Being Different Year 5
An Abrupt Start to the Holidays

Anne woke up from another dream about the Department of Mysteries, she had a splitting headache, but she was getting used to those now. She reached for a pain relief potion on her bedside table and noticed that Diana was cuddled into her as she slept.

Anne checked her watch and saw that it was nearly six thirty and she had to go take a shower soon.

“Morning Di,” said Anne tickling her behind the ears.

Diana woke up and gave a huge yawn showing all her teeth as she reached out and stretched her little kitten body.

“You looking forward to Christmas, we’re going back home tomorrow.”

Diana purred loudly as she nuzzled herself against Anne.

“You do realise,” yawned Mandy, “that she can’t understand a word that you say?”

“Because she’s a cat,” agreed Lisa.

“Actually, she’s not a cat,” said Anne picking up Diana, “she’s a kneazle.”

“What’s the difference?” asked Mandy.

“Kneazles are extremally intelligent and protective,” explained Anne as she held Diana to her chest.

“Is that why she keeps on looking like she’s trying to guard the dormitory every night when you’re asleep?” asked Lisa.

“Probably,” said Anne.

“She also snuggles into you when you’re having your weird nightmares every night,” said Mandy.

“It’s kind of cute actually,” said Lisa.

Anne was sincerely looking forward to going home for the Christmas holidays tomorrow morning. It had not been a good term, Umbridge was ruining their lives. She had forbidden music, the one thing that gave Anne life and tried to fire both Trelawney and Hagrid.

Most recently, Umbridge had banned Harry from Quidditch along with Fred and George. Anne just couldn’t wait to get through the last day before she could go home to her family.

Anne looked over nervously to Persephone’s bed, Persephone was looking paler than usual this morning, tonight was the full moon. This meant that both Remus and Persephone would have to be going through their monthly transformations.

That night Anne went to the last D.A meeting of the term.

They had now learnt disarming, stunning and shield charms. Today they were having a quick revision of the things they had already learnt so that they didn’t have to start anything new.

“Ok guys you want to see something cool?” asked Harry bringing Anne in front of the group. He had been saving showing this to the group for a special occasion.

“Alright so what’s the problem with verbal spells?” asked Harry.

“That your opponent knows what’s coming,” answered Cho.

“That’s correct,” Harry said, “Anne would you care to demonstrate?”

Anne turned to her brother and disarmed his wordlessly, the wand flying straight towards her.

“Cool,” muttered Brenda.

“But what is even better than non-verbal magic?”

“Wandless magic?” suggested George.

“That is also right,” said Harry as Anne passed him her wand.

Anne looked at her brother for a moment before beckoning for her wand using her hand. The wand came flying across the room to Anne’s hand.

“Woah,” said Dennis and Colin Creevey.

“Whats so special about that,” said Zacharias, “we’ve known that Anne can do that for over a year.”

“Well firstly,” said Anne, “if you get disarmed you can get your wand back straight away. Most of the time if you get disarmed that’s the end of the duel.”

“Secondly,” she beamed, “I’ll bet that you can’t do this.”

Anne raised her hands and sent books and pillows flying around the room, directing the direction of the objects with her hands, before gently setting them back down on the ground.

Zacharias Smith just stared at her in awe.

“How do you even do that?” asked Lisa.

“It’s a combination of natural talent as I’ve always been able to do small amounts of wandless magic since I was about six. Other than that, a lot of practise.”

“Annie,” said Irwin as they headed back to the Common Room, “is it strange how you being such a powerful witch makes my beautiful goddess even more beautiful to me?”

“Of course not,” she blushed.

“The best part though,” said Michael, “was how she got Zacharias to shut up for once!”

“True,” nodded Mandy.

“It’s a shame that Sephie couldn’t be there to see the look on his face,” said Anthony. Persephone was currently in the shrieking shack as it was the full moon.

“Don’t worry, it’ll be more fun to tell her tomorrow,” said Terry.

“Justin told me even the Hufflepuff’s don’t like him,” said Lisa, “they’re only nice to him because Hufflepuffs are meant to be nice to everyone.”

“How did Smith get into Hufflepuff anyway?” asked Irwin.

“There’s a question for the ages,” muttered Anne.

“I’ll see you tomorrow Annie,” said Irwin as they reached the Common Room, Irwin had to finish his packing.

“Good night my beautiful goddess,” he whispered as he kissed her by the steps on the way up to the girl’s dorms.

Anne fell asleep in her dorm still thinking of that long kiss from Irwin. Irwin kept floating in and out of her dreams but eventually as always, she found herself in the Department of Mysteries.

This dream was different though, she wasn’t walking down the corridor she was slithering.

“Blood,” she heard a voice whispering, “I smell fresh meat.”

She came across a moving object who had bright red balding hair. The man was fast asleep.

Is this the best that old idiot can do? She thought, a middle-aged man who falls asleep on duty?

She lunged herself at the man’s body and bit deeply into his neck.

“Noooo!” she screamed waking up and shaking all over.

“Anne? What the hell is wrong?” asked Mandy who had still been awake gossiping with Lisa and Padma.

At this point Anne was promptly sick all over the bedsheets.

“I’ll go get Flitwick,” muttered Padma pulling on her dressing gown.

Diana was guarding the door again to stop any unwanted visitors coming her whilst her mistress was ill.

“Anne what’s wrong?” asked Flitwick gently.

“We don’t know,” panicked Padma, “she was just having another nightmare but this one was worse, she then woke up shaking and screaming and then was sick all over the bed.”

Anne was still shaking, and Lisa had been trying to get her into her dressing gown whilst Mandy vanished the sick.

“Do you remember anything about the dream?” asked Flitwick urgently.

“Mr. Weasley,” she stammered still shaking, “Department of Mysteries.”

