Closing my eyes later that night, I find myself floating into the dream world gracefully. I smile instantly when I recognize my dream as being the one where I've won the Quidditch World cup. Mum and Angel are smiling widely at me with Dad and Draco clapping me on the back. All of my friends and housemates congratulate me with a few young women in fact throwing themselves at me, asking me to marry them. Dad of course quickly frightens them off, which I have to say that I'm unsure if I'm grateful for this or not.

As my dream ends a little while later, I find myself thrown into another. Black fog edges the narrow view in front of me. It is as if smoke is rolling out of a nearby factory, covering everything in sight. I then hear footsteps approaching with boots splashing water every now and then.

"You're certain the sword is in there?" asks a female voice that I don't immediately recognize.

"Of course I'm certain, witch," growls an unfamiliar man. "That's what it says right here. Unless Princess Eileen thinks I'm misreading his journal again?" he sneers, holding up a faded journal.

"I can do without your sarcasm," she snaps. She then glances towards something off in the black fog. "It shall be enough trouble attempting to bypass Darfor Castle's wards in the first place without you bothering me. There is no telling the level of wards I am to encounter."

"Fine," the man grumbles. "I'll stop bothering you, oh, great Princess."

I then gasp when Eileen waves her hand dismissively, sending a bout of magic at the man and sending him flying against a nearby tree. I watch her stalk, just as I've seen Dad do a million times, towards the man with a murderous glare in her dark eyes. I actually have chills I can say as I watch.

"If you refer to me by that ridiculous name again, I shall rip out your throat. Is that understood?" she hisses in the same deadly manner Dad usually does.

"Perfectly," the man replies through grit teeth as he remains pinned against the tree.

"Wise answer," she says coldly, allowing her hand to drop to her side again. When the man drops to the ground a second later, she says nothing. In fact, she just calmly walks towards the black fog, forcing it to part as she does. "I would not remain out here alone if I were you."

"Nor if I were you," a low voice drawls prior to a bright light.

The darkness then surrounds Eileen, blotting out everything in its path. While I can't see anything anymore, I ever so slowly start to hear faint screams that gradually increase in modulation and slice the air like a knife. I then smell the acrid stench of blood somewhere near me, which causes my stomach to lurch.

"Won't you join us, young wizard?" the voice drawls, allowing me to identify its speaker.

Whirling around, I immediately snarl, "Mezra!"

"Tsk, tsk, now, young Harry, there's no need for such hatred in your voice. After all, I'm not the one spying in your mind. Am I?" She then laughs loudly, causing the darkness to retreat slightly.

"You think I want to be here?" I all but roar back.

"Perhaps the darkness excites you, young wizard."

"And perhaps you're a sick—"

"Now, now, young wizard, no need for name calling here." Her soft laughs filter around the screams. "After all, I don't think Mummy dearest enjoys hearing such hatred in your voice."

I can't help but react to her words. I mean, those are Mum's screams I'm hearing, not some random person. My heart clenches as my stomach lurches again. I'm not going to lose another mother to some sick bastard—well, bitch in this case.

The darkness finally has retreated enough to show me our surroundings. We're in a dense forest that I don't think I've been to before. I see Mum on the ground next to Dad. Both of their hands and feet are tied by some sort of vine, and they both have identical looks of pain in their eyes. My eyes then dart towards Draco and Angel, who are tied with similar material, but are unmoving and unconscious.

"Why are you doing this, Mezra?" I growl, staring at Angel's badly-bleeding head wound.

"Doing what, young wizard? I mean, I was not the one who sought out your mind. Now was I?"

"You think I want to see this?" I snarl, glaring up at her.

"I think you're a very strong lower and attempt to do your best to stay in the light, but you want nothing more than to be in the dark," she says softly, "like me."

"You keep saying that, Mezra. You keep calling me a lower. But aren't you one now too? I mean, the others kicked you out of the council, didn't they?"

"Do not speak to me in that tone, lower! I am superior to you in every way. You are nothing but a weak mortal that I once would have smashed like a damn bug, wizard. You know nothing of magic. You know nothing of might. You are all but children when compared to me!"

