Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Hogwarts, A Mystery	By : Marionne25 Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 3452 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and am not making any money from this story.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Author's Notes:
Monday at my end of the world!!!
So before I get consumed with work this week, here is a little something from one of my works.
Will hopefully be able to update tonight with the rest of the works.
Lots of love!!!

PS regarding the pairing, this was originally a no pairing fanfic that turned into a Snape/OC fic and then i've edited a lot of things and realized that it will do well with a DraMione as finishing touches.

Chapter Three
Reflections and Illusions

Thursday..

Before Harry knew it, the days had quickly gone by and their homework by this time of the week had already quickly piled up.

Quidditch practice wasn’t easy either; as Draco Malfoy was able to quickly reserve the best practice hours for the field through Snape, the Gryffindor team had to squeeze their practice session when most were available which wasn’t exactly a good schedule for most of them. They had to try and switch a few practice sessions with the other teams and though they were giving, they still found themselves compromising several things.

Ravenclaw team was the one who easily gave up their slot. They’ve heard of Harry asking around possible switch of schedules and when Cho heard about it, had quickly asked one of their team players to approach Harry and tell them they can switch with them as they could cancel an early practice since they weren’t up for the first match of the season.

Harry was grateful until Ginny and Hermione pointed out that the reason Cho did this wasn’t because she was the one ‘giving’ for Harry’s team but because she was obviously avoiding him to get closer to their team and to her most likely so she had someone approach him to save him the effort and ensure that their paths won’t cross at all.

Harry had been doubtful of it but when he tried to approach her again and she quickly left her friends and had started to walk away very quickly, he realized that the girls had been right.

Given their year, Harry and the other higher years were mostly advise by this time to take the classes that were needed for the probable careers they’d be taking.

Even over the Summer, Hermione had been the only one to talk about it until the school year began and now that it was at hand, Harry and Ron were having problems about the classes they were to take.

Ron wanted to be an Auror like Harry although he was also torn at the fact that he wanted to be a Quidditch professional in a way or two. Giving that there weren’t much classes required for that latter part, he had to take in the classes that would definitely be required to become an Auror and that enlisted most of Harry’s classes.

Harry had always been determined to become an Auror and what with the Dark Lord’ growing power and influence they read at the Daily Prophet that arrives every morning, he was becoming as determined as ever to take that career.

But the path wasn’t easy.

It would mean he would have to take McGonagall’s classes and Flitwick’s classes; Divination had been optional but when Bill told him over the Summer that there were certain probable cases that he’d need information about the ‘divine’ or ‘spiritual’ world as part of his consultancy proper with advance magic, he knew he needed to take the subject with Ron and Hermione was more than happy that she did not have to take that class.

Hermione ofcourse had a lot of options in her head and had been panicking mostly about which to take and as her friends already advised her, there was absolutely nothing for her to worry about as whatever career path she was to take, she was definitely going to excel.

It wasn’t at all consoling for her as she was always the one to overthink and think ahead and so to make sure that she won’t miss anything important should she decide to take a path in a certain career and change her mind last minute about something, she took two important career work for her to ensure that she takes most of the subjects anyway.

On first day back, she enlisted to McGonagall that she wanted to take subjects that would be required for a future Ministry Worker or Healer.
McGonagall seemed happy with her choices and so she had given her a list of the important subjects and when she showed the other two, they were more than glad that she was also taking Potions with them.

It wasn’t a surprise that Potions was an important subject that had mostly been required in most of the working or a priority class kind of career. And eventually, the trio found themselves taking mostly the same subjects that they’ve been taking for most of their years.

There were certain subjects that they didn’t go together and at these various of hours, they were able to do certain things they had to do for their other subjects.

Hermione didn’t take Divination any longer and to Hagrid’s dismay, she was no longer required to take his subject and she had instead replaced it with Advance Potions which only meant she had to take Snape’s classes twice – their regular Potions lessons for their year and the Advance Class for those who was planning to take a Healer profession which consisted only of seven other students with Draco Malfoy included on that.

