Chapter 485: Harry's Nightmare
Chapter 485: Harry’s Nightmare
A loud crack echoed, and Sirius stood on the road in Hogsmeade, leaves and burrs clinging to his robes, which were now torn and tattered from the brambles.
The sky was already growing dark, and the streetlights had come on early.
The Three Broomsticks Inn was nearby, and the scent of butterbeer and steak wafted from inside.
Sirius’s stomach growled, and he licked his lips, still preoccupied with the crucial information he had overheard. Without a moment’s hesitation, he set off toward Hogwarts.
This was too important; he had to report it to Dumbledore in person.
As he navigated the winding alleys and the path leading to the school, the surroundings grew quieter and more somber. The trees lining the road reminded him of his pursuit of Wormtail.
His teeth clenched, and he could almost taste the raw, bloody flavor of a rat being devoured alive.
—Once again, that guy had slipped away right under his nose…
Back in school, Sirius had always looked down on Wormtail’s Animagus form, mocking it more than once.
But when he actually faced the guy, he realized just how troublesome it was to have an opponent who could turn into a rat.
Suddenly, something in his pocket started jumping, as if a restless rabbit had taken up residence there.
Sirius pulled out the Communication Bean, and the jumping immediately ceased. He put the bean in his ear and heard a thin, urgent voice:
“Harry Potter is requesting a call… Harry Potter is requesting a call…”
If it had been anyone else, Sirius would have hung up without a second thought. But since it was Harry, he immediately answered.
“Harry?” Sirius asked, his voice full of concern. “How are you doing?”
“Fine, though Aunt Petunia has us all on a diet to help Dudley lose weight. But everyone’s been sending me snacks, and Remus and Wade came over today, so I’m not starving.”
Harry didn’t dwell on the Dursleys’ ridiculous meal plans. He quickly got to the point of his call.
“I had a nightmare, Sirius.”
“A nightmare?”
Calling his godfather, who was on an important mission, just because of a nightmare seemed even more absurd than the abuse he endured at his foster family’s hands.
But Sirius didn’t think Harry was overreacting. He asked patiently, “What did you dream about?”
“I, I dreamed about….”
Harry stared blankly at the spellbook he had left on his desk last night, suddenly forgetting what he had been about to say.
The images from his dream faded quickly, like a receding tide. But before they vanished completely, the scar on his forehead burned intensely, the pain anchoring his fading memories.
“I dreamed about Professor Lockhart.”
Harry murmured, “He and that guy from the newspaper, Gar Trocar… they were being tortured by the Cruciatus Curse… by me.”
“Wait, by who?” Sirius sensed something was off and pressed for more details.
“By me….”
Harry found it hard to believe himself. He furrowed his brow, struggling to recall the dream’s details.
The scenes were so vivid, and the agonizing screams were so real that he almost thought he had killed them.
But what was even stranger was that in the dream, he felt no guilt or remorse. He was cold, cruel, and even a bit gleeful, as if a demon lurked deep within him.
Harry instinctively swallowed that feeling and mumbled, "I dreamed that I was torturing them... and I thought I saw a huge snake..."
Sirius couldn't speak for a moment.
Lockhart and Gar... Sirius watched them walk into the old house and never come out.
From the tone of "Barty", it seemed they had been deceived by Peter Pettigrew, used as sacrifices for Voldemort.
But... this had just happened, why did Harry see it in his dream right away?
It sounded like he had seen everything from Voldemort's perspective... even what happened to the two men after they entered the house, something Sirius himself didn't know.
This bizarre situation made Sirius extremely uneasy.
His silence also made Harry more anxious, and he started to worry if this call had made his godfather think he was overreacting and not steady enough.
So Harry added, "When I woke up, my scar started hurting again—it hasn't hurt in a long time."
Sirius's quick pace suddenly stopped, as if time had frozen. For a moment, he couldn't speak, only his trembling breath could be heard.
He felt he had caught a glimpse of something... a thought flashed through his mind...
But the inspiration was too fleeting, and before he could grasp it, it vanished.
In a daze, he felt as if he were standing in a dimly lit room, surrounded by tall bookshelves. The smell of parchment and ink filled his nose, and his fingers could feel a soft, warm texture.
He could almost hear Regulus's young voice: "Sirius, what are you doing here?"
...
"Sirius? Sirius?"
There was no response from the Communication Bean, only the sound of a faint breeze.
Harry took the bean out, looked at it in confusion, and then put it back in his ear, calling again, "Sirius?"
"I'm here", Sirius took a deep breath and said, "I'm just about to see Dumbledore. I'll ask him... see if he knows why your scar is hurting."
Harry felt a bit embarrassed, "Wouldn't that be... overreacting? It only hurt for a few minutes, maybe it's normal, just a psychological effect..."
"No, Harry", Sirius said seriously, "No one in the wizarding world has ever survived the Killing Curse like you did. Any change related to that scar is no small matter!"
"Alright", Harry said insincerely, "It doesn't hurt anymore... don't worry."
Even though he said that, Harry still felt that the pain in his scar was significant.
Sirius didn't dismiss it as trivial but took it very seriously, which made Harry feel much better, easing his previous worries and heaviness.
He tried to recall more details from his dream and told Sirius about them. After ending the call, Harry lay back in bed, pulled the covers over himself, and fell into a relaxed sleep.
Sirius, however, looked gravely at the towering castle, raised his wand, and sent a signal inside.
Soon, Hagrid, carrying a lantern, walked over and pushed open the wooden door with a creak.
(End of Chapter)
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