Chapter 12
Hope fading out of sight
Harry Potter couldn't sleep again. His dreams were plagued with horrible nightmares. People he had never seen kept yelling at him and telling him what a failure he was. Finally, the dreams just stopped and he fell into a dreamless sleep. Waking up the next day was a pain. He had no idea how he would go to bed unharmed and wake up with bruises all over him but he was sick of it! This had only recently started happening, in fact it started happening when Melody moved into Slytherin. Grasping that thought, Harry wondered if there was a connection between his bruises and Melody. They both had the same last name but he'd been told that Potter was a pretty common name among muggles. He knew she wasn't a pureblood because she didn't act like the other Slytherins. It was very strange that none of the houses would accept her and yet they all wanted her as well. Then with her elemental power added into the mix and her strange way of fearing people made Melody Potter an interesting girl. Shaking his head, Harry got stiffly out of bed and went to take a shower. He washed quickly knowing that the other boys would be pounding on the door in a moment. Stepping out of his steamy shower, Harry took a look in the mirror and once he put on his glasses gasped in surprize. His body looked like a punching bag! Black bruises covered his chest and arms while his legs had deep black lines as if someone had sliced him with a knife. He wasn't bleeding but he couldn't get the idea out of his head that someone had been sliced. Muttering a few basic healing charms, Harry got dressed and headed to the Great Hall for breakfast making a mental note to ask Hermione if she'd ever seen or read anything like this. Little did Harry know what that one question would cause.
Hotaru knew the boys were up to something. Chris and his goons had been out late last night and were too chipper this morning. Watching as their usual targets walking into the hall, Hotaru was surprised to see none of them hurt. Chris' grin and eyes told her that someone had been hurt, and hurt badly, by the boys last night. Seeing their last target, Harry, walk in Hotaru got up to ask Lavender if she'd noticed Chris hanging around anyone new. Lavender had a huge crush on Chris even though he'd hit her a time or two. She thought he was 'adorable with a slight anger problem.' Nothing she couldn't fix. HA! If she only knew the damage that boy caused to innocent girls. Oh yes, Hotaru knew who had attacked Melody that night and she wasn't about to forget it any time soon. She was waiting for the right moment to get revenge for her friend. She and Rei had plenty of ideas on how to make the boys pay for Melody's pain...all they needed was ten minutes alone with the boys with no professors around. Reaching the table just as Hermione was, Hotaru smiled at the girl and asked Lavender if she could talk with her later that day. Seeing the look in Hotaru's eyes, Lavender quickly said yes and knew that something bad was going on. As Hotaru turned to go back to her table, she overheard something that made every atom in her body freeze.
As Harry walked into the Great Hall, he noticed that Hotaru seemed to be a bit agitated. Shrugging his shoulders, Harry sat down at the Gryffindor table and talked with Ron and Seamus until Hermione showed up. Turning to Hermione, Harry asked her how she was and if she'd finished the Potions essay due today. After listening to her responses, Harry softly said, "Hermione, have you ever heard of bruises showing up on someone when they haven't been hurt themselves?" Hermione thought for a moment and then said no. "Are you sure? Because for the past month, I've been going to bed fine and waking up with bruises everywhere! You should have seen the ones this morning. It looked like someone had slices my legs apart and used my chest for a punching bag." Feeling the air get suddenly cold, Harry looked up to see Hotaru standing there white with rage. Her eyes glowed a mysterious lavender color as she softly said, "You woke up with those injuries THIS morning, Potter?" Not trusting Hotaru, Harry silently nodded his head and braced for impact.
Hotaru saw red as Harry spoke of his injuries. Hotaru knew that Melody was connected to Potter somehow but she didn't know how. This proved it to her because Melody's injuries were showing up on Potter. Then she heard him say this morning and she knew her anger wasn't going to be able to be controlled by her alone. Speaking in a deadly whisper, Hotaru asked Harry to confirm that the injuries he'd just described were from this morning. At his nod, Hotaru's anger went silent and her posture went rigid. Turning to look at the Slytherin table, her eyes saw no one but Chris as the hall grew silent under the pressure of the cold air now filling the room.
Lady Sara knew something was happening when she felt a shift in the air. Looking around, she paled when she saw Hotaru go still at something Harry Potter told her. Knowing this wasn't going to be good, she stood and quickly made her way towards the Slytherin table as Hotaru made the hall go quiet. Lady Sara gave a mental sigh of relief when she noticed the other elemental girls rising and moving in Hotaru's direction. She knew however that something had to distract Hotaru because otherwise she and the others would be too late to save Hotaru's target.
Chris had no idea why it suddenly got cold in the Great Hall but he was determined that nothing was going to spoil his good mood today. His lord was pleased with his work and had rewarded him greatly last night after their information session. Sure, he was tired but it was worth it. Besides, watching that pathetic first year cry out in pain made him smile. Looking up, he paled as he saw Hotaru walking towards him with death written in her eyes. He began to sweat as she made it closer to the table. When she was ten steps from it, Chris and the other Slytherins cried out in fear as the table burst into splinters that flew into their faces. Chris knew that unless something happened, he was going to die and there wasn't anything he could do about it. Hotaru got within two steps of him and he knew that these were his last moments. Closing his eyes, Chris silently vowed to haunt Melody Potter for the rest of her days because this was all her fault. The hall held its breath as Hotaru raised a glowing hand and time slowed as she brought it down towards Chris' head. Chris waited and waited for the blow to fall but it never did. Opening his eyes, Chris was shocked and appalled to see Melody Potter standing in front of him holding Hotaru's glowing hand. His hatred for her grew as he realized that she had saved his life. She would pay for this...she would.