"Face it, Mezra. The council kicked your sorry ass to the curb! You're just as weak and pathetic as me," I snarl, glaring at her. "You are just as mortal as me!"

"NEVER!" she roars, slashing the air with her long nails. Her crimson eyes then dart to Angel. "She will not defeat me!"

"Oh, but she will, Mezra," I reply, laughing for some strange reason.

"She will never find that sword! I swear to it that she won't!" Mezra's eyes then darken until they are black and soulless. "I will kill her slowly when I find her. I will slaughter your sister and your mother in front of you, wizard. And you will watch it as I do!"

"Not if my sister doesn't stop you first, Mezra," I say with a soft smile. I feel as if I've finally gained the upper hand, but I haven't a clue how. I mean, it is almost as if someone is controlling me in the dream or at the very least helping me. I then take a step closer to her. "If there is anyone who will lose everything in the end, Mezra, it will be you. You cannot stop fate, not anymore."

Clenching her teeth, she glares daggers at me, shaking in pure fury. Her nostrils flare ever so slightly as she too then steps closer. Her lip curls upwards into a nasty sneer.

"You will beg for me to stop, wizard, and I will not do so. You will plead for your life and of your families' lives, and I will not waiver. You will scream and bleed, painting the Earth, and I will look on in utter boredom. You are nothing, lower, and I will show you that in the end!" The darkness quickly retreats before a sound resonates in my head—a drum beating to the tune of a death march I realize.

I wake up a moment later, feeling my heart beating a mile a second. My breaths come in short, quick gasps. I can feel the sweat pouring off me. Closing my eyes, I draw my knees to my chest, hugging them as I attempt to get myself under control again. That dream is too real, too vivid.

I glance over at Draco's bed, sighing when I see the familiar lump under the covers. I then draw in a shaky breath, tossing my covers to the side. I need to go check on El now. I just have to for some reason, likely to know that she's all right. I silently tiptoe out of the room, down the darkened corridor, and quietly open Angel's bedroom door. I close my eyes in relief when I see her hugging her teddy bear in the little light from the candle on the nightstand beside her.

Quietly closing Angel's door again, I turn around and head towards Mum and Dad's room. I'm going to throw caution aside here and not worry about what I'll encounter on the other side, whether that is a grumpy Dad or something scarier. Turning the doorknob ever so silently, I open the door, sticking my head inside. I release the breath I've been holding when I see Dad holding Mum. They're fine. Each and every one of them is fine. A little voice in my head quickly adds for now.

I turn around then and head back to my room. However, instead of going right back to bed like any sane person, I grab my wand and head back out. That damn annoying voice is right. They're all safe for now. It's only a matter of time before Mezra decides to strike and attempt to tear apart our family again, though. I have to do something. I don't know what, but I have to do something.

I grab my robes from the hook and quickly walk through the opened portrait. Maybe if I find the sword tonight, then I can keep Mum safe and help relieve Dad's uneasiness. Oh, whom am I kidding? I know I'm not going to find it tonight.

I mean, sure, I was lucky my first year with the whole Sorcerer's stone thing. And I might have been lucky again with finding the Chamber of Secrets to save Ginny. Then there is the fact that I was able to produce a corporal Patronus at thirteen, defending myself from a swarm of Dementors. And finally we have the Order saving me from full-fledged Death Eaters. But just because I have had luck the first four years, though, does not mean that I am going to have luck this time in finding something as important as finding the stone first year was.

I walk through the abandoned corridors as silently as possible, not wanting to run across anyone. I ascend up the stairs into the entrance hall, glancing around as I do. No one appears to be around. I then close my eyes for a moment before rushing towards the massive doors that lead outside.

The cool air instantly surrounds me as I step outside. I quickly draw my cloak around me before heading towards Hogsmeade. From there, I'm bound to find a direction to set out in for this Darfor Castle from my dream. After all, how many swords are there really that would be worthy to find?

In the middle of the Stone Circle, however, I am tackled from behind. I admit that finding myself face down with someone on top of me instantly switches on my flight-or-fight mode. I quickly turn over to fight off my attacker, thinking the worst immediately and assuming that it is a Death Eater on top of me. With this lovely thought in mind, I am therefore surprised and shocked when I notice that my attacker is in his pajamas and not the familiar black flowing robes of death.

