Story Banner by the marvelous Suzy
Disclaimer: All characters (except Abby Carson and her family members) and the main premise of this story are copyright J.K. Rowling and her Harry Potter series

Hello! For those of you who followed Abby Sa13+ then you know this is the sequel to it, but for those of you who are discovering this for the first time have no worries! I've provided a little summary if you will of what this story will be about. I hope you enjoy it and please feel free to leave comments. They are always appreciated

Summary:
Abby Carson left Hogwarts at the end of her fifth year with a bundle of mixed feelings. She was mourning the death of Sirius, a long time mentor to her and her friends, and the loss of both of her mother and father who decided that the Death Eaters hold the key to their future. Thanks to the kindness of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley Abby spent the summer with the Weasley's, visited often by Hermione, who Abby was pretty sure came for other reasons than just to spend time with her. But Abby misses her boyfriend Harry and is looking forward to accompanying Dumbledore to collect him from the Dursleys. The bunch is in for a trying year, both emotionally and mentally as they struggle to find a way to beat Voldemort and stop both prophecies from coming true.

Chapter One: The Dursleys

I had been sitting on the couch in the Weasley's cluttered but cozy living room just waiting for Dumbledore to arrive. I was spacing, as the Weasley's had noted I did quite often these days, just listening to the sounds of the various things around me. After giving myself one last moment of staring I brought myself back to the room around me and stood up.

I hadn't seen Harry all summer and to be quite honest I was missing him horribly. After the incident at the Ministry I was eager to be close to Harry, if not just to be with him but to protect him. We had a bull's eye on our backs, and the fact that Harry was stuck with his ignorant and rude aunt and uncle did not help to calm my nerves that something was going to happen to him. We had been writing of course, mostly about random things, but including in important issues as well. We had developed quite a coded system with one another, and we were pretty sure that if anyone had intercepted our letters they would probably think that we had fallen off our rockers.

Ron, Ginny, and I had been keeping a very close eye on the Daily Prophet, which was now going on and on about the threats You-Know-Who posed to society as well as tips on what to do if you were to encounter a Death Eater. Perhaps the most disconcerting news that we had read about was that Ollivander, the maker of all of our wands, had disappeared a couple of weeks ago. It was very apparent that Death Eaters had snatched him since the store was left in shambles, but the question as to why they took him was hovering ominously over our heads.

I walked over to look out the window into the somewhat dark fields outside. I stared at myself slightly in the reflection of the glass, still feeling self conscious about how I looked. Since I had first transformed into my animagi form my features had been changing. My dark brown hair was now pretty much black. My pale skin, which I didn't think could get any paler, now had a smooth marble look to it, and my blue eyes were more sapphire looking than ever, the green specks around my irises practically glowing. I had known that I was going to change a bit, but I hadn't been expecting this much of a transformation, and to be quite honest I felt like I was a different person.

My senses had gradually started to strengthen over the summer, especially right after I practiced flying around the fields, as well as my telepathy. I could be sitting in the living room and hear clear as day the thoughts of Mrs. Weasley four floors up. I didn't mind as much, since it made it easier for me to avoid walking in on Ron and Hermione who were having little conversations alone. I could tell that something was brewing between the two of them, even if neither one was willing to admit it to one another, and to be quite honest it made me happy. I had always felt that Ron and Hermione were soul mates and it was about time my feelings became a reality. Ginny had also been having good relationship luck, her and Seamus going strong through the whole summer. I was glad that Seamus had found someone who was worthy of him because he is an incredible guy.

I continued to look out at the fields, my lips turning into a little smile as I saw Dumbledore in his robes approaching the house. I turned around and pulled my bag off of the couch before hollering up the steps to Mrs. Weasley that I was on my way out.

"Oh do be careful dear!" said Mrs. Weasley, hurrying down the stairs so she could give me a hug before I left.

Mrs. Weasley's curly orange hair was curlier than ever, and her dresses with unique prints and aprons gave you a feeling of welcome no matter who you were. I gave her a gentle squeeze as she wrapped her arms around me.

"Don't worry Mrs. Weasley. I am with Dumbledore, remember?"

"Yes, well, not to insult the man but he is getting up there you know?"

I gave her a little smile. "I'll be careful. We shouldn't be too long."

"Tell Harry I'll have some warm dinner for both of you when you return. I don't imagine they feed the poor boy when he's over there...he always comes back looking so scrawny!"

I let out a little laugh at the same time Dumbledore's fist knocked on the wooden door. I went over and opened it to find Dumbledore standing there, admiring us both with warm smiles. I returned it, but I could sense the weakness in Dumbledore. He looked tired, like a rag that had been worn thin, and there were deep purple circles under his eyes that could be seen clearly despite the darkness outside.

"Good evening Molly, Abby," said Dumbledore, nodding to each of us respectively.

"Hello Albus," said Molly with a warm smile, giving him a little hug as well.

"Shall we be on our way?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes, I believe so!" I threw my bag over my shoulder and stepped outside, pulling the wooden door shut behind me. "How will we be traveling this evening?" I asked, ready to transform if I needed to.

"I believe Apparation ought to do the trick," said Dumbledore, extending out his arm for me to take hold. I wrapped my hand around it, slightly concerned by how thin it felt, before being sucked into the uncomfortable suction tube. We landed in the middle of the street, with small brown houses that all looked the same on either side of us.

"This will be his house," said Dumbledore with a gentle smile.

I had never met the Dursleys, nor had I ever seen a muggle home before. Harry had explained it wasn't much different than a wizarding home, only things didn't move on their own accord. Following Dumbledore's lead I walked down the little paved sidewalk up to their front door. Dumbledore held up his hand, which I noticed was completely black on one finger, and gave a couple of knocks.

"Who in the blazes would be coming about at this hour?!" I heard a man bark from the other side of the door. From what I had heard I figured it was a safe assumption to say the man was Harry's uncle.

Dumbledore and I both waited patiently as we heard the chain to the door lock slide across the medal before the wooden door swung open.

Upon first sight of the man I had a strong urge to laugh, but I held my features together well. Uncle Vernon was pleasantly plump, as my mom once told me was the polite way to refer to people on the heavier side, with a short trimmed mustache that made him look like he belonged in a cartoon. He stared out at Dumbledore and me with small beady eyes that showed a mixture of annoyance and loathing.

"Who in the blazes are you two?" he barked at us.

"Hello Mr. Dursley, I am Albus Dumbledore the Headmaster at Hogwarts..."

Before Dumbledore could finish Mr. Dursley had yelled out in frustration. "Don't talk about that outside!!! The neighbors could hear you!"

Just as Dumbledore was about to respond I heard footsteps on the stairs and I knew they were Harry's. I wanted to push the man out of the way and run to Harry, but I figured the man would not be pleased with some random girl barging into his home.

"It's alright Uncle Vernon. I told you they were coming to pick me up," said Harry, his head appearing just above Vernon's shoulder.

Harry did look thinner to me, but not too bad. His dark brown hair was a shaggy mess on the top of his head, and his green eyes shone with excitement from behind his glasses. If my eyes were serving me correctly it did look like Harry had grown a couple of inches over the summer, and his face had toned a little bit, making him look more manly and less boyish.

"Oh, yes, you did. Well bring them inside quickly before the neighbors get curious!"

With an annoyed wave Vernon moved so Dumbledore and I could come in. He slammed the door behind us, peeking out one of the side windows to make sure that no neighbors were peeking from behind their own curtains out at us. Once he was sure he shuffled back a few steps to stand by a woman I believed was Harry's Aunt Petunia.

She was tall and thin, her eyes just as beady as her husband's, and everything on her body was crisp and precise. She stared at me curiously, and I could tell she was jealous of my features. Standing next to her was who I assumed was Dudley, Harry's cousin. He was also pleasantly plump, but not quite as much as his father, but to my surprise he had softer features. His heart beat, which had been steady when we were standing outside had quickened quite a bit, and his cheeks started to flush when I turned to look at him.

"And who may I ask are you?" asked Petunia, eyeing me from head to foot.

"This is my girlfriend Abby," said Harry, wrapping an arm around my waist. "Abby, this is my Uncle Vernon, my Aunt Petunia, and my cousin Dudley."

