Dreaming Wide Awake

Two girls of about his age stood in the recently opened doorway. "Hermione, have you gone mad?" One hissed to the other.

Harry couldn't recall meeting either of them, yet they felt familiar. The bushy haired one- Hermione… his heart twanged at the sight of her. Hermione wordlessly pulled her companion forward with one hand, while the other held a wand… somehow he instinctively knew that what she was holding was a wand. She waved it in the air and the doors closed behind them.

"Do you know what they study in this room?" Hermione asked. Her companion shook her head. "Love."

A beat of silence, and then "Wait, do you think they can help us?"

"Maybe." Hermione responded "But we have to try… if we can save Harry… we have to try."

Wait, save Harry? Why would they need to save him? Were they even talking about him? Why would anyone care about him in the first place?

Oblivious to his confusion, the two girls crept along a suspiciously nondescript, black tiled hallway as it curved around and opened into a large circular room. It was seemingly lit by ambient light that Harry couldn't determine the source of. Bookshelves lined the walls, with several complex instruments that Harry couldn't not identify were clustered on the far side. But by far the most prominent feature of the room was the raised dais in the center, which held up a large stone bowl that had symbols engraved on it that Harry couldn't identify.

There were three figures also in the room, cloaked head to toe in midnight blue robes. Two of them spun around and pointed their own wands at the two girls. "How did you get in here?" One barked. "That shouldn't be possible."

"We were running from Death Eaters. The door just opened for me." Hermione said in a strained, tired voice, yet her expression was firm.

"We aren't here to fight. We need help." The other girl said.

"Wait." The third figure said. Her voice was aged, and she had a slight accent that Harry couldn't quite place. "Let me see her."

The older woman approached Hermione, who regarded her cautiously. "You say the doors opened for you, on their own accord."

She nodded, and the older woman pressed the tip of her wand to Hermione's chest. A tether of light extended out from her chest, unfurling and growing like a flowering plant away from her… to him?

Wait, what?

"I see you've read my book."

-----

Harry jerked to wakefulness, a confusing mix of emotions roiling within him. That dream… already the details of it were slipping away from him. He closed his eyes… trying to hold on, to remember. The details of the dream slipped away, but in his mind's eye he could still see her, Hermione.

Who was she? Why was she so important to him? What did the dream mean?

Harry turned over those questions in his head for a minute, but received no answers. It was no use. He dragged himself out of bed, putting the nagging feeling that that dream was somehow important aside, and got ready for the day. It was still rather early, so he doubted that Dudley would be up yet, meaning he could spend a few extra minutes in the shower.

It wasn't until he got down to the kitchen and had set to work on breakfast that he encountered any of his relatives- his aunt. "Make sure you clean up after yourself." She said curtly. The Dursleys were a perfectly normal family, thank you very much, with one exception- Harry himself. He'd been kept as a sort of shameful secret for all these years, and he never really knew why, other than that they plain just didn't like him.

"Yes, Aunt Petunia." Harry replied dutifully. He always cleaned up after cooking, yet his aunt always felt the need to remind him, but he knew complaining would get him nowhere. His uncle and cousin would follow her eventually, helping themselves to the vast majority of the eggs and bacon Harry had prepared. No matter how much he cooked, they never seemed to leave much for him.

The day progressed with utter banality. No one bothered with Harry at Stonewall. He was free from his cousin's bullying, since Dudley and most of his friends were at Smeltings, but Harry's ill-fitting hand-me-downs and the fact that he wasn't allowed to go anywhere but straight home after school ensured that he never really had any friends. He was a completely average student, so the teachers never paid him much mind either.

So Harry trudged on, each day much like the last. A repetitive monotony that seemed like it would never end. He wanted to change his situation, to get away from the Dursleys for good and start a life on his own, yet somehow he felt utterly powerless, like no matter what he did, he would be stuck in limbo forever.

He found himself spending every day waiting for the chance to fall asleep- the only escape he had from his life. Every night he would dream of grief and tears, determination, and ingenuity, hope and struggle- all jumbled together, as if he were only getting small pieces of a much larger puzzle. Every morning what he had seen would slip away from him, and he would slip back into the bland monotony of everyday life, only keeping treasured fragments of what seemed like another life.

-----

"This is… incredible." Hermione uttered, staring down at the basin. She ran her hand around the rim, and the runes flickered faintly at her touch. "These runes. These are the runes we use for the ritual, but this looks almost like a pensieve. What does it do?"

"Place your hand in the water."

Hermione did so, and gasped and brought her free hand to her chest. "I can… I can feel him."

The woman nodded "It creates… clarity. For most people, it would simply erase all the noise of daily life, allow you to focus on the bonds with the people we care about."

Hermione's brow furrowed, prompting her to continue her explanation "A bond doesn't need to be magical to be real. The bond between friends, family, lovers, its no less valid than what you have. Though, I'll admit" She said wryly "A proper soul bond does have its advantages. Relevant to us, it means you can use this to reach him directly, wherever he is."

"Its strange." Hermione muttered "I can feel him, but its almost as if… its almost as if he's in this room with me, right now." She looked up, straight at him, and Harry felt a shiver go down his spine as he swore her eyes met his.

-----

A redheaded girl. On her knees. Crying. Indescribable grief etched onto her face, tears streaming down her cheeks. Harry could feel her grief, and he wanted so desperately to reach out to her to comfort her, to tell her he was okay, he was right there- right there.

But he didn't even know her, even though he felt that he did, he couldn't ever remember seeing her in his life.

A blonde woman clutched her shoulders. "What 'iz it, Ginny? What's wrong?"

"They took him! They got him! They-" She sobbed again. "We should've… should've…"

"No."