Harry and Ron only took Hagrid’s class because they knew that it was something close to ‘free period’ as Hagrid mostly didn’t ask them to do anything else except talk to them while he ask the rest of the class to read or observe certain creatures for the day.
He had tapered down the list of creatures he could take to class as the Ministry had already given him a proper curriculum he should follow if he wanted to continue teaching the class.

Despite that Hermione still took History of Magic as a chosen extra subject, Astronomy and Arithmancy were classes that the trio didn’t have to take by career requirement. However, Defense Against the Dark Arts was ofcourse a requirement for most of the careers and so they found themselves together with that, with Charms, Transfiguration and Potions.

Ron didn’t take Herbology but Harry had chosen to take it as Neville and Hermione took it and also because if he didn’t take it, he would have so much long period for a certain day that the Quidditch responsibilities was going to be handed to him which he preferred not to do as the task didn’t really contain ‘playing’ but scheduling the practices and other tedious non-field task that he knew he’d just be bored about.

“What’s with the face?” Ron asked as the three of them met up at the grounds for two hours of free period.
“Malfoy.” Hermione said as she sat next to the two of them and brought out her History of Magic book that she was to read before the class in two hours while Harry and Ron relaxed before their Divination class as their last period for the day.

“What about Malfoy?” Harry asked her as he glanced back at her frowning expression. “You came from Advance Potions, right?”

“Yes.” Hermione said. “And apparently the ferret is taking it as well. There’s only the eight of us. There are two Hufflepuffs, four Ravenclaws then it’s me and Malfoy.”

“Why is he taking Advance Potions?” Ron asked her with a shrewd look over his face.

“I don’t know.” Hermione said as she closed her bag and threw it at the side. “Career choice I guess.”

“He wants to be a Healer?” Ron asked her.

“Don’t know.” Hermione replied. “Maybe. That or he wants to be a Potions Master which is very much unlikely because his grades for the regular class won’t suffice I’m sure.”

“Snape could do something with his grades.” Ron suggested with a dark look over his face. “It’s not like it’s hard for him to do that.”

“Don’t know.” Hermione sighed heavily. “Maybe.”

“Then what is he planning to take?” Harry curiously asked Hermione.

“I really don’t know.” Hermione replied. “I’m going to ask professor McGonagall later what are the usual careers for someone who takes Advance Potions. But I’m very much sure that he doesn’t want a Quidditch job. What’s your last class?”

“Trelawney.” Harry and Ron both answered in a bored tone.

“Oh.” Hermione said in snotty tone as she settled herself by the tree next to Harry.

“Did Snape tell you yet what we’re supposed to do tomorrow for detention?” Harry asked her as she looked up at her.

“Professor Snape.” Hermione corrected him with a raised brow. “And no. But I saw him earlier and he told me to tell you that we should meet him in the dungeons for it.”

“Great.” Harry said as he settled back by the tree. “I just can’t wait.”

“I can’t believe we’re seeing her again.” Harry said as they reached the North Tower for the final class of the day which was Divination.

“Let’s sit at the back.” Ron suggested yawning. “I’m so sleepy.”

“I know.” Harry said. “I had a terrible sleep lastnight.”

“You barely slept. Tossing all night.” Ron said. “I wonder how much deaths that woman will see again this year?”

“I’m sure I’m atop the list.” Harry sniggered back at him as they reached the landing to the trapdoor.

They used the small stairs and climbed their way to the classroom and Trelawney was already in her class, excited and prepared.

The moment the two entered, she gave a heavy sigh and nodded at Harry’s direction.
The two tried to keep their faces straight as not so far from that moment Trelawney started making sounds of stress as she asked the two to sit down.

There were a handful of other people for the class which told them they were aiming to certain careers that needed this subject.