I could tell that Harry was trying to be polite but I knew it was difficult for him to mask the hatred.

"It is a pleasure to meet you all," I said with a little smile.

Dudley's mouth fell open slightly at the sound of my voice. Harry had become aware of Dudley's staring and was slightly annoyed by it.

"Well, since we have a lot to do I suppose we should be on our way," said Harry, turning himself so he could look at me. "I just need to grab my suitcase."

"I'll help," I said with a smile. "You can show me your room."

"Be down in a second Professor?" asked Harry, wanting to make sure it was okay.

"Oh yes, take your time." Dumbledore turned his attention fully to the Dursleys. "You have a lovely home. May I ask how long you've lived here?"

I followed Harry up the stairs, not hearing Vernon's response, but I could tell that he was annoyed with Dumbledore already. Harry led me down a little hallway before opening the door to his room and shutting it closed behind me. Now that we were alone for a moment I felt more comfortable pulling him into a rather forceful hug. Harry stumbled, slightly surprised by the force, but pleased to have me in his arms nevertheless.

"I have missed you so much," Harry said, his voice mumbled because his mouth was against my shoulder.

"I have missed you," I said softly, releasing from the hug so I could kiss him.

We kissed for a couple of moments, both of us glad to have our lips together after such a long period of time before letting go. I watched him as he threw some last minute things into his suitcase before slamming it shut. Hedwig was in her cage, eyeing us both curiously.

"Hello Hedwig," I said, walking over to her. I reached my finger in and rubbed it against her soft wings. She seemed to appreciate it but I could tell she was annoyed at being stuck in this cage. "We'll let you fly around at the Weasley's," I said with a smile. That seemed to brighten her mood.

"Ready?" said Harry, pulling out the handle on his suitcase.

"As always," I said, grabbing Hedwig's cage and following him out of the room and down the steps.

The Dursleys were glaring at Dumbledore who just continued to smile warmly, admiring the different aspects of the house.

"I think we are ready Professor," said Harry.

"Ahh, well thank you for the little bit of hospitality you offered us," said Dumbledore before turning around, opening the front door, and walking out.

Harry followed Dumbledore, giving them a little nod before he went. I smiled warmly at them all, knowing all three were confused as to how someone so beautiful could be a witch. I was more concerned about Dudley whose face was so red I thought he was going to pass out.

Once the door was closed behind us Harry and I turned to look at Dumbledore.

"Where exactly are we going Professor?" asked Harry.

"To see an old friend," said Dumbledore warmly.

"And why are we seeing him?" I asked.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Because we need to recruit him."

Hello once again Ali. I was happy to find that you had posted your fan fiction and it seems that you haven't lost any of your particularly amazing gift in writing during the short break between the stories. I love the story and where this is going so far. I wonder how Horace will react when he meets Abby? I guess I'll have to wait huh? Oh, well. *pitches tent* Can't wait to read more!

!Jesse!

Aww thanks Jesse! I'm glad you enjoyed the first bit Here is some more of chapter one

Harry and I raised our eyebrows at one another, not quite sure what exactly we were going to recruit him for, but Dumbledore looked like he was ready to go. Harry took hold of Dumbledore's arm while I took hold of Harry's, and before we knew it we were sucked through the tube and popped out into a random street.

All the houses in the street were abandoned looking, the lights off in all of them, and one door had been cleanly broken off of its hinges on a house to my right. Dumbledore was looking out straight ahead of him at a tiny little cottage that looked like it hadn't been inhabited in years. The shutters were crooked and missing shingles, and the shrubs in the yard had grow so crazy that it was difficult to tell what kind of plant they actually were. I shifted my gaze upwards, instinctively pulling out my wand as I noticed the Dark Mark shining clear as day in the dark clouds above us.

"Do you think he was here?" asked Harry, his own wand out and at the ready.

"I'm not sure. Stay close," said Dumbledore as he started walking towards the house.

Harry and I followed, stopping briefly as Dumbledore examined the door to the cottage before opening it slowly. It let out an awful creaking sound while sending a huge cloud of dust down on top of us. Dumbledore ushered us inside, motioning for me to shut the door behind me, which I did.

The room looked like a tornado had swept through it. All the furniture had been knocked over, the one arm chair missing a leg, and the chandelier had crashed to the floor, leaving shards of glass and tiny crystal gems all over the place. Dumbledore was looking at the ceiling which to my surprise had a huge splash of blood across it. Instinctively I took a step closer to Harry who was also observing the blood on the ceiling with a concerned look.

To our surprise Dumbledore moved right under the spot of blood and flicked his wand, sending some of it down on to his finger. He gave it a sniff before putting his tongue to it which made my gag reflex kick in a little bit.

"Is it blood professor?" asked Harry, taking hold of my wrist so in case of an emergency he could throw me out of the way.

"No, no, not human blood. Dragon's blood," he said, giving us a little smirk before shifting his attention back to the token arm chair in the room that was actually in tact.

Harry and I observed as Dumbledore took a couple of steps towards the chair, stopping and staring for a moment, before taking his wand and forcefully poking the chair a lose spot where there was some fuzz coming out.

"YEEOUCH!" yelled the chair.

Harry's mouth fell open slightly and I struggled to stifle a laugh as a man's head appeared at the top of the chair, his right eye red and watering.

"Did you need to poke so hard there Albus?" the main asked as his body shifted back to it's normal form. He was on the plumper side with a head that looked a little too small for his body. He was about the same height as Dumbledore, and of the thin hair remaining on the top of his head all of it was a pepper white color. His cheeks were rosy and he was eyeing Dumbledore with a bit of loathing.

"I didn't poke that hard Horace. Now, why don't I help you put the room back together?"

"Ah well, yes...yes..." With a little mumbling to himself Horace took out his wand and waved it around the room, returning things to where they were, and pulling the blood off of the ceiling and into a little vial that he had extracted from his pocket.

"Now, what can I help you with Albus? These are dark times you know and I prefer to keep myself on the down low if you catch my drift." Horace's one eye squinted a bit as he observed Albus.

"Well, first off I'd like to introduce to two of my students from Hogwarts. This is Abby Carson, Harry's significant other, and this of course is Harry Potter."

Horace turned to look at us, his one eye remaining squinted, before turning back to look at Dumbledore.

"Now, now. I know what you're trying to do Albus and the answer is no!"

"I merely came to see if you might reconsider coming to teach at Hogwarts is all."

"Well, no, the answer is still no. I am more concerned with keeping myself safe!"

Dumbledore stared at him for a moment. "Well, alright then. If you don't mind I need to visit the restroom before we depart. Sorry to impose Horace," said Dumbledore before exiting the room.

"Yes...yes..." said Horace, watching Dumbledore as he walked out of the room, grabbing a magazine as he went.

Harry and I stood there, Harry still holding my hand and me staring at Horace curiously.

The nerve of him coming here and bringing along Harry and Abby. She must be the girl in the prophecy. Humph. She's got other concerns doesn't she than coming along to recruit me? Especially with her mother and father being death eaters.

My eyes narrowed as Horace finished his thought, his eyebrows going up slightly at my expression.

Surely she can't really hear what I am thinking...but perhaps she can. Well...wouldn't they be worth mentioning to people I come across. I've met Harry and Abby, yes, the couple trying to bring down Voldemort. And to think that I could teach them!

Harry was looking at Horace curiously as well, exchanging glances with me as Horace looked around.

"So...how long have you been dating?" he asked, warming up his smile.

"A couple of months," said Harry, somewhat surprised by the question.

"You two make a very cute couple, very cute," said Horace, taking a couple of steps forward so he could have a better look at us.

"Thank you," said Harry, giving my hand a little squeeze.

I was eyeing Horace curiously, wondering why it was that Dumbledore was so keen on having him fill the open Defense Against the Dark Arts position.

"So, you're not going to come and teach at Hogwarts?" I asked him with a little smile.

"Ah...well...I'm busy with various things you know. You'll come to understand when you're a bit older."

"And what may I ask is more important than preparing our youth for the inevitable war with Voldemort?" asked Harry, picking up on my intentions.

