Chapter 34: Dreams and Visions
It was a calm evening in Canterlot when Twilight and the others were pulled back to Equestria by Celestia. They stepped out of the portal with as much grace as they could, if such a word could be used to describe their awkward attempts to rebalance themselves from two to four legs. Instead of elegantly landing on all fours, the seven friends landed in a tangle of limbs.
"Oof!"
"Ow!"
"Hey!"
"Somepony's stepping on my wing!" Rainbow Dash said from the bottom of the pile.
"Sorry, Rainbow," Applejack apologized. "I'd get off if Rarity would get off me first."
"Well, Twilight should untangle her horn from my mane! I'm not going to pull my hair unless Twilight moves."
"I will if Fluttershy moves off me first," Twilight responded.
"Well, then who's stopping Fluttershy from getting us out?" Rainbow Dash demanded.
"Uh, that would be you, Rainbow," Fluttershy admitted. "You're sitting on top of my hair."
"So who's getting us out of here?!" Twilight shouted. Spike, who was not involved in her predicament, could only laugh at their misfortune.
Suddenly, a warm golden glow encapsulated the ensnared ponies, and before they could say "horseshoes", the six were untangled. They took a moment to reorientate themselves before looking at their savior. Princess Celestia stood before them, a humored smirk gracing her regal lips. Her horn returned to normal as she released the mane six from her magic.
"Hello again, my little ponies. I trust your time in Harry's world was well spent?" the alicorn asked. Twilight gulped audibly.
"Not as well as we had hoped, your majesty. It turned out that Discord was right, we did need the Elements. May we speak in private about it?" Twilight responded, looking at the open doors of the hall.
Celestia nodded slowly. "I'm guessing this is about that dark wizard from Harry's dreams? Very well." Celestia motioned for her guards to leave the throne room, which was done without question or hesitation. "You may speak freely, all of you. Tell me what has transpired in the other world, spare no details"
Twilight and the others began to describe their adventure from the time of the third task's start. They took turns describing the events that had tipped them off to something being out of place, namely Twilight's tracking spell and Pinkie's Pinkie Sense. Twilight told them about how the Elements had changed them to regain some of their previous features, to which Celestia looked pleasantly surprised. They then took turns retelling everything that had taken place at the graveyard with Voldemort and the Death Eaters. After Twilight explained that she had left Harry to take Cedric to the hospital wing, Rainbow Dash talked about how she had rushed to warn everypony about Crouch. The story finished with Twilight recounting the conversation in Dumbledore's office. When the tale was complete, Celestia was quiet, pondering everything her student and her friends had revealed. It was rare for Twilight to see such a grave look on her teacher.
"Twilight, I commend you and your friends on their bravery tonight. You have all faced a great darkness, I only wish it had been avoided altogether," Celestia said, proud yet solemn. "For now, I'm glad you are all safe and sound."
"Princess, not to sound unhappy, but one of us isn't," Twilight said quickly. "Harry is still back there. His school year will end soon, and I don't know what will happen now. I don't want to leave him," she said quickly, as though her sentence could incite her teacher's wrath.
Celestia spoke in a firm tone. "Twilight, we will discuss this later. The rest of you, you are dismissed. You are my guests at the castle tonight, you may return to Ponyville tomorrow." The girls all bowed before they followed their directions, leaving Twilight and Celestia alone. The student-teacher duo stood in silence.
"Twilight, walk with me," Celestia said. She and her student walked to the other side of the room, where a balcony allowed them to look over Canterlot. "Twilight, when you first told me you discovered a whole world separate from ours, I was equally proud and concerned. Proud in that you had made friends across dimensions and concerned in that you might lose sight of this world because of it." She looked out over the rest of Canterlot. "If what you say is true, then your friend was in great danger."
Twilight shuffled her hooves nervously. "This wizard is evil, but his magic is weaker by your standards. What he lacks in power, he makes up for in cruelty and malice. When we were in the graveyard he cast a spell that caused unimaginable pain, and he was laughing. He's a monster, more evil than Sombra or Chrysalis," Twilight said gravely.
"I know, I have seen it," Celestia revealed. When Twilight looked at Princess Celestia with confusion and surprise, her teacher let out a long exhale. "The night after you first returned from Harry's world, I had a vision."
"A vision?" asked Twilight. Celestia was rumored to have visions from time to time, but she often kept them close to her chest.
"Yes. My vision showed an army led by evil with a heart blacker than the night and opposed to it was an army fueled by an even greater power. I saw Harry at the head of one army. He and the darkness are to fight and decide if his world will be ruled by evil for all time. He and this evil fought with incredible magic and willpower, neither would give in. I saw their great battle would shake the earth and test the might of their armies.
