Chapter 2: Visions (By S. Niranjan)
Read Chapter 1 here
Harry lay on his back on the floor sleeping, his glasses askew. Under his arm was the evening Prophet blaring the headline “Attack on East Surrey! 50 Wizards and 200 Muggles Killed”. His room was messier than ever. His trunk lay open pouring all its contents which lay in a pell-mell on the floor. Around his room lay crumpled Prophets and muggle newspapers. Harry’s wand was poking out from under his sweat shirt. On his desk were two sheets of parchment. One was a letter from Hermione and Ron over which laid his incomplete reply. He couldn’t send them the reply anyway, because Hedwig had gone hunting.
Harry slowly woke up. His face was sore because he had been lying on the floor. He wore his glasses and made his way to the window. All through the summer his only thoughts had been about Snape’s treachery and his mission. Ron had said in his letter that Mr.Weasley would be coming tomorrow to get him, so that he can attend Bill and Fleur’s wedding which was the day after. As he sat thinking about all of this he saw a distant figure of an owl flying. At same moment he heard a whisper. Harry then heard the sound of the front door being opened. These sounds were faint but he was able to hear them all the same. Harry pulled out his wand. Alert as ever he moved cautiously out of his room.When he neared the staircase, he heard footsteps and they were moving up towards him.“Lumos” said Harry.
“Professor Lupin!” Harry exclaimed in happiness. He hadn’t seen anyone from the order in many days.
“Be quite Harry!” retorted Lupin breaking into a grin. Lupin then reminded himself what he was here for.
“Let’s go back to your room and then we’ll talk.” Lupin said. They got in and Lupin sat down on Harry’s bed.
“So, Professor erm….You never told me why you were here.” Harry said.
Lupin took out the parchment from his pocket and gave it to Harry. Harry took it read and reread the note. But he couldn’t make out anything else other than that whoever sent it, was warning them about Voldemort and they also wanted Harry to go to Grimmauld place for some reason.
“Who sent this?” Harry asked Lupin.
Lupin shrugged “I have no idea about who sent it. All I can tell you is that this message appeared with this feather.”
He took out the phoenix feather from his pocket and gave it to Harry. The moment Harry touched the feather his scar started throbbing, the whole room around him dissolved. He then blacked out.Harry had a floating sensation. When Harry opened his eyes he was flying beside a phoenix. Harry looked around to see if he could recognize any of his surroundings, but he couldn’t. To Harry it seemed as though everything in the world had suddenly become red, orange and gold. His wings were flapping hard. He had traveled a long distance. Harry and the other phoenix landed in a mountainous area which seemed familiar to him. There was the unmistakable smell of the salty sea. I must be somewhere near the seaside thought Harry. Then they took off again and flew into a nearby cave that Harry hadn’t noticed before. Just as they entered the cave, everything around Harry dissolved to nothingness.
“Harry! Harry!” shouted Lupin.
Harry’s forehead was drenched with sweat. Harry opened his eyes. He saw Lupin sitting near him pale faced and concerned.
“Harry what happened?” asked Lupin. Harry himself was pondering about what had happened. He got up and explained what he had seen as detailed as possible.
“Hmm…..I too still don’t understand the meaning of your vision Harry. But everything will be clear with time. I don’t think we should let you stay here any longer. I think we should heed the message.” said Lupin.
All the while, Harry was still thinking about his vision. Before now he had only been able to see Voldemort’s experiences, but now it involved a completely different person. And the place the phoenixes finally landed, Harry could’ve sworn that he had been there before. He just couldn’t remember right now. He felt as if there was a mental block in his brain. He turned his attention back to Lupin.
“Where are we going Professor?” he asked.
“Hogwarts.” replied Lupin “I need to inform Minerva and the other members of the order about both your vision and this message. Then we will decide about where you can stay.”Lupin flicked his wand and Harry’s stuff rose up in the air and fell into his trunk.
“Ready?” asked Lupin.
Harry nodded, but he had the feeling that he had forgotten something. Then he remembered. Hedwig! He had seen her flying back and had completely forgotten her until now. He saw that she was perched in her cage.
“Yeah, we can go.” said Harry. “Locomotor trunk!” said Lupin and at his command Harry’s trunk rose up in the air and followed them out.
They walked out of the house making sure that they didn’t awaken anybody in the house. Lupin stood on the platform and held out his wand. BANG! The Knight Bus appeared, looking the same as ever. A new conductor stepped out. Harry, who was used to seeing Stan Shunpike, asked the other conductor “They haven’t released Stan Shunpike yet, have they?”
“No” replied the conductor, turning to Lupin he said “and where would you like to go sir?”
“Hogsmeade” said Lupin curtly. They climbed in and the Knight Bus rocketed into the darkness with another BANG!
