"Go on Harry, it's not harmful in any way"

"It just needs the final objective testing, product satisfaction and all"

Harry looked at the twins and could not believe he was considering agreeing.  Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes Product Tester was just not a safe job, one-time or not.  However, they had cornered him here at Grimmauld Place and had been nagging all day.  Sirius had been the only other person here and he had said at breakfast that he had some stuff to work on and then hidden himself in the library.  He hadn't been seen since and the twins, who had been staying for a couple of days while their flat was being refurbished, had kept up the aggravating nagging.  Harry considered that the promised side-effects would, if they worked, be pretty cool. 

This latest product, which was an extension of their Patented Daydream Charm, promised to fill the room with the imbiber's own play-world.  There were several scenarios in the works but the only one ready to test was where the ‘client' (or twins' victim, thought Harry) believed they were on a pirate's ship at sea, rescuing a fair maiden or finding treasure as wished by the client/victim.  That was the innovative thing about the product:  it catered to the individual so that no two play-worlds would be the same despite identical potions being taken.  Anyone else in the room would be able to see the moving images as well but they wouldn't feel as though it were real, like the drinker would.

Harry let out a sigh, "Tell me again that it's safe".

Both Fred and George smiled widely, "‘Course it is mate, we've run through every standard safety test,"

"And a few non-standard ones as well.  You know we always test on ourselves first -"

" - And there weren't a single problem.  You of all people need to relax and this is the perfect way!"  So saying, the twin (Fred, judging by the big ‘F' on his jumper) thrust out the potion vial with a flourish.  Harry gave them one more look before nodding and taking hold of the vial. 

"Where would be best to try it?"

"We recommend somewhere with plenty of space and not too much furniture." 

"So we think that the old ballroom should work pretty well."

"Right, then.  Let's do it now then before the others come round and I'll only miss the beginning of the meeting later."

"Now Harry mate, you know that as good and proper members of aforementioned Order, we cannot condone any eavesdropping on your, or others, parts."  However, as Fred was saying this George was dangling a pair of extendable ears.

"Supposing however, that these were clumsily left behind, and someone were to find them."

"Well, that would be one lucky fella, now wouldn't it George?"  A couple of over-zealous winks and a grateful smile by Harry later and the ears had vanished into a pocket of the shorter wizard's jeans.

With a sincere "thanks, guys!" Harry led them all to the ballroom at the back of the townhouse.

Having the twins round for a bit had been brilliant and Harry felt grateful that they had stopped by for a while.  He knew that Ron and Hermione would have loved to have been here but their parents still wanted a bit of the summer with them first.  Sirius had been great company but he did wish for someone his own age every now and again.  He still felt incredibly lucky that Remus had been able to come and retrieve him from the Dursleys' house after only three weeks.

Stepping into the ballroom he assessed its size and lack of furniture.  It had some rather miffed-looking portraits and heavy drapes lining some of the walls, but it was a good space and he could imagine that the balls that must have once been held here would have been quite the spectacle, despite the grim feel of the place now. 

With one last check at the twins, who gave him a thumbs up, he tipped back the potion and waited.  It wasn't a long wait at all.  Soon he was standing at the helm of a large wooden pirate ship.  Looking up, Harry could see the skull and crossbones flying high at the top of the mast and down on the deck there were a variety of rough-looking sailors working the ropes, scrubbing the deck and lazing around.  Realising that it was not real, he tried to focus on the ballroom and the twins; with a bit of concentration he could see through the illusions and found the twins coo-ing at some of the people on the ship.  More relaxed now, Harry settled into the Daydream. 

After an action filled twenty-minutes he was inordinately grateful to the twins.  This had been just what he needed.  They would probably go on later about his heroic and saving-people tendencies, but it felt good to just rescue the damsel, dodge the villain, and live it up without having any of the terror of real life and death situations.  The Daydream was winding up now and just as Harry gave the grateful damsel another smile he found himself clutching at his forehead.  The pain was extraordinary, flashing straight through his brain as if a bullet were ricocheting around his skull at the speed of light.

Fred and George looked on in horror as Harry crumpled before them; his eyes were squeezed tightly together, his mouth was in a rictus of pain and both his hands were being flattened into his forehead, as if he could lessen the pain by pushing his scar deep into his head.  They had never heard anything like the gasping scream he let out.  They rushed to his side and helped him to the floor.  They looked at one another to confirm what they knew:  Voldemort.  Fred nodded to George and left him with Harry while he went to get one of the newly arrived members, hoping that the Headmaster had been one of the first this evening.