"But I saw more than just the battle. Before I could foresee the outcome of the battle, my vision split in two. As you know, Twilight, the future is so difficult to predict with certainty. I saw two fates for your friend. One vision showed Harry with wings of light behind him, a beacon of life and Harmony. However, the second vision showed Harry wielding darkness greater than that of his foe," Celestia confessed warily.
Twilight was shocked. She took a step back, disbelieving. Celestia couldn't be right about this!
"Harry? But- but he's a good person, he wouldn't willingly—"
"And I'm not saying he would," Celestia countered. "My sister never wished to become Nightmare Moon, and Harry might not have a choice either. However, there is always hope. I saw something more," divulged Celestia.
"What was it?" Twilight pleaded to know.
"I glimpsed more than Harry's heart in my vision. I saw others around him. The vision of Harmony had many individuals behind Harry, supporting and protecting his heart. His evil counterpart stood alone, consumed by his darkness. It is my belief that you may be one such pony, my most faithful student. You may be the one to keep his heart safe," Celestia reassured Twilight.
"Thank you for believing in me," Twilight said.
"Of course I believe in you, I always have. Now, you should get some rest. I sense we will be needed back with Harry soon."
"We?"
"If you are to follow through with your plan, I'm certain there will be some paperwork required."
"Paperwork? For what?" Twilight questioned.
"You'll find out soon enough," Celestia replied with a playfully devious smile. "Now, one of the guards will take you to a room for the night. I will fetch you myself when the time comes. You will be the first through the portal; I have other places to visit."
"Of course, Princess." Twilight bowed, still a little shocked at the recent events. She was about to leave the room when Celestia spoke one final time.
"Twilight, it would do you both well if Harry remained unaware of my vision, for now. In time, I will ask if he wishes to know for himself. But for the time being, nothing good comes from somepony knowing too much of their own fate."
A while earlier in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Dumbledore and Sirius watched diligently as Harry was gently escorted out by Twilight and her friends. When the door closed completely behind the two, Sirius collapsed into his chair, shivering. The convict hadn't felt a sense of terror like this since Azkaban. An overbearing weight in his heart kept him on the ground. Nothing about that girl felt threatening, but that scared him more. Everything about her was serene, peaceful, it made no sense. He should feel more threatened by power like hers.
Dumbledore was another story altogether. Though he had kept himself composed while the girl was still present, his facade broke the moment she was out of sight. His hands were clutched tight around the Elder Wand— so tight it hurt— but his hand refused to relax. Dumbledore looked down at the wand and the hand holding it. His own hands looked so shriveled, so weak. The Elder Wand made him the strongest wizard alive, but even it paled in comparison to whatever relic she wore. He realized he should have seen something was amiss when he first saw her, something was off from the beginning, he just hadn't known what.
But now it was all too clear to the old man why she kept so much a secret. Dumbledore knew the story she and Harry told him was a lie, she knew something else. Further, she grasped new magic nearly instantly, faster than others, and had several magics the likes of which no one had seen before. Those Elements were everything the stories of the Deathly Hallows promised and more. And it was obvious Twilight was tied to the kidnapping of every unicorn, pegasus, thestral, griffon, and hippogriff on Earth. The "Celeste" that had talked to and subsequently threatened the Minister was connected to Princess Celestia, just like Twilight. And people from her homeland clearly had incredible power.
With her connection to a seemingly immortal princess, a creature of chaos, and her power, it was starting to paint a picture. Twilight was hiding something bigger. She defied too much and was too strong to be as simple or kind as she appeared. Even Dumbledore was far from a perfect man with his power. Power and morality weren't a perfect mix. Dumbledore prided himself on restraining his powers, knowing it would corrupt his morals. Yet, somehow, she acted like an innocent girl.
"Dumbledore, what- what was that? How did she—" Sirius trailed off, lost in a downward spiral of thought. "She destroyed a mountain like it was nothing... What kind of person has that kind of person has that magic?"
"No one," Dumbledore said, thinking similar things. "That is, of course, assuming she is a human. You saw her transformation, we all did. It is highly possible her home country isn't populated by humans. I thought to dismiss it along with the assumption that she kidnapped Harry, but I might have to revisit those theories."
"That girl is a danger to Harry," Sirius said.
"Quite the contrary, it would appear she has taken an interest in him, though I can't discern the reasoning," Dumbledore said. He pointed at the mountain Twilight had reformed. "She did that to prove she would literally move mountains for the boy. She cares greatly for Harry's well-being. The true danger lies in whoever gets between them."