“I think I need to take you to the Hospital Wing dear,” said Flitwick trying to help her out of bed.

“Dumbledore,” she struggled, “must see Dumbledore!”

Flitwick was halfway through trying to shepherd Anne down to the Hospital Wing when he bumped into McGonagall with Harry and Ron. Harry was in a similar state to Anne but nowhere near as bad, Ron just looked confused.

“Minerva what’s going on?” asked Flitwick, “she’s muttering about Arthur Weasley and having to see Dumbledore.”

“They need to see Dumbledore Filius,” said Minerva urgently, “could you take these three to Albus and I’ll get the other Weasleys.”

Ron and Flitwick were looking more confused by the minute, but Flitwick took them to Dumbledore’s office nonetheless.

“Is there a problem Filius?” asked Dumbledore.

“I had a dream sir, Mr Weasley’s been hurt,” said Harry.

“Did you have the same dream Anne?” asked Dumbledore not looking at either Anne or Harry.

“Yes sir,” she stammered.

Dumbledore sent two portraits to check on the ministry and inform St. Mungo’s to expect a new patient, before sending another portrait to talk to Sirius.

“What the hell is going on?” asked Fred.

“Dad’s been injured as part of his work for the Order,” said Ron.

Ginny looked close to tears and Harry put his arm around her.

Dumbledore put a portkey on the desk and told them all to grab onto it.

Anne noticed that for some strange reason, Dumbledore was still avoiding Anne and Harry’s eyes.

Anne felt as if a giant hook had caught her by the neck and she was flying through the air, the next thing she knew she was plummeting and landed in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place.

“Kids!” exclaimed Sirius.

“Are you all ok?” he asked as they pulled themselves off the floor.

“Yeah,” muttered Harry, he didn’t exactly enjoy these little trips into Voldemort’s mind. But he didn’t feel like he was crazy because his sister could see the same thing. More importantly his girlfriend looked like she had gone into shock and was seconds away from bursting into tears.

“It’ll be ok Gin,” said Harry as he pulled her in for a hug, “he’ll be alright.”

“If Harry and Anne hadn’t seen that snake thing attack dad, they might not have found him till morning,” added Fred.

“You ok kiddo?” asked Sirius.

Anne was still shaking and as if in answer to his question she was sick all over again.

“I probably deserved that,” muttered Sirius as he tried to brush the most of the sick off of himself.

“What’s all this ruckus?” asked Julian bleary eyed, he had just come down from upstairs.

He and Sirius were supposed to be swapping which one of them was watching Remus. Tonks didn’t get werewolf watch duty anymore because she was pregnant and therefore needed a full night’s sleep.

“Arthur’s been hurt on duty,” explained Sirius, “I need to go call Molly.”

Julian headed back upstairs to watch out for Remus.

Anne was still shaking on the kitchen floor looking like she might be sick again any minute.

“Ok kiddo,” said Sirius picking her up having called Molly, “let’s get you up to bed yeah?”

“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he told the others as he took Anne upstairs.

“Just try and get some sleep ok kiddo?” he said as he tucked her into bed, “Remus will be up in a couple of hours.”

Sirius left a bucket behind in case she needed to be sick again, before going back downstairs to sort out Harry and the Weasleys.

Anne tried to get some sleep, but it didn’t work, she couldn’t stop shivering and every few minutes she thought she might be sick. Every time she did drop off, she was Nagini again in her dreams and that made her feel even worse when she woke up.

“What do we do Remus?” asked Tonks once they had both woken up.

“I don’t know Dora, she’s never been quite this bad,” he muttered as she checked her forehead, “usually she just stops after a while, but she’s been like this since she first had the dream which was five hours ago.”

“Remus?” asked Anne drowsily as she woke up.

“I’m right here poppet,” he said stroking her hair.

Anne covered her mouth and Tonks passed over the bucket.

“Thanks,” she muttered as Tonks cleared up the sick.

“Do you want to try and sleep sweetheart?”

Anne shook her head frantically.

“Sleep makes it worse; I relive it and wake up feeling even worse.”

“I’m going to go and see if we have any dreamless sleep left,” said Tonks as she pulled herself off the bed.

“Do you want to be sick again?” asked Remus as he sat down next to her on the bed.

Anne shook her head, “no I’m good.”

“Come here then,” he chuckled holding his arms open. He was exhausted from his transformation the night before but there were sometimes more important things in this world than sleep.

Anne rolled over and cried into Remus’ chest as he stroked her hair.

“Its ok poppet,” he muttered, “I’m here now.”

“Hush darling its ok nobody’s going to hurt you,” he whispered as she continued to cry.

“You’re shivering,” he said pulling out a quilt and wrapping her up in it.

“Remus, I’ve found some dreamless sleep,” said Tonks.

“Thanks Dora,” he beamed as he tried to calm her down.

“I attacked Mr Weasley,” she stuttered.

“Firstly sweetheart, that wasn’t you, that was Nagini,” said Remus, “and secondly you’re safe now.”

After what felt like hours, Anne finally stopped crying and shivering and had managed to calm down.

“I want you to take this ok sweetheart?” he asked passing her the vial of dreamless sleep.

“No,” she said shaking her head again.

“You won’t dream about Nagini, you won’t dream at all poppet,” he reminded her.

She reluctantly took the bottle and drank the potion; she only did that because she was exhausted.

She fell asleep within seconds of having drunk the potion, but it was already midday.

It was only when Anne was actually asleep when Remus realized quite how tired he was and fell asleep on top of the bed right next to her.

When Anne woke up six hours later, she felt instantly better, Diana was snuggled in next to her again fast asleep. Remus was asleep too, he looked so tired though that she didn’t want to wake him up.

Anne went back to sleep knowing that even if Voldemort was back, her uncle Remus would protect her from anything.