𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙨 (𝖽𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗈 𝗆𝖺𝗅𝖿𝗈𝗒 𝗑 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋)

chapter twenty-two

I was in the long hallway with the black door again. This time, I was moving quickly and with ease, as if I were hovering, or slithering on the floor. Everything looked taller than usual, and the black doorway was getting closer and closer. Soon, it would be in my grasp.

As I approached the door, I noticed a man sitting in a chair, sleeping peacefully. His hair was red, and his glasses threatened to fall off every time he snored. He was guarding the door, or trying to, at least.

I moved closer to the man, slowly rising until I was eye-level to his neck. I shot forward, sinking my long fangs into his neck repeatedly.

I let out a scream as I shot up from my bed, wide awake. My vision was blurry and I could barely stand up, but I did. A pair of hands helped me walk as my vision slowly repaired itself, and when I could see again, I saw Star assisting me through the common room. She took me to Professor Snape's quarters, and he then led me to Dumbledore's office. Snape left once I realised where I needed to go.

Ron, Harry, and Professor McGonagall joined us while we walked. We ran up the stairs and burst into the office.

"Professor Dumbledore, it seems that the Potters have had a," McGonagall hesitated, "well, a nightmare."

I looked down at my hands, which we visibly shaking.

"It wasn't a nightmare," Harry stated quickly.

"Very well, then, Potter, you tell the headmaster about it."

"I was asleep," Harry said. "But it wasn't an ordinary dream."

"It was real, I saw it happen, too, Professor, Ron's dad, Mr Weasley, was attacked by a giant snake," I interrupted.

"How did you see this?" Dumbledore asked quietly, looking up at the ceiling.

"Well, inside our heads, I suppose," I answered.

"It seems you misunderstand," Dumbledore said, entwining his fingers. "I mean, can you remember, er, where you were positioned as you watched the attack happen? Were you perhaps standing beside the victim, or looking down upon the scene from above?"

"I think we were the snake." Harry glanced at me. "We saw it all from the snake's point of view."

No one spoke for a few moments. Dumbledore was now looking at Ron, who looked pale and sickly.

"Is Arthur seriously injured?" asked Dumbledore.

"Yes," I said as though it were obvious.

Dumbledore stood up so quickly that Harry and I jumped.

"Everard?" he said sharply. "And you too, Dilys!"

A wizard with short, black bangs and an elderly witch with long silver ringlets appeared in two different picture frames beside Dumbledore.

"You were listening?"

The wizard nodding, while the witch said, "Naturally."

"This man has red hair and glasses," said Dumbledore. "Everard, you will need to raise an alarm, make sure he is found by the right people -"

Both nodded, moved sideways out of their frames, disappeared.

"Those wizards were some of Hogwarts most celebrated Heads. So famous, they both have other portraits in other Wizarding institutions. They are free to move across them and tell us what is happening elsewhere," Dumbledore explained, walking around us to reach his phoenix, Fawkes.

"But Mr Weasley could be anywhere!" said Harry.

"Please sit down, all of you," said Dumbledore, as though Harry had not spoken. "Everard and Dilys may not be back for several minutes. Professor McGonagall, if you could draw up extra chairs."

Professor McGonagall conjured the chairs, and we sat down. I looked over at Dumbledore, who stroked Fawkes's head with one finger. The phoenix awoke immediately.

"We will need a warning," Dumbledore whispered. With a flash, the phoenix was gone.

"Dumbledore!" cried the wizard in the portrait as he returned.

"What news?"

"I yelled until someone came running," said Everard, panting slightly, "said I'd heard something moving downstairs, they weren't sure whether to believe me but went to check, you know there are no portraits down there to watch from. Anyway, they carried him up a few minutes later. He doesn't look good, he's covered in blood, I ran along to Elfrida Cragg's portrait to get a good view as they left."

"Good," said Dumbledore as Ron made a convulsive movement, "I take it Dilys will have seen him arrive, then--"

The witch had reappeared in her portrait. "They've taken him to St. Mungo's, Dumbledore. They carried him past under my portrait. He looks bad."

"Thank you," said Dumbledore calmly. He turned and looked at Professor McGonagall. "Minerva, I need you to go and wake the other Weasley children."

"Of course." Professor McGonagall got up and moved swiftly to the door, where she stopped. "What about Molly?"

"That will be a job for Fawkes when he has finished keeping a lookout for anybody approaching," said Dumbledore.

Dumbledore marched over to another portrait of a sleeping man wearing Slytherin colours. "Phineas."

He awoke and came to attention.

"I need you to visit your other portrait again, Phineas," said Dumbledore. "I've got another message."

"Visit my other portrait?" repeated Phineas in a reedy voice. "Very well, though he may have destroyed my picture by now, he's done most of the family--"

"Sirius knows not to destroy your portrait. You are to give the message that Arthur Weasley has been gravely injured and that his wife, children, and the Potter twins will be arriving at his house shortly. Do you understand?" Dumbledore said sternly.

"Arthur Weasley injured, wife and children and Potter twins coming to stay," repeated Phineas in a bored voice. "Yes, yes." He stepped out of his portrait and disappeared the moment the door opened again.

Fred, George, and Ginny, all frightened, entered with Professor McGonagall.

"Your father has been injured in the course of his for the Order of the Phoenix," said Dumbledore. "He has been taken to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. I am sending you back to Sirius's house. You will meet your mother there."

"How are we going?" asked Fred. "Floo powder?"

"No," said Dumbledore. "Floo powder is not safe at the moment, as the Network is being watched. You will be taking a Portkey." He gestured to a teapot lying on his desk. "We are just waiting for Phineas Nigellus to report back."

There was a bright flash of flame in the middle of the office, and a golden feather floated to the ground.

"It is Fawkes's warning." Dumbledore caught the feather. "She must know you're out of your beds. Minerva, go and head her off, tell her any story--"

"He says he'll be delighted," said a bored voice behind Dumbledore. Phineas had reappeared.

"Come here, then," Dumbledore said to all of us. "Quickly, before anyone else joins us."

We all gathered around Dumbledore's desk.

"You have all used a Portkey before?" asked Dumbledore and we nodded, reaching for the teapot. "Good. On the count of three, then. One, two--"

In the mere seconds before hearing "three," Harry and I both looked up at Dumbledore, feeling something so strong I doubted it could be stopped. Anger, hatred, greed so powerful that I felt a need to lash out, to strike Dumbledore across the face and rip him to shreds.

"Three."

I touched the teapot and I was pulled forward, vanishing from Dumbledore's office and appearing in Sirius's basement kitchen within the second.