In the Hospital Wing
Melody didn't know what had woke her but she suddenly sat up in bed knowing she had to be in the Great Hall. Standing took all the strength she had but she refused to be beaten by those boys. Closing her eyes, Melody prayed for strength and the will to get there in time. Opening her eyes, Melody was surprised to find herself in the Great Hall but she didn't have time to process that as Hotaru swung at her. Catching Hotaru's glowing hand, Melody gazed into her friends' eyes and saw rage and pain in their depths. In a voice so soft that it barely made it to Hotaru's ears, Melody said, "Taru...it'll be okay."
Professor Snape didn't know what to do. His house seemed to be turning on itself. First the Potter girl attacking Pansy, then Potter getting attacked herself, now Tomeo attacking Chris who in turned was saved by Potter. It was enough to make anyone's head spin. The old Slytherin was blown away by the strength Potter held in her small body. He'd seen her injuries himself and he knew that she must be hurting. The headmaster had said that Tomeo healed her wounds last night but that couldn't be the case. Potter was as battered as the day he'd carried her to the Hospital Wing. In fact, she had new bruises from what he could see. Her hospital gown was stained with her blood and a small pool was forming by her bare feet as she stood talking to Tomeo. Knowing this wouldn't end well, Professor Snape continued to slowly make his way towards the girls praying that things would return to normal soon.
Lady Sara was shocked and surprised to see Melody save the very boy who had caused her such pain. She knew exactly what had been done to her pupil and knew that she had to get her out of this place. There was nothing left for her here but pain and death if she stayed. Convincing Melody and the headmaster of this fact was going to be a big problem but she knew that with a little help it was all possible. Motioning the other elemental girls, Lady Sara wondered what exactly Melody was saying to Hotaru and how she was able to stand with her recent and current injuries. Whatever spirit or power that was gracing that girl was amazing and she hoped that it never left her. She would need it in the months to come. Her sight was very limited in that it showed her a possibility for the future if things didn't change. How everyone was going to wish that she had a clearer view of the future or even a view of the present.
Hotaru's eyes watered at the sight of Melody. Her anger boiled over at the fresh wounds visible on her friend. Her power grew with her anger and her whole body began to glow with a deathly light. She didn't understand how this could have happened underneath the eyes of the Headmaster and now in the Hospital Wing after she'd already been attacked! It was too much to take! Watching her friend get beat every day, healing her every night and morning, and then watching as she was shunned and ignored all day because people were scared of her power. Even she had pulled back from her after the Elemental demonstration even though both she and Bunny couldn't manifest any of that in class. The more she thought about it the more she realized that neither girl had wanted to fight in the Great Hall demonstration. The reason their power manifested could have been because they were forced to fight against their nature. The tears started to fall as Melody softly told her that everything was going to be okay. Shaking her head, Hotaru cried, "How can it be okay? The professors don't know what's happening under their very noses! You get beat everyday and none of them notice! The boys treat you like dirt and no one notices. You nearly die and no one notices and then you get attacked in the Hospital Wing and no one notices! How can this be the safest school in all of the Wizarding World if they can't keep one eleven year old girl safe!"
Melody listened to Hotaru's cries and softly smiled. Brushing a trembling hand across Hotaru's brow, she said gin a voice that echoed in the stillness of the hall, "It can be okay because I'm still breathing. As long as I have breath in me, things can get better. People like you and Amanda and Ami and Bunny make it okay. Rei and Michelle and Liz make things okay because I'm never alone anymore. I don't have to wait months for bones to mend. I don't have to stagger around in pain with bruises for weeks. I am learning everyday how to take care of myself and how to defend myself and I've gotten a little better every day. This is the safest school in the Wizarding World because the Headmaster stands up to evil and has done so all his life. Standing up to evil isn't easy nor is it painless. The price of freedom and light is high and I am willing to pay that price. I just wish sometimes that others could take a little of that price too." Sighing, Melody watched as her words calmed her friend and the glow died. Turning towards the Headmaster, Melody continued as she looked into his teary winkling eyes, "I'm sorry Headmaster for the trouble I've caused. I hope that this doesn't affect your good work or your commitment to the side of good. I just wish…" But Melody never finished her sentence. She'd used up all her strength in calming Hotaru and now she fainted away but as she fainted a strange thing happened. Melody faded from sight and then was gone before she hit the floor.
Snape and Chris both knew this wouldn't make Lord Voldemort very happy. His pride and joy was now gone and who knew where she would turn up or if she was gone forever. Lady Sara and the girls knew that this was only the beginning. With the winter holidays approaching soon, how were they supposed to explain to Molly that they'd lost one of her children?! Even more importantly, how were they ever going to find Melody and if they didn't who would? Albus sighed as he watched Melody Potter fade from his care. The hat had warned him that this might happen and now it had. She didn't trust the school to keep her alive so she'd moved on to somewhere else. If she ever came back, the school would have a hard time keeping her power in check because only the trust of the students made the preventative magics work. God help them if she came back with revenge in mind.