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~~Chapter Elven: The Day Before~~
The 29th of October dawned gray and misty. It was the day before the delegations from the other schools arrived, and the entire school was abuzz with rumors and excitement. Kevin's interest was piqued, but he had other things on his mind that day. Not Evelyn; he had given up trying to get her to talk to him again. Not the book, either; he had also given up trying to get it to open. No, the 29th of October was the first anniversary of death. Death itself, as Kevin saw it.
He hadn't even remembered the exact day, when it had happened. He had heard it, later, but the date wasn't something he had tried to remember. But when he had woken that morning, light rain drizzling outside and a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach, he remembered.
For some reason, it sickened him that he had taken a dose of the potion the night before. He was at war with himself: one side said that he wasn't honoring the memories of his friends; he was trying to forget them completely, and the other stubbornly persisted that there was no reason to remember, and especially no reason not to take the potion. But guilt about forgetting his friends had risen anew, stronger then ever, on the anniversary of their death.
He ate breakfast in a kind of haze, still arguing with himself, already exhausted in his mind. The misty sky that the enchanted ceiling imitated seemed to reflect his thoughts, confused and hazy.
Divination was his first class. It wouldn't be hard, he figured, to sit down and wait it out. His thoughts stopped whirling after a few minutes of sitting, listing to, or rather ignoring, Professor Trelawney's monotonous speech on palmistry. His thoughts wandered. The mist seemed to be seeping into the room from outside, filling it up, muffling out sounds, slowing thoughts...
-Hello again, Kevin.-
The same place, the same rock drifting in the mists. His mirror stood on the opposite side, staring back at him as always. At a few places, the rock was crumbling away, eroding as Kevin watched.
-I should have guessed,- Kevin spat at him bitterly, speaking in his mind. -What better time for you to torment me.-
-I'm not going over that again.- There was a pause. Then... -You missed something.-
-What do you mean?-
-You missed a chance. There are few people, Kevin, who have the power and the will to help you. You've already found one or two. Seize the chance.- His mirror raised his hand and clutched it into a fist to emphasize his point.
-I don't know what you're talking about.- Kevin looked off into the mists groggily, vaguely wondering if he had the willpower, in this strange place, to jump off into the swirling black clouds.
-You should. You're too shielded, Kevin. How will you ever find help if you shut everyone out?-
It did seem tempting. It probably wouldn't be painful in this dreamworld, and it would end the nightmare.
-LISTEN TO ME!-
The voice began with a deafeningly loud noise, blasting into his mind, and then slowly faded. Kevin, shocked, stepped back. -Yes... yes, I'm listening...-
-About time. Now, remember what I'm saying. You're in danger. From more then one enemy. You face two nemesis-- one will attack your mind, and one your physical self. One is your true enemy, and the other does not yet regard you as a foe. Beware them both.-
-Why can't you stop speaking in riddles?- Kevin asked angrily. -Just tell me what you mean, straight out!-
-I only know what you know, Kevin. Your thoughts, your memories, and everything you once knew and have now forgotten. Every instinct and insight, emotion and sense. That, and nothing more.- The final sentence was tinged with sarcasm.
-More riddles, damn you.-
-It's surprisingly hard to make aware to a person what he already knows.- There was more then a touch of sarcasm to that.
Kevin tried to calm himself. -Fine, then. What did you mean... about a chance? Can't you be even slightly more explanatory?-
-Evelyn.- His mirror called. -You need her. She is a means to an end, the end of your own nightmare. Don't let her go. Remember.- The other him raised his hand...
He was falling...
"Rashall? RASHALL!"
Kevin started, opening his eyes and jumping up. Trelawney was standing, frowning, in front of him. "Did you hear a word I said?"
"Uh... no." His mind was clear, now. Everything around him was clearly perceivable-- in contrast with his former grogginess, he suddenly felt perfectly alert.
Trelawney was staring daggers at him. "Ten points," She said sternly, "From Ravenclaw. For foolish behavior in class."
Biting his lip, Kevin looked back down at his notes, and continued copying what Professor Trelawney was telling the class.
After dinner that night, Lyra pulled up a chair to watch Stewart and Kevin play another game of chess. Kevin was on white for the first time; he figured a change might help him win, for once. If either of them noticed his unusually good mood, they didn't comment.
Kevin began losing the game after the sixth move. Well, perhaps he had been losing from the start, but he hadn't noticed until then. Stewart finished the last of his pieces off quickly, sending his queen on a rampage inside his inner defenses. Kevin made yet another mental note about chess; you had to make your defenses work both ways. Easier said then done, he thought to himself, and Stewart finally checkmated Kevin's king with his queen and remaining bishop.
"Er... guys?" Lyra asked.