Horace's mouth fell open slightly. "Well...uh..." Horace's eye squinted down again.

"Like I said...you'll understand when you get older."

Hello Allie. I'm sorry it's taking me so long to comment on your posts. I do read them as they come out. I am just dealing with some issues now, and have been for a while. But, to your ff. I love it, and am so glad that Harry is the same sweet thing he is in the H.P. books. I'm sure though she can take care of herself. it's just sweet of him to want to protect her. grrrrrrrrrrrrr He's always so full of himself that he doesn't take the time to consider if something is true or not. If it doesn't concern him, then he just doesn't care.
Great posts Allie. I'll be watching for your next.

Aww thanks Connie, and I am sorry to hear that you are having some issues in your life outside SS. I hope they get resolved quickly!

Horace stood there looking around the room and feeling horribly uncomfortable. He cleared his throat, trying mentally to decide what was more important to him: the fame of having taught Harry Potter and Abby Carson or the safety of hiding and keeping himself on the down low.

I was staring at him intently when Dumbledore emerged from the bathroom, eyeing a page in his magazine curiously.

"I really ought to give this whole knitting thing a go," he said to us with a warm smile. "Nothing quite like a warm, fuzzy scarf you know."

Horace's mouth fell open slightly but he quickly closed it again after realizing it was probably rude to look at Dumbledore like that.

"Well, we better be on our way. It is late after all, and I am sure Harry and Abby are looking forward to Molly's home cooked meal!"

Dumbledore opened the door and swiftly walked out of it, and Harry and I made to follow. I gave Horace a little nod of the head before following Harry out of the house and into the street. Dumbledore was walking slowly, admiring the streetlights as we went.

"Why isn't Dumbledore doing anything?" asked Harry, looking at me.

"Because he doesn't have to," I said with a gentle smile.

In that moment the door behind us opened and Horace came running out of it.

"Wait, wait!!" he hollered at us. We all stopped turning to look at him. He looked annoyed at what he was doing but knew it was too late to turn back now. He was already out here and he knew how badly his reputation would be soiled if Dumbledore went back to Hogwarts telling everyone that he was too frightened to come and teach at the school.

"Yes Horace?" asked Dumbledore, acting surprised.

"Alright, alright! I'll take the position."

A huge smile spread across Dumbledore's face. "I am so glad to hear that you have changed your mind Horace. I'll see you on the first day then?"

"Yes, yes, I reckon you will," grumbled Horace.

"Excellent. See you then!"

Dumbledore held out each of his elbows for Harry and I to grab on to, which we did, and the next thing we knew we were being sucked into the annoyingly familiar suction tube, Horace's disgruntled facial expression our last visual before we landed amongst the high grass of the Weasley's yard.

"So Professor, why were you..." but Harry stopped once he realized that Dumbledore was no longer with us.

"I guess he has somewhere to be?" I said with a little chuckle.

"Yeah, I guess so. Let's go inside...I'm starving!"

Harry took my hand and led me up to the Weasley's door, which was yanked open with force by Hermione who nearly tackled us both to the ground. We spent the rest of the evening eating the delicious sandwiches that Mrs. Weasley had prepared for us and chatting before we headed up to bed. Hermione and I joined Harry and Ron in Ron's room after we were sure that everyone else had gone to bed.

"So, why do you think Dumbledore wanted to recruit him so badly?" asked Ron.

"I don't know," said Harry. "Did you catch any thoughts Abby?"

I shook my head. "Not really. He seemed kind of preoccupied in there though..."

"Preoccupied with what?" asked Hermione, turning the page of the Daily Prophet.

"I don't know. I kept seeing flashes of a boy in his mind, but the boy was younger, almost like a first year, but not like anyone I knew. And when I say flashes I mean very, very glimpse images."

Hermione's eyebrows furrowed. "I guess we'll find out eventually once we get to Hogwarts."

"Why do we always have to figure things out at Hogwarts?" groaned Ron.

"Because if we don't no one else would," said Harry with a little chuckle. "Look at our track record Ron."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," said Ron, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Don't worry, one of these days we'll actually be able to go to bed not having to worry about what we'll wake up to in the morning," said Hermione, looking out the window with a curious expression on her face.

"Yeah, that'll be the day," said Harry, giving my hand a little squeeze.

We all fell asleep in Ron's room that night, all of us wondering what the new year at Hogwarts would bring. I didn't know what was so important about Horace Slughorn or the boy that seemed to be swirling around in Dumbledore's mind, but I could tell that this year Dumbledore wasn't going to leave us out of the loop like usual.

After all like Mrs. Weasley had said, Dumbledore was getting old and when the time came Harry and I might have to do what we need to do without him.

Hello Allie. Happy New Year! Thank you so much Allie. You're very sweet. It's good that he thought Dumbledore would say that, but I know he wouldn't say any such thing. Does she see something, or was she just in deep thought. Good! It's about time he trusted someone else!
Great post Allie! I love your story. I'll be watching for your next post.

Thanks Connie Sorry for so long without a response, but I have been a bit busy and a bit uninspired. However, I have come up with the first part of Chapter Two. Enjoy!!

I awoke the following morning to the sound of pounding downstairs. I rolled over to see Harry, his glasses slightly askew on his face and his mouth hanging open, his bottom lip slanting towards one side. Ron was completely sprawled out on his bed, one arm flopping over the side lazily, with his hand conveniently close to Hermione's shoulder. Hermione was lying completely still on her back, looking rather peaceful if I did say so myself.

I stealthily got up, stepping over Harry before closing the door shut gently behind me. I went down the stairs to the kitchen to find Mrs. Weasley smacking the counter forcefully and repeatedly with an oddly colored rolling pin. She didn't look particularly angry, more worn out than anything, but I couldn't help but wonder what in the world she was doing.

"Um, Mrs. Weasley?!" I said, yelling slightly so that she could hear me. She stopped instantly, swinging around with rolling pin in hand looking slightly surprised.

"Oh, sorry dear, did I wake you?" she said apologetically.

"Oh, no, it's alright. I was pretty much awake anyway," I said with a soft smile. "May I ask what you're doing?"

"Ah...I am flattening out the dough for some bread I am making. An old trick my mother taught me when I was a little girl in order to help the bread rise better."

My eyebrows went up slightly. I had never heard of such a trick before but Mrs. Weasley was a very good chef and I figured it was best to just let her do her own thing.

"Are we still planning on going into Diagon Alley today?" I asked, taking a seat at the large kitchen table.

"Of course dear. Mr. Weasley should be back from the Ministry relatively soon and then we will be on our way! I figured we might as well take the Floo Network since there are so many of us...plus it is probably safer right now than anything else," Mrs. Weasley replied with a look of unease coming across her face. She wiped it off quickly though before resuming to her bread beating.

Deciding that I didn't want to start my day off with a headache I slipped on a pair of boots and went outside. The air was still warm but I could feel the new chill of fall starting to come into the air. It was the perfect day for flying, but I knew Mrs. Weasley preferred that I didn't. It was very rare my ability to transform into a phoenix, and the death eaters knew I was capable of it. She was concerned I would stray too far by accident and possibly get hurt or lost. I had been fortunate that she had let me transform as much as she had, and given the stories in the newspaper getting worse I figured I shouldn't push my luck.

I took a couple of steps towards the garden where the usual garden gnomes were wandering about, muttering under their breaths. I took a couple of steps towards one who froze instantly, a rather large flower in its dirty little hands.

"Drop it," I said, giving the gnome a rather dark stare. The gnome dropped the flower instantly before running off. No one understand how or why but for some reason the pesky gnomes that his family had spent years trying to rid from their garden actually listened to me.

I continued over to the wooden fence that surrounded the backyard of the burrow and leaned against it, some of the morning dew that had been caught on the surface of the wood seeping into my pajamas. I closed my eyes, reaching out with my mind to all the quiet subtleties that people without my ability often missed. I was partially listening to what a mother bird was chirping to her children when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I had been so into the sounds around me that I had completely missed Harry coming out of the house.

I jumped, instinctively swinging around and taking hold of Harry's arm before twisting it around behind his back. He let out a groan of pain and I released him instantly.

