29Harry, Ron and Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table ready to begin their 6th year at Hogwarts. They noticed a new face at the teacher's table, female. She had short spiky hair and it had different coloured streaks running through it. Ron seemed to think she was familiar.
"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. As you are aware, the times are grim and I ask that we stay strong, and never lose hope. Although Voldemort has returned, our will to defeat him has stayed the same, always."
His voice rang across the silent hall, the reminder of two students lost in the wake of Voldemort's return.
"We do however have some good news for you all, Quidditch enthusiasts more so. Madame Hooch left at the end of the year for her retirement, so we needed a new flying professor. So I would like to introduce you to Stephanie Matthews, our new flying teacher. She will only be with us for a year but I hope it will be well remembered."
Whispers and loud enthusiastic claps echoed through the hall.
"I thought, I knew her for somewhere," said Ron.
"Where from?" asked Harry. "She's a professional Quidditch player. She plays seeker for the Thunderlarra Thunderers."
"Wow!" said Harry, joining in the enthusiastic clapping.
"Now, let the feast begin!" called Dumbledore, and the plates filled with food.
They enjoyed the feast a lot, Harry the most. Although Dudley had been on the diet now for 3 years, he had only lost a little bit of weight.
"Pity we didn't have flying lessons any more, it would have been great getting tips from her," said Ron, his mouth full of mashed potato.
"Yeah, but she will be refereeing the Quidditch matches," Harry replied.
Harry looked over at the new professor. She was small in height and stature and was wearing black robes with a silver lightning bolt emblazoned on the front. When dinner finished, the Gryffindors followed Hermione to the tower for their first night of the school year.
That night, Harry dreamt.
He was in a graveyard, and all was silent but for the whisper of wind. He walked around the headstones, reading the names upon them. Albus Dumbledore, Rubeus Hagrid, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. "No," whispered Harry. "NO!" He ran blindly, but then fell. He stood up, noticing he was in front of an open grave. He read the inscription on the headstone. "Harry Potter." He whirled around, only to be face to face with Voldemort. A flash on green light enveloped Harry as he fell into the open grave.
Harry woke up in a sweat, breathing heavily. Tears spilled silently down his cheeks. The dream struck a chord in him. So much has happened since Harry's forth year and so many good people have been lost in the war against the death eaters.
Harry fell back down onto his pillow for a restless night of broken sleep.
The week went by quickly, except for the nights, when Harry dreaded sleep. The nightmares were getting worse, more names were appearing on gravestones, and Voldemort said things like "You failed," and "It's all your fault."
Going down to breakfast on the weekend, Hermione spoke up. "Harry, what's wrong, you haven't been yourself lately."
"Huh? Oh, nothing's wrong, I've just been staying up too late," said Harry, his face drawn, circles under his under his eyes.
Hermione frowned. "Harry, you've been like this ever since you got here, are you having nightmares?"
Harry looked up from his bacon and eggs. "It's nothing, don't worry about it, I just need a good nights sleep, you know me, study, study, study."
Hermione said nothing the next week. That was, until Harry fell face first into his mashed potato one night. So Dumbledore stepped in. Harry was called to his office the next weekend. Harry sat down in front of the desk as Dumbledore paced.
"Now Harry, I understand you've been having some trouble sleeping."
"No Professor, I just haven't been going to bed at the right time."
Dumbledore frowned. "Harry I know you have been having bad dreams. All of your friends have come to me or another teacher concerned. Even professor Binns has come to me complaining of you sleeping in class. Now I know History of magic isn't the most exciting topic, but students try not to fall asleep in class if they can help it."
Harry sighed in defeat. "These dreams I've been having are really bad, they all show me the bad things over the years, from Quirrell, to Colin Creevey last year, but mostly it's of the graveyard in 4th year. I'm.I.I dread going to sleep. I thought I got over the nightmares but they've just come back, worse than ever."
Dumbledore sat back down behind his desk, hands under his chin, thinking. "Harry, I want you to take off some time from school. I know you just came back from holidays, but I expect you had the dreams then as well?"
Harry nodded.
"Well then, it's settled. I don't want you brooding over this. Being headmaster does have its perks you know," said Dumbledore.
"Thank you professor," said Harry quietly, not really knowing what to say.
"Also," continued Dumbledore, "I want you to have a friend taking time off with you so as not to disturb others and so that you won't be on your own all of the time."
Harry smiled at this, thinking he would have to do it solo, but who to take? There was no competition, Ginny Weasley.
Since last year, with Ron and Hermione all over each other, and people trying their best to ignore him, Ginny Weasley became his "knight in shining armour". She noticed him so lonely, that she came to talk to him every now and then, their talks becoming more frequent until they went constantly at each other's side, when not in class.
"Now, I want you to go to Hogsmede and enjoy yourself," finished Dumbledore.
Harry nodded. He went to leave the office but turned around. "Professor, can I please have some dreamless sleep potion, from madam Pomfrey?"
Dumbledore shook his head, "I'm sorry Harry but too much of it is detrimental to your heath, I can't let you have any."
Harry nodded in understanding and left Dumbledores' office.
* * * * * * * *
"He's letting you WHAT!" said Ron in disbelief. Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting at a table in the Three Broomsticks drinking butter beer.
"Yep! And what's more, I get to have someone with me, which reminds me, do you know where Ginny is?"
"What about me?" Exclaimed Ron.
"Well, I thought, you would be too busy, what with study and all," said Harry, finishing with a cough that sounded very much like "Hermione".
"I think it's good that your asking Ginny, Harry," said Hermione. "She has been down lately."
Harry felt a little ashamed. Since he's been having his dreams, he's barley had enough time for his friends, and now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen Ginny much this year.
"So do you know where she is?" Enquired Harry.
"Yeah, she's over in the corner," replied Hermione. "We asked her if she wanted to sit with us but she refused."
Harry looked over to the table in the corner. Hidden in the shadows sat Ginny, face down, staring into her butter beer. He got up and sat down next to her at the table.
"Hey Gin, what's up?"
Ginny looked up from her drink. "Huh? Oh, Hi Harry, nothing much. How are you?"
"Well. How would you like to take a week off school with me?"
Ginny looked confused. "Sorry?"
Harry wriggled closer to Ginny. "Dumbledore has given me the week off because of my dreams and he said I could have someone with me for company. So do you want to?"
Ginny's face immediately lit up with a glowing smile. "Of course I will. Anything to get away from potions."
Harry fiend sadness, "And to be with you silly!" Ginny added.
Harry and Ginny enjoyed the rest of the Hogsmede trips together, shopping and buying up at Weasley Wizard Wheezes. He noticed something had changed about Ginny over the holidays, a glow, or, something.
"She's grown a lot, and in more ways than one."
"Stop it, she's my friend."
"Yes, your beautiful friend."
"Stop it"
He walked back to Hogwarts with Ginny, trying to forget what she looked like and concentrate on their conversation.
His eyes however, kept wandering.