""Harry Potter and the Orb of Reawakening""

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Chapter 8--Darkness in the Castle::

Harry, Ron and Hermione dashed out of the Room of Requirements, passed the stairway to the East Tower, descended down a flight of stairs, passed the Charms room, and stopped. There were only a few people in the Professor Flitwick's classroom, one of them was Dumbledore. Harry knocked on the door politely and entered to find Dumbledore along with Professors McGonagall, Snape, Avalons, and Mad-Eye Moody with Cornelius Fudge and a couple of Auror, one of them being Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Uh..., pardon us," said Harry politely, "but-" He was cut off by a shrill scream from Hermione, who was staring terrifyingly at a figure on the ground.

Professor Flitwick was on the ground, his widened eyes staring into the ceiling, looking lifeless.

"Professor Flitwick!" Ron exclaimed, and turned to Dumbledore. "He's not, not...dead?" Ron's last word dropped to a whisper.

"No, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said calmly. "However..., he has fallen victim to the Kiss."

"I tell you, Dumbledore!!" Fudge cried crossly. "The Dementors are NOT losing control!! They're obediently stationed at Azkaban-"

"Where they released all of Voldemort's Death Eaters." Moody interrupted. "Now how do you explain that, Minister?"

"I, well, they...they could've escaped like that treacherous Black!" Fudge barked.

"Sirius was not treacherous!!" Harry yelled fiercely, and was preparing to yell out more protests when Snape laid a hand on his shoulder, holding him back.

"Need I remind you, Minister." Said Snape coldly. "That only the most elite Death Eaters are trained to be Animagus, and none of them were arrested by the Ministry from the attack on the Express."

"Cornelius," Dumbledore said again, "your mind and brain have been corrupted by the authority as the Minister of Magic. You should have listened to me two year ago. But you didn't. And now, because of your stubbornness, avarice, and plain stupidity, innocent lives have suffered!!"

"Well, Dumbledore," Fudge said in a deep, menacing tone. "perhaps you would like to explain to me how someone died within Hogwarts--the safest place on earth. For all I know, you could be in league with You-Know-Who. Ah! Even better!! You're the mastermind behind him!! That must be why you're the only person he's afraid of!!"

"CORNELIUS FUDGE!!" Dumbledore roared, his voice echoing throughout the whole school, and his figure looming ominously over Fudge. "HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?! IF YOU KEEP THIS UP, YOU WILL BE THE REASON OF THE MAGIC COMMUNITY'S DOWNFALL!!"

The students and other teacher have came into the hall upon hearing Dumbledore's angry voice. "I'll talk to you in a while, Headmaster." Fudge said, turned on his heels, and left the room, his Aurors following him as he slammed the door.

Dumbledore calmed down and turned to his staffs and Moody. "Search the castle and the forest for the missing Ravenclaw students." He commanded.

"It's no use." Harry said, and Dumbledore turned to look at him. "They're not in Hogwarts anymore..., they map couldn't find them."

"Very well," Dumbledore said and turned to Moody. "Alastor, I need you and Kingsley to round up a couple of faithful Aurors and search for my missing pupils." Moody and Kingsley nodded and left. "In the meanwhile, I'll be searching for a new Charms teacher. Now, Adam, Minerva, Severus: you should return to your classes." And the teachers left.

"You three ought to leave, too." Said Dumbledore.

Harry and his friends readied to leave when something hit Harry. When the Dursleys are killed and the dementors' betrayal--both of these incidents didn't happen as Harry dreamed them... they happened after Harry's dream! Which means...

"Professor Dumbledore!!" Harry blurted out. "My dreams!! I've dreamt these events before and... I just had one before lunch! Fudge, and Mr. Weasley, and other people are going to die! And Voldemort will break into the Department of Mysteries!! And he...the Door that's always locked...he was trying to get the weapon!!"

Dumbledore showed no specific reaction to this news. "I know...," said Dumbledore quietly, "I've seen the vision when I probed your mind...you've got Seer blood, Harry." Dumbledore then left the classroom.

~*~

"Seer blood!" Ron exclaimed. "Now I kind of know what Trelawney hated you so much."

"Ron, now really isn't the time..." Hermione said. But Harry wasn't listening, a sharp pain have seized his mind. "Harry? Are you alright?" Hermione asked kindly.

"Now, pets of my Lord...," Harry said, but all Ron and Hermione could hear were hissings. "Rebuild your empire and wreak havoc on Hogwarts..., once you're done with your work...I have a nice little group of students for your meals." Harry heard sobs of girls and hisses of excitement.

Harry returned to reality. "What?"

"Are you okay, mate?" Ron asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well..., you kinda went blank all of a sudden..." Hermione said, her face pale.

Harry concentrated on what he had just seen...it looked familiar.

"And then you started to speak in Parseltongue..." Ron added.

Parseltongue?

Harry gasped. "The Chamber!!"

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To be continued...
Next Chapter:: The Chamber Revisited.