"What?" Stewart and Kevin both asked, turning.
"It's a bit stupid, but I've never played chess, and it looks interesting..."
"Oh." Stewart sighed. "Well, I've got loads of studying to do for that Transfiguration test, but do you a few free minutes, Kevin?"
Kevin shrugged, smiling. "All my homework is done... sure, I'd love to." He turned to the chess pieces, which were halfway through the process of flipping the chess board so they could fold it up and put it away. "Guys... er, back on the board."
The White troops were very glad at another chance of victory, and the King began yelling heartening words to his troops as they marched into place. Stewart moved off to the other side of the common room to read up for the test, and Lyra sat down in the wicker chair, surveying her pieces with a look of interest on her face.
Kevin began explaining the game to Lyra. "What you want to do is checkmate the enemy king. You can't capture him, but you need to make it so that no matter what he does, including staying on the same spot, he's in threat of being captured. Now..."
Krysten spotted them and pulled up a chair. She was carrying a large scroll, a quill, and a bottle of ink. "Chess is fun," She commented, "But I'm awful at it... I spend forever making my moves and they turn out to be bad ones anyways." She sighed and went back to writing.
"What're you working on?" Kevin asked absentmindedly as he showed Lyra the way the knight could move.
Krysten sighed. "Some Potions report... pretty easy stuff, really; I'm half copying from this book." She laughed. "Snape'll never notice."
"I finished mine yesterday," Lyra added. "What's that you're copying from... oh, dear, I copied from that one too. Well, I do hope he won't notice. He'll think one of us is copying the other." She sighed. "Not as bad as McGonagall's Transfiguration test, though... and so early, too."
Kevin nodded. "She's making sure we've been listening all month-- Oh my, no, the king can only move one space in any direction!"
Krysten finally capped her ink jar and began rolling her scroll up, just as Kevin and Lyra began a practice chess match. "That's done," she said. "I think that's all I had for today... good, maybe I can get a bit of rest."
"G'night!" Kevin called after her, grimacing as Lyra's pawn decapitated his. The battle had begun, and all the pieces on the board knew it; as the body of Kevin's pawn, carrying it's severed head, walked off the board, all the other moved into battle positions.
"Oi! You!" Called Lyra's remaining rook a half hour later. "Move me down two spaces, and he won't stand a chance..."
-Oh, darn,- Kevin thought. -WHY did I follow that knight's advice in the early game? Stupid thing ruined me...-
That it had. Kevin found himself laughing as he finally resigned at the loss of his last capital piece. Lyra raised her eyebrows quizzically.
"It's just... sorry." Kevin cleared his throat. "You're a natural. I can't believe you beat me on your first game... good job."
Lyra blushed. "It was just the pieces ordering me around, not the other way. Besides, it was that knight's bad advice that made you start losing..." She pointed to the culprit, who appeared to be trying to sink like a turtle into his armor under Kevin's steely glare.
"You noticed too, huh... well, remind me to play black next time."
The moon was very clear that night. Kevin didn't feel a bit tired, as usual, but stayed up in the dormitory instead of roaming the school; unusually. The last thing he needed was to get in trouble the night before the delegations from the other schools arrived. He contented himself with staring out at the moon, watching as it moved sluggishly across the sky. It fascinated him.
It was half past one when Kevin heard something on the stairs leading down from the dormitories. He didn't turn around immediately, still watching the moon. The person behind him spoke first.
"What are you doing down here this late?" Kevin turned. It was a girl he didn't know, who looked like a forth or fifth year. She was dressed in a thick blue nightdress, watching Kevin with a look of confusion.
"Oh, I was just staying up a bit late... studying." He grabbed a book from the pile Stewart had been studying from and held it up for her to see.
The girl shrugged. "Couldn't sleep, that's all. Normally nobody is down here this time of night." She blinked once, and then added, "At least, I thought so."
Kevin smiled. "I just stayed down a bit late tonight."
The girl sighed. "Yeah... hey, I think I know you. You're one of the new Ravenclaws--" She frowned at that. "You look older, though."
"Nope, I'm a first year." He held out his hand. "Kevin Rashall. Nice to meet you."
"Right-- Rashall." The girl shook his hand, smiling back. "Cho Chang. We don't get as many new students in Ravenclaw as some of the other houses, I should have met you already. My fault." She shrugged guiltily.
Kevin wasn't sure what to say after that. She didn't seem to either. After a few seconds, he said "I don't want to be more tired then I already will be for tomorrow, so I better get to bed." Kevin waved; Cho Chang didn't seem to see, already staring out the window he had been looking out of a moment before. Kevin shrugged to himself and ran up the stairs to the boy's dormitories.