"Draco!" I hiss accusingly. "What the hell are you doing out here?"

"Funny, Harry, since I could be asking you the same damn thing," he growls, glaring at me.

I then brush off my robes as I shake my head, not answering. After all, I can't just tell him what I'm doing. He'll surely tattle to Dad about it. Okay, so he won't necessarily tattle like a four-year-old, but he'll do everything in his power to stop me.

"Where are you going at two in the morning, Harry?" he demands angrily.

"Nowhere, Draco," I snap, barely containing my groan a moment later at how stupid that sounds. Clearly I'm going somewhere.

"That's a pile of Thestral dung, Potter, and you know it."

"Just leave, Malfoy!" I yell, shoving him away from me. As soon as I manage to get free, I scramble to my feet and rush towards the front gates. Unfortunately, though, I only end up a few feet away from where I was before when Draco tackles me from behind again.

"You think I'm just going to let you go off by yourself, Potter!" He then derisively snorts. "You obviously haven't been paying attention these months," he growls. "We're a family, Potter, brothers! And brothers, real brothers, don't let their dumbarse little brothers run off like spoilt toddlers because of a stupid dream."

"It wasn't a stupid dream, Malfoy!" I foolishly yell back. I instantly notice the brief softening in his eyes as he realizes what I mean. I don't back down, though. "She's going to kill all of you," I say.

"Is that what you saw? Us dead?" he asks. When I don't respond, he shakes his head. "Merlin, Harry, it was a trick. She's just messing with you so you do this exact stupid thing."

"I don't want any more people dying because of me, Draco."

"This isn't even because of you, Potter," he yells back. "This is because of Sinistra!" He then throws his hands up into the air in complete exasperation. "Dammit, Potter! Not every damn thing in the goddamn world is about you."

"I can save her, Malfoy," I snap.

"You mean, unlike your mum, right, Potter?" he replies coldly.

"Go to hell, Malfoy," I snarl, glaring at him as my heart instinctively constricts.

"Let Severus and Declan deal with it."

"I CAN'T!"

"You can't save everyone, Potter," he growls, baring his perfect white teeth at me. "People die! It happens!" He then snorts derisively again. "Dammit, Potter. You alone can't save her. None of us—you—me—Angel—we can't save her, but maybe Severus and Declan can. Let them do it. It's their job."

"You don't understand," I reply, shaking my head furiously. "You just don't get it, Malfoy."

"What?" he snaps. "I don't get how it feels to lose a mother?" His eyes darken as he stares at me. "Maybe you've forgotten, Potter, but my mother just died four months ago. Death Eaters slaughtered her just because she was married to Lucius. I know EXACTLY how it feels to lose a mother, Potter. Don't you dare assume otherwise."

"Then help me," I plead, deciding to take a different approach. "The sword is at Darfor Castle."

"It's a trick, Potter!"

"What if it's not, though? What if it is there, Draco?" I then sigh, closing my eyes for a moment. "You heard Declan the other day. This sword—"

"I heard him, but I also heard Severus. What if you're placing all your hope on a sword that does not exist? Then what happens? We keep searching until we find every sword in England?"

"It's there, Malfoy. I know it is!"

"Oh, yeah, you saw it in your dream, did you?"

"Angel said that Eileen would help us find it. Well, she was right. I saw Eileen searching for the sword, and she mentioned it being at Darfor. Draco, it's there. You just have to the trust me."

"Trust you?" he replies with a scoff. "This isn't a matter of trust. This is a matter of me saving you from your damn Gryffindor self, always rushing off to save the world without thinking."

"Yeah, well, it's worked for me this far."

"And one of these days it isn't. Have you given that any thought, Harry?"

"We have to do something, Draco," I say, releasing a loud exhale. "We can't just sit back and do nothing." I then shake my head when he opens his mouth to speak. "I mean, I get it. It's stupid to consider even. But what if we find the sword, Draco, and save her?"

"And what if we don't?"

"Then at least we've tried." I then close my eyes for a moment. "Draco, I would take years of scrubbing cauldrons, disemboweling toads, or whatever Dad is going to do to us than to lose another mother. Don't you feel the same way?"

