Chapter 3 Harry's Nightmare
“Harry, I have a present for you too. I just remembered I left it upstairs. Let me go get it,” Ginny stuttered as she ran upstairs. “Wait here!”
She ran into her room and looked around desperately for his gift. Seeing the doves that were lying in her bed, she grabbed it immediately. But she remembered she wrote him a note too. She looked everywhere but still couldn’t find it. Afraid of having him wait too long in the common room by himself, she gave up. She walked downstairs very slowly, trying to calm herself down and catch her breath.
Harry was standing by the Christmas tree, still admiring and grinning at the mistletoe hung just above the staircase. As soon as he saw her come down, his longing eyes immediately focused on her, who was holding a pair of snow-white doves in her hands against her chest. Her head was down but he noticed that her long shiny red hair was caressing her face and dancing with every step she took. It had just occurred to him that Ron’s sister was such a stunningly beautiful girl, almost angel-like and ethereal. A warm fuzzy feeling emerged inside him, gradually replacing the coldness that had lingered from his nightmare. She unknowingly had him mesmerized.
Suddenly, Ginny paused awkwardly as she stared blankly at the doves. She had just noticed that she didn’t rewrap the gift.
“Sorry, Harry. I didn’t have a chance to wrap your gift, but I hope this will bring you peace,” she said sheepishly, handing to doves to him. But Harry just stood there frozen and did not reach for the doves, because what Ginny said struck a nerve in him for some reason. His eyes were still focused on her face. Standing motionless, he tried to respond but he found himself lost for words, “Ginny, I…”
She looked up at him, but he abruptly turned away because he sensed his eyes were beginning to water. He then reached for her arm and guided her with him as he walked towards the chair by the fireplace. As he sat down, images of his nightmare slowly reappeared in his mind again. Ginny was standing in front of him, still holding the doves, with a confused look on her face.
Ginny did not know what to make of this. She was watching him, who had a very sad yearning expression on his face. Feeling a bit uncomfortable from the silence, she finally mumbled to him softly, “You look very pale, Harry. I know it is well past midnight, but tell me about your nightmare…It was your parents, wasn’t it…”
He looked up at her, who was now sitting on the coffee table facing him. In his mind, he was wondering how was it possible that such a young girl could read another person’s mind the way she could, the way she read his. As she placed the doves on his lap, he grabbed both her hands and held them towards him. Ginny was stunned by Harry’s actions as both their eyes were suddenly locked with each other. Harry couldn’t voice the nightmare to her, but as he gazed into her sparkling brown eyes, he could tell that she had understood.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
“NO………DON’T HURT HIM…” Harry heard a very familiar screaming voice coming from afar that he recognized was his mother’s. He immediately opened his eyes and got up from the frozen ground. Harry could feel the piercing cold winds blowing through his hair. Not knowing where he was, he looked around desperately and saw blurry images just ahead of him, first a dark shadow hovering over a second image that appeared to be his mum. It was pointing his wand at her. After a flash of green light and a loud thundering bang that shook the ground, he heard echoes of evil laughter as the image of his mum disappeared.
“MUM…NO…” Harry roared at the shadow with his arm outstretched. As the shadow floated away, echoes of laughter continue to rip through his head.
His mind was flooded with desperate thoughts and his body was shaking. Suddenly, out of nowhere a hand grabbed his shoulder that almost made him flip over.
“Harry, Harry, where are we? Are you all right?” Ginny asked him nervously.
Harry found himself standing next to Ginny, who was shivering and clutching her clothes tightly. The cold piercing winds were getting stronger and stronger and ice pellets began to fall from the dark sky. The ground was full of ice and rocks. Fog and debris were swirling around them. He reached for his wand but it wasn’t there. Then the laughter echoed again ahead of him.
“I’m going after it! Wait for me here!” Harry yelled.
“I’M COMING WITH YOU!” Ginny blasted back, gripping his arm tightly.
“NO! IT’S TOO DANGEROUS! STAY HERE, GINNY!” he roared loudly at her as he shook her hand off and started to run.
Harry ran after the echo from the laughter. It was very difficult because of the swirling winds and ice. He couldn’t see too much ahead of him. Suddenly, he slipped and his foot landed on a patch of ice, which gave way as the entire patch of ice broke, swallowing him deep inside the freezing waters. Swimming desperately, he knew he had to get back up before the ice froze again. He realized he was never a good swimmer but he knew his life was depended on it. He swam up as hard as he could and somehow managed to grab the edge of the ice opening and pulled himself out of the icy waters. Panting, shivering and coughing up water, he pushed himself up and tried to run as fast as he could, not knowing which direction to go. Suddenly, he tripped and collapsed onto the ground. Too tired and too cold, he had very little energy left and could no longer get up. Alone and shivering under his water-soaked clothes, all he could do was curl up on the frozen ground.
My Guardian Angel by gossipweaver
Chapter Notes: Harry finally notices Ginny but it may be too late.