Night of the Broken Glass

C10: Restore

[A/N: Wow.  One whole year.]

[Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns the original stuff, so I'm just borrowing.  However, I do own the stuff I make up.  Don't steal and don't sue.]

It had been raining nonstop ever since Kendra, Rima, and Virgil had returned from Shadeaux.  The sky was black as coal in the enchanted ceiling and rain was threatening to overflow the lake.

"You're not scared of playing the Quidditch final in this gale?" Virgil asked one evening as they sat together and ate.

"Not at all." Kendra replied, "There isn't a reason to be scared of a bit of rain."

A bolt of lightning arced across the sky and thunder rumbled loud enough to drown out every sound in the Great Hall.

"I'd say it's more that a bit of rain." Rima murmured, her eye staring at the ceiling, "You should be careful."  Kendra, however, didn't listen.  She heard what her friend had said, but was listening more intently to the voice in her mind.

Almost abruptly, she stood up and walked away from the Gryffindor table, her hands folded inside the sleeves of her robes in front of her.  Virgil and Rima stared after her.

"You're causing this blasted storm, aren't you?" Kendra murmured as she stared out the window.

No, it's just a normal storm.  Of course I'm doing it, you idiot.

"So are you trying to scare me into letting you take me over again?"

Yes.

"Well, it won't work.  I'm not frightened."

Sooner or later, pathetic human, you will be frightened.  You will be frightened indeed.

The next few practices the Gryffindor team had were all more difficult than any others due to many factors.  The weather was continuing to worsen, and the team continued to worry about their Seeker.

Kendra had been quite quiet ever since returning from Shadeaux, but for reasons only she knew.

She remained alone in her free time, staring out at the harsh rain and lightning.  There was a glint of worry in her eyes to those who saw her, and as though she was thinking hard about something.

"Potter, stop."

Kendra paused in the hallway but didn't turn around.  She knew whose voice it was.

"What now, Talionis?" she asked, "I'm not in the mood to talk to you."

"You're even more subdued than usual." Talionis walked towards her, "What's wrong with you?"

Good God, this kid is annoying.  Let me blast him with electricity!

"Shut up." Kendra murmured quietly.  Talionis jerked back, a bit stunned.

"What did you say to me?" he shouted.  He did not see Kendra's eyes turn instantly to lightning blue and the devilish grin on her face.

"I said to shut up." she said, "What do you think I said, you disgusting Mudblood?"

"WHAT?!" Talionis screamed at the top of his lungs.

"I know what you are." she said in a slow, taunting voice, "I can smell it from here.  The disgusting smell of human blood mixed with yours is very strong."

"How dare you!" Talionis shouted, drawing his new wand in his uninjured left hand.  Kendra looked over her shoulder with a grin, her eyes closed, waving a little bit.  Then she ran the rest of the hall faster than Talionis could react and vanished around a corner.  Talionis glared after her, his red eyes angry.

Kendra stopped at the marble staircase in the entrance hall and sank down on a step.  She drew deep shaking breaths and clutched at her temples.  Her eyes were blue and green again.  Kendra was in control again.

You stupid brat!  I could have gotten him to attack!

"What would that accomplish?" Kendra snarled into her hands, "You blasted elemental!  Don't try to do that again!"

"Kendra, who are you talking to?"  Kendra's head snapped up and she slowly turned around.  Seal stood behind her, looking a bit confused.

"Seal, I…I…" Kendra stuttered, her dual colored eyes widening, "I wasn't…"  Seal hopped down the five steps between them and grabbed Kendra's wrist, tugging her to her feet.  Soon they were up the stairs and walking down another hallway.  Kendra kept her head down, shaking badly.  Never had she seen Seal so serious before.

"Pepper Imp!" Seal suddenly said.  Kendra glanced up to see a very ugly gargoyle statue hop away from its place to reveal a door in the wall.  Seal opened the doorway and beckoned Kendra inside.  They were at the base of a stairway that was moving slowly upwards, and Seal tugged her onto the first step.

Up and up the two went, higher and higher still.  Kendra continued to keep her head down, shaking and frightened.

Now you're in trouble.  You'd better start praying, kid.

Kendra bit her lip and clenched her hands.  They had arrived at the top of the stairway, where another door stood in front of them.  Seal knocked a bit, and, to Kendra's pure horror, Dumbledore's voice answered, "Come in."  Seal opened the door, pushed Kendra inside, and closed the door again.

Kendra stared at the room.  It was huge, circular, with pictures of sleeping people all around the walls.  Old heads of the school.  A beautiful red, yellow, and orange bird sat on a perch, head slumped just a bit and its eyes closed in slumber.

"Hello, Kendra." Dumbledore murmured, sitting at his desk, "Please, sit down."  Feeling rather numb and having to ignore Plasma's taunting voice in her mind, Kendra walked to the chair opposite Dumbledore on the other side of his desk and sat.

"I have been looking for you." Dumbledore murmured, "But you have managed to elude Seal up until now.  Do you know why I've been seeking you?"

"To talk to me about something, right?" Kendra said in a soft, fearful voice.

