Born From Madness (Harry Potter Fanfic)

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Hermione felt herself being pulled out as she stumbled across the floor. She paused as she looked around. They were right back in Dumbledore's office. As she was making sure it was the real Dumbledore's office, Hermione's eyes soon landed right on Dumbledore, who was standing right behind them. 

"Professor," Harry gasped, "We knew we shouldn't have-- but the cabinet door was sort of open and we just wanted to look... but then it just..." 

"Sucked you in?" Dumbledore asked while he was shutting the cabinet closed, "I know. It sometimes does that." 

"Forgive me for asking, Professor," Hermione asked pointing at the cabinet, "But what is that?" 

"This? It is a Pensieve. It helps people when they feel like their heads are crammed with too many memories. It allows me to revisit memories at my leisure." Dumbledore answered them. 

"You mean... that stuff's your thoughts?" Harry asked. 

"Certainly... well-- except for that last memory you witnessed. That was actually from your Great Grandmother, Rose. She gave it to me a few days after the trial. She didn't want to remember that scene. Barty Crouch Jr. did frighten her with his message." Dumbledore stated with a light nod of his head. 

"Sir, if you don't mind me asking... but who is the woman Barty was talking about?" Hermione asked him. 

"Sadly, I don't know. No one could find out. Because the day they were going to force it out of him, they found his cell empty. There wasn't a sign of a break out or anything. Even the door was still locked." Dumbledore claimed to her. 

"You think the woman helped him out?" 

"Yes. I believe whoever she is, she helped him out of Azkaban. However, we couldn't figure out how." 

"Do you have any guesses?" Harry asked. 

"Sadly, no." Dumbledore said, sounding like he wished he did have the answer, "Now what is it that you two wanted to say?" 

Hermione and Harry proceeded to explained to him about their strange dreams. Dumbledore stood there, listening to each of their stories one by one. Once they were done he hummed as he brushed his hand down his beard. 

"I have a theory, no more than that. It is my belief, Harry, that your scar hurts both when Lord Voldemort is near you or whenever he is feeling a strong surge of emotion. This is because you and he are connected by the curse that failed. That is after all no ordinary scar." Dumbledore explained. 

"So you think that my dream--- it really happen?" Harry asked. 

"It is possible." 

"But how does that explain my dream, Professor?" Hermione asked Dumbledore. 

"Well, some of your family is very good at Dream-Jumping. Where either they can jump into your own dream or they make you see what they want you to see. It's very interesting. But it's a rare gift in your family." Dumbledore suggested to Hermione. 

"Dream-Jumping? I haven't heard of such a thing." 

"Well it is a hard thing to do." Dumbledore confirm. 

"Professor..." Harry cut in, "Do you think he's getting stronger?" 

"Voldemort? Once again, Harry and Hermione, I can only give you my suspicions. With the disappearances and these dreams. I fear there may be a chance he is." Dumbledore said, solemnly. 

"Er-- professor back in the Pensieve... in the courtroom... The one with Crouch's son... were they talking about Neville's parents?" Harry asked him. 

"Sadly, yes. They were talking about his parents. Frank, his father, was an Auror just like Professor Moody. They were tormented for information. They are sadly were tortured so badly that they gone insane. They are both in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries." Dumbledore explained to them, "But I must ask you both to kindly not inform anyone of this. I'm sure he wouldn't want it going around." 

"And er-- Mr. Bagman?" Harry asked. 

"...never accused of any Dark Activity since." 

"And Snape?" Harry said with a hint of a growl. 

"Well now, Harry, that would be between Professor Snape and myself." Dumbledore said to them in a tone that quietly said the interview was over. Harry and Hermione turned around and proceeded to head out the office with Dumbledore calling out to them about wishing them good luck with the third task.

Through the past few days, Harry and Hermione proceeded to train for the third task as Ron sat around cheering them on and discussing things with them. With each day towards the third task made them nervous at the thought of whatever lurked within the maze. 

Harry and Ron were walking across the yard, looking at the Daily Prophet as they noticed Rita Skeeter hadn't written an article for that morning. 

"Maybe she decided to have some sense about writing those crappy articles about you and Hermione... or worst..." Ron mumbled as he bit his lip like he was thinking of saying the next thing he was wanting to tell Harry. 

"If you're suggesting Hermione has done something bad to Skeeter with that dementor, you're mental. There's no way she could do something so awful." Harry stated to Ron. Ron opened his mouth to speak when there was a sudden cold rushing towards them... and that horrible feeling of never being able to feel happy again. 

"Harry!" Ron shrieked in a high-pitched voice while he pointed his index finger up towards the sky. Harry slowly lifted his head and it didn't take him long before he saw it. Floating just above their heads, heading up high towards Gryffindor's Tower, was an actual dementor. Harry and Ron watched as it soon vanished up in one of the tower. Harry and Ron looked at each other. 

"If seeing a dementor going up to Gryffindor Tower isn't enough to tell you that Hermione did something to Skeeter, then you're the one, who's mental." Ron growled at Harry, who stood there stun. Even though he saw it, he was still in disbelief. Hermione couldn't have done anything to Skeeter to get back at her for those articles, she wouldn't have gone that far... would she?