Muffled voices are penetrating my consciousness. I recognise them but when I open my eyes everything is a blur.
- "Stop being pathetic Ronald, just help me"
"She's got no clothes on 'Mione"
"Don't be stupid, she's got bloody clothes on" -
-"Not much..."
"Well she's waking up so help me, she needs to go to the hospital wing"
"Fine!"
My head is heavy and my body feels limp. A dull headache rolls through my brain, I didn't realise I had passed out. I feel a strong arm lift me out of my chair and drag me to a standing position. Looking around I feel a weird sensation, like everything is moving ridiculously slow around me. Rons red hair is bouncing around as he half-carries me down a long corridor. Being levitated on a stretcher beside me is The-boy-who-lived. He must've passed out too. Professor McGonangall is holding her wand steadily guiding Harry along the corridors while Hermione is walking ever so carefully with my arm draped over her shoulder. I grin lazily when I realise I'm still in my exercise clothes and her warm hand is resting on my clotheless back – so is Rons, which should've been a bit awkward but it is strangely comforting.
Gazing at Hermione's brown curls thoughtfully I realise how im starting to regain some of my wits about me. Walking a little more confidently I remove my arm from around Rons neck thanking him quietly. He blushes a little but keeps staring pointedly ahead. When I look along my other arm to Hermione my breath comes in deep and long, her arm around my back squeezes me gently before we stop and she helps me balance on my own two feet. Reaching my hand out to steady myself on Hermione's shoulder I notice she hasn't actually let go. Her slender fingers are wrapped around mine helping me stand while her other hand is resting lightly on my hip trying to hold me still. Ron carries on with Professor McGonagall after making sure Hermione will be ok with me. Honestly...
When Ron is a few steps ahead I turn to look at the Golden Girl.
"Hermione, what happened to me?"
She looks up with a sad smile, still holding me steady.
"Well Rhea...Harry touched the cup and you sort of...er...grabbed his head and pulsed a greeny colour"
"Green? Nah...my line is waiporoporo – uh, I mean purple"
She grins a little and links her arm with mine. Apparently I can't walk on my own yet so we start walking slowly after Ron.
"I'm pretty sure I know the difference between the colours, and you Rhea were definitely green and so was Harry for a brief second"
Looking at her curiously I go through lessons in my head about ahua(aura) Purple covers loyalty and protection – that's me. Green however, well that's Te Whare Tapa Wha or 'holistic well-being' as my Nan likes to call it. Hermione must be mistaken though, because I can't heal others. I can heal myself, but so can every other Toa. Healing energies are only given to proper kaitiaki.
Holding on to her arm a little tighter than necessary I feel my body healing itself. A pleasant warmth pulsates through my body from head to toe and the dull thump in the back of my brain stops. Hermione must've felt the pulsing warmth because she drops my arm out of surprise.
"What was that?"
"Sorry...I should've told you that was gonna happen – that was my body healing itself"
"Wh-what? The books didn't say you could heal yourself"
"There's a myriad of things about my culture that will never be in 'the books' y'know"
Despite being able to stand on my own she links her arm in mine again and frowns in concentration, no doubt running a mental scan going through whatever books she was reading about Toa. As we approach the Hospital wing she gives my hand a little squeeze before giving it back and opening the door. Madam Pomfrey bustles over to us muttering under her breath while moving her wand between my eyes and then over my head. Finishing with the point of her wand against my chest I feel a little tingle as she removes it and exclaims that I'm in perfect health. Which is strange considering I fainted and what-not.
- "Poppy come quick he's waking up!"
Professor McGonagall looks like a frantic mother hen fussing over her baby chicks. Ron looks up from the chair beside the bed and Hermione bolts over while I stand back a bit not knowing what to do with myself.
Harry's eyes are moving beneath his eyelids and there's a light sheen of sweat over his face. Madam Pomfrey waves her wand down the length of his body. When the tip of her wand comes to a rest on his chest his eyes flutter open. Startling green looks around then with sinking recognition he looks at Madam Pomfrey.
"We need to stop meeting like this Madam Pomfrey"
She chuckles quietly then frowns seriously.
"You know Mr. Potter, I tell myself that every time you come in here. Especially today since there seems to be nothing wrong with you; How do you feel?"
He screws his face in concentration.
"Honestly I feel quite good - well rested if anything"
Madam Pomfrey moves over to Professor McGonagalls side. They discuss something in hurried whispers and my curiosity piques enough to hear the end of their conversation.
"Im telling you Minerva, he was touched by dark magic he needs Albus, or Severus at least-"
"Well Poppy, when you locate the Headmaster by all means bring this to his attention. Until then I've got other -"
-"What happened Minerva? Did the girl do something to him? Is she...is she with them?"
"From what I witnessed she helped him, but to be honest, I have no idea"
Great. Even the Mediwitch thinks I'm evil. I stare into her eyes as she turns around to dismiss us from the room. Goosebumps have started to rise all over my skin reminding me that Scotland is bloody cold and my warming charms have died.
Turning on my heel I mutter a thanks to Ron and Hermione for helping me and then start jogging off towards the common room to put some clothes on and figure out how to locate my sisters.
As I run through the corridors memories of my parents play through my mind.