The two settled near the end of the classroom and scooted their way through the class as Trelawney resumed her misty like voice as she spoke her greeting for this class.

“I sight a lot of happening this year!” she dramatically said pointing and nodding at each of them. “Of great power, of great…mystery. Some are… leaving, yes, sadly, leaving us very soon.”

There were pretentious oohs and aah and ofcourse Lavender and her friends were the only ones who genuinely believed and loved her and her class.

“Leaving soon?” Lavender curiously asked. “What do you mean professor?”

“Something great, eventful.” Trelawney said with a grave look over her face. “Something, someone… would like.. to claim.. claim something and leave.. leave behind and leave..”

Harry and Ron stared at one another knowing all the crap she spoke at that moment.

“What are they leaving behind?” Lavender asked her with her friends all serious looking at their professor.

“Leaving..” Trelawney whispered back as if she was in a sort of trance. “Or what has been left behind.. abandoned…”

“This is stupid.” Ron whispered as Trelawney walked around the room. “This is really a waste of time.”

“Abandoned and left alone..” she continued on. “And it has returned.. returned.. to claim, to claim what is rightfully theirs.”

“Theirs?” Lavender asked again. “There are more of them?”

“More than twice its power..” Trelawney replied. “It has left.. abandoned.. returned.. and it has arrived.”

Lavender and the others gasped in a fearful tone and Harry and Ron just rolled their eyes.

“What has?” Lavender asked. “Who has arrived professor?”

“This is really very crappy.” Ron sniggered and then Trelawney heard him.

She turned to them and he flushed red and Harry quickly looked away trying to pretend that he was looking for some of his notes.

“My dear boy..” Trelawney gravely spoke as she walked to their direction. “My dear boys.. this is.. I cannot fathom.. there is this dark aura, very dark… darkest I’ve seen indeed that has been following you.”

“Following me?” Ron asked looking at her then at Harry and back. “Perhaps you mean Harry?”

“I meant both of you.” Trelwney said. “The world is dark.. darker this year and the black aura has arrived.. it wants to take what life owed of it. But its dark form is following you, both of you.. no, following you.”

She nodded slowly and turned to Harry who didn’t look surprise at all.

Ofcourse his death would always be seen by this woman and he was just too tired of hearing to pay too uch attention to any of it.

Trelawney gasped but before she could speak there was a very loud and rushed tapping by the trapdoor.

Some squealed and then it slowly opened up with heavy clicking noises of the shoes.

Most of them stared and then when the trapdoor slowly opened, Harry and Ron were both at the verge of laughing their heads off when out of the blue, Laura came into view.

Her eyes were dark and narrowed as she gazed at the room around her and Harry couldn’t tell if she was intimidating them or was annoyed at the look they wore over their faces as they gazed up at her direction as she climbed the steps and entered through the trapdoor.

Laura looked away from them, straightened up and crossed her arms as she walked towards Trelawney’s direction..

Harry and Ron quietly stared from the corner of the room, staring at the way she moved around the professor.

At Dumbledore, she was definitely respectful with no question. She seemed to have the same respect towards McGonagall and Flitwick. And although she didn’t seem to be in good terms with Sprout she still regarded her with respect.

They’ve never seen her encounter Hagrid and Madam Hooch or any other teachers but by far, it was only with Snape she had been obviously and straightforward disrespectful like she knew him before.

Perhaps she did if they went to the same school together although Snape would definitely be a year or two higher than her.

She walked to Trelawney wearing a restrained look over her face.

She didn’t smile nor greeted her with the same respect she wore around McGonagall.

“A great omen.” Trelawney whispered at her. “A great omen is following you. Great black omen-“

“I need something for professor McGonagall.” Laura impatiently cut her short. “I can’t stay long.”

“Won’t you let me help you?” Trelawney asked her ignoring her words. “You have to let it go, you have to let this go.. It’s still with you and it’s following you. Let me help you.”