While George waited he watched in morbid fascination as the illusions around him changed but did not disappear.  Instead of the pirate's ship, there was now a richly furnished room in which He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named stood looking down on a cowering Death Eater.  You-Know-Who looked awful but the worst thing was the clear anger that he felt with the poor sod in front of him.  It radiated around the ballroom as surely as it did in that unknown receiving room; it was ferocious and almost tangible.  As he looked on, George heard the high and sibilant voice cast Cruciatus on the dark-robed man.  George, against his will and knowing full well that the Death Eater was probably responsible for many evil crimes, nevertheless felt pity towards him.  The curse seemed to be lasting for an eternity and George could not help but watch.  Under his hands Harry squirmed and kept clutching at his scar. 

Finally, the curse was lifted and George breathed again; though his calm was suddenly broken when he realised that Harry had fainted with the lifting of the curse.  He looked down in horror and started shouting Harry's name.  Someone dragged him back and he saw Sirius Black crouching down over Harry and doing the same thing.  Most of the Order was now in the ballroom and Harry had very little space, though since he was unconscious it didn't appear to disturb him. 

"Move back Sirius" said Dumbledore, kneeling next to the prone boy.  Sirius looked up at the Headmaster but did not let go of Harry.  Dumbledore moved his non-injured hand over the boy and appeared to be deep in concentration.  Soon he sighed and looked at the twins with a steady gaze.  "Perhaps, my boys, you could tell me what happened and how exactly we are witnessing Voldemort's atrocities here?"

Fred and George explained as well as they could what had happened with George detailing what had happened after Fred had left to get help.  "I suppose he wasn't under the Cruciatus for long, but it seemed like ages."  George's paled complexion served to underline the awfulness of what he had just witnessed.  Looking again at Harry, he asked, "Is he going to be okay?"

"He is unconscious and fitful, but appears well.  I understand that Harry normally stays conscious during these ‘dreams' and that they stay in his head.  However, it would seem that your clever potion has both sent Harry to sleep and drawn out his vision.  I would guess that he is still aware of the vision however, as his movements show his disgust with the scene."  Indeed, Harry was twitching every now and again. 

No one had been paying a great deal of attention to the other characters in the room but with a sudden high shout of ‘Avada Kedavra' and a flash of green light everyone was forcefully refocused on the unmoving Death Eater.  Voldemort looked down on the corpse for several moments.

"Albus, is Harry truly alright?"  Remus was still perturbed about the whole episode and it was evident he was echoing the thoughts of the rest of the Order in the room, including Sirius, Mad-Eye Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Bill and Arthur Weasley.  The meeting had only been meant to be a brief update on extremely secretive topics. 

"Yes, Remus.  He will be fine.  I actually think this is better than being conscious; at least there is no pain for him.  I don't believe the vision of Voldemort and his associates will fall until Harry regains consciousness."

There was a moment while everyone thought of the consequences.  This could be a unique opportunity to gain information directly from the source.  Though no one dared say anything in the Headmaster's presence, the Order's spy was deeply mistrusted.  As Voldemort shouted for Wormtail and moved to sit in a comfortable chair in the corner of the room, Dumbledore continued, "To that end I believe it prudent to wake Harry up."  Several people in the room seemed uncertain about this, but Remus and Sirius nodded in agreement.  The Headmaster muttered something under his breath and flicked his wand; Harry's body spasmed and a weak cry was heard, the vision flickered but remained, as did Harry in his unconscious state. 

"Well, perhaps it would be best to let Harry wake up naturally," said Dumbledore, frowning.  He rechecked the boy and assured everyone that he was still fine.  That was all that was needed to allow all eyes to return to the monster that had appeared in the old ballroom.   

Wormtail had scurried in and appeared to have already received instructions to remove the body.  Remus looked sadly at his former friend while Sirius was scowling and flexing his fingers.  Pettigrew left the room while hovering the body and returned a short while later to pour his master a drink. 

"Good, Wormtail.  I don't like to unnecessarily remove my servants so abruptly but Timbley's failure was rather greater than average."  Voldemort sipped thoughtfully at his drink before turning to the stubby man again. 

"Your arm Wormtail.  I find I have a need to call Severus."  Peter mumbled something but looked ashamed at a glance from the pale figure and held out his arm.  The Order looked on with a mixture of curiosity and horror.  Realisation had Dumbledore ordering everyone out of the room, not wanting anyone to see any humiliation that Severus Snape might receive at the hands of his one-time master.  No one moved.

It was clear that neither Sirius nor Remus would be parted from Harry, both crying that he needed familiar faces around when he awoke.  Alastor said that if Snape really were on their side then there was no need to fear his performance being seen.  Kingsley and Arthur held their ground though likely would have gone if so ordered again.  In the end, only the Weasley offspring left, rather reluctantly. 

Dumbledore looked worn and surveyed those in the room, "You will all keep what you see here secret.  I do not want Severus' position compromised in any way.  Is that understood?"  The silent nods by Moody, Kingsley, Arthur, Sirius and Remus greeted Severus' arrival into Voldemort's presence.