"Oh my god Harry I am so sorry!" I said loudly, quickly taking hold of his arm to make sure it was okay.

"No, no, my fault. I shouldn't have snuck up on you like that!" Harry said, giving his shoulder a rub.

"No, I shouldn't be so off in my own thoughts, especially with all things considered," I said, angry at myself for hurting the main person in this world that I was trying to protect.

"And what were you thinking about?" asked Harry with raised eyebrows.

"Oh you know, the usual," I said with a little shrug.

"Ah, so Voldemort trying to kill us and death eaters trying to take over the world."

"Yeah, that," I said with a little chuckle.

Harry smiled and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me against his chest.

"We're going to figure out how to beat him," Harry said into my hair.

"Dumbledore definitely seems to have something planned out," I mumbled into his chest, enjoying the warmth of it.

"Hey, come on you lovebird!!! Breakfast is ready!!"

Harry and I turned to see Ron in the doorway, giving us a lopsided smile which faded quickly as Hermione punched him forcefully in the arm.

"Honestly Ronald, couldn't you have just let them be for a moment?"

"What, they're excited to see Fred and George's shop! The quicker we eat and get ready the quicker we'll be there!"

Hermione rolled her eyes before turning around and going back inside. Harry took hold of my hand and led me inside, where Mrs. Weasley was placing a bowlful of oatmeal, scrambled eggs, toast, muffins, and an assortment of beverages. We ate quickly, Mr. Weasley arriving just as we had finished looking rather worn out. He mumbled about having a busy morning but not wanting to talk about it. I had plucked from his mind that they had found three of the missing muggles, all of whom were dead, their deaths brought about by the killing curse.

"Are we ready to go?" asked Mrs. Weasley with a smile. "Now remember dears, you need to speak clearly and say Diagon Alley. Wouldn't want anyone getting lost now would we?" She turned and gave a little wink to Harry, whom in our second year had landed in Knockturn Alley by accident.

I was the last person to go before Mr. Weasley, who gave me a smile as I dropped the floo powder and spoke out the word, "Diagon Alley" very clearly. I landed in the familiar doorway that led out into the street where I found Ron, Hermione, Harry, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley all standing in a little huddle.

As I took in Diagon Alley for the first time since the summer's incidents I couldn't believe that this was the same cheery place I had gotten my school supplies at for the past five years. Most of the shops were abandoned, some with their windows completely smashed out. Mrs. Weasley had started to move us along instantly after Mr. Weasley had stepped through the same doorway I had just come from. I felt my mouth turn into a frown as I recognized the smash out window and broken doors of what once was Mr. Ollivander's wand shop.

"It's awful isn't it," said Hermione with a frown.

"Yeah, it is," I said, turning my attention towards the building that had a small crowd around outside it.

"Oh my god," said Hermione, spotting the shop the same time I had. "Is that...?" she started, unable to finish her sentence.

"Oh you know Fred and George. Never one for subtlety," said Ron with huge smile.

Hello Allison. I was commenting on your ff last night when we lost Internet. Anyway, to your story. Love the human things you put in your story. When you pound knead the dough, it activates the yeast that makes the dough rise. This is my favorite part of the post. I love it so much. Very nicely written!
Loved this first part of the chapter Allison. I'll be watching for your next post.

When observing Fred and George's shop for the first time subtle was definitely not a word that came to mind. The top of the store was a rather large looking magician, like the ones that do card tricks and such for muggles, who was taking his hat on and off. The first time if came off a bunny was underneath it but the next time it came off the bunny was gone. Mrs. Weasley shook her head, looking amused and slightly concerned at the same time while Mr. Weasley gave a hearty laugh. They had already seen the shop but Mrs. Weasley had been as stiff as an ironing board that we would only be going into Diagon Alley once, and that would be to buy school supplies.

Ron was the first to rip open the door to the shop, the sound of music that reminded me of a carnival streaming out through the open door. If there was one word to describe the store it was crowded. Nearly everyone in Diagon Alley was in the store, looking at the various things set up on shelves mounted on the wall, tables on the floor, and even little boxes hanging from the ceiling. Fred and George were at the top of the staircase helping a small boy who was eyeing what looked like a box of chocolates.

"We promise, one of these and you'll be set for at least four hours of puking. Just the right amount for you to miss class for the day," said Fred, giving the kid a smile.

"Alright, I'll take them," said the kid, shaking George's hand.

"Very well then, follow me to the cash register and you can be on your way!" said George leading the kid down the stairs.

Everyone had already split up: Hermione and Ginny were observing a table filled what what I took to be love potions, Ron and Harry were observing pouches of something that could fill an entire area with darkness, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were talking with Fred. I could only last about five minutes until the constant throbbing of noises and thoughts in such a confined space got to me. Retreating backwards I went outside into the quiet street, closing my eyes and pushing the thoughts from my wind until all I could hear was the quiet of the alley in front of me.

After a couple of minutes I was going to turn around and go back inside but the sight of Mrs. Malfoy and Draco caught my attention. I could tell from their demeanor that they were trying to be very careful to make sure they weren't being followed. Draco looked my direction and I quickly ducked behind a trash can that was near by. I closed my eyes and reached out to his thoughts.

I don't know why we have to have Greyback help us with this. He's just plain creepy. Draco was obviously very uncomfortable about whatever it was that he was going to do with his mother. Mrs. Malfoy was so concerned about making sure they didn't hurt Draco that it was making her snap at everyone and everything. I tried to catch why she thought they were going to hurt him but she wasn't thinking about it.

Figuring that everyone was so preoccupied with everything going on in the shop, I figured no one would be concerned if I left for a little while. Being stealth I followed Draco and his mother until they went into the Borgin and Burke's. Greyback was standing at the back door, giving Draco a rather ominous smile that sent chills down even my spine. Greyback just seemed to look at everyone like they were something he could eat for dinner.

Deciding I couldn't get a very good look inside I grabbed hold of one of the drain pipes and began to climb it, getting onto the roof of building next to Borgin and Burke's. Once on top I could see perfectly into the back window where Greyback, Draco, his mother, and the shop owner were huddled around an old and dusty cabinet. I squinted my eyes, pushing every other noise out so that I could focus on the conversation that was going on within.

"And you are sure this will work?" asked Greyback, taking a step towards the shopkeeper.

"Yes, yes. Although it won't work unless the other part is fixed. Fix that part and this will work perfectly," he said, keeping his eyes downwards.

"Well...can you fix it?" he asked, swinging around to look at Draco.

"Yeah, I can fix it," said Draco, a tone to his voice.

"Don't you dare cop an attitude with me boy...I will..." Greyback started until Mrs. Malfoy took a step in front of Draco, blocking him off.

"He didn't mean anything by it Fenrir," she said, her voice sounding very confident for someone who was scared out of her mind. I think the only person not frightened by him is Voldemort and that is saying something.

"He better not have. I would hate to report to the Lord that your son is being uncooperative. And perhaps you need to remind your son about who his loyalties to are now," said Greyback, taking a jab at Draco's left arm.

God, this thing still itches so much and is still burning. I just hate it, I hate it so much. I hate being stuck under him. Potter is going to pay for what he did to my father.

I slid back on the roof so that my back was leaning against the shingles, but down low enough that they couldn't see me if they looked out the window. I let out a sigh, running a hand through my hair before looking out at the empty and broken looking street in front of me. As much as I hated Draco I felt bad for him.

Draco was a death eater, and now he had no choice to obey Voldemort's wishes...but what exactly were those? What would Voldemort trust Draco to do?

Hello Allison. Very nice work. Things are getting along pretty fast now. I wonder if Harry, Ron, and Hermione are under the invisibility cloak at the moment. And I like how Abby is able to concentrate and block out other noise she doesn't want to hear. She is really coming along with her abilities. Great work Allison. I'll be watching for your next post.

Thanks Connie and yes, Abby is coming along with her abilities isn't she? Here is the rest of chapter two.

I slid myself down the roof, making sure no one was there before heading back to the prank shop. Apparently I hadn't been the only one to notice Draco and his mother because after two steps I heard the thought of Hermione, who was wondering what I had been doing on that roof.