"Harry—"

"No, Draco. Don't be a Slytherin and think about the consequences. Just be a Gryffindor and say what you feel. Now, don't you feel the same way, Draco?" I stare at him, watching him wrestle with himself. I can see how badly he wants to say that he does, but I can also see how badly his Slytherin side wants to force him to say that doesn't. "Draco," I say quietly. "Don't you?"

"Goddamn you," he grumbles. "Of course I want to protect her, Harry. I'm not some damn heartless bastard." He then shakes his head angrily as gets to his feet. "But we're fifteen. Hell, I doubt my knowledge of Dark spells will give us any sort of edge, and I sure as hell wouldn't bet on whoever we run across not hexing us to hell because of you being the Chosen One and all."

"Are you with me, though?" I ask, slowly getting back up on my feet.

"Of course I'm with you, Harry," he grumbles. "Unfortunately I've come to think of you as my brother for some reason or another, but I haven't gotten a damn clue how that happened."

"Then let's go before someone notices we're gone."

"Now, just wait a goddamn second. Every other damn time you do these ridiculous stunts you drag your little entourage around. So we either include them, or you and I are going back inside." When I open my mouth to speak, he cuts me off. "No, Harry, you're going to listen to me now. Two wizards of our caliber can't take on the freaking Dark Lord and his Death Eaters. Granted, Weasley and Granger likely can't either, but there's strength in numbers supposedly."

"You want Hermione and Ron to come with us?" I ask completely shocked.

"No, I don't want them to come with, but we need all the warm bodies we can get."

"This isn't because you think it'll get you in—"

"Don't you even say it, Potter," he growls, drawing his wand. "Now, that's my final deal. Take it or leave it." He then sighs a moment later when I nod once. "Good, well, let's wake them then."

"I'm not sneaking you up there."

"I wasn't asking you to," he snaps. "Merlin, don't you know anything?"

"Obviously not," I reply, glaring at him. However, when I watch him produce his Patronus next, my eyes instantly narrow in confusion. "What's that going to do?"

"Hopefully wake up Granger," he responds, not sparing me a look. His Patronus then quickly slithers through the grass, heading towards the castle.

"Someone is going to notice that," I quip.

"You better pray that only Granger does. Because when Severus finds out, he's going to murder us," he replies, finally looking at me. He then turns back to the castle, producing another Patronus and sending it towards the castle again.

"What was that one for?"

"To get my friends," he answers. "Three Slytherins and three Gryffindors should help even the odds a little since we don't have a clue what we're getting ourselves into. We have to wait for them to show up now." He then sighs. "I don't suppose you knew how you were getting there. Do you, Harry?"

"I figured I'd know how by the time I reached Hogsmeade," I say honestly.

"Somehow, Harry," Draco snorts, "I had a feeling you'd say that." He then taps his wand against his pajamas, muttering a soft word that instantly transfigures his pajamas into a shirt, pants, and a robe.

"How'd you do that?"

"I'm a pureblood, Harry," he simply answers, glancing at me. He then sighs, likely feeling the urge to explain. "I've been around magic my whole life so a spell like that is really easy to cast for me." Glancing away a moment later, he shakes his head. "Looks like it worked," he quietly says, jerking his head towards the opening castle doors.

I don't respond, though. I just stand there in plain sight as I watch the figures quickly rush towards us, becoming more recognizable with each foot. Sure enough, Draco is right. It is Hermione and Ron with Blaise and Theo beside them.

"What's going on, mate?"

"Yeah, Draco, what is it?"

"Harry," Hermione quietly says, taking a step closer to me with that familiar look on her face.

"I think I know where the sword is," I answer quietly. "We're going to retrieve it." I instantly notice Hermione glance towards Draco to see if I'm serious. "He's agreed, but only if you four join us." I then sigh. "Please, Mione. Do this for me." She only closes her eyes in silent assent.

"Well, we can't use the Floo," Blaise informs. "Dad said that the Ministry has been guarding them like a hawk since Fudge's murder."

"What about that house elf that's always bothering you, Potter?" Theo suggests. "The one that used to belong to the Malfoys?" he asks.

