Cold... stiff...
Harry felt as though he'd had a long nightmare. In it, he had turned to stone, and Neville, Hermione, and Ron were sobbing beside him.
Every professor looked grief-stricken, even Snape.
But soon Harry's consciousness began sinking into darkness, into a haze...
Then, all at once, his body jerked and he woke with a start.
"Huff, huff—" Harry sat bolt upright, breathing hard, cold sweat beading on his forehead. Then he saw Dumbledore, his blue eyes full of concern.
"Professor, the basilisk! Someone let a basilisk in! A Dark Wizard!" Harry's words tumbled out.
"Easy, Harry, easy. You killed the basilisk. The Dark Wizard escaped, but you defeated him." Dumbledore's gentle voice had a reassuring strength to it.
Harry took several deep breaths and calmed himself. If Professor Dumbledore said everything was all right, then it must be. Professor Dumbledore wouldn't lie to him, would he?
A little calmer, Harry looked around. He was in an unfamiliar circular room, spacious and simply furnished. Ancient tapestries hung on the walls, depicting magical scenes he couldn't understand.
Beyond the huge arched window, the Black Lake lay between the mountains like a vast sapphire, glittering in the sunshine. In the distance, the Quidditch Pitch looked like a tiny model, and he could even make out Hagrid's Hut, no bigger than a chocolate.
He could also see the High Tower where the Black Lake met the Forbidden Forest. From here, it looked so short it was barely the size of his little finger.
"Where are we, Professor?" Harry asked curiously. He had never been here before; he'd thought he was in the Hospital Wing.
"A safe house, Harry." Dumbledore looked at him through his Half-moon Spectacles. "At present, no one knows about it but you and me."
Harry's heart gave a jolt.