Chapter 9 The Dream
Harry examined Hermione and Ron. They eagerly awaited his tale. He took a deep breath and then began to tell his dream.
The night was warm, and the sweat fell down Harry’s forehead as he rolled in his sleep. Finally he sat up and slide out of bed. His mouth was parched as he headed down the stairs from Ron’s room. As he past Ginny’s room, he heard a strangled yell. Without thinking, Harry burst into the room. Hermione was dead asleep and Ginny’s bed was empty.
Worriedly Harry looked around; Ginny was not in the room. The strangled yell came again, this time Harry knew it came from downstairs. Taking the stairs two at a time, Harry reached the bottom quickly. A red flame burned in the fire, and it was slowly sucking Ginny into the flame.
“Help me!” Ginny cried as her torso disappeared into the flame. Harry panicked and grabbed Ginny’s hand. As soon as
Harry touched Ginny, the flame sucked them in instantly. Ginny’s screamed filled Harry’s ears as they were falling down a tube of swirling red and black. Harry grunted as he hit a hard dirt floor. He heard Ginny moan beside him, Harry quickly turned his mind away from his own pain to Ginny’s.
“Are you alright?” Harry asked worriedly.
“I’m fine,” Ginny replied sitting up blinking her eyes fast several times. “Harry look out!”
Harry turned to see Bellatrix Lestrange stand over him laughing. Bellatrix knocked him over and then snatched up Ginny. Harry jumped up ready to fight Bellatrix, but she had disappeared through the forest, dragging Ginny, who was kicking and screaming. Harry ran as fast as his leg would allow. But like all terrible dreams, Bellatrix stayed a step ahead of him. Finally Bellatrix stopped in front of a door. Before Harry could catch them an Erkling jumped out of the woods and attacked him. Bellatrix disappeared through the door with Ginny. Harry was left to battle the Erkling alone.
Harry didn’t have his wand. Looking to the forest floor a few large rocks caught his eye. He pelted the Erkling as it jumped from tree to tree. With one last stone Harry knocked the Erkling out, and sprinted to the door. He opened it hopeful that Ginny was there with Bellatrix. Instead he found the world of endless paradise. The round pools of water extending to the continuous distance. Harry walked forward hoping to find where Bellatrix had taken Ginny. He couldn’t find an escape, so he closed his eyes to think.
Harry opened them to find himself in a cave. Shocked Harry frantically ran down the cave passages fighting off bats and a strange large spider. By this time, Harry was worried and was shaking with fear for Ginny’s life. His mind filled with why and how. As he ran through the darkness Harry stumbled and fell into a hole.
He cried out as his stomach lurched. Harry felt as though his fall would never end, it was at that point that he fell onto a pillow. He examined his surroundings. The room as elaborately decorated with large windows and a coffin in the middle. He didn’t see anymore for his eyes only searched for Ginny or Bellatrix. When he did not see either he ran to the nearest door. Wrenching it open, Harry walked through confidently.
He stood in a huge room. Ginny was standing in an enormous bubble. She cried for help and then stopped as though her oxygen was low. Harry ran to the bubble and tried to break it. He pounded on it and even threw a rock at it. Bellatrix was laughing again. Ginny fell to her knees, her face pale and filled with horror. Harry beat at the bubble with all his might. Her laughter echoed in his ears as he realized that there was nothing he could do. Harry was irritated, angered, and scared as he saw Ginny lie on the floor. Her eyes turn glassy and her body stop twitching. Bellatrix face filled Harry’s vision and her laugh, mocking his existence.
“What happened next?” Hermione asked curiously. Her eyes scanned Harry carefully as though hoping to find more information. The dream seemed too contorted and short. She wondered if Harry had purposely left information out. Hermione couldn’t figure what he would be hiding from his two best friends. Ever since they had all arrived in this strange place, Harry had been acting strangely. First he seemed to know what was going to happen, and then hiding the dream from them. And now she was almost positive that he had not told them the whole dream. She waited patiently for him to answer her question. Hermione could see his mind working as though it battled to tell or not to tell. His face cleared.
“That’s all of it. The dream always stops there and I wake up,” Harry shrugged. He sighed and then wondered if he had done the right thing. It was fear that was holding him back. They were his best friends, but he couldn’t tell them. He was afraid of their reactions, afraid of their rejection, afraid that they would tell him. It really didn’t matter. Besides he couldn’t let himself become so vulnerable again. Harry had fought those feelings all summer, and now they had surfaced against his will.
“Well…Hermione I don’t think that will help us that much,” Ron replied going over in his mind the events of the dream. He couldn’t see much that would be useful. Ron looked around at his two friends, both deep in thought. He cleared his voice, and the two just silently stayed in their reverie. Ron wanted them to distract them. He was worried about Ginny, deeply worried about Ginny. His sister was one of the most important things in his life and once again she was in serious danger. He had tried to make a light joke of it earlier, only to lift his heavy heart, but to no avail. Ginny, couldn’t be dead. What did Bellatrix want with Ginny anyways, and why only bring Harry along? Ron shook his head.
“Well it does help us know that Bellatrix did only expect Harry,” Hermione replied. “And it tells us what could be ahead.”