"Honestly guys, all you have to do is ask," I said with a little chuckle, before heading back towards Fred and George's shop.

As soon as we were in front of the store, Hermione ripped off the cloak with a look of anger on her face.

"Are you out of your mind?! What were you thinking following them here by yourself?!"

"Calm down Hermione, I was careful."

"You should have come in and gotten us!"

"Oh, because I could have discreetly gotten all three of you out of there without Mrs. Weasley noticing? She watches us like hawks nowadays."

"She's got a point you know Hermione," said Ron, giving Hermione a sideways glance.

"Oh never mind! Tell us what you heard!" said Hermione with an exasperated sigh.

"I'm not entirely sure, but there was some cabinet looking thing that they were talking about trying to fix. Apparently there's another one that has to be fixed in order for that one to work. I don't know where the other one is or what it does exactly, but it seemed rather important," I said, an eye on the window to make sure Mrs. Weasley wasn't trying to come out.

"A cabinet huh?" said Ron, biting his lower lip. "What do you suppose they want with a cabinet?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm not sure, but I also got the impression that the death eaters and Voldemort have something planned for Draco."

"Planned for him?" asked Harry, the possibilities running through his brain a mile a minute.

"Yes, but I'm not sure what that is either. All I know is that Draco has to do it, and I am pretty sure his family is going to pay for it if he fails."

Hermione's eyebrows furrowed downwards. She was about to comment on the matter when Mrs. Weasley came flying out of the store, Ginny right by her side and Mr. Weasley followed closely behind.

"Where have you been?!" she asked us with a frantic voice.

"We just needed some air mum," said Ron with an easy going smile.

"Yes, well, you could have at least told me!" she said, giving Ron a scolding look. "Anyway, we best be on our way. You lot have quite a bit of packing to do before you get on the Hogwarts Express tomorrow."

Mrs. Weasley bustled us out of Diagon Alley before we even had a chance to object. The rest of the evening went by slowly, Mrs. Weasley not really giving us an opportunity to talk until we were getting ready for bed. I could tell from her thoughts that she didn't believe that we had just been getting some air, and she was nervous that we were planning something dangerous.

Hermione had closed the door to Ron's room, before turning around to look at us.

"I've been thinking about what you told us today," she said, before sitting down on the edge of Ron's bed, "and I think you must have misunderstood them."

"Why do you think that?" asked Harry.

"Because, why would You-Know-Who trust something that's obviously so important with Draco, an underage wizard who still attends Hogwarts?"

"Maybe he's trying to do something inside Hogwarts?" I offered with a shrug of the shoulders.

Hermione gave me a come on look. "You-Know-Who would never trust Draco to try and do something on such a large scale, let alone right under Dumbledore's nose."

"Well it's not like Voldemort can walk right into Hogwarts himself. He needs someone on the inside," said Harry, giving Hermione his own look of disbelief.

"Well...if what Abby is saying is true than that must mean that Draco is a death eater," said Hermione, trying to keep the smile of amusement from her face.

Harry stared at Hermione. "And why is that so hard to believe? His dad is a death eater, why shouldn't he be one?"

"Because...Harry...You-Know-Who is going to want experienced wizards fighting on his side, not ones who are still at school and can't even practice magic off of castle grounds!"

The bickering went back and forth for what seemed like forever. I sat there, listening to each of them but knowing in my heart that Draco was a death eater, and whatever it was that Voldemort had given him to do he was terrified. I couldn't help but feel somewhat sorry for Draco, thrown into a situation where he had no choice.

Harry and I have the choice to fight back. Harry and I have the opportunity to try and fight against our supposedly predetermined fates. What choice did Draco have?

Do or die.

Hello Allison. Very good writing. I'm so pleased you kept Hermione the way she is in the books. I hate the way she casts away Harry's instincts about everything to do with Draco being a Death Eater. And now Abby has the knowledge that he is a Death Eater, and she wants to cast away her information as well. I don't blame Abby for not arguing the facts with her and Ron. I wonder if she'll confide in Harry what she knows, and from what she learned from Finrir. Oh I soooo don't like that guy! He is so evil. Anyway... Why does everyone except Harry and Abby assume that Voldemort thinks logically. He is a nutter, and doesn't use logic. He uses evil in any way shape form or age. I think it makes complete sense to suspect anything unusual, and Malfoy and his mom was acting peculiar. Super writing Allison. I'll be watching for your next post.

Sorry for the lack of an update. This is my first week back at college so things are a bit hectic, but I will try to get an update up tomorrow.

And, after a rather extended period of time (which I can only apologize profusely for) I have come bearing an update. Let us hope the inspiration to write this story will remain, since sometimes it comes and goes as quickly as this spring weather at my school

I hadn't slept well the entire night, my dreams going along in the usual manner that they did until the boy I had seen in Dumbledore's mind would randomly appear. He wouldn't say anything to me, he would merely stand there, watching me, almost as if he was waiting for me to break free from the people I was with to be with him. The boy who had originally seemed young to me had gotten slightly older, so he was more my age, and his strong desire to be near me, to touch me, was almost so overbearing I had a hard time ignoring it. However, each time I would be about to walk over Harry would appear to me, take my hand, and lead me away. By the third or fourth time of this same occurrence I decided to give up, and instead resorted to going downstairs.

I walked down the wooden, creaky steps, holding onto the banister as I went while pulling my robe tighter around me with my other arm. I was never really cold anymore, but the dreams had left me so unsettled, so unsure, that I was expecting the boy to pop out at any moment, begging me to go away with him.

I plopped down on the same large couch I had been waiting for Dumbledore on, and stared out the window, the sunrise just on the horizon, casting an orangish red hue to the sky and the ground. I was so lost in my own thoughts that I had hardly noticed that Harry had come down and was standing by the stairs, leaning against them and looking at me.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked, his demeanor aware but still struggling to fight off the urge to crawl back in bed.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, giving the most convincing smile I could. Obviously it had failed because Harry walked over and sat down on the couch next to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me in so that my head was resting against his shoulder.

"You were talking in your sleep," said Harry before letting out a little yawn.

"I was?" I said, sitting up slightly to look at him. Harry gave me a little nod.

"What was I saying?"

"Something about you couldn't go with him, you weren't allowed to. Then you went on to say that you would be able to be together again, we just had to wait for the perfect moment."

I stared at Harry, not being able to stop my mouth from falling open slightly. How did that work? I hadn't even spoken to the boy in my dream, so how was it that I was speaking to him in my sleep talk?

"So, who exactly were you talking to?" Harry asked, curiosity mixed with a slight sign of amusement.

"I don't know," I said with a little shrug, going from shock to confusion. Harry noticing how upset I was straightened himself up.

"It's nothing to worry about Abby. People sleep talk all the time. Surely you've heard Ron go off about spiders at least once or twice," said Harry with a little chuckle.

"I know, it's just, this is different," I said looking at Harry.

"Different how?"

"The boy in my dreams, the one that wanted me to come with him, was the boy I had seen in Dumbledore's thoughts when we went to go and see Professor Slughorn."

Harry raised his eyebrows slightly before furrowing them downwards. "Do you get a better sense of who the boy may be?"

"No," I said with the shake of the head, "but he was older this time, closer to our age. And Harry, I wish I could explain it to you. His desire for me to go with him was almost overpowering."

Harry took hold of my hand. "Well, did you go with him?"

"Every time I was about to but then you came and would lead me away."

Harry nodded his head slowly, still looking at me with curiosity. "Maybe if we can figure out who this boy is, things will make more sense," Harry said, leaning forward and giving me a kiss on the forehead. I leaned my head into the crook of his neck and stayed there, until we heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs.

"What in the world are you two doing up so early?" came Mr. Weasley's voice.

"Abby had a nightmare is all," said Harry, giving Mr. Weasley a little smile.

"Ahh, well, nightmares are normal given the state of things. Anyone whose not having at least one or two should probably be concerned," he said with a little chuckle.

"Yeah, really," Harry said, his mind flashing to Voldemort bending down over him at the Ministry.

I gave his hand a squeeze before getting up. "Can I help with breakfast at all?" I asked, wanting something to take my mind off the dreams.