It's a blistering hot day. I turn sixteen tomorrow and because I get to rest on my birthday my dad is pushing me through a grueling obstacle course. My face is dripping with a mixture of sweat and tears. My arms are shaking as I fight through my fifty-seventh press up. My goal is to reach sixty, then I can stop...I can finally stop. All day I've been running from creatures, duelling grown ass men, pushing through physical and mental pain. My body is shattered. An impediment jinx blasts the earth next to me sending shockwaves through my hands. I squint my eyes against the rising dust. I almost collapse but the fear of starting this whole course again keeps my wobbling arms from dropping my body to the ground. With a deep shuddering breath I exhale on my fifty-eighth press up. As I'm lowering down for fifty-nine my dad comes close to shout in my face.
"Maumahara tenei mamae. Piki ake ki te wero. Ko koe he kaitiaki. Tuturu ki te mutunga!" (Remember this pain. Rise to the challenge. You are a guardian. Stay true to the end!)
As I lowered again for my final press-up a taiaha(long fighting club) comes slicing down through the air. Just as it is about to hit my fingertips I push up hard and fast with a grunt and pull my hand from the line of fire to land on one hand as a dull thud announces the meeting of club and earth. Lowering down one last time I exhale a breath of complete and utter relief to be finally finished. I glance along the row of trainees next to me. As I roll over on to my back and embrace the pain I'm in two people are running, wincing in pain, back to the start line.
My dad orders me to shower and ready myself for the induction ceremony. Instead, I go over to the start line again to encourage my future unit to completion. One by one - as they finished the soldiers jog to the start line to encourage, or repeat. As a unit we stay 'til the last man finishes.
My arms ache suddenly as if remembering the pain I was in that day. That was the day I was sworn in to become a soldier.
Swirling through my brain as I'm running through a group of students going down to dinner I hear the echo of my mum. I know in my heart that it's a memory, but for the life of me I can't remember it ever happening. It's like a veil has lifted behind my eyes to reveal the distant memory.
It's the day after I was chosen for the Hogwarts exchange. She seems sad. She's holding on to a small glass sphere lightly between her fingers. Inside it sits an elderly looking woman with wild hair that has beads threaded through random dreadlocks. She's holding her chest while the other hand is holding Grandma Malfoys. She's murmuring something but I can't hear it. The images inside have the opaque clarity of a memory. Mum reaches up to my cheek, guiding my face to look at her.
"Rhea...my darling. You are very important to the future of wizardkind please don't forget who you truly are, and never forget the people you meet. This sphere is a copy of another that contains a memory of a prophecy. You and Harry Potter are the only ones who can retrieve it from the Ministry of Magic here in Aotearoa(New Zealand) You will see it when the time is right. But I'm telling you this now so that you will seek it if I am unable to give you access. He aha te mea nui o te ao?" (What is the greatest thing in the world?)
My eyes are wet with tears as I finish the proverb out loud.
"He tangata, he tangata, he tangata" (It is people, it is people, it is people)
Before the memory fades my heart quickens at seeing my mums wand raised between my eyes and I hear her whisper faintly;
"I'm sorry my darling...If you're seeing this memory I've failed you"
There's a slight pause before she whispers again.
"Memento velare"
And I understand, my mum modified my memory. The veil has been lifted now that she's dead. My mum and dad are dead.
My heart aches as I drop to the floor outside the library while silent tears fall down my face. I don't notice the calloused hands lifting me to my feet, or the white blonde hair flash before my eyes. All I feel is the warm embrace filled with love and I bury my nose into his strong chest. This is the Draco I know. The young man who cares about family above all else. His face is a twisted mask of stress and concern.
"Rhea...I...it will be ok"
Through my fit of tears I start punching him in the chest. He doesn't get it. It's not going to be ok. His arms wrap tighter around me, squashing me against him preventing me from assaulting him. Resting his cheek on top of my head he holds me tight and I feel my heart calm down suddenly to be replaced with a chill. He removes his cloak and drapes it over my shoulders before looking up to see the Golden Trio.
Rons face warps into one of fury, while Harry just silently raises his wand to aim at Dracos chest.
"Put it away Potter, I'm not in the mood to be having one of your petty school yard fights"
Harry doesn't move. Hermione stands by running her finger over her wand in her pocket looking between the two boys. Draco turns to her while buttoning up his cloak around my shoulders.
"Miss Granger, you look like the one with the most sense. Do you mind accompanying Rhea back to your dorm? she seems to have undergone a great deal of stress and is running around half naked"
She seems unsure as she replies.
"Uh...sure Malfoy"
Before handing me over to Hermione Draco leans in and hugs me one last time telling me it'll be ok. He turns away from Harry and strides off towards the stairs. Hermione turns to her two best-friends with an exasperated look.
"Honestly, Harry put the wand down we can deal with him later. Right now Rhea needs someone and guess what! we're it"
A quick lesson on pronunciation.
Maori Alphabet:
a - like the 'a' in car
ae - like 'i' in ire
ai - like 'eye'
au - like 'o' in go
e - like the 'e' in ear
h - like any other 'h'
i - like the 'ee' in meet
k - 'c' in car
m - just an 'm'
n - just an 'n'
ng - like 'ng' in going
o - 'oo' in door
p - just a 'p'
r - roll the 'r' like trying to do a drum roll. Sometimes it helps to replace 'r' with 'd'
t - put your tongue between your teeth when it comes to 't'
u - like 'ou' in you
w - 'wh' in when
wh - like 'f' in food
I try to put the translations in the chapter but sometimes I forget. If you can't be bothered searching online let me know via review/message and I'll make author note.