Spinner’s End had been as stormy as any other part of London. But this least bothered Severus Snape who had been pacing about the living room of his house. The Dark Lord will come soon, he thought. But did he have time? Enough time to see it again. Once more just to make sure it was true. He was just as shocked as the others of the Order of the Phoenix. Why had Dumbledore wanted him to carry out this absurd request? Was Malfoy worth as much as Dumbledore’s life?
A gust of wind swept through the house.
“Have you been waiting long Severus?” said a cold voice behind Snape. Snape quickly turned around. “No” said Snape facing Voldemort.
Lord Voldemort looked Snape in the eye “Has my order been carried out?”
“Yes. I did it myself. Draco succeeded in getting the others inside the castle. But he lost his nerve when it came to finishing him off. I have spared the potter boy as you wanted.” said Snape.
“So, one obstacle has been cleared. Finally, the mudblood loving fool has met with his end. I could have done it myself. But it doesn’t matter now. I have far more important things to do.” replied Voldemort “You have done well. The Dark Lord rewards those who appease him. What do you desire?”
Snape replied “Nothing my lord. It was an honor to carry it out in your name.”
“Very well, where are the Malfoys? I thought you were bringing them here.”
“Potter came in my way. So I made Malfoy go on ahead. When I went back to the manor to get them, they were gone.” replied Snape.
“They should have known better than to run away from Lord Voldemort. They will be punished. Bella!” Lord Voldemort now faced the woman who had been standing among the shadows all the while. Snape hadn’t noticed her. The heavy lidded woman stepped forward from the shadows.
“Yes, my lord.” She said.
“You had been listening to our conversation haven’t you?” Lord Voldemort questioned.When she nodded in reply he said “I want you to find them. Bring them to me alive. Do not fail me this time. Understand?”
He turned to Snape “I say it again. You have done well. Bella thought you would back out. She was trying to persuade me to believe that you were working for Dumbledore all the while. But now she knows better…..Don’t you Bella? Don’t go about making nasty accusations about others.” He smirked at her and then said to Snape “You’ll hear from me soon Severus.”
Saying this he disappeared as silently as he had appeared.
Snape turned to Bellatrix “Poor Bellatrix. In a fix aren’t you?”
“What are you talking about Snape?” she snapped.
“Oh, you know very well what I am talking about.” He sneered “And to think you and Narcissa are sisters. I’d love to see the look on her face when you hunt her down. It’s alright. I think she will understand why her own sister had to hunt her down.” Snape stressed at every single word to give him the satisfaction that he had annoyed her to the maximum extent.
Bellatrix raised her wand threateningly. But before she could do anything, Snape disapparated.
How do I always end up doing things that I never want to do? Thought Harry as Hogwarts came into view. He had never wanted to come back to Hogwarts again, but here he was. He saw Minerva McGonagall coming down the staircase in the Entrance hall to meet him and Lupin, followed by Hagrid and Horace Slughorn.
“Hello Harry! What are yeh doin' here? I thought yeh'd never come back.” said Hagrid.
“Well, I’m back now.” said Harry.
“Minerva, I’ve got to tell you something and this is really important.” said Lupin. He took out the message and the phoenix feather and showed it to her.
“Harry had a vision. He touched the feather and went rigid. Harry tell her what you saw.” said Lupin. Harry then recounted what he had seen to the others.
“I don’t know what it meant.” concluded Harry.
Harry then had a sudden thought. “Professor McGonagall can I have the password to the Headmast….I mean….your office?” he asked.
“Why do you want to know Harry?” asked McGonagall.
“I’ve just had a thought.” said Harry “It’s really important and it’s something about what Professor Dumbledore told me.” He added when she looked at him curiously.
“Very Well, the password is Sugar Quill.”
Harry rushed to the seventh floor and up the spiral staircase to the Headmaster’s Chamber. He searched the wall for Dumbledore’s portrait. It was empty. Nothing. Unlike before this was just a blank stretch of canvas with nothing on it. But he remembered seeing Dumbledore in the portrait on the night he died. Can it be? Can he still be alive? But how? Harry had seen Snape use the killing curse right in front of him. He had dreamt about it all the time in his sleep. He could see it whenever he closed his eyes.
He heard the sound of footsteps coming up the spiral staircase. McGonagall opened the door and entered followed by Lupin. “Harry, we have received another phoenix feather message.” said Lupin.
He read it out “Lord Voldemort is extending his grasp. The giants are now fully under his control. Dementors and other foul beings are roaming the land. Death Eaters are on the prowl. Muggles and wizards are dieing everywhere. Diagon Alley is his next target. You must stop him!”
“I’ve sent members of Order of the Phoenix to Diagon Alley. But they are not enough. We need aurors. We need to talk to Scrimgeour!” said McGonagall.
“We have to go to the ministry right now.” said Lupin. McGonagall nodded grimly. “Harry you do know how to apparate don’t you?” asked McGonagall. When Harry nodded in reply she said
“Then I give you permission to apparate to the ministry.”
Read Chapter 1 here
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