“The only help I need from you is to have a certain formed signed for professor McGonagall and the headmaster.”

Laura stretched her hand and almost shoved a small parchment at her.

Trelawney slowly took it still staring unblinkingly at her and opened the note.

She read several times before nodding at her.

“I cannot sign it.” she gravely whispered at her. “I’m sorry.”

“What do you mean you can’t sign it?” Laura asked with a strange kind of anger in her voice. “I need you to sign it. The headmaster has allowed me and has signed his form. Why should you not?”

“Let me help you and perhaps I can sign it.” Trelawney offered back. “Please, my dear. You have to remove this omen-“

“I don’t need help.” Laura said angrily snatching the small parchment from her. “I’ll have someone else sign it.”

She started to turn and leave but Trelawney called her back and her voice was slightly different – darker, deeper as if it was not her and that she was at a trance this time.

“You need thirteen signatures.” Trelawney told her. “But you already have twelve. I will not sign the final. Thirteen is a strange, dangerous and bad number-“

“I’ll have someone else sign it.” Laura said turning to her in clenched fists.

“Severus Snape will not sign that.” Trelawney softly whispered back at her with an almost motherly look at her face this time. “We both know it’s either him or me. You came to me because you refuse to have Severus sign it and you know he won’t.”

Laura stepped forward, an enraged looked at her face.

The class stared, confused as ever at Laura Veregnicea’s attitude and words.

She walked slowly, towering over the older professor and halted a few feet from her.

“I will get my thirteenth signature whether you sign this or not.” she said in a tone that was barely audible to the others. “I don’t care if you don’t sign it. I will have my final signature-“

“But do let me help you in another way.” Trelawney insisted walking forward her and reaching for her arm. “Please let me help you – let me take the burden and the omen-“

And then she reached for her arm and at that very split moment that her arm reached and touched Laura, she backed away like she had been electrocuted.

For a moment that their hands closed in together, Harry could have sworn that she had seen Trelawney’s eyes turned white for a moment then back again.

He looked up back at Laura.

She was staring at Trelawney with great wide eyes, her hands shaking at her sides and she was breathless.

“I told you-“ Laura angrily said, voice shaking. “You are – NEVER – to touch me again-“

“I want to see what lies beyond.” Trelawney said edging closer her. “Let me understand how I can take the omen away-“

“You are not to touch me!” Laura yelled at her making the class jump up their wits. “You have no right to tell me-“

“I only want you safe.” Trelawney said. “A fate that you deserve, please..”

“I refuse to believe in such things!” Laura said almost screaming at her. “Get away from me you old – I told you never to touch me again-“

“I want to help-“

“I don’t want your help!” Laura angrily said keeping her arms over her to keep herself away from the older woman. “I make my future with my own hands –I don’t believe in all these foolishness!”

Her eyes moved around the room, her hands pointed around the shelves against the wall where Trelawney’s precious objects lay.

“Laura-“

“You can call me Veregnicea, professor.” Laura snapped at her with her eyes glinting. “I don’t want to be rude to you, professor. But I don’t believe in these crap that you have all over this place. I just need your signature and if you can’t give that, there’s nothing else I need. I don’t believe in this crap. I strongly believe we individually make our own fate.”

“But your past – nothing you can do. But your future, that we can fix-“

“I already know what I want and need for my future.” Laura said edging away as Trelawney tried to approach her again to reach for her hands. “I make my own future and my life. I can do it with my bare hands and not with you touching it to tell me what the teacups and tea leaves told you about it.”

Harry and Ron were silent like the rest of the class and Harry could just feel her similarity with Hermione in regards with Laura’s view at Trelawney’s class.

“Just one touch.” Trelawney said with a very soft whisper. “Just one moment to –“

“If you love your hands as much as I love mine, you will keep it away from me.” Laura whispered walking closer to her as if ensuring it was only the old woman who would hear her.

Trelawney’s eyes widened and she swallowed hard but it wasn’t fear in her eyes but something akin to tears of regret.

