[emotion] Gratitude

[word] Mindless

[dialogue] "What, have you changed your mind now?"

In the highest tower of Hogwarts, a thirteen-year-old girl, Olivia Green, also known as Livia was sitting on the windowsill beside her bed. Her eyes were closed and her forehead pressed against the cold glass. As if she was remembering something. Silent tears fell from her eyes.

"I hate you! I wish you weren't my mother!" Olivia screamed at her mother. She turned on her heal and stalked away. She went up two flights of stairs and slammed her door, hard. Silently she fell to her knees, crying.

"My book, my book," She whispered. She stayed there on her knees for what seemed like hours but was only a few minutes. A bone-chilling scream echoed throughout the house.

"Olivia. Please come here," Olivia's father said his voice breaking. Olivia stayed in her place ignoring her father. Time passed slowly. What felt like hours only minutes. The only sound in the Green house were the sobs coming from Olivia's father. Soon the floo activated. Olivia's father slowly walked up the stairs to Olivia's room. Very gently he pushed open the door.

"Olivia," his voice broke, "Olivia, your mother. Your mother is dead." He dropped to his knees wrapping his arms around the only other living member of his family.

Olivia collapsed against the window uncontrollably sobbing.

"It's my fault," Olivia whispered, "I never even said goodbye. I never said goodbye."

"No. It's not," a familiar sounding voice said.

"Jacob? Why are you here?" Olivia asked.

"I want to help you. You are my friend," Jacob said with a wide grin. At that, Olivia gave Jacob a tiny smile.

"Help me with what?" Olivia asked feigning innocence.

"To let you be free from the regret you hold from your mother's death," Jacob said.

"I can't let you," Olivia said.

"But I still will. You are my best friend," Jacob said.

"How did you even get in here?" Olivia asked, tactfully changing the subject.

"That is for me to know and you to wonder," Jacob said with a smirk. The pair heard the rustling of a sheet and froze.

"I think it's time to go back to your common room. Meet me in the library after dinner," Olivia whispered. Jacob nodded before leaving the dorm. All day Olivia wandered mindlessly around the school. She didn't pay attention to any of her classes or talk to any of her housemates.

After dinner, Olivia walked to the library. She waved to Madam Prince and went into a secret room she had found in her first year, two years ago. This was where she and Jacob met up most of the time. It was hard being in a different house than your best and only friend. Jacob was a true Gryffindor. He was selfless, kind, heroic and would walk through hell for his friends and family.

With a steady hand, Olivia set out the plans she had made on the large table in the middle of the room. The room was mostly empty only having two chairs, the table, and a couple of bookshelves. Jacob came running into the room about five minutes later with a smirk on his face.

"What did you do this time?" Olivia asked with a sigh.

"Nothing," He said looking far too innocent.

"Liar, Liar pants on fire," Olivia sang.

"I stole some Slytherins books and replaced them with transfigured chicken legs," Jacob said with a laugh. Olivia just shook her head.

"These are some pretty serious plan you have here. A time machine? Seriously?" Jacob said.

"Yes. This is the greatest regret of my life," Olivia said determinedly.

"Hey, a time machine seems like a good idea, as long as we can get back to our present time," Jacob said.

"Then let's do that," Olivia said with a small smile. Olivia waved her wand and only the plans for a time machine remained. Olivia started explaining how the time machine would work to an enthusiastic Jacob. In about an hour both teens understood their part of the plan. There was a broken time machine in a junk room Olivia had found in her second year. They were going to repair it and go back in time. The time machine looked like the seat to a ride in an amusement park with a disk on the back. There was a seat and a bar that was placed just in front of it. On the bar was a console of sorts with a bunch of buttons and a date setter. It was repaired with a couple of quick repairing spells and some duct tape Olivia had from home. Before climbing in Olivia hesitated.

"What, have you changed your mind now?" Jacob asked.

"No. It's just that I am not sure this is the right thing to do," Olivia admitted.

"It will be fine," Jacob said arrogantly. Olivia, still unsure, strapped herself into the time machine. The console came alive once she was strapped in. With Jacob beside her, she carefully set the date to November 15, 1974. This would leave them time to find her house. She pulled the lever on the side and they disappeared from Hogwarts.

In the blink of an eye, they appeared in Hogwarts hopefully eight years prior. Quickly, they unstrapped themselves from the machine and ran from the room. Hogwarts looked the same but it never changed much over the years. They bolted towards the door as fast as they could. Before Olivia's mother died they lived just outside of Hogsmeade. They ran through the door and hide behind a tree waiting for the few lingering students to get distracted. Jacob cast a firework spell quickly drawing all of the students' attention towards the other side of the courtyard.

Hand in hand they ran towards the forbidden forest. It was about a half an hour walk to get to Hogsmeade and another fifteen minutes to get to Olivia's childhood home. They jogged not wanting to be tired. They were about two minutes away when they heard a scream. It sounded like Olivia's dad. They started running, each step faster than the last. When they arrived at the house a minute later. It was too late. She was already dead. Olivia collapsed in Jacob's arms and cried. He held her close to his chest and waited for her to calm down. She was grateful for the comfort he provided and his friendship.

"It didn't work," She sobbed.

"Olivia," Jacob said.

"It didn't work, Jacob!" She said again.

"I know, but she knew you loved her. Even if you didn't say it," Jacob said to the distraught Olivia.

"Jacob I can't thank you enough for trying to help me. I am eternally grateful," Olivia said with a sad smile.

"It's what friends are for," Jacob said with a smile.