask her. . . ."
"What if he doesn't want to ask her?" said Ron, who had beenwatching Harry with an unusually shrewd expression on his face.
"Don't be silly," said Hermione vaguely, "Harry's liked her for ages,haven't you, Harry?"
"Well, we better leave" I sighed checking my watch "5 minutes to 9. Night."
For the first time since the term I had no homework, and was able to curl up against Draco, who was writing a Transfiguration essay with my favourite book . Which was, in case you care, "The Complete Novels of Sherlock Holmes." I love a good murder-mystery.
Wizards have fascinating books on every subject, but this book with all it's sheer logic gives me a break from everyday craziness.
I mean, if one man get so much out of the word "RANCE" then it really goes to show that there are clue everywhere if one looks for it. And I also shared Holmes's hatred for politics,given the Ministry's propaganda.
I bid everyone goodnight at around 10'o clock. It was an overall normal day, but my dream was far from normal.
My body felt smooth, powerful, and flexible. I was gliding between shining metal bars, across dark, cold stone. . . . I was flatagainst the floor, sliding along on my belly. . . . It was dark, yet I could see objects around me shimmering in strange, vibrant colors.. . .
I was turning my head. . . . At first glance, the corridor wasempty . . . but no . . . a man was sitting on the floor ahead, his chindrooping onto his chest, his outline gleaming in the dark. . . .
I put out my tongue. . . . I tasted the man's scent on the air.. . . He was alive but drowsing . . . sitting in front of a door at the endof the corridor . . .
I longed to bite the man . . . but I must master the impulse.. . . I had more important work to do. . . .But the man was stirring . . . a silvery cloak fell from his legs as hejumped to his feet; and
I saw his vibrant, blurred outline towering above him, saw a wand withdrawn from a belt. . . . I had nochoice. . . . I reared high from the floor and struck once, twice,three times, plunging my fangs deeply into the man's flesh, feeling hisribs splinter beneath my jaws, feeling the warm gush of blood. . . .
The man was yelling in pain . . . then he fell silent. . . . He slumpedbackward against the wall. . . . Blood was splattering onto the floor. . . .
My forehead hurt terribly. . . . It was aching fit to burst. . . .
"Emma! EMMA!"
I opened my eyes. Every inch of my body was covered in icysweat; my bedcovers were twisted all around me like a straitjacket; I felt as though a white-hot poker was being applied to my forehead.
"Emma!"
Zoe was standing over me looking extremely frightened. Therewere more figures at the foot of my bed. I clutched my head in my hands; the pain was blinding me. . . .Images kept flashing in my mind as though my brain was determined to relive it a thousand times. The pain got ten times worse.
"Make it stop!" I cried "Please. . .someone make it stop!"
"Make what stop?"
"Zoe, what is she talking about?"
"I don't know. . .Emma, Emma talk to me. What is it?"
"Dead. . " I choked out "Dead. . .or badly hurt. . ." The pain tripled and I let out a scream.
"I told you everything!" I sobbed, they could make it stop. . .or they could call someone. . ."please. . ."
"I'll get Professor Snape" said a voice, clearly frightened. I heard footsteps retreating.
"He won't be able to come here" said another voice "we'll need to take her down."
"Alright."
I was being hoisted up and prompted to walk. I made it out of the dormitory without crumbling, but down the stairs my scar let out another painful throb and my mine began thinking horrible thoughts. . .
It's over. . .He's dead.
The voice came as a surprise.
He's gone. Like your parents.
"Stop it. . ." I cried "please. . ."
More students were starting to get up. I could hear doors opening and questions being fired a us. Though, I was in no mood to answer them.
"Emma?!" This ,through my bleary mind, I recognized as Nicholas's voice, followed by Harper's exclamation of "Good God! Someone get Snape!"
I was curled up against Zoe trying to block out the voice, the images, and the pain.
"Emma?!" This was Draco. The panic was clear in his voice and so was the fear.
I was taken away from Zoe and pushed into Draco's warm chest, I pulled myself closer to him, trying to get lost in his scent.
"Emma. . I--What Happened?!"
I couldn't talk. Zoe explained what had happened since I got up.
"Over here, Professor . . ."
Professor Snape came hurrying into the Common Room, miraculously still dressed.
"What is it, Ms Potter? Where does it hurt?"
I had never been so pleased to see him; it was a member of the Order of the Phoenix I needed now, not someone fussing over me andprescribing useless potions.
"It's Ron's dad," I choked as my scar throbbed.. "He's been attacked by asnake and it's serious, I saw it happen."
With cry, I buried myself into Draco. . .the images accompanied with the thoughts were too much.
"What do you mean, you saw it happen?" said Professor Snape, his dark eyebrows contracting.
"I don't know. . . . I was asleep and then I was there. . . ."
"You mean you dreamed this?"
"No!" I said angrily. Would none of them understand? " It was real, I didn't imagine it, Mr. Weasley was asleep on the floor and he was attacked by agigantic snake, there was a load of blood, he collapsed, someone's gotto find out where he is. . . ."
Professor Snape was gazing at me as though horrified at what he was seeing.
"I'm not lying, and I'm not mad!" I told him, as I choked down a sob. "I tell you, I saw it happen!"
"I believe you, Ms Potter," said Professor Snape curtly. "Put onyour dressing-gown — we're going to see the headmaster."