“You used to-“

“Past is past.” Laura cut her out sharply. “We don’t go back there. I don’t look back there.”

And before Trelawney could say something else, she quickly turned away from her and stormed out of the room, angrily kicking one of the fallen orbs on the floor out of her way.

By the time that dinner had arrived, what happened at Divination had already spread throughout the school like some wildfire.

Other stories came up about Laura as well for the week that has passed.
Students would see her with the other faculty and she seemed not to have a good relationship with most of them and what was even more boggling was that she doesn’t seem to have a care at all.

A few of these stories were that one time she came out of the library angry that Madam Pince refused to let her leave with a certain book and she stormed her way out knocking over a few lower year students and making them scramble out of her way as fast as they could.

She was also seen arguing with professor Sprout at the greenhouses for some reason and even one time with Oliver Wood where he was asking her a permission for one of her students for a special practice try out and Laura refused the student from the detention she had given him.

Oliver tried to reason and when Laura still refused, she had ran out of patient and she started to angrily yell at him to the point that she was seen jabbing her hand angrily towards his chest before pushing him out of her way as she stalked away from him.

But it was encounters with Snape that was most terrible.

It seemed that she was the only person never intimidated by Snape and Snape wanted to stand his ground and prove that he was the one who had been a veteran at the school and therefore demanded respect from Laura – which she gladly refused to give him back.

“Seems like a warfreak to me.” Ginny said as they had some snacks that night at the Common Rom. “I mean. Really? With professor Sprout?”

“She is a warfreak.” Fred and George said together as they joined them in the Common Room that afternoon.

Hermione glanced up at the from the book she had been reading and had asked them how their first classes for the week had been but the twins just ignored her.

The twins were officially back at the school to finish the year they left off and it had been nothing but a joy to their house.

Not a single person in the school has forgotten what they did to Umbridge the previous year.

“We haven’t had her in our class.” George had said as he sat down over their large couch. “But one trainee for the team had been given detention and even if McGonagall already had a letter, she came to the pitch to see the student and gave her detention.”

“What did McGonagall do?” Ron curiously asked the twins.

“Nothing.” Fred answered. ‘Well, not really nothing. But she tried to talk to Veregnicea and she just.. well.. took things to the headmaster.”

“And?” Hermione asked them.

“He told McGonagall that if a detention must be served, then it must be served. He only told Veregnicea to handle detention differently and that was it.”

“I don’t think she’s a warfreak.” Hermione’s voice broke the momentary silence around them. “I think she only did her job.”

They looked back at her as she closed her book to continue her statement.

“I think that she did well in giving that student detention. I saw what she did to be given that. It was something earlier that-“

“Did you see what she did to Trelawney?” Ron cut her out. “Like, really?”

Hermione’s eyes darkly looked back at Ron.

“If you must know, I heard what happened-“

“Heard.” Ron pointed out. “You didn’t see. You didn’t see how she treated Trelawney. She hated her skills-“

“I think she’s right to think she’s a fraud.” Hermione said. “We all know that professor Trelawney’s subject isn’t something very much relevant.”

Ron opened his mouth to argue but Harry grabbed his arm to quiet him while they watched Hermione get all her things from the Common Room table and stash them back in her bag.

“Where are you going?” Harry asked slightly alarmed that they offended her again.

“Going to find somewhere else to study.” Hermione had replied in a snappy tone. “Gonna find somewhere I can work properly.”

And without another word, she stalked and stormed out of their Common Room giving Ron an angry look.

“What did I do?” Ron asked Harry as the other shook his head.

“She must be fond of her.” Harry replied. “Muggle and all.”

“You’re a Muggle.” Ron pointed out with a narrowed gaze. “I don’t hear you taking that woman’s side.”

“Looking sharp, Potter.” Flint commented as he turned to see Harry suddenly appear at the corridor with Ron.

