The Dream Trilogy Book Three: What Dreams May Come (A Harry Potter FanFiction)

Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Two

   Hermione wasn't sure if she could run any more.  What on Earth had possessed her other self to wear these boots?  They were hard enough to walk in, let alone sprint away from a hoard of cursed towns folk.  What was she thinking?  Parvati was definitely struggling as well, but for once was suffering in silence.

   Suddenly Harry veered off to the right down a path flanked by two lines of trees.  The area was deserted save for a large house up ahead of them at the end of the path, dappled by the shadows cast from the trees in the early afternoon sunlight.  As he skidded to a halt he fumbled in his pocket and eventually pulled out a set of keys.

   "Come on, come on," whispered Parvati as he flicked hurriedly for the right one and jammed it into the lock.  With a collective gasp the four students fell through the door and slammed it shut behind them.

   For several minutes they panted in the silence, not looking at one another.  For the second time that evening Hermione thought she might throw up, but managed to hang on until the feeling passed again.  Parvati smoked another cigarette with trembling fingers, but not one told her off, even though the smoke did nothing to help Hermione's nausea, she just didn't have the energy.

   After a time Harry straightened up and walked into the living room on the left.  Hermione guessed this must be his house, but it was just as deserted as all the others.  The early October sunshine was too weak to permeate the net curtains, making the house pretty dark.  "Mum?" Harry called out, turning on the light in the adjoining kitchen.  Parvati moved like a shot and smacked the switch off again.

   "Are you crazy?" she snapped, staring at him in disbelief, hastily stubbing out her cigarette in the sink.  "Do you want them to find us?  We haven't even checked the house properly — your parents could be in here looking just like the rest."

   "Again, wishing I'd brought a shotgun," said Terry, looking curiously round the living room.  He caught his reflection in the large mirror above the fireplace, and they grimaced at each other as he pulled his beanie hat off, unstuck his sweaty hair from his head, then slumped into the comfy looking sofa.  Hermione contemplated doing the same, but then reasoned if she sat down she might not get back up again.

   "My parents are not zombies," growled Harry at Parvati, who scowled back.

   "Nobody's a zombie," she retorted, folding her arms.  "Didn't you see the blue lightening?"

   Harry frowned.  "Yes, but-"

   "Yes but nothing — they're under the Imperius Orbis Curse — it's like the Imperius one but loads of people at a time, that's why they're so slow and thick, it's less concentrated."

   Everyone was staring at her, including Hermione.  She was just going to give that answer herself and was a little put out.

   "What?" demanded Parvati.  "You think after what happened last November I wouldn't take Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts?"  She scoffed and walked over to the window, peering out of the curtains.  "They're not dead, but they're not exactly alive any more either.  Only the person that cast the spell can take it off, and unless they do they'll all be like that until they waste away."

   "You mean die?" asked Harry in a hollow voice.

   Parvati nodded, but it was Hermione who answered.  "They'll starve to death," she said in a small voice, choosing not to look at anyone, but focus on the floor instead. "They'll just wonder around until they get too tired, then they'll just lie down and die."  It made her feel sick thinking about all those families, a whole community, emptied of their personalities.