Belladonna

Unwelcomed

Belladonna 34

Unwelcomed

31 October 1994

Ana couldn't sleep for a series of bad dreams. In the first, the Goblet of Fire spat out Harry's name and then Fred's. Their first task followed immediately in which they each had to wrestle a giant. In the second dream, Ana was in defense class and Professor Moody had her under the Imperius Curse and he forced her to mis-brew the Wolfsbane Potion. There were several dreams that followed, but they were all variations of the first two.

The final dream ended with Ana sitting bolt upright in bed at six in the morning. She was wandering around in the Forbidden Forest. She was lost and desperately trying to get back to the castle, but she wasn't entirely sure why. When she passed a puddle she caught a glimpse of her reflection, only it wasn't her. It was Mr. Crouch. Before Ana could contemplate this, she was awoken by a bright green light.

The girls were not awake yet, but Ana couldn't get back to sleep. Her heart was pounding and her limbs felt like she really had been running through the forest. And her head was buzzing. So, unable to sleep, Ana got dressed and left the dormitory. The common room was empty and cold, so she kept walking. She didn't really know where she was heading until she arrived in the Entrance Hall. The Goblet of Fire was sitting in the center of it, a white smoky line drawn around it. Ana turned away from the goblet and moved towards the Great Hall.

It too was mostly empty, but there were a few bodies in there, most notably Dumbledore and the Durmstrang lot. Ana stood at the doors trying to decide if she wanted to eat this early or keep walking. That's when she felt the pricking of someone trying to invade her mind. Since Sev's slight about the practices of a good Occlumens, Ana had been attempting to keep a barrier in place permanently. It was nothing as strong as it could have been, but just enough to dissuade any Legilimens. The moment she felt someone trying to pry through, she shut them down forcefully.

She turned and found Professor Moody standing behind her, leaning heavily on his cane, both eyes were fixated on her. She stared right back but he didn't back down. She continued to push, forcing them into a dark, empty space.

"Leave," she commanded.

Moody stood tall so she pushed harder.

"Leave this mind."

He began to shrink in size.

"Leave. You will not attempt to invade this mind again. It is protected against you."

Ana continued to push him back. Instead of simply pushing him out though, she pushed until she was on the brink of his mind. Flashes of blurred and broken images passed by her eyes: a broken stained glass window, a bottomless trunk, a cold damp cellar and the feeling of helplessness. The images made no sense to her and left her feeling as though she was in a foggy haze. A bright flash of green light however, stirred her from the images.

She pulled back with great force and slammed the door shut behind her.

"I see you have found the talents of young Miss Evans," Dumbledore said.

Ana and Professor Moody were standing in the entry to the Great Hall once more. Moody's good eye looked towards Dumbledore while his glass one remained on her. Ana was hesitant to look away and only allowed herself a quick glance. Dumbledore was smiling.