Emma Potter; Going to War

41: Curiosity Killed The Cat

I was being congratulated by people weeks after my "Umbridge Debacle" as the twins called it. They--Fred and George--were also getting increased number of request to do more firework shows so I helped them here too. 

On Friday of the next week, I got into bed, yawning.  The occasional firework still passing the window became blurred, looking like sparklingclouds, beautiful and mysterious against the black lake. 

I turnedonto my side, wondering how Umbridge was feeling about her firstday in Dumbledore's job, and how Fudge would react when he heardthat the school had spent most of the week in a state of advanced disruption. . . . 

Smiling to myself, I closed my eyes. . . .The whizzes and bangs of escaped fireworks in the grounds seemedto be growing more distant . . . or perhaps I was simplyspeeding away from them. . . . 

I had fallen right into the corridor leading to the Department ofMysteries. I was speeding toward the plain black door. . . . Let itopen. . . . Let it open. . . . 

It did. 

I was inside the circular room lined with doors. . . . I crossed it, placed my hand upon an identical door, and it swunginward. . . .Now I was in a long, rectangular room full of an odd, mechanicalclicking. There were dancing flecks of light on the walls but I didnot pause to investigate. . . . I had to go on. . . . 

There was a door at the far end. . . . It too opened at my touch. . . .And now I was in a dimly lit room as high and wide as a church,full of nothing but rows and rows of towering shelves, each ladenwith small, dusty, spun-glass spheres. . . . 

Now my heart wasbeating fast with excitement. . . . I knew where to go. . . . I ranforward, but my footsteps made no noise in the enormous, desertedroom. . . .There was something in this room I wanted very, very much. . . .Something I wanted. . . . or somebody else wanted. . . . My scar was hurting. . . . 

BANG! 

I awoke instantly, confused and angry. The dark dormitory was full of the sound of laughter. 

"Cool!" said Astoria, who was silhouetted against the window. "I think one of those Catherine wheels hit a rocket and it's like theymated, come and see!"

 I heard Zoe and Pansy scramble out of bed for a better look. I lay quite still and silent while the pain in my scar subsided and disappointment washed over me. I felt as though a wonderful treathad been snatched from me at the very last moment. . . . I had gotso close that time. . . . 

Glittering, pink-and-silver winged piglets were now soaring pastthe windows of Slytherin Common Roon. I lay and listened to the appreciative whoops of Slytherins in the dormitories below us. 

My stomach gave a sickening jolt as I remembered that I had Occlumency the following evening. . . . 

Harry--who had had the same dream--and I spent the whole of the next day dreading what Snape was goingto say if he found out how much farther into the Department of Mysteries we had penetrated during our last dream. 

Harry realized that he had not practiced Occlumency once since our lastlesson: There had been too much going on since Dumbledore hadleft. He was sure he would not have been able to empty his mind evenif he had tried. I doubted, however, whether Snape would acceptthat excuse. . . . 

He told me he attempted a little last-minute practice during classes that day,but it was no good, Hermione kept asking him what was wrongwhenever he fell silent trying to rid himself of all thought and emotion and, after all, the best moment to empty his brain was not whileteachers were firing review questions at the class.