The Girl Who Hid | ✓

|38| Announcements

The rain sounded louder at the top of the house, accompanied by loud whistlings and moans from the wind, as we made our way towards Ron's bedroom attic. Harry told Hermione, Ron, and me that he needed to tell us something.

"What's up, Harry?" said Ron, the moment he had closed the door of the attic room behind us.

"There's something I haven't told you," Harry said. "On Saturday morning, I woke up with my scar hurting again."

"Wait— you too?" I said in awe.

Hermione gasped and started making suggestions at once, mentioning a number of reference books, and everybody from Albus Dumbledore to Madam Pomfrey, the Hogwarts nurse. Ron simply looked dumbstruck.

"But— he wasn't there, was he? You-Know-Who? I mean— last time your scars kept hurting, he was at Hogwarts, wasn't he?" Hermione said.

"It'd be impossible for him to be at two places at once," I reassured them.

"I'm sure he wasn't on Privet Drive," said Harry. "But I was dreaming about him... him and Peter— you know, Wormtail. I can't remember all of it now, but they were plotting to kill...someone. Did you dream anything, Maise?"

"No, I just woke up and I felt like I had gotten stabbed," I mumbled.

"It was that day?" Hermione gasped.

"Yeah, I didn't want to worry you. I had sent you a letter, Harry, but then the next day you came here, so Pig came back with it," I rocked on the heels of my feet awkwardly.

I felt bad for keeping information from Ron and Hermione, especially when they only want to help.

"It was only a dream," said Ron bracingly. "Just a nightmare. And Maisey, the pain could have been just regular chest pain, not your scar."

"Yeah, but was it, though?" I said, turning to look out of the window at the brightening sky. "It's weird, isn't it? My and Harry's scars hurting, and then three days later the Death Eaters are on the march, and Voldemort's sign's up in the sky again."

"Don't— say— his— name!" Ron hissed through gritted teeth.

"And remember what Professor Trelawney said?" Harry added, ignoring Ron. "At the end of last year?"

Hermione's terrified look vanished as she let out a derisive snort.

"Oh Harry, you aren't going to pay attention to anything that old fraud says?"

"You weren't there," said Harry. "You didn't hear her. This time was different. I told you, she went into a trance— a real one. And she said the Dark Lord would rise again... greater and more terrible than ever before... and he'd manage it because his servant was going to go back to him... and that night Wormtail escaped."

"Why were you asking if Hedwig had come, Harry?" Hermione asked. "Are you expecting a letter?"

"I told Sirius about my scar," said Harry, shrugging. "I'm waiting for his answer."

"Good thinking!" said Ron, his expression clearing. "I bet Sirius'll know what to do!"

"I hoped he'd get back to me quickly," said Harry.

"But we don't know where Sirius is— he could be in Africa or somewhere, couldn't he?" said Hermione reasonably. "Hedwig's not going to manage that journey in a few days."

"Yeah, I know," said Harry.

"Come and have a game of Quidditch in the orchard, Harry," said Ron. "Come on— three on three, Bill and Charlie and Fred and George will play... You can try out the Wronski Feint..."