"Yes." Dumbledore nodded, "I need to know what happened when you were pulled through that mirror."

"I saw Anton." she replied after a moment's pause, "I found out Rima's a shapeshifter, and she and Virgil nearly died."

"Yes, they told me." he nodded, "But what happened to you?"

Kendra's hands tightened on her knees and she stared at the scars on her hands.  The fingerless gloves from a year ago were gone; she disliked them now and didn't wear them anymore.

"What happened?" he tried again gently.

"There was a stone." Kendra said, her voice shaking now, "The Lightning Stone.  It's in me now."

Dumbledore let out a deep sigh and stood, walking to the window.  He looked out to the storm and turned back around.

"Your mother and father, before they died, came into possession of the mirror." he murmured, "They went through it and discovered the Lightning Stone inside the castle.  They began to research the elementals, to see if they could summon them up against Anton and Voldemort.  Unfortunately, they died before learning what the Lightning Stone really was.  Tell me, Kendra, do you know?"

Kendra had gone completely silent.  A devilish grin spread on her face, and her eyes turned blue again.

"Very simple, old fool." Plasma's voice emerged, "The Lightning Stone was the thing that contained me until this little fool took hold of it!"  Dumbledore's expression did not change.  He simply looked into Plasma's blue eyes.

"I am not in total control of this body yet, as you can see by my diminished height and stature." Plasma waved a hand at Kendra's body nonchalantly, "But when I am, I will find the other Stones of the Elements, and destroy them—"

The body lurched forwards and clutched at its temples.  Its eyes were blue and green; Kendra had taken control again.

"Plasma's possessed me." she said, her voice breaking, "I can't control her at all!"

"Then perhaps, you should both search for a compromise."  Kendra looked up at the elderly headmaster.  His back was to her again and he was looking to the storm.

"I cannot keep the elemental inside you under control." he said in a soft voice, "Thus far, the only reason it has not overtaken you completely is because you won't allow it.  It all depends on whether or not you give up and let it win."

The room was silent, save the sheets of rain and the rolling thunder.  Kendra stared at her knees again, trying to think at all.

"The Quidditch final is tomorrow, isn't it?" Dumbledore suddenly sounded rather cheerful, "What an interesting game that will be.  You may go, Kendra."

Kendra stood up and started for the door.  She paused when Dumbledore said, "Good luck."

"You're all right then?"

Kendra blinked and looked up to Raven.  The team captain was looking unusually awake and alert, seemingly nervous of the match.

"Yes." Kendra nodded in reply, "I'm not worried about a bit of rain and thunder."

Oh yes you are.  I can feel your heart pounding much faster.  You don't want to lose, do you?

Kendra didn't reply and watched Raven and Thomas Neil of Ravenclaw shake hands.

Answer me!

"Shut up." Kendra murmured as the whistle was blown, and the match began.

All at once, the storm seemed to worsen on an exponential scale.  Umbrellas and awnings in the crowd were whipped away in the wind and the rain poured down as though from a waterfall in the sky.

Kendra crouched low on the broom, keeping the wind moving over her and not blowing her clear off.

"What are you doing?" she questioned as a Bludger flew underneath her.

I'm trying to blow you off your broom.  What's it seem like?

"If I die, then so do you!"

Elementals don't die.  You might die.  I don't really know what'll happen to your mind.  However, I will be in complete control of your body.

"You stupid elemental!" Kendra dodged another player as she searched for the Snitch, "I'll finish this match before you have the chance!"

Go ahead and try.

The storm grew even worse than before.  Every other sound than the wind was muted in its power, and the rain grew to such a peak, that Kendra couldn't see her feet beneath her.

"Plasma, I'm not trying to control you!" Kendra shouted to hear herself, "I didn't want your power and I don't want it now!  If you want to have a body, possess someone else!"

But it was Plasma who was being silent now.  The storm continued to worsen with the rage in Plasma's side of the two minds.  Kendra had stopped moving, crouching on the broomstick and shielding her eyes from hail that was raining down now.

"Plasma, I'm serious!" Kendra said, "I didn't mean to trap you in my mind!  I'll let you go the first chance you shout at me!  Stop this, or everyone here will be hurt!"

And you think I care?

"I don't!  Just stop!"

No.

Kendra opened her mouth, but closed it again.  Illuminated by a flash of lightning, gold glinted just below her.  The Snitch was right beneath her.  In a second, she made a choice on what to do.

"If you're serious about not being able to die, then I'll fight for my body till the very end after I wake up!" she yelled.  She kicked the broom down with her foot and leapt off.

You stupid human!

Kendra fell closer and closer to the Snitch, her arms outstretched.  Her fingers closed around the gold ball…

DIE!

In the second her hands grasped the Snitch, lightning struck again.  It hit the Snitch and everything felt like cold fire.  Plasma was laughing loudly, and when the lightning was done, Kendra was blown backwards through the air.

Vaguely, she felt hitting the ground and feeling the rain stop almost instantly.  She saw, blurred, steam floating off her skin and the sun peeking out from behind the clouds.  She gripped the Snitch even harder and smiled a bit.

