by
Catherine King
However, sleeping for the Gryffindor’s 7th-year boys was easier said than done. At 12:05 Harry dozed off, but soon awoke with a start. In his dream, he was running through an obstacle course. Each obstacle was harder than the one before, until he saw a sign saying, “Last Obstacle: Straight Ahead.” Harry ran faster, wanting to complete this course as soon as possible. Right then, he ran straight over the edge of a cliff.
He woke up, hardly feeling rested.
" Ron, you still up?”
“Yes.”
“Should we go back to sleep?” asked Neville.
“No, it’s to late to go to sleep now,” replied Seamus.
So everyone paced the dormitory, until Dean said that he was going out of his mind, then they went to the dark, cool common room, where they waited for someone to come down.
The rest of the day was nearly impossible to live through. Sleep was seriously needed for 5/8 of Gryffindor 7th years. They all dozed in History of Magic and nearly drowned in Potions. Herbology and Transfiguration didn’t help, and Charms made the dark circles under their eyes even bigger. Finally, in Divination they were caught, and their story to Professor McGonagall was unbelievable - literally.
“Do you expect me to believe that story?” she asked in her angry voice. “You have no proof of that incident. You are trying to get out of classes with a cock-and-bull story of hearing voices in the wall. You were dreaming.”
“But we all heard it, Professor,” Harry protested.
“And lying to a teacher! You shall see Dumbledore about this!”
“No, Professor, listen…”
“Professor Dumbledore is away at the Ministry, Minerva, I will take them until he returns,” said a new voice. Harry turned to see Professor Gradison standing in the doorway of Professor McGonagall’s office.
“All right, Arla,” replied McGonagall. Under her breath she muttered, “Thank heavens for small favors.”
A minute later, Harry, Ron, and the others were in Professor Gradison’s office. It was filled with little Japanese bonsai trees, miniature carvings of small cottages, yellow, brown, and white candles, and an air mattress. When Ron asked her about everything, Professor Gradison chuckled. “I was muggle-born. Does that give give you a hint about the whole kit and caboodle? Anyway, to business.”
She sat herself behind her desk, put a plant that was on the desk on the floor. The plant looked like an apple-cherry tree. A small plaque said, “Tarada Plant.” “So Harry, I understand that you were kept awake by a voice in the walls. Tell me about it.”
Harry and the others launched into the story, not exaggerating, not making anything up. When they were done Professor Gradison looked concerned.
“I think,” she said, “that Dumbledore should help you on this one. He’s here now.”
After repeating everything to Dumbledore, he told them to have a good lunch and to get some sleep.
* * * *
In years to come, Harry would never know how on earth he managed to fall asleep. He wasn’t used to falling asleep in the daytime, and he kept tossing around until his cover was almost on the floor. But he eventually fell into a dreamless sleep.
He woke up about 6 hours later; dinner was ending. The other boys were awake, except Neville, and in a matter of time Madam Pomfrey came in with potato salad, sausages, some pumpkin juice and tiny cucumber sandwiches. When every boy had his share she came back in, took the empty platter with her and soon returned, with ice water and some ice cream.
None of them spoke much, but no one had anything to say anyway.
The next day during Transfiguration, Harry got a weird feeling in his upper head. Then, out of nowhere came that same voice, louder…
“YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE ME THIS TIME, GRYFFINDOR!! I WILL DESTROY YOU UTTERLY! HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!”
With these words the girls screamed at the top of their lungs, and the boys dove under their desks. Professor McGonagall’s face was extremely pale.
“Children,” she said, “we mustn’t lose our heads. Let us continue with our lesson.”
“PEOPLE, AREN’T YOU AFRAID OF ME???!!! SHEESH, WHAT DO YOU THINK I WAS DOING THOSE 3 YEARS?? ON HOLIDAY?!?! NO, I’VE BEEN GAINING POWER!! BWA HA HA HA HA!!”
At these words everyone screamed and dove under their desks, with masks of terror for faces.