“But what has happened to us so far isn’t all in my dream,” Harry pointed out.
“Then why give you the dream?” Ron asked.
“Harry did you have more than one dream?” Hermione looked at him.
Harry hesitated and then said, “Yeah, I think I did, but if so they were all the same.”
“What is that suppose to mean?” Ron shrugged his shoulders. “Big deal he had more than one dream, how is that going to help us?”
“I don’t know,” Hermione paused. “It has to give us some sort of clue.”
“We know that Bellatrix is going to try and kill Ginny,” Ron pointed out.
“Why Ginny though? Does she know something or have something that Bellatrix wants?” Hermione wondered aloud.
Harry didn’t voice the thoughts that floated in his head about Bellatrix luring him there. Why not just take Ginny without bringing him. Harry couldn’t make it fit. He sighed and finally said, “I guess we won’t know until we run into Bellatrix and Ginny.”
“She better be alive.” Ron threatened. “Come on guys, we need to keep moving.” Hermione awoke from her reverie.
“Are you okay Ron?” She asked sincerely looking into his eyes deeply. Hermione was worried about him. Ron blushed and then smiled.
“I’m fine, I’m worried about Ginny,” Ron answered taking Hermione’s hand.
“Me too, let’s find her and soon,” Hermione replied comforting Ron. She hated to see Ron so worried, but it made him more endearing. He was so adorable, worrying about his little sister. Hermione hoped in her heart that he would worry about her that way too, only different.
Harry looked at his two friends and rolled his eyes. The necklace felt strangely heavy. He touched it unconsciously. His mind reeling at the feelings that were overcoming, Ginny seemed to fill every thought and emotion. Harry couldn’t explain away this feeling and couldn’t understand it. But the feeling came across him as this.
For some reason, he missed Ginny, deeply.
His mind flashed back to the summer day at the burrow.
Ginny sat before him; the dying rays of the sunlight illuminated her beautiful fiery red hair. Her eyes watched him with sorrow but behind that was encouragement. It was that night that he had told Ginny his deepest thoughts, fears, and desires. Harry had told her all about his emotions about Sirius and his death. He divulged to her about how it felt to grow up without loving parents and the cruelty of living with the Dursleys. Harry thought that he would never tell anyone about the prophecy, but that night he found himself telling Ginny all about the prophecy and his fears of killing or being killed. He even told about how he was afraid that his friendships would bring danger to those he loved most.
Ginny had listened to all of it intently, comforting, reassuring, and mostly encouraging him. He remembered the way she looked, how her hair lay across her shoulders. The way she cried with him about Sirius. Harry had thought that it was bad enough to see Cho cry. It was worse with Ginny. Harry wasn’t sure if the tears were all for Sirius or if a few had been from the sad tearful face of Ginny.
The feelings for Ginny he had repressed that day again filled his heart. He tried to smother them again. Harry reminded himself that she had moved on, Ginny’s heart loved someone else. Sadness took over. He couldn’t believe that Ginny could or would ever like him again. Harry swallowed the lump in his throat. A thought popped into Harry’s mind. Whether or not Ginny loved him, Harry knew his heart would never rest until she was safe.
“Come on guys,” Harry called to his friends. His two friends snapped out of their love trance. They looked at Harry, his face resolute. “We have to save Ginny.”
“We’ll save her, Harry,” Hermione replied with a reassuring look. “She’ll be fine, don’t worry.”
Harry watched her for a moment, afraid that she might have seen into his soul and saw his fondness for Ginny. Hermione’s face didn’t change. He hadn’t given her any signs. There was no way she could know. Harry’s secret was still his. He nodded at Hermione.
“Harry, Gin’s strong. She’ll get the best of Bellatrix,” Ron told him. Although Harry was positive that Ron was reassuring himself.
Harry smiled at his friends and gave them a hug. He turned and opened the door. Harry walked into the Hogwarts long hallways. His mind reeled. How in the world did they arrive at Hogwarts?
“How did we get here?” Ron asked as he looked around.
“This may not even be the real Hogwarts. We can’t have walked that long to get here,” Hermione replied apprehensively. “It’s not possible. It’s another illusion. Nothing else explains it.”
“I think you’re right,” Ron answered as he looked at the wall in front of him.
Harry was looking at it too. It was as if it was a nightmare. He couldn’t believe his eyes. On the wall words written in blood, “Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber for ever.”
“I’m so confused,” Hermione said as she looked at the wall.
“Harry?” Ron waited for a reply. Harry didn’t say anything. His mind was on other things as he fearfully stared at the wall with disbelief.
“Does this mean we have to go to the Chamber?” Ron asked. “Will a Basilisk be there?”
“I hate snakes! I’m not going!” Hermione said hysterically.
“I don’t think that we have any other choice,” Harry answered. He headed towards Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom. Harry was afraid of what he might find in the chamber. Would Ginny be there dead this time? He couldn’t face seeing her so helpless on the floor again. He moved his mind to other things. If this was really an illusionary Hogwarts then maybe, just maybe, Moaning Myrtle would not be there. Harry could handle that.