Love Lasts

Chapter 3

Harry rushed to Transfiguration, just as the bell was ringing. Ron handed him his bag.

"I'll explain later. Long story." Harry mumbled as he walked up to McGonagall's desk.

"Mind telling me why you missed my class, Mr. Potter?" She asked, not looking up from her papers.

"I was stopping a student from being attacked, Professor." That got her attention.

"What on earth are you talking about?" She demanded.

Harry quickly explained what had happened and how the girl was now in the Hospital Wing.

"Well, I guess that'll excuse you." She said stiffly. "You said her name was Violet?" She asked and Harry nodded.

"Violet Brown. Like she doesn't have enough to deal with already..." She shook her head, then cleared her throat. "You can go, Mr. Potter. You don't want to be late for your next class." Harry nodded once more and swiftly left the room.

He met up with Ron and Hermione at dinner and explained what had happened. "Don't tell anyone though, okay?" They nodded, their faces serious.

Dinner was quiet for the three of them, but Harry could feel the eyes on the back of his head and he knew that they would belong to Malfoy. You don't care. You don't care. You don't care.

When dinner was over, he waved goodbye to Ron and Hermione and headed off to the Quidditch Pitch for practice.

The team showed up and they had a smooth session. Angelina and Katie were spectacular and Fred and George were a bit overzealous with their clubs, as per usual. One of them nearly smashed into Katie's nose.

Harry high fived them all as they headed back to the castle. The Common Room was packed, but Harry spotted Ron and Hermione at a back table and walked over.

"Glad you're here Harry. Can you quiz me? Ron is terrible at it." Hermione said, setting her book down.

"It makes no sense! Why would you quiz yourself when the real thing is bad enough?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and handed her notebook to Harry. He took a breath, then started asking the questions, having a hard time deciphering the minute writing.

After a while, he excused himself to go to bed. The day had been very tiring and he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

However, during the night, he had several nightmares that woke him up in a cold sweat. He ran a hand through his hair and tried to steady his breathing.

He grabbed a cup of water and drank, trying to make his hand stop shaking. Sometime during the night it had started storming, adding fuel to his nightmares.

He dreamt he was trapped in a field during a storm, his friends trapped in a glass box with metal edges and floor, trying to get out. He searched his pockets for his wand, but it wasn't there. Rain started to fall, and thunder and lightning began all around him.

Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville, even Neville, were all pounding their fists on the glass, begging him to help them.

He ran to the glass and tried to break it, but just ended up with a pain in his shoulder. He tried to kick it, but his foot just bounced off the glass and sent him sprawling.

Just as he was trying to sit up, a bolt of lightning hit the box and almost instantly, his friends collapsed in a large heap, motionless. Harry felt tears on his cheeks, but could barely separate them from the rain.

He woke up with tears streaming down his face and his body drenched in sweat. No point in trying to sleep again. It's not worth it.

He grabbed some clothes, then walked out the door and through the portrait hole and to the showers, Night following him silently and sitting outside the door while he bathed.