After dinner, Harry and Ron started to make their way to the library to look for Hermione who had missed dinner and was most probably keeping to herself again because of their little argument.
The two stared from Flint then back at Cho who was looking harassed as they were obviously in some mid-argument when they arrived at the corridor.

“Is everything alright around here?” Harry asked walking forward as Flint stared back and Cho straightened herself up trying to keep a straight face.

“Everything’s fine.” Flint replied with a smirk as he turned from Harry to Cho with that dark look over his face. “I have to go. See you at the field Chang.”

And then without another word, he left the three of them.

Harry waited for the Slytherin to leave before walking forward to Cho who turning to leave the two.

“Cho.” Harry began reaching forward. “Are you-“

“I’m fine.” Cho snapped at him moving her arm away from Harry’s reach.

They stared at one another and Harry wasn’t sure what to feel.

He had been concerned and had wanted to talk to her but as usual, she was being full of herself.

“Can we talk?” Harry asked in a straight voice lowering his hand and taking a step back from her. “Right now?”

“It’s getting late.” Cho said avoiding his gaze. “I have to be up tomorrow. We have Snape first up at the first class.”

And before Harry could even argue, she had quickly turned from the two of them and walked as fast as she could to the opposite direction.

“I don’t think she’s anywhere worth it mate.” Ron said giving him a pitiful glance. “I mean it’s obvious that she doesn’t-“

“It’s fine. Nevermind.” Harry said turning to the other direction. “Let’s go find Hermione-“

“Harry-“

“I said I’m fine!” Harry suddenly said looking sharply back at Ron.

They both halted and Ron was staring back at him, open mouthed.

Harry shook his head and quickly apologized.

“I didn’t mean it that way.” Harry quickly said. “Sorry. Let’s go.”

“Yeah. Let’s go.” Ron simply replied taking a few steps ahead of Harry shaking his head.

But they haven’t even got far when they turned a corner and heard Laura talking to Filch about something.

Harry quickly pulled Ron back to hide at the side of the corridor as they watched them silently.

She seemed to have given him approval about something and Filch seemed pleased about something.

They looked at one another knowing whatever it was, it wasn’t good.

They ever rarely ever see Filch glad about something and to see him like this towards a woman who was beginning to have a bad reputation at school was definitely not good.

They watched in silence as Laura nodded at him, crossing her arms as the other left and entered a secret passage.

She had stood at the empty corridor, her eyes looking around the large paintings around her who were all staring down at her with a vague expression over their faces.

The two were to leave in fear of being seen when suddenly, one of the secret passages opened up and out appeared Snape.

Harry quickly grabbed Ron to stay with him and keep low and hidden at the corner they have been eavesdropping already.

They watched in silence as the two stared at one another for a moment and then Laura decided to turn away from him but Snape called her back.

“You weren’t at dinner.” Snape simply said as he walked forward her while Laura slowed her pace before halting and turning back to Snape.

She turned and crossed her arms tightly over her chest staring back at the Potions Master.

Her back was turned at Harry and Ron’s direction so it was only Snape’s face they can see from the slightly dark corridor.

“Faculty stress is quite difficult to handle for newcomers.” Snape silkily said stopping a few feet away from her. “You should eat at the proper time.”

“Well, I had been hungry.” Laura replied in a snotty tone. “But I had lost my appetite the moment I saw you at the dinner table.”

Snape only smirked at her comment and gave her contemplating look over his face.

“You’re going to lose a lot of weight if you keep that mindset.” he told her in a low tone. “You see, you have got a year-long to deal with the fact that you’re going to see me at the same table.”

“Not if I can help it.” Laura replied with a smirk over her face as she moved one stp forward to close their space.

Snape’s black eyes were focused on her and Harry wasn’t sure if it was hate that was in his eyes but it was definitely not fear.

“And what is that supposed to mean?” Snape asked towering over her, glowering angrily at her direction. “Are you threatening me?”

