Disclaimer: I'm am broke. So, I obviously don't own anything. The world and characters (with the exception of a few) belong to J.K. Rowling.
Author's Note – There are over a zillion fan-fics on fanfic.net. I haven't had the time to read all of them yet. So if there is similarities between other fics and my story, it is coincidental.
Kristine Blackwell is a normal witch attending the Salem Witches' Institute. Or at least she thought she was. A Death eater attack on the school brings light onto what was hidden in the dark. Now Kristine is off on a quest to find her powers, her past, and herself.
Events lead her to Hogwarts, where she finds friends, allies, and safety. But the war Voldemort is unleashing in America is nothing compared to the one he is about to start in England. Soon, Kristine stuck in the middle of a war she doesn't want and in a web of betrayal from those she trusted. With the right amount of persuasion and mind games, will Voldemort convince her to join him and use her newfound powers to devastate?
Evanescence of a Soul- Chapter One-Of Fire and Flame
The girl stirred and opened her eyes, finding herself lying alone in the middle of a large grassy clearing. She slowly pushed herself into a sitting position, gazing around for a clue of why or where she was. There was no sound and it made her ears ring. She closed her eyes.
It was very warm, wherever she was. The girl felt beads of perspiration run down from her temples, dripping from her nose and chin. Her pajama shirt and pants clung to her slim form. Rolling up her sleeves and pants didn't help. A silent breeze cooled her sweaty body, whipping her long hair into her eyes.
Able to think straighter from relief, the girl suddenly wondered why she was so hot. Pushing the damp hair that stuck to her wet face away, she opened her eyes. The world had erupted in flames. No sound came out as she tried to scream. Fire licked the grass around her, but didn't burn. The grass remained green.
"It's not real, it's not real, it's not real", the girl chanted it in her head, until she almost believed it. But she couldn't because everything was so hot. She felt faint, head beginning to pound. She tried shakily to get to her feet, but couldn't move from where she was sitting. All she could do was watch with a growing feeling of horror as the flames came closer. "It's not real. The grass isn't burning so it's not real. It's not-"
The fire had reached her, beginning to dance on her fingers, scorching her skin. The volume suddenly worked, but as though somebody had turned it as loud as it could go. There was a piercing scream and it took a moment for the girl to realize it was coming from her. Instead of silence, her ears were now ringing with the sound of the crackling flame as it moved on top of the grass.
The girl felt movement surging into her legs and she leapt to her feet. But she had no where to run. Everything was on fire, including her. Her pajama pants had caught aflame and her legs seared with pain. She collapsed, falling hard on her knees, shouting as the fire consumed her.
Another voice was shouting with her, telling her to wake up. "I'm not dreaming. I'm burning." She moaned, pain crawling up to her waist. "I'm burning in Hell." Something cold and wet splashed onto her body, extinguishing the horrid sensation. This time when she opened her eyes, she was lying in her bed. A worried face swam into view.
"Are you alright, Kristine?" A brunette woman standing next to the bed was holding the now empty glass of water, blue eyes full of concern. Kris gave her a shaky smile, still breathing hard, "I'm fine, just a nightmare."
Her aunt Miranda didn't look convinced, but pursed her lips as Kristine sat up, untangling the sweat soaked sheets, and half jokingly asked, "Did I really scream that loud or were you in here for a different reason?"
She tried to get up, but part of her leg was still tangled in the sheets and fell on the plush carpet. Kris decided to save the little grace she still had by staying down on the floor. Miranda hid a little grin. "The staff and I are going into Vertic Alley to get some supplies. Would you like to come with?"
Kris freed herself from the sheets that shackled her and stood. "Yeah, I need new robes and potion ingredients. I'm going to take a shower first though." Her aunt nodded and left the room.
She crossed her dormitory to her wooden chest and ran her hand lovingly over the surface before opening the top drawer, rummaging for something to wear. The handsome oak chest was a gift from her parents eight years ago. They had made it themselves before they died.
Different engraved pictures lining the border danced merrily, their subjects waving. They fell still as they realized that they weren't getting the usual smile. Kris murmured an apology, picked an outfit, and turned away.
She had chosen her favorite pair of blue jeans and an enchanted white tee shirt that flashed S.W.I. in bright vivid colors before spelling itself out. It was made two years ago as an extra credit project. It was a big hit with the students and became the school shirt of the Salem Witches' Institute.
Kris grabbed a towel and carried her clothes to the bathrooms across the hall. It was deadly silent, much different than it was going to be tomorrow when her fellow students came back from summer break. She turned on the shower and stripped of her pajamas, stepping into the hot water.
Maybe if she wasn't so sleepy or if she had folded up her nightclothes, she would have noticed the grass stains on the knees or the singeing at the bottoms. But they slowly faded and the pajamas looked as they did before Kristine dreamed of fire and flame.