-----

"Oh my god, Hermione, Susan. I thought…"

"I'm sorry Katie-"

"Thank Merlin you're alright." She ignored the apology, just wrapping her arms around them both.

"Where are the others?"

"Ginny's inconsolable." Katie said. "Luna and Demelza aren't any better off. They won't leave each other's side, they won't even let go of each other. I don't know what to do. They won't respond to me, or even eat." Katie's stress was apparent in her voice as it was in her appearance. She looked… worn down, exhausted.

"What about Fleur?" Susan asked.

"I haven't seen her since we learned. She went to her room, and she won't come out. Its just been me, holding this place together, but I'm doing a rather crap job of it."

"Its not your fault. When they put Harry under… it was hard. It was like a part of me was ripped away, taken just out of reach. So close that I can taste it, that I'm always reminded of what I'm missing."

Katie shook her head sadly, "Are you okay?"

"I'm better now… because I have hope. A plan, or more of an idea, really."

"You do?" Katie, practically did a double take. "And you didn't think to lead with that?"

For her part, Hermione looked a little bashful.

-----

"Its me, Hermione." She called into the room cautiously. "I know… how hard this is. But I've found something. A chance. Maybe. To get him back. Can you- eep!" She was pulled down by three sets of arms, onto the bed with the other girls.

The four of them collapsed into a tangle of limbs- grief, hope, and mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion mixing until they drifted off. Harry could feel it all. For the four of them, it was like he knew them instinctively, better than he knew himself. If only he could remember them.

-----

"Are you sure this is going to work, Hermione?" Demelza looked down. These had been the first words he'd heard from her.

"No. But it has to."

-----

The four returned with red rimmed eyes and tear streaked faces. "I can't promise anything, but… there's a chance that we can get him back."

"We have to try." There were universal nods of agreement.

"Okay, I agree, but…"

"But what, Susan?" Ginny snapped, a little harshly. Harry could tell she meant no ill will, she was just exhausted, emotionally worn, and lashing out.

"Can we destroy this damned cup?"

-----

Susan held the fang in hand. Poised to drive it down into the cup sitting on the table, yet she hesitated.

"Go ahead Susan. Its only fitting that a Hufflepuff would be the one to destroy Hufflepuff's cup." Harry had no idea what the hell a Hufflepuff was, but he could tell that whatever that cup was… it needed to be destroyed.

She took a breath and closed her eyes, steeling herself. "I can do this." She whispered.

"I know." Katie said.

With a cry, she stabbed the fang down viciously. The cup let out an ear-splitting wail as it cracked and crumpled into a heap of slag.

Susan staggered back, breathing heavily. She almost tipped over, but was rescued by Katie. "I think… I need to lie down."

-----

"There's one other thing. We'll need Bill's help on this. I know it's an ask, but he's a curse breaker, and other than Dumbledore, he's the only one who's worked with this kind of magic. Even if it was to try to…" She trailed off awkwardly.

There were no objections, and Hermione looked a little surprised. "Ginny? Fleur?"

"It doesn't matter, Hermione, if I dislike him, or distrust him. It is beyond that now." Fleur answered coldly, without a hint of emotion. While the others had cried and broken down, Fleur remained impassive, as if carved from stone… or ice.

Ginny nodded along "We were working on burying the hatchet… before. If he can help us, it doesn't matter. I'd work with bloody… Pansy if we needed to."

-----

"How are you holding up?"

"Been better, Bill." Ginny said curtly.

"Sorry, stupid question."

"No… I'm sorry." Ginny sighed "This isn't your fault. How is… everything going? We've sort of shut ourselves in."

"Its all gone to hell. Thicknese is Minister, but everyone knows he's a puppet. Everyone's assumed that Dumbledore's dead. Snape's Headmaster of Hogwarts. They're rumors they're going to start hunting Muggleborns." Bill shook his head "Look, Hermione told me a bit about this plan of yours. I don't know if it'll work, but I'll do everything I can to help."

"Thank you."

Fleur took this moment to enter the room and nodded politely. "Bill."

"Fleur." Bill said sadly "I'm sorry."

"I accept your apology." She said flatly "Just help us."

Bill blinked, taken aback by her stoic demeanor "Of course."

-----

"Is Fleur… okay?"

Ginny shrugged "Don't take it personally. We're all handling this differently."

-----

"Are you sure, Hermione? You were the one who came up with this."

Hermione smiled faintly in response "Ginny, you know if anyone can reach him, it'd be you. It has to be you."

Ginny swallowed her trepidation as she looked down at the basin. Harry could feel her determination, at first an ember but sparking into a blazing inferno. He'd always loved that about her. He knew that when Ginny Weasley set her mind to something, she'd never stop, never give up. And right now, every bit of her blazing determination was bent on saving him.

Her hand dipped into the basin, just as Hermione had done before. Ginny gasped, a shudder running down her body. "You were right… Hermione, you're right. I can feel him! Its almost like he's in the room with us, right now." Her voice carried a desperate urgency "Harry! Harry! Can you hear us? We're going to get you out of this. No matter what it takes, we'll get you back. I promise."

-----

Harry blinked back tears as he awoke. He could feel Ginny's conviction, even now, thrumming in his chest. It was so real. He closed his eyes, trying to immerse himself in the feeling, holding on to it like a lifeline.

He'd long felt so smothered here, by a blanket of apathy. But this was like a breath of fresh air, or a spark that had lit a flame. Why did he have to accept that this was all there was to life? He didn't. He didn't.

That decided it, he was going to go out and do something. What, how, he didn't know, but he was done drifting through life aimlessly, joylessly, lifelessly. With that resolve, Harry opened his eyes again and sat up in bed.

And he was absolutely stunned to find Ginny Weasley standing in his room.