"Oh, Molly will be done in a minute, and you know how fussy she is about our guests not doing much."

Harry and I both nodded. The rest of the morning flew, Harry and I going upstairs to rouse Hermione and Ron once Mrs. Weasley had gotten breakfast going. We decided it would be best to tell them about my dreams on the train ride, in order to avoid anyone overhearing. By the time we were done with breakfast my mind had happily veered off of the subject, and my excitement of returning back to Hogwarts had set in. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had hurried us into his magical enchanted muggle car to get to the platform, and by the time we had made it onto Platform 9 3/4 I couldn't help but smile.

"Now, you all have a safe term until break. I want you all to stay out of trouble, you hear me?" Mrs. Weasley said, giving us a stern look. "I mean it Ronald," she said at Ron's eye roll.

"Yeah, yeah, we'll be careful mum."

"I know how you four are about finding trouble."

"You know Mrs. Weasley, trouble seems to like to find us," I said with a smile that got her to laugh slightly, before pulling each of us into rib breaking hugs.

I was loading my suitcase into the storage compartment when I spotted Draco down the way. He was talking to his mom, who was whispering and looking around nervously. I wanted to try and reach out to hear what they were saying, but with all the noise and bustle of students, plus the announcement that the Express would be leaving soon, there was really no opportunity.

"Ready to find a seat?" asked Hermione, forcing me to pull my eyes away from them.

"Yeah, let's go."

I knew Hermione didn't believe that Draco was a person worth investigating, but I did. He knew something, and I was going to figure out what.

Hello Allison. Thank you for letting me know you posted. Ah Allison... I do love your creative way with words. I hope it remains as well.
This vision she keeps having is so intriquing. I keep trying to figure who the boy is! She feels the voice is very familiar to her, and yet I don't think he is someone she sees often, or she would recignise his maorisms. And she doesn't feel fear because she nearly goes away with him till Harry pulls her away. (good for Harry by the way ) I just can't wait till she finds out. And what makes things worse is, I think Dumbledore knows who the boy is. But why wouldn't he help her with the vision. Oh well, I'll try to be patient till you write more. I'll be watching.
If this was a movie, this part, would be a wonderful frame to freeze and make a copy of and hang on the wall. Great work Allison.

Thanks Connie!! I always do appreciate you comments

The train was already relatively crowded with people, but thanks to Hermione's weaving skills through people and Ron's death stare at two first years near by that were looking to go into the same compartment as us, we managed to get one alone. Hermione shot Ron a look of disbelief as she sat down, pulling out a textbook from her little bag and plopping it open.

"Honestly Ronald, you don't have to be so cruel to them!"

"I'm not being cruel, I'm just letting them know how the food chain works: we are at the top, and they are at the way bottom."

I couldn't help but let out a chuckle at Ron who looked at me with a bashful smile like "what did I do?" before reaching down into own bag and pulling out the latest issue of the Daily Prophet. Sadly, muggles and witches were being killed already in this newly formed war between us and Voldemort, and the Ministry was doing everything in its powers to catch as many Death Eaters as possible before things really got rolling. Every week I would look in the Apprehended section to see if either my mom's or father's names were there, but each week I was sadly disappointed. It wasn't so much that I wanted them to be caught, but if they were caught that would mean they were out of Voldemorts' clutches and that I would have access to them.

"Anyone we know?" asked Harry, taking hold of my hand as I closed the paper and set it down on the seat next to me.

"No," I said with a gentle shrug before shifting my gaze out towards the countryside view through our window.

"I'm sure Dumbledore is going to do everything in his power to get them back for you Abby," Hermione said with her own encouraging smile.

I was about to respond when I caught a whiff of a thought that I couldn't help but turn my head to.

He's just so perfect and just so...everything! I. Must. Talk. To. Him.!

I couldn't stop my eyebrows from going up when I spotted the source of the thought: Lavender Brown. Most people didn't know much about her since she kept quietly to herself most of the time, but given my special means I was well aware of why it was that Lavender would keep to herself most of the time. She was a stalker, and while she in her head rationalized her actions with euphemisms, that in fact was what she was. On several occasions I had caught thoughts of her thinking about a Hufflepuff boy whom I did not know that if anyone had heard they probably would have distanced themselves from her. It was that the girl was dangerous, she was just single-minded and when she got an idea in her head that she liked someone boy did she like someone!

Instinctively and perhaps irrationally over protective I tightened my lock on Harry's hand, causing him to turn and look at me with a "what was that for?" expression. With just the slightest nod of my head, I pointed to Lavender who was standing just outside our compartment, using the food trolley in front of the compartment next to us as a reasonable excuse to be able to stand there and stare into our compartment.

"Who is that?" Harry asked me.

"Whose who?" asked Hermione, leaning around Ron to see who we were looking at.

Not normally I enjoyed a kind of subtlety when talking about someone who was within earshot, but to be quite honest I was sure a Death Eater could have appeared right in front of her and all she would have done was ask him to move because he was blocking her view. Lavender's eyes were so fixated on Ron that I didn't think, in fact I knew, she hadn't even noticed Harry and I looking at her.

"That's Lavender Brown," Hermione said with a little shrug. "She's a Gryffindor in our year."

"And why is she staring at us?" asked Harry, reaching up and itching the back of his neck in the way he usually does whenever he's feeling uncomfortable.

"It's not us she's starring at Harry, it's Ron," I said, shooting Hermione a little glance. Instinctively Hermione looked up, not at Ron, but me.

"She is?" said Ron, completely taken aback. Turning around and looking over his shoulder, Ron made direct eye contact with Lavender. Lavender, so taken aback by the unexpected eye contact, let out a little squeak, waving her hand at him in a short and quick motion. Her squeak had startled a little first year who jumped, sending a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans souring through the air, crashing down the woman who ran the trolley, her thick, curly hair now decoratively highlighted with beans.

Ron, so perplexed by the amount of enthusiasm merely gave her an awkward half smile of uncertainty before turning back around.

"Interesting one, isn't she?" said Ron.

"You can say that again," said Hermione, glaring over at Lavender. Ron hadn't picked up on the tone in Hermione's voice but Harry and I had, and I could just tell that she was going to be a problem this year.

Hermione adjusted slightly in her seat, which conveniently allowed herself to be sitting closer to Ron, before reopening her book and beginning to read again. I was about to ask them something when my mind was sidetracked by Draco, Pansy, and his two goones Crabbe and Goyle walking by the compartment.

"Wonder what they're up to," I mumbled more to myself than anyone else.

"Finding somewhere to sit?" said Hermione slightly exasperated.

I turned to look Hermione head on. "Listen Hermione, you're entitled to your opinion about the situation and I am entitled to mine, and I am telling you that something is going on there."

"You just don't have enough proof of your claims is all," said Hermione.

"Well what if we got more proof?" asked Harry, leaning forward in his seat slightly.

"No, Harry, we are not going to stalk Malfoy."

"I'm not talking about stalking him, just getting a little listen into his conversation is all," said Harry with a little shrug of the shoulders.

"Might not be a horrible idea Hermione," said Ron with a shrug of his own.

Hermione shook her head. "We need to be concentrating on bigger matters than Draco and his family. Besides, it's not safe to be getting near Draco right now. We did cause his father to be placed in Azkaban you know, and needless to say that does not make us his favorite people in the world.

Harry slumped back into his seat, shooting a glance at me before a glare at Hermione.

"Listen, I'm not saying I'm completely opposed, I'm just saying that I don't think we should invest a lot of time in a hunch."

"I'm going to go and get some air," Harry said, standing up, grabbing his duffel bag, and heading out of the compartment.

Hermione let out a noise of protest, but it was pointless because the door had already closed shut. I had heard Harry's thought and I was okay with what he was doing.

I'm going to listen to Draco under the invisibility cloak. I'll meet you once the train has stopped.

Hey! I'm your new reader! This is great! I love Abby, (not just because I share a name with her xD) and Harry and her are sooo cute together! Post more soon!

Hello Allison. Great chapter. The whole thing of Lavender Brown was too cute. Especially Ron's reaction.