"Plasma, I'm not dead yet." she said in a scratchy voice.  No reply.  Kendra laughed, coughed a bit, and looked up at the bluing sky.

"That felt weird." she murmured, "I bet you're pretty mad, right?  Anyway, have fun for the few minutes I let you have my body when we wake up."

People were streaming onto the field; the teams and Professor Weasley were rushing towards her.  Someone yelled that Kendra had the Snitch—Gryffindor had won.

"That's great." Kendra whispered.  Then her eyes closed and her head lolled to one side.  She was smiling.

"Stupid bloody kid.  Stupid, stupid kid."

Kendra's eyes opened and she was sitting beneath the red pulsing sky of Shadeaux.

"Am I dreaming?" she wondered, "Or am I here?"

"It's a mindscape." Plasma's voice sighed from beside her.  Kendra whipped around to look at Plasma.  Plasma looked as tired and worn out as Kendra felt.  She wore a black long-sleeved shirt and black jeans—completely different from before.

"What's a mindscape?" Kendra questioned.

"Ever hear of the place in your head?" Plasma muttered, looking up to the red sky, "Well, this is ours.  I'm talking to you now because we're both unconscious.  Stupid kid."  She smacked Kendra in the back of the head swiftly.

"What was that for?" Kendra sat up straight and rubbed her head.

"When I hit you with that lightning, we both were knocked out!" Plasma snapped in reply, "Stupid kid!"

"And whose bloody fault is that?" Kendra shouted angrily, "You're the one who tried to kill me with that lightning!"  The two glared at each other, and then looked away.

"Let's call a temporary truce, all right?" Plasma muttered ruefully, "I'm not in much of a mood to burn my new body to a crisp."

"It's my body." Kendra said in a peeved voice, "But fine.  And this means you don't try to kill me or try to take my body over."  They turned to face each other, and Plasma grinned an impish grin.

"A truce with a possessed soul, I believe, gives me the ability to cast my astral form." she snickered, "So if you're bothering me, I can leave for a while."

She let out a laugh and pushed Kendra to the side towards the fountain.  Kendra, in turn, grabbed Plasma's sleeve and tugged her with her.  Both landed in the water with a splash.  Plasma raised a fist, but Kendra held out a hand.

"Truce, remember?" the Potter girl smiled slightly.  Plasma blinked at her, but put her fist down and shook Kendra's hand.

"Truce."

Kendra's eyes snapped open and she sat up quickly.  She had to remember that this was the waking world now, not her mindscape.  She was also in the hospital wing.

"Why am I here?" she asked aloud immediately, but for no reason.

"Kendra, you were hit by lightning." Virgil's voice said.  Kendra jerked her head up to look around; the Gryffindor team, Rima, and Virgil were standing around the bed and completely soaked.

"Oh, right." Kendra blinked, "I forgot about that."

In the name of Deus, would you stop?  Don't scare the silly humans.

"Well, I'm all right now." Kendra smiled and laughed, "And we won the Quidditch Cup.  Don't look like I'm dead!"  At that, the Gryffindor team remembered the win and let out a cheer.  Drawn by the loud cheering, Madam Pomfrey came down to the large group of people.  She ordered the team out to 'let Kendra get some rest', but let Virgil and Rima stay.

"Well, I'd have to say that was a pretty odd match." Kendra said sheepishly, "I probably shouldn't have jumped off my broom like that."  Virgil and Rima made no response, looking at her with a wary stare.

"What?" Kendra questioned, "Is my hair standing on end or something?"

"Yes." both of her friends said in unison.  Kendra blinked in shock.  Rima held up her hand, which turned into a form of a mirror.  Kendra blinked again as she saw her reflection and poked at her hair.  It lay flat on her head for just a second, but sprang back up immediately and let out a short blue spark.  It had turned white with blue tips, standing up with static electricity.

"Well isn't that odd?" Kendra laughed.  Rima and Virgil just stared at her for a moment, and then started to laugh too.  It seemed too funny to them to ask why it was changed.

"I guess we'll see you September first then."

The Hogwarts Express was due to leave.  Everything was packed and loaded onto the train and the students were clambering on.

"How about you come over some time during the break?" Virgil questioned, "Both of you."

"Certainly." Rima nodded with a smirk.

"Sure!" Kendra winked and gave him a thumbs-up, "Why not?"  The whistle sounded on the train and the students were almost all on.  Rima and Virgil climbed in and hung out the door a minute.

"I'll send you an owl!" Virgil grinned.  From his head, Tac let out a meow and waved a paw—literally.

"Tac does that sometimes." Virgil laughed at Kendra's dropped jaw, "See you over the summer."  The train started to pull away and Virgil and Rima waved goodbye.

Kendra waved goodbye as well, her dual-colored eyes glinting in the summer light.  As the train rounded the bend and vanished, Kendra turned around and headed back up towards the castle.

"Well, this is the most interesting place I've ever been in my life." she murmured softly.

Believe me, kid, it'll only get more interesting.  Kendra smirked a bit and looked up to the blue sky.

It would get very interesting indeed.

—End Year One: To Be Continued Next Year—