Ebonnora Black was a strange girl. Everything about her was strange. Her name was strange. Evan for a pureblood witch, her name was strange! That's why I always called her Snow White. Why did I call her this? Well that was another thing that strange about her: her appearance. She had chalky pale skin, that looks like it had been stretched over many years. Her eyes were deep and sunk into her skull, with dark circles constant companion to them. Her eyes were another thing that were strange about her, for they were golden yellow. She was very unattractive… But then again I am gay. But I'm almost positive that even if I was straight I wouldn't find her attractive. The only thing remarkably beautiful about her was her hair. It was as black as shadows. Her appearance reminded me very much of Pitch Black, though she couldn't possibly related to him, for she was far too nice.
Ebonnora Black was sorted into Slytherin, like me. She had a knack for making friends, and so do I. We seem to hit it off quite soon, and it was in that first day of our meeting that I gave her the nickname Snow White, because she reminded me so much of the Muggle fairy tale. She'd also made very good friends with a boy who was sorted into Hufflepuff, and introduced me to him. Seeing as how I was very open with my sexuality towards her, she already knew I was gay when she introduced me to Hiccup. As a matter of fact, when she introduced me to him she told me he was gay to. That was another thing that was strange about Ebonnora, she loved to play matchmaker. I'm not complaining though, for she was rather good at it!
Another strange thing about Ebonnora was that she would never run, jump, or skip. Every time I asked her about it she simply said that she was too tired to do those things anymore. Finally, in second year, I picked up the courage to ask her why she was so tired all the time. Another strange thing about Ebonnora was that she had leukemia, a type of blood cancer. Something that I found out when I started asking questions. Another strange thing about Ebonnora was that she knew she was going to die. At one time she took chemotherapy, a type of Muggle treatment where they pump chemicals into your blood and try to kill the cancer cells, but she stopped the treatment when she was 10. The doctor said there was nothing they could do to save her, and that she was indeed going to die. The chemotherapy was just killing her faster. The strange part about this was that she knew she was going to die, and she was still always happy and cheery. She said the sorting hat almost put her in Hufflepuff, but decided to put her in Slytherin because she was a pureblood, and was very opinionated. Do I believe this? Yes, yes I do.
Another strange thing about Ebonnora was she was a lesbian. She had a girlfriend who went to Bouxbaton, named Merida. Another strange thing about her was that the headmaster had a sweet spot for her. On Christmas of our third-year, she convinced professor Dumbledore to let Merida stay for Christmas. The day everyone would be going home for the holidays, at breakfast before they boarded the train, a girl who was much taller than Ebonnora, with crazy, curly red hair, and a blue silk uniform, came into the great Hall looking for Ebonnora. And then Ebonnora did something strange even for her, she ran into Merida's arms! She embraced her girlfriend, and kissed her in front of the entire population of Hogwarts. If I haven't said it before I'll say it now, Ebonnora Black was a strange girl!
Another strange thing about Ebonnora was on Christmas eve, she convinced Hiccup, Merida and I to help her push a grand piano and other instruments into the great Hall. When we were eating Christmas dinner, seeing as how we were only using one table in the great Hall was pretty empty, Ebonnora charmed the instruments to play music, and started dancing with Merida. I followed suit and grabbed Hiccup and started dancing. Others were dancing to but I didn't notice them. At that time it was just me and Hiccup, like were the only two people in the world. We dance for hours on end, until Ebonnora announced that she had to stop because her feet were bleeding through her shoes. Thin-skinned she was, a side effect of the cancer.
Another strange thing about Ebonnora was that every year for Christmas she made Hiccup and I dream catchers. I can't say they want effective though. I once watched Hiccup sleep with the dream catcher over his head, when a nightmare came in through the window to torment him in his sleep. but before the creature could even touch Hiccup the dream catchers sucked the beast inside it. Trapping it for all eternity.
Ebonnora Black was a strange girl, who led a strange life, but the strangest thing of all was her death. Hiccup and I were walking Ebonnora to the care of magical creatures class, when all of a sudden she started coughing really bad. She coughed harder and harder, until the blood poured out of her mouth. I quickly picked her up and carried her to Madam Pomfry, with Hiccup hot on my heels. We got her into a bed, and she gasped out, "Jack, I'm dying! please bring Merida to me!" I looked into her golden eyes and nodded my head. I travelled to Bouxbaton by the floo network, and brought Merida back to Hogwarts.
Ebonnora told Merida she loved her, and kissed her, spreading blood all over her mouth. She looked at Hiccup and me, and told us that we were the closest things to brothers she ever had, and wished us years of happiness together. But the strangest thing about her death, were her last words, and they were only really strange because they were not spoken but sung! Ebonnora lifted up her head, and sang a song. The tune I recognized, for it was the song we danced to on Christmas Eve. And to that tune, she sang these words:
"Are you, Are you
Coming to the tree
Where they strung up a man they say murdered three
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree
Are you, Are you
Coming to the tree
Where the dead man called out for his love to flee
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree
Are you, Are you
Coming to the tree
Where I told you to run, so we'd both be free
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.
Are you, Are you
Coming to the tree
Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me.
Strange things did happen here,
No stranger would it be,
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree."
Once her song was finished she coughed one last time, covering all of us in blood. Then she smiled and closed her eyes, and let out a deep sigh. When she sighed, we could feel the grip that she had on us loosen and fall limp. Her tired heart had finally got the rest it deserved. Her aching lungs were no longer causing her pain. And her free spirit could finally be what it was always meant to be, truly free!
Ebonnora Black was a strange girl, but there was nothing wrong with that. The truth is this strange Ebonnora Black taught me more than any teacher ever did at Hogwarts. She taught me the value of life, and I am forever in debt to Ebonnora Black.
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I own only the plot line and the character Ebonnora Black. In case your wondering, the song is "The Hanging Tree" from The Hunger Games Trilogy.