"Where does that put us?" Sirius asked.
"On thin ice, my friend, very thin ice indeed." Dumbledore sighed. "If Tom took bone from his father's grave, I know where the battle might've taken place. I can investigate that later, but I think keeping an eye on Harry for the night might be the better move, for now. We must be careful with the company he keeps."
As Harry dreamt deeper and deeper, his mind's eye drifted away from Hogwarts, away from his body.
He was an alicorn again, flying high above the ground. The sky was still dark, the moon still high above him. Harry idly wondered if Luna could see his dreams now, or if she had ever seen his dreams in Equestria. He wasn't left much time to think this over as his dream carried him down. He could recognize the location below him, it was the graveyard. The land was scored his burns and smoke from Twilight's power, including a massive crater that had accidentally collapsed a small portion of Riddle Manor. And that hole in the building just so happened to be where Harry's wings took him next.
Harry landed with a clip-clop of his hooves on the old floorboards. He took note of the building as he walked further in, its state of disrepair all the more obvious as he passed peeling paint, creaking floorboards, and a rodent infestation. He continued to tiptoe as well as a creature without toes could, creeping through the old house. Eventually, Harry walked past a room lit by dim candlelight.
"How... How was this possible...?" a cold, raspy voice whispered.
Harry crept in slowly, looking around. He was in some dining room, a long table before him. A spectral copy of Voldemort's body stood there, talking to himself. Harry cursed to himself. How is he still here!? When his statue crumbled, he should have gone away! How is he alive? Did Twilight miss something? Perhaps he really has a way to keep himself from dying?
"All of my schemes, all of my power, and yet I could not kill a filthy half-breed!" Voldemort shouted. He swung his hand at a nearby candle but was rewarded with nothing more than the candle rocking mockingly in the drafty air. "I had his blood, I should've absorbed the power of his mudblood mother, but it remained and rejected me. And he mocked me with that belief that it was love that shielded him! But how? It couldn't have been that simple! There is no way love on its own has that power. Dumbledore was foolish enough to believe it was love, but I know better. The girl invoked ancient magic, powerful magic. But how did this happen?"
Voldemort swung his arm at an old vase, but it didn't even rock enough to fall. Voldemort strode up and down the room, obviously pondering.
"Perhaps the old fool saw through Crouch's disguise; yes, that must have been it! He must have seen Crouch's plan and tampered with Potter's blood! He must've sent those girls, a personal army hidden behind a weak facade. He saw through everything! And what do I get for the sacrifice of needing tainted blood? Almost every one of my cowardly followers is stone! Lucius, Avery, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, Macnair, nearly all of them are statues. Even Wormtail is a stone rodent! And those who were late have no doubt fled again!
"I have to start all over! I must find Nagini, she is my only link to the world of the living." Voldemort said, fuming.
Being alone in a room with Voldemort felt so weird, dream or not. Harry tried to back away from the room until his hoof stepped on a very creaky floorboard. Which made no sense, neither he nor Voldemort were physical! Instantly, Voldemort's head snapped to Harry. But his eyes were unfocused like he was looking through Harry. The not-alicorn held his breath, trying to hide in plain sight.
"Who is there? Come out, I can perceive you're hiding. You can see me, I can sense that." Voldemort said as he stalked closer to Harry.
Voldemort reached a hand out blindly, grasping for Harry's face. Harry backed away faster, only to bump into a corner. Voldemort was less than a foot away from him now.
Please don't see me, please don't see me.
Harry blinked, and suddenly Voldemort was gone. The manor was gone too, replaced by a shining night sky with stars beneath Harry's hooves. His body was no longer that of an alicorn, but his regular unicorn self.
"Thou art a most unusual pony, Harry Potter," a voice declared from behind him.
Harry spun around to see none other than Princess Luna standing before him. He had only met her on one occasion before today's (tonight's?) dream. Like her sister, Luna's mane and tail waved in the air hypnotically. The princess looked at Harry with both curiosity and another emotion Harry couldn't identify. It wasn't an unpleasant look, but one that reminded Harry of whenever he talked about the Dursleys in front of an Equestrian. Sympathy, perhaps?
"Princess Luna? What are you doing here?" Harry asked.
"As Princess of the Night, we have a responsibility to watch over the dreams of others. We traveled here to offer you our condolences for tonight's trials, but 'twould appear that more than our words are necessary," she said, looking at something in the distance.