“Why?” Laura asked back in barely a whisper. “Are you threatened?”

There was silence between them and if the two didn’t know any better, their gap looked like Snape is just about to kiss her.

There was something in his eyes –something in between question and longing and a deep emotional expression that was akin to regret.

And for the first time in his life, Harry had seen Snape’s eyes slowly soften as he stared deep into Laura’s eyes.

He moved forward and his hand made a movement towards her but Laura had suddenly backed away, shoving his hand away from her.

“Don’t touch me.” Laura said in a deep, scary and warning tone. “Don’t you dare touch me.”

The softness in Snape’s eyes quickly disappeared and it was replaced by hatred.

“Get out of my way.” Laura slowly said as all smirk disappeared from her face and was replaced by a cold and deadly stared.

“I can’t do that.” Snape replied in a low tone. “It’s my duty to protect all individuals within this walls. Even if that has to include you-“

“I don’t need saving-“

“Not even from yourself?” Snape said and Harry was sure that he had enraged her enough because she had lowered her hands and were closing in tightly into fists at her sides.

“Don’t make me laugh.” Laura replied in a tight voice. “Protect them? We both know you’re here because you’re like some coward using this castle as some safety hole you crawled back into when he fell from power-“

“You don’t understand what you’re talking about-“

“You’re only here because of some personal agenda. Should he rise to power, I’m sure you will abandon this post he had given you.”

“I am loyal to the headmaster-“

“No one-“ Laura cut him short as she moved his face closer to him. “-is ever loyal to anyone, Severus.”

She called his name.

And there was something in the way that she did that sent chills at Harry’s spine.

“The headmaster had been delusional to have you within this walls.” Snape told her shaking his head. “He is growing old and his judgments get flawed as time passes-“

“Didn’t that first happen when he allowed you here?” Laura lashed back at him. “Didn’t he make that first mistake with you-“

“Why you –“ Snape had began as he suddenly and rigidly grabbed her arm.

The two moved backward from the corridor, trying to keep themselves together.

Laura tried to free her arm from Snape’s pincer like grip as she started to grow red in the face in anger and pain.

“Get out of my way, Severus” Laura threateningly whispered back at him, unblinking and cold as she stared hard at him. “Get out of it or I will make you.”

There was silence, another long silence.

And then Snape’s fingers slackened and his black eyes softened again at her direction.

“Don’t do it.” Snape said and all hatred and anger vanished from his voice.

He was pleading at her, he was genuinely pleading at her.

“Severus-“

“Don’t do it, Laura.” he called her name softly again. “I will not be able to help you if things go very badly.”

They couldn’t see Laura’s face but they were sure that she had been thinking because her silence was already language to itself.

“Don’t tell me what to do or what not to do.” Laura told him as she forced her arm free from Snape’s grip. “I don’t need you to protect me.”

“Laura-“ Snape tried again but she pushed him hard away from her.

“Last warning, Severus.” Laura softly said. “I will not be lenient with anyone who gets in my way even if that includes you.”

Harry lay into an uneasy sleep that night.

He couldn’t help but think about the encounter they’ve seen earlier between Snape and Laura.

There was something about them, something about the two of them that told Harry that Snape already knew Laura even before now.

They called one another in first name basis which will already tel them that they are familiar with one another.

But who was she?

She looked a little younger than Snape and if she did go to Hogwarts then that would mean that she was at the same year as Harry’s parents.

Did they know her?

Did Lily and James knew of her?

Did Sirius knew her?

Sirius.

His thoughts went straight back to Sirius.

And for the rest of the night, Harry tossed and turned again as nightmares grew and consumed him in the night, leaving him tired and restless until morning light.

“What’s going on?” Harry whispered as he walked into some long corridor.

His green eyes slightly hurt at the warmth of the place as the walls were all filled and illuminated by melting candles.

He looked down and saw he was threading down what looked like an underground cave with damp grounds.

