4.
"Hannah!"
Harry watched as both Ron and Hermione ran to Hannah, sitting down in the blood-stained snow. It was an absurd picture to Harry; Hannah sitting in not her uniform but a long white dress with printed flowers on it in warm summer-colors. It was also stained with blood. Her hair was a huge mess, it looked like she hadn't showered for days, her face so white it looked almost transparent, with her small pouty lips the same color as red wine. Harry felt a shiver through his body because no matter how you looked at her she resembled a ghost, or even a corpse.
Harry went down after Ron and Hermione, they both sat down next to Hannah trying to stop her from digging anymore. Her fingers were bloody and she had lost almost all of her nails. Hermione started crying, screaming at her to wake up. But all Hannah did was to stare, stare at some unknown spot in the distance. It was like there was nothing around her, like she was surrounded by nothing. Harry sat down next to her and looked at her eyes, so empty. He let his gaze wander over her body until he had searched every inch of her. He noticed a small necklace hanging around her neck that looked like a tiny clock. It was in silver with tiny flowers engraved on the surface. Harry took the clock in his hand, a gesture that made Hannah look at him, her eyes wide open.
"Who are you?" Harry asked, not letting go of Hannah's gaze.
Hannah, or whatever it was that possessed her, gave Harry a faint smile, a fake smile since her eyes looked as sad as ever. Finally some emotion, Harry thought to himself. Perhaps he could talk to the ghost and convince it to leave Hannah's body alone.
"You." Hannah said in a voice that sounded nothing like her own. The voice was definitely female, but low and husky, like someone who's smoked for their entire life. Harry didn't dare to answer, instead he waited patiently for 'Hannah' to continue.
"You look like someone who knows the true meaning of hardship." She finally said, slowly lifting her bloody hand to Harry's face, touching his cheek gently. Harry shivered from the cold fingers, it was like having icecubes against his face. She gave Harry a sad smile, her eyes welling up with tears.
"I just wanted to see him again. Talk to him one last time. But I can't find him." The person inside Hannah started to cry silently, tears rolling slowly like a stream down her pale face. Ron and Hermione gave each other a troubled look, they did feel sorry for 'Hannah', as Ron put his arm around Hermione's shoulders (No need to mention Hermione turned as red as Hannah's lips).
"I'm sorry that you can't find that person." Harry said, choosing his words wisely.
"But you can't stay in Hannah's body forever. You're hurting her."
"My name isn't Hannah." She said.
"My name is Rose. If you would like to listen, please let me tell you my story."
"Of course I'll listen." Harry said.
Rose closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Then she began to tell her story.
"I was born in 1879 in Brighton. I was youngest of four daughters but I was the only witch in my family. My parents used to describe me as very intelligent for my age, but shy. What I enjoyed the most was having my afternoon-tea, sitting out in our garden under the big mapletree while reading a book. I was usually by myself, enjoying my own company more than anything else. When my parents found out I was a witch from that letter from Hogwarts, they threw me out. I was eleven at that time."
She went quiet and looked down at her hands, gently folded in her lap. Then she continued.
"I didn't know what to do. The family I loved the most, my home, had thrown me out because of me being something different. I had a hard time understanding why they did that, to their own daughter, but as I got older I began to understand. They were scared of me, scared of what I could do, of what people would think. It was as simple as that. I never forgave them, not even now
after death, but I understood them. That was all that was needed, and it made me feel like the bigger person."
"My parents are muggles too." Hermione explained.
"Though they didn't throw me out, I can understand the feeling of finding out that you're different." Rose nodded in agreement.
Suddenly they could hear someone running behind them. Harry turned around and noticed Luna, now wearing a pair of thick leatherboots, running towards them, her cheeks flushed red and her hair in an even bigger mess than before from running around so much. Harry had totally forgotten about her and felt ashamed, it felt like leaving a friend behind.
"Harry, I got it confirmed from the Fat Friar that Hannah is indeed possessed by something." Luna exclaimed and leaned forward to catch her breath.
"She is possessed by someone." Hermione corrected her.
"Her name is Rose. Rose, please, continue."
Rose looked at Luna with curious eyes, not letting her out of her sight until Luna was stationed next to Harry. Then she took a deep breath and continued.
"It's just as you say miss. Not only had I been thrown out from my home, I was also a witch which was not a very good thing during my time. I didn't know what else to do but to travel to London. I slept on benches for two months until the day finally arrived, the day I would supposedly go to Hogwarts School of wizardry and witchcraft. I was standing alone on platform 9, waiting
for something odd to happen."
She fell silent again, staring out in the distance with a sad look in her eyes. Harry dared to think that this someone she is looking for is a very dear one.
"That's when I first met him." A smile started to spread on her lips.
"His name was Wayne. He didn't look special, brown hair and brown eyes, and he was really tall. The reason my eyes lingered on him was because of his laugh. It was the prettiest laugh I've ever heard, it sounded like angels singing in my ears. I decided to follow him, couldn't do any harm, and that's when I saw him running through the wall! You can imagine the shock I got from that one. After a couple of minutes I dared to try myself and I got through to the other side, where the train was waiting for its students to come onboard. That's when I asked for help, for the first time. I told them everything and showed them my letter. The second we got to Hogwarts it was decided that this would be my new home. It felt so good too, Hogwarts amazed me so much
and to get to call that home⦠I felt lucky."
"I got into Hufflepuff while I noticed the boy from the station, Wayne, got into Gryffindor, but we had many lessons together. He was really smart too, I used to see him in the library a lot. Other than that he was very social, had many dear friends. I fell in love with him over time. For hours I could sit and watch him read his books in the library, there was something calm and steady with him, like a rock you could not move him, nor crush him. But I never even once talked to him. I just watched from afar, listening to his beautiful laugh"
She fell silent again, suddenly looking furious. Her broken hands turned into fists, shaking in her lap.
"Wayne was murdered. Our fifth year together Wayne, the kindest person walking this earth, disappeared and was later sentenced dead. My entire world fell apart. I never got better, after that I fell ill and died, it was all very sudden and unexpected. Ever since then, since my death, I've heard him screaming from the ground. It seems he was buried alive. I know he's down here somewhere but I can't find him!"
Rose was shaking so intense now that the others decided to take her inside and warm her up. Reluctantly she was lead to the Room of Requirements where Luna and Hermione helped her out of her dress. It was dripping wet. They gave her a blanket and hot cocoa and put her on a chair in front of a fire that had appeared. Harry sat down next to her and looked at her with soft eyes.
"Was it Wayne that gave you that necklace?" he asked.
"No he didn't, it was my grandmothers." Rose answered.
"We never really talked except for one time. That was when he complimented this necklace. He said it was a beautiful necklace on a beautiful girl."
Rose seemed to blush of this memory and smiled to herself.
"The lesson is about to start Harry." Luna said and put a hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry nodded silently and turned to Rose again.
"We will help you find Wayne." He said.
"But right now we have to take care of this meeting."
Rose nodded as an answer and smiled.
"Yes, I'll bring Hannah back right away."
