The Darkness Within: A Harry Potter Sequel

Chapter Two

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Harry held nothing back. As he sat facing his wife at the kitchen table, he told her how, for months, he had felt a looming sense of doom, of darkness approaching. His nightmares had changed. They had never stopped, not in the nineteen years since the Battle of Hogwarts, but lately they had taken on a more vivid appearance. It was as if the part of his mind that had spoken to Dumbledore in the station was trying to communicate with him. There was a part of him that had walked on the edge of death, and saw more than the rest of him. No magic had been able to recreate or replicate that state.

His reaction to these things had been to double down on his work, to do his utmost to keep his family safe. And then, earlier that week, he had received news which confirmed his worst fears. He wondered if the dark thoughts, the animated nightmares, had somehow unconsciously foretold its coming. An old darkness was creeping back into their world. Something had gone wrong.

Ginny sat back in her chair and took a deep breath in through her nose.

"And no one else knows about this?" she asked.

"Only the ones in my Department who made the discovery."

She stood up and paced the kitchen. "We need to tell the Order."

"The Order? Ginny, the only people who knew are the Order. There's someone in there we can't trust."

She turned to him. "Goodness. We tell Ron and Hermione, then."

Harry nodded. "I've already tested them both. They're themselves. I just didn't..."

"Didn't what, Harry?"

Harry stood up and put his hands on her shoulders. "I didn't want to involve you all. You've suffered so much, and—"

"Harry James Potter," Ginny said, throwing her arms around his neck. "I'm your wife, and Ron and Hermione are your family. We suffer together. No more keeping things to yourself." Harry began to mumble a response, refusing to meet her eyes. She nudged his chin up with her nose until he looked at her. "You don't have to deal with everything on your own. Deal?"

Harry kissed her again. "Deal. We'll tell them tomorrow."

That night, Harry was again plagued by nightmares. In this particular dream, he felt Pettigrew's silver hand on his throat. He couldn't breathe. Once a great friend of his father's, Pettigrew had betrayed James in the worst way possible, and then he had tried to kill his son...

He saw Dobby's sombre face as the tiny elf lay dying. His expression displayed no regret for his sacrifice, but he was sad all the same, as it dawned on him that he would never see his friends again.

He saw the giant statue of Salazar Slytherin in the Chamber of Secrets, the basilisk slithering from its open mouth. The giant snake hissed and turned to fire. From within the fire, Voldemort's haunting face appeared, sneering at Harry. He opened his mouth wide and howled with laughter, the dreadful sound echoing in Harry's ears as he jerked awake.

He was twisted within the bed covers, and Ginny had her hands on his shoulders; she had been shaking him, trying to pull him from the nightmare.

Harry felt a wave of fury wash over him, remnants of the time he and Voldemort had shared a mind, and Voldemort's emotions had affected his own. Voldemort was gone, but the mental scars he'd left had not healed. Perhaps they never would. Harry locked eyes with his wife, and after a few seconds, the anger faded. They both sat breathing heavily.