He walked forward, gently touching the walls which were filled with candles.

But there was something else that shimmered against the wall that sent chills to his spine.

Blood.

The walls had dripping crimson blood everywhere.

He stopped walking, quickly looking around he could tell that it was some underground pathway.

Was it a graveyard or did it lead to one?

“Hello?” he called out but his voice only echoed and bounced around the walls.

He walked forward and made to take his wand out from his pocket until he realized that he didn’t have it.

He didn’t have anything with him.

“Hello?” Harry moved forward hearing something at the very end of whatever was at the far end of the corridor.

“Ron?” he called out. “Hermione? Hello?” his voice echoed further but the more he walked forward, the farther the end of the corridor seemed to be.

And then suddenly, he heard it.

A melody.

A humming melody.

The melody was somehow familiar.

It continued quietly but he wasn’t sure where it was coming from.

He moved and paced forward as the endless corridor went on, candles burning and melting at the walls heating the room and making it hard for him to breath by the moment.

And then suddenly he halted.

Someone was standing a few feet from him.

His green eyes narrowed as he tried to see through the corridor.

A man was standing still and quietly several feet away from him.

He was familiar.

He had seen this man somewhere before.

No, he had dreamt of this.

That was it – this was a dream.

Harry looked wildly around and he decided to move forward towards the man.

He’s dreamed of this man over the summer he was sure of it.

He had tried to talk to the man at the time but he refused to.

Just like Lupin who he hasn’t spoken to for some time now.

“Professor Lupin?” Harry called out, building confidence in himself as he moved forward almost sure it was him. “Professor Lupin?”

His voice only echoed as he paced forward, paced faster to the shadow of the man.

And then his paces grew fast and he realized the man grew nearer and he could finally catch up with him.

He ran faster forward, the grounds beneath him softening as he did so.

He kept his eyes focused on the man, calling Lupin’s name.

And just when he was near, he halted.

He could see the man’s physique well – he had short hair, he was dressed in black but they weren’t wizard’s clothes and he was definitely as tall as Remus Lupin.

But he couldn’t see his face.

“Professor Lupin?” Harry called out feeling strange about the whole dream.

And then the man slowly moved, with the silhouette Harry could see that he had slowly stretched his arm out to him as if calling him.

“Professor Lupin.” Harry said relieved as he moved forward “I need to speak with you”

But the man didn’t respond.

He only outstretched his hand for him to follow.

“Professor?” Harry whispered and suddenly, his ground was becoming softer and softer, consuming him.

He looked down in panic.

The grounds was suddenly turned into nothing but a pool of blood and was trying to suck him down in it.

He screamed, trying to fight the ground from taking him alive.

“Professor, help me!” Harry screamed wailing his arms around. “Professor Lupin!”

He screamed and screamed but the man’s shadow only stood before him, staring down at him or rather oblivious to what was happening towards him.

Harry screamed.

Feeling the heat of the melting candles as the bloody pooled around him, swallowing him alive.

And then he woke up.

“Harry!”

It was Ron’s and Neville’s voices waking him up.

“Harry! Harry!”

Harry’s opened his eyes, feeling the heavy arms of the two trying to wake him up.

His chest felt heavy, he felt out of breath, he could still almost feel the warmth of the candles around him.

He tried to shake himself back to reality, telling himself it were all a dream.

But he couldn’t.

He could almost recall everything else in the dream except for one thing.

The face of the man.

It wasn’t Lupin.

He was almost sure it wasn’t Lupin.

“Harry?” Ron called out as he struggled to sit back over the bed. “Harry, are you alright?”

He looked at the two, he realized that he was back in the dormitory and was sure it was all a dream.

He wasn’t alright.

But before he could even speak, before he could even tell them what he was feeling, he already felt all the pain and anxiety go out through his mouth as he felt dizzy and threw up all over his bed.
- 4
- 5
- 6
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Hogwarts, A Mystery