Oh brother! There she goes again. She really needs to trust Harry's instincts, and Abby's!
Well, ok so there is that point. I have to admit I forgot about that. But still, if they're careful, they've done loads more dangerous stuff than follow him under the invisibility cloak.
I am so anxious to see how you write what comes next.
Great post Allison. I'll be watching for your next.

Thanks for the comments guys and sorry that it has taken me so long to post another update!! Schoolwork has just been keeping me very preoccupied as well as tennis, so I haven't had much free time for creative expression. Glad to have a new reader


The rest of the train ride went slowly, other than me noticing Lavender continuously walking back and forth in front of our compartment, while Hermione shot her death looks and Ron pretended not to noticed. I tried to mentally reach out to see if I could hear Harry or Draco, but there was too much chatting and the air was filled with too much excitement for me to really be able to decipher anything.

At some point I had rested my head against the window and fallen asleep to the peaceful rocking of the train on the tracks. As usual I found myself right in the middle of a dream. I was sitting in what was very clearly the Great Hall of Hogwarts, a book about potions lying on the table in front of me while I mindlessly stirred my oatmeal which I really wasn't in the mood to eat. I was by myself, although there were other people sitting at the Gryffindor table, and it wasn't until I looked down and noticed a charm bracelet on my wrist that I realized I was not in fact myself.

The charm bracelet, which I so often found my mother looking at in her jewelry box when I was younger, was shining from the reflection of the sun coming in through one of the huge glass windows in front of me. My hair, which I now realized so clearly was my mother's, was held out of my face with a red headband. I was about to turn the page when I felt someone come up behind me. I could tell from the feel of him that he was a male, and I could tell from my mother's emotions that I was glad for him to be there, but I wasn't sure who the boy was.

"Enjoying your potions?" he asked me.

I felt a little smirk come across my lips. "As much as one can I suppose," I said, still not turning to look at the boy.

He sat down next to me, a couple of girls near by looking over to see what exactly we were talking about. After all most of the girls in the school found him to be incredibly dreamy.

"I've always found potions to be quite interesting myself. After all, potions are a stealth way to handle problems without the risk of being caught."

Finally deciding it was okay to look at him, I turned my head towards him with an empty look on my face. In my own world I felt that my heart rate had started to quicken as I realized it was the same boy from the dream I had at the Weasley's. While I was concerned at the look at this boy was giving me, my mother seemed happy with it.

"That is true, but there are other ways to handle problems with magic that don't take as much time, effort, or leave quite as much of a trace. After all you have to come up with a lot of excuses to explain why you've been off, unseen for so long."

The boy shifted himself so that it looked like he was leaning over the book to see something on the page, but really he was doing it so that he could take my hand and no one would notice. As soon as his hand clasped around mine tightly I could his lust and desire coursing through my whole body. I was about to say something he instantly released my hand. Annoyed I turned around to find Dumbledore standing next to us.

The last thing I saw before the sudden jerk of the train stopping woke me up was Dumbledore's mouth opening, about to say something. I had sat up rather quickly, trying quickly to hide my unsettled emotions, but Ron and Hermione had noticed.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked with a concerned look.

"Yeah, yeah, just a bad dream is all. It was dumb...no big deal."

Hermione wasn't so sure, and Ron looked like he didn't entirely believe me, but I had stood up and grabbed my bag without giving them another chance to ask me any questions. I pushed open the door and stepped out, the other students starting to stream out of their compartments, some yawning and stretching while others were laughing and giggling.

"Where do you think Harry ran off to?" asked Hermione, looking up and down the aisle to try and see if he was there.

"Here, I'll go look for him. Meet you two outside?" I said, figuring I should be the one to get him since I knew exactly where he was.

"Alright, see you shortly then," said Ron, pushing Hermione along before she could object.

I had started down the aisle but I could still hear Ron telling Hermione to leave me be.

Hello Allison. Great chapter. Argggggggggggggggggg I sooooooooooo need to know who the guy is. I'm wondering if it's Sirius, but no actually I don't think so, ummm, I must think on this some more. I'll be watching for your next. Oh, let me just say, I love Ron keeping Hermione from bugging Abby.

Great!!!!! Can't wait for more!

PAMSPAMS!

I knew that Hermione always had the best intentions but sometimes I felt like her cautiousness hurt her. I continued down the aisle without being concerned about the people that I might have been running in to. I looked in every compartment and every bathroom but Harry wasn't in any of them, and now that I had stopped I realized that almost the entire train was completely empty.

Closing my eyes I reached out with my mind to try and find Harry. I went through each of the corridors until I stumbled upon a stream of any curse words flowing out rather loudly. Opening my eyes in shock I took off in a run further down to the back of the train. I flung open the door as soon as I entered the compartment that Harry's thoughts were coming from only to find it completely empty.

"Harry?" I said, looking around aimlessly.

"The Invisibility Cloak!" Harry's thoughts barked out at me.

Instinctively I looked to the ground and started reaching out around me until I made contact with what I was pretty sure was Harry's foot. Gripping it firmly I gave a thorough yank and off came the cloak. Harry's cheeks and lips were completely covered in blood, and his eyes had started to water from the pain. Pulling out my own wand I quickly muttered the counter curse, releasing Harry from his state of paralysis.

"Are you alright?" I asked him, pulling him swiftly to his feet.

"Yeah. Stupid Malfoy. I guess I jiggled the suitcase or something when I got into the luggage compartment up above. He stunned me then stomped on my nose with his foot."

Instinctively I felt the anger and hatred start to fill every pore of my being.

"Let's go," I said, hiding the anger. "Everyone will be worried."

I took a hold of Harry's hand and walked him out of the compartment, before leading him down the steps off of the train, and down the rather dirty path. We had missed all the carts with the thestrals so we were stuck to walk the way.

"You're being awfully quiet," said Harry, giving my hand a little squeeze.

"Just thinking," I said with a little smile.

"You know Malfoy isn't worth it," said Harry, looking at me with a slightly concerned expression.

"I know he isn't," I said, my step hurrying slightly as I obtained a visual of Draco's bleach blonde hair.

"And really, if anyone should hurt him, it should be me."

"Oh, of course," I said, practically power walking at this point.

Filch, Professor Flitwick, and Professor Snape were all standing by the luggage, giving it a thorough scan, as Malfoy stood looking somewhat oddly at Snape.

"Glad to see you two have decided to join us," said Snape in his usual drawl.

Completely ignoring Snape I walked right up to Malfoy, so close that he had no where to move without bumping into either Snape or the luggage.

"Do you mind if we have a word?" I asked him, taking hold of his arm before he had a chance to respond. Harry stood back at the gate, a little smirk on his face.

"Miss Carson?" said Snape, not yet moving as I quickly dragged Draco to a rather secluded spot in the surrounding woods. I could hear Snape calling after me, but I didn't care.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" barked Malfoy, trying to yank his arm from my grip but having no luck.

Once we got to a good spot I shoved him forcefully, sending his crashing into a tree.

"Oh I see how it is. Sticking up for your pretty little boyfriend, are we?" said Malfoy, dusting off his suit.

I took a couple of steps forward, taking Malfoy's face into my hand and pinning him against the tree. Malfoy was taller than me, so instinctively I pulled him down lower so that he was at perfect eye level with me. Rather than making another comment Malfoy had come completely silent, his entire body shaking under the feel of my now completely frozen hand. I could see the ice starting to form on the bark of the tree that he was firmly pressed against.

"Let's get one thing straight here Draco, do you understand? I know that your father is stuck in a tough position since I know Voldemort would kill you and your mother in a flash if your father refused to do what he asked him to do. I know that he had no choice but to go to the Ministry and fight against us, but let's get one thing clear, your father is a horrible man that will pay for what he has done. You see I don't appreciate that your father gave Ginny Weasley the diary that nearly ended her life, and I don't appreciate that your father nearly had my boyfriend killed last year and the ministry, and I certainly don't appreciate you breaking his nose with your foot. Now you know what I could do to you Malfoy; you're smarter than people give you credit for, but don't for one second thing that because we're in school grounds that I won't do it."

Malfoy's skin had started to turn an even paler color with a tint of blue to it as I spoke to him, void of emotion.

