The Potter Twins and the Half-Blood Prince {6}

19. The Aftermath

"But I believe that love will win, and hate will earn you nothing in the end. This is the end" - I Say No, Carrie Hope Fletcher

When I open my eyes again I'm laying in an incredibly warm and comfortable bed and looking up at a lamp that is throwing a circle of golden light onto a shadowy ceiling. I raise my head awkwardly; all of the pain is gone, leaving only a dull and heavy feeling in my head.

"Haylee!"

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dad, Sirius, and Riley are all gathered around my bed; all with blood-shot eyes and pale faces. I blink and look around. Of course: I'm in the hospital wing.

"What happened? I remember waking up and then..."

"Harry and Ron carried you to the Hospital Wing, Dumbledore put you back to sleep," Hermione says quietly. I raise my forearm, gasping when I see the long, scabbed scratch marks. The dream comes back to me in waves, reigniting the panic bubbling deep in my soul.

"How long has it been?"

"About twenty-four hours," Dad says, reaching forward and taking my hand. "Sirius and I came first thing this morning; we've been with Dumbledore for most of the day."

"You gave us a good scare, kid," Sirius adds, looking pale. "Dumbledore will be down soon, you can tell us what you saw in that dream."

I grimace at the thought of seeing Dumbledore, remembering vividly how he fell so effortlessly in my dream, and how easily I was coerced into performing the deed. "Harry, your scar didn't hurt at all last night?" I ask, hoping with every particle in my body that this doesn't mean what I think it does.

He hesitates for a moment, paler than ever. "No."

Dumbledore arrives five minutes later to find us in silence; the only change being Harry's decision to sit beside me, a squeeze given his most recent growth spurt. He gives me a warm smile, his eyes twinkling in spite of obvious worry in the room. It's a far cry from the cold, scathing stare he gave me in my dream, followed by words he had uttered to Tom Riddle himself.

"Madam Pomfrey insists on keeping you in here for at least another day," he says calmly, taking a seat beside Riley. "I've managed to persuade her to step outside for a few minutes, but she is ever the attentive nurse. You must speak quickly and precisely, Haylee. You will receive no judgement from us for whatever is that you saw."

I begin to recount the dream, their looks on their faces once again confirming my worst fears. "I was with Draco Malfoy, and I had the Dark Mark." Harry takes my hand immediately, giving me the strength to continue. "From what he said...I'd already killed Harry, Dad, and Sirius -- your bodies were there. He was trying to get me to kill Dumbledore, he kept on saying how none of you ever cared about what happened to me. I did it, and then I woke up."

There is an all-encompassing silence, filled only by Hermione's sniffles until Dumbledore gives a grave nod. "It is as I feared. Voldemort is aware of your prophecy."

My entire world crumbles at this moment; any sense of protection I felt from Voldemort diminished in a single night. "How could he know?" I ask, shaking again.

"Malfoy must have told him!" Harry growls from beside me. "He's trying to turn you against us!"

"Harry, that's a big accusation to make," Dad says nervously; but his eyes tell me that he too suspects Draco.

"He didn't know!" I cry, feeling as if my throat is closing over. "The only people who know are in this room, the people I know would never betray me!"

Much to my surprise, Dumbledore gives a small chuckle, so out of place, everyone stares at him with wide eyes. "Forgive me, Haylee, but the trust you've placed in your family and friends is most illuminating. How Voldemort knows is an issue we must address - but our primary priority is that his vision for you never comes into fruition, something I'm sure we can all agree on."