Harry blinked, confused at her words before he remembered she used the royal "we" when talking. "I meant what are you doing here, in my dreams? I'm not in Equestria," Harry corrected himself.
"True, yes, but tis a simple matter. Our dearest sister has opened a portal between our worlds, allowing us to briefly walk in your dreams."
"Does that mean Twilight's coming back?" Harry asked. Luna nodded, and Harry allowed himself a smile.
"Yes, but there are other things that require your attention. You will wake soon, but there is much to discuss."
"My vision," Harry realized, "you saw that."
"Yes, we did. We pulled you out of the vision before your presence was detected. We may freely walk into other's dreams, but tis rare to find one who roams in the waking mind of another."
"I don't control it, it just happens. I don't even understand how I do it," Harry tried to explain.
"Then perhaps this will explain."
Luna stretched out a hoof, and the night sky they occupied shifted. Harry looked down from his perch in the sky and saw the stars swirl nauseatingly.
A jagged lightning-shaped void gapped in the "wall" of the dream. A vaguely humanoid silhouette loomed in front of the crack, faceless but hauntingly familiar. Wordless whispers wafted out from behind the figure; it sounded like Voldemoirt's voice. Inside the void was an image of the Riddle Manor, just like in every vision that year. Harry inspected this fissure in the dreamscape, along with the figure and the voices.
"What is this?" he asked fearfully.
"Dreams often show things the waking mind cannot comprehend. We are in your dreams, and this fissure," she pointed at the crack, "represents your connection to this dark wizard. It runs deep in your mind, but is not a part of it, tis tethered to you as a parasite would be to its host," she revealed.
Harry shuddered, looking at this... fissure inside himself. The way Luna described things, this link to Voldemort was worse than Dumbledore considered.
"What should I do about it?" Harry requested.
"For now, there is nothing you can do. We will converse with our sister, she may know what to do. This is no mere psychic link, a part of this wizard's mind has attached itself within you. If the worst comes true, and our sister cannot create a solution, the bearers of the Elements may be able to expunge this, just as Nightmare Moon was cast out of us." Luna waved her horn, and the stars weaved over the crack like stitches, pulling the figure back into the void. Luna's magic bound it closed but did not remove it. "You will not dream anymore tonight, but you will awaken soon."
"Thank you, Princess Luna." Harry bowed to the princess.
Luna held up her hoof. "Thank us in person. Take care, young one." With her parting words, Luna vanished into the moon, leaving Harry alone in his dreams.
Harry looked down at the faded crack in his dream. This thing scared him. A connection this deep, or any connection for that matter, was nothing to scoff at. It could put Harry's friends in danger if left unchecked. And the way Luna described it like a parasite disturbed him. Hopefully, Celestia could fix this before something terrible happened.
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Good thing Luns isnt up to current social media even in Harrys time, or maybe she couldve slipped Voldemort a litle something to distract him. Not too sure of the actual timing, but mabe a selection of earworms like Mr Blobby, Agadoo, The Chicken Song etc?
Blowing up a mountain is the easy bit. Putting it back together shouldve scared the pacemaner out of Dumbledoor and made the Eldar Wand droop like spaghetti.
Because Summer is coming.
I thought Nagini didn't become a horcrux until after Voldemort returned.
Not sure I'd call what Voldemort is as alive he certainly hasn't passed on
11665355
Bertha Jorkins' murder in 1994 was used to make the horcrux. Nagina was a horcrux by this point, Harry did (somewhat) see through her in visions.
11665356
By his metric, anything is preferable to death. Undeath, perhaps? Either way, it must've been embarrassing.
11665384
Harry's first year was in 1991. The murder would have to have happened not long after the fated graveyard scene.
11665393
I see the confusion. The graveyard duel was the 25th of June, 1995. Bertha Jorkins died in 1994, between June 6th (Pettigrew's escape) and August 16th (Harry's vision).
Goblet of Fire, Chapter 1, page 11.
I don't mean to look rude by citing quotes like a know-it-all, but her murder was before the book started. And since that death was used for Nagini, Nagina was a horcux the whole time. It's easy to miss the during the first read, especially since horcuxes aren't revealed by name until book 6.
11665384
Yes, the murder happened after Voldemort regained his body. Canonically speaking. to change this he'd have needed to split his soul while in his diminished form. Perhaps an act of desperation/paranoia?
11665454
Ah, ok. Thanks for clearing that up.
11665384 embarrassing how about humiliating 60 to 0 in 2,3 seconds. a body one moment to nothing the next not even a body to possess and the only 'supporters' left are those that didn't respond to his call