"If you so much as think of laying a hand on my boyfriend or any of my friends again, I will personally see that you know what it feels like to feel pain. Do we understand each other?"

I loosened my grip on his face so that he could nod. "Yeah, yeah," Malfoy stuttered out.

"Good. We're done here then," I said, letting him go before turning around and heading back towards where Snape and the others were. I could feel Draco's shaky body following behind me, too petrified to even try and pull his wand to try and retaliate. We walked out to find Snape, Harry, Filch, and Flitwick standing and staring at us, Flitwick's mouth slightly open, Harry's in a victorious grin, and Snape and Filch's one of anger.

"Is there a reason you didn't listen to me Miss Carson?" Snape growled at me.

"Last time I checked Professor Snape, we haven't officially started the term yet, and the business between Draco and me didn't really concern you."

Taking a hold of Harry's hand I led us away from the group. Snape wanted to retaliate but he was too concerned with Malfoy who was shivering violently.

"Wow," said Harry, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and giving me a kiss on the forehead. "What did you say to him?"

"Just that he needed to watch his step," I said with a shrug.

I knew Malfoy was up to something, and I knew it wasn't just me that had him shaking. Voldemort was up to something and I needed to find out what.

HHHHAAAHAAHA! I love her talk with Draco! (course, this is coming from a malfoy hater)

PAMS!

Hello Allison. Great chapter. I think I'd be embarrassed if I was Harry though. First off allowing Malfoy to catch him, and break his nose. And secondly, allowing his girlfriend to revenge him instead of getting to do it himself. But I think I see why you did it this way, and if I'm correct then it was a piece of brilliant writing. This is what I think, because of this sentence; So, she was wanting to have a reason to get close enough to Draco to read what he had tucked away in his mind. What Voldemort is planning, and what Draco's part in it is. She probably had to actually touch him because he is skilled with Occlumency (sp?) And if I'm right I wonder what she was able to get from him. Of course I could be way off, and it is still brilliant writing cause I know you have something in mind. Great chapter. Can't wait to read more.

Thanks for the comments guys! I guess you'll just have to wait and see Connie



Harry and I filed into the Great Hall just as some of the food was starting to magically vanish from the table. We quickly took our seats at the Gryffindor table, Hermione's eyes instantly going to the bloody rag Harry was holding up to his nose to try and stop the bleeding. While I had managed to fix it with a simple charm, the bleeding still wasn't done running its course. Hermione looked like she was about to burst from curiosity as Draco soon filed in after, his body still shaking slightly as he avoided making eye contact with the people around him.

"Welcome, welcome!" said Dumbledore cheerfully as he stood up and tapped his spoon against his wine glass. Instantly the entire hall fell quiet, and all attention was on Dumbledore. His eyes twinkled from the nearby candle light as he surveyed us appreciatively.

"I hope all of you have been enjoying your feast, and I do not hope to keep you away from the food for long, but there are some announcements I need to make before we partake in some delicious desserts. First off I would like to announce that we have a new professor here at Hogwarts with us. Professor Horace Slughorn has kindly agreed to fill the position of Potions Master here at Hogwarts."

There was scattered clapping throughout the room, starting and ending in a slow and awkward rhythm as surprised whispers ran about. Hermione, Ron, Harry, and I exchanged glances with one another.

"Snape isn't going to teach Potions anymore?" said Ron in disbelief. "Then what will he be teaching?"

Before any of us got the chance to answer Ron, Professor Dumbledore resumed speaking. "And, I'd like to happily announce that Professor Snape will be filling the open position as our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher!"

There was an eruption of cheers from the Slytherin table as Snape stood up and gave a rather awkward head nod towards the group of students, shooting a difficult to read glance at the Slytherins who had stood up and were yelling rather loudly.

"Well, looks like he's getting the position he's always wanted," said Hermione with a look that implied she had a gross taste in her mouth.

"Yeah, but with the track record of our Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers he'll be lucky if he makes until the end of the year," said Ginny, giving us a skeptical look.

"Good point," chimed in Seamus, giving Ginny's hand a little rub.

I was eyeing Snape as he sat back down in his chair, an odd, victorious fell streaming through his body. I knew this was a position that Snape had applied for every year as the spot frequently came available and for whatever reason this year Dumbledore decided to give in to his wishes. I turned my head to look at Dumbledore, who while I was off in my own little world had sat down and was talking joyfully with Professor McGonagall.

"Earth to Abby?" said Ron, waving his hand in front of my face. I snapped back and looked at them all. "You still with us?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just zoning off," I said with a little shrug.

"So, you going to tell us what woke you up with a startle?" asked Hermione, taking a spoonful of pudding and placing it delicately in her mouth.

"Oh, you know, just the usual," I said with another shrug.

"The usual?" said Hermione, giving me that "are you kidding?" look.

"Yeah, the usual. In case you hadn't noticed Hermione there are a lot of things to be stressed and frightened about at the moment."

Hermione stared at me for a couple of moments but decided that it was best to just let it go. We finished the rest of the dinner with Harry telling Ron and Hermione what had happened on the train. I could tell Hermione was having a hard time biting her tongue about Harry sneaking off to spy on Malfoy, but a part of her also felt kind of smug that he had been caught in the act. As much as I loved Hermione she did enjoy being right all the time, and had no problem letting you know it.

By the end of the dinner I was ready to leave and be by myself. The feel of that boy grabbing hold of my hand was still playing across my skin, even though it was Harry's hand that was now holding it as we were walking back to the Common Room. Harry could tell that something was off, but he wanted to wait until we were alone to ask me about it. Once Hermione and Ron said goodnight, and everyone else had turned in for the night, Harry and I finally had the common room to ourselves.

"So, tell me the truth, what's bugging you? Did you have another dream about that boy?" asked Harry, turning himself so that he was facing me completely.

I folded my legs pretzel style, looking into the small fire that was starting to die, before looking at him. I nodded my head.

Harry was quiet for a moment. "Was it like the other dream?" asked Harry.

"No, this one was kind of different," I said, instantly feeling myself becoming uncomfortable. Even though my mother had enjoyed how the boy made her feel, I did not.

"Different how?" asked Harry.

"It was more like a memory this time then a dream. Kind of like when you went into Tom Riddle's diary, and you were seeing the memories as they were happening. Although this time I was the person whose memory it was."

Harry was quiet again for a couple of moments. "Do you know whose memory it was?"

"My mother's," I said, still looking into the fire.

"Your mother's?" said Harry curiously. "And what was the memory?"

"We were sitting in the great hall and the boy, the one from the other dreams, came over and sat down next to me. Nothing particularly happened of importance in the dream, except I can just distinctly remember the way he made me feel. Almost as if we were a couple, but it was secret."

"So you think this boy, whoever he is, and your mother were dating?" said Harry, furrowing his brows.

"I do. But they felt a need to keep it secret somehow. It's hard to explain Harry, but I was feeling what my mom was feeling but I was still aware of my own thoughts and feelings if that makes sense. She was happy with him Harry. I mean, he made her really happy."

Harry gave a little nod of the head. "And nothing really happened in the dream?"

"They were talking about something...a potion's book that she had sitting in front of her? It's kind of fuzzy though...I can't really remember...but they were kind of flirting with one another."

Harry reached over and took hold of my hand. "It'll be alright Abby," Harry said with a little smile.

"Who is this boy Harry? He's not my father, and whoever he is he obviously meant a lot to my mother. And if they are memories, then how am I seeing them? I don't even know where my mother is, let alone how to extract memories from people."

"I honestly don't know. Maybe you could talk to Dumbledore about it? Maybe it has something to do with your magic expanding. After all your magic has gotten a lot stronger this summer."

I nodded my head gently before lying it against Harry's chest. He wrapped his arms around me and held me close to him.

"Something is happening Harry. I can feel it."

"I know," said Harry. "And whatever it is, Malfoy has a role to play."

"Malfoy, that incident at Diagon Alley, Snape becoming our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and these dreams. They're definitely connected somehow."

"Why do you think Dumbledore finally gave him the position?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," I said with a shrug. "But Dumbledore knows something."