"Mokai," Draco loudly hisses. He then glances at me when Dad's house elf appears at his side. "Well, he does serve the Prince family, which we're members of, Harry. It makes sense."

"What do Young Masters wish with Mokai?" the house elf asks, glancing between us nervously.

"Dobby," I say quietly, sighing when the familiar house elf appears in front of me. I might have laughed when Dobby and Mokai glance at one another with distrust, but I don't know for sure. "We need you two to take us to Darfor Castle, Dobby and Mokai." I then glance at Mokai. "But neither of you can tell a soul after we get there. Is that understood?" I sigh when both house elves nod solemnly. "Thank you."

"Dobby lives to serve the great Harry Potter, sir," the house elf says before glancing at Draco. His ears droop ever so slightly before he turns back to me. "Dobby shall consider it an honor to help Harry Potter whenever the great Harry Potter calls upon Dobby."

"Forgive Mokai, Young Master," interrupts Dad's house elf very quietly. "But might Mokai say something to Young Masters?"

"You may," Draco instantly answers, glancing at me for a split second.

"Mokai wonders if Young Masters might consider asking for Kali."

"Who's that?" I ask, not having heard that name before.

"Mistress Snape's house elf," Mokai answers. His violet eyes then lower.

"As in Eileen?" quietly I ask.

"No, not Mistress Prince, Young Master, Mokai means Mistress Snape."

"I think he means Sinistra," Draco says.

"Yes, yes, Young Master," Mokai responds, nodding passionately. "Kali serves Mistress Snape like Mokai serves Master Severus. Mokai's Young Masters are Kali's Young Masters too."

"Um, all right then," I say, shrugging slightly. "Kali," I announce. When a young house elf appears a moment later, I smile towards it. "Hello, Kali. Do you know who we are?" I watch her sapphire eyes glance around at our faces as she wrings her hands in her dress.

"You's Ms. Astronomy Mistress's boys," she softly says, biting her bottom lip.

"Yeah, we are, and we need your help, Kali," I reply. I watch her glance towards Mokai before she glances at the ground.

"You's wants Kali to help bring you's to Darfor."

"Yes, exactly," I answer, nodding. "Will you help?"

"Kali serves Ms. Astronomy Mistress loyally as does Kali serves her family." She then slowly walks towards Hermione and Ron and holds out her hands to them.

"Dobby shall bring the great Harry Potter and young Master Malfoy."

"No, Dobby will not," says Mokai as he glares at the other house elf. "Dobby is not Young Masters' house elf. Mokai is."

"Stop," I quickly say, stepping in between them before they start wrestling right there. "We don't have time for you two fighting. Please take us to Darfor now. You two can fight later." I then hold my hand out towards Mokai, ignoring the pained look in Dobby's big eyes. I'm going to make it up to him later with giving him another sock or something. Instead of Mokai grabbing my hand, though, Kali does, whisking Draco and I away instantly. She releases the moment we reappear in front of a large castle door, stepping back and glancing at the ground. "Why did you do that, Kali?" I then watch the others appear with Mokai and Dobby holding their hands. Neither of the male house elves looks happy as they glare at the young elf.

"Thank you, Kali," Hermione softly says.

Kali doesn't reply, though. She just lowers her head with her ears drooping even closer to the ground. The young female house elf then just snaps her fingers, likely returning to Hogwarts. She is soon followed by Mokai and Dobby.

Staring at the tall, intimidating castle in front of me, I sigh. There is no black fog this time to block my view, but I can clearly recognize certain items from my dream. I then close my eyes. I don't have time to be appreciating the rune-like inscriptions in the weathered stone. Silently, I walk up to the door and push it open, using both hands to do so. I hear the footfalls behind me of my companions.

The moment I walk into the building, I get a bad feeling deep in my gut. The torches in the foyer are already lit as if the house has been expecting us. I then notice the lack of spider webs or even dust in the room. In fact, it is almost as if someone has been here to clean it recently. When a floorboard creaks near us, I instantly whirl towards the sound with my wand drawn. Something isn't right here.

"Uh, guys," Ron quietly says, glancing around the foyer. "Is it just me or do you get the feeling that we're being watched?"

"How perceptive of you, Mr. Weasley," a voice drawls as the door slams shut behind us.