Once there, he walked over to the bed and picked up the bottle containing the potion Dumbledore had given him, uncapping it and placing a glass on the nightstand. But when the first drop hit the bottom of the glass, he began to argue with himself--
-Why take it tonight? Haven't you resigned yourself to going through with what your... mirror... has been trying to get you to?-
-Just this last night. I can't have nightmares just before the big day tomorrow.-
-What'll your excuse be tomorrow night?-
-If you can't give me a sensible rebuttal, then shut up.-
The second drop hit the bottom of the glass.
-Okay then, how about this. He may have something important to say-- tonight.-
Side one thought for a few seconds before replying. -I just talked to him today. He won't.-
-In that case,- Side two shot back triumphantly, -He won't give you any memories tonight. He'll only show you what he needs to, remember?-
The third drop splashed onto the glass, as side one continued--
-I don't think-- - But his thoughts were broken off--
The raven cut on his arm began to throb--
The potion bottle dropped to the floor--
Kevin stifled a yell, grasping his left arm. Pain was radiating from the raven-shaped wound on his upper arm, flowing out in waves. The shattered pieces of the potion bottle lay on the floor at his feet. It hadn't hurt like this since he had been talking to Lyra that night a while back...
The pain was growing stronger. It felt like his arm was being immersed in searing flames, in boiling water... and then it stopped.
Gasping for breath, Kevin pulled his shirt off and turned his arm so he could see it. The wound was faintly glowing, although the light was fading. All signs of healing were gone-- it looked fresh. Or did it?
On closer inspection, he noticed that it was no longer an open wound, just a red line across his skin, like an old scar-- the red glow was completely gone now. It stood out like a crude tattoo on his arm.
-What's happening?- Kevin thought, his mind racing. -He said it was just 'a reminder'... why this?-
He knew the only answers he would get would be in sleep.
A/N:
This chapter 'flowed' considerably more. However, with the approaching release of the second LoTR movie, and with the next Wheel of Time book drawing nearer, I'm getting drawn into those worlds and out of the Harry Potter one. I'm sure I'll speed up again after I see LoTR :-).
Last Boy on Earth-- thank you for pointing out my weak spots; so few people take the time to do that... anyways, I don't know why I didn't realize that embarrassing mistake before, but thanks again for pointing that out especially ;). It makes me want to go 'polish up' the whole story before continuing... but that would be folly.
Additional thanks to everyone who has reviewed! I wouldn't have continued writing if not for you. I don't write to get reviews, but reviews certainly help me write, especially ones which point out both the good and bad.
~~Chapter Elven: The Day Before~~
The 29th of October dawned gray and misty. It was the day before the delegations from the other schools arrived, and the entire school was abuzz with rumors and excitement. Kevin's interest was piqued, but he had other things on his mind that day. Not Evelyn; he had given up trying to get her to talk to him again. Not the book, either; he had also given up trying to get it to open. No, the 29th of October was the first anniversary of death. Death itself, as Kevin saw it.
He hadn't even remembered the exact day, when it had happened. He had heard it, later, but the date wasn't something he had tried to remember. But when he had woken that morning, light rain drizzling outside and a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach, he remembered.
For some reason, it sickened him that he had taken a dose of the potion the night before. He was at war with himself: one side said that he wasn't honoring the memories of his friends; he was trying to forget them completely, and the other stubbornly persisted that there was no reason to remember, and especially no reason not to take the potion. But guilt about forgetting his friends had risen anew, stronger then ever, on the anniversary of their death.
He ate breakfast in a kind of haze, still arguing with himself, already exhausted in his mind. The misty sky that the enchanted ceiling imitated seemed to reflect his thoughts, confused and hazy.
Divination was his first class. It wouldn't be hard, he figured, to sit down and wait it out. His thoughts stopped whirling after a few minutes of sitting, listing to, or rather ignoring, Professor Trelawney's monotonous speech on palmistry. His thoughts wandered. The mist seemed to be seeping into the room from outside, filling it up, muffling out sounds, slowing thoughts...
-Hello again, Kevin.-
The same place, the same rock drifting in the mists. His mirror stood on the opposite side, staring back at him as always. At a few places, the rock was crumbling away, eroding as Kevin watched.
-I should have guessed,- Kevin spat at him bitterly, speaking in his mind. -What better time for you to torment me.-
-I'm not going over that again.- There was a pause. Then... -You missed something.-
-What do you mean?-
-You missed a chance. There are few people, Kevin, who have the power and the will to help you. You've already found one or two. Seize the chance.- His mirror raised his hand and clutched it into a fist to emphasize his point.
-I don't know what you're talking about.- Kevin looked off into the mists groggily, vaguely wondering if he had the willpower, in this strange place, to jump off into the swirling black clouds.
-You should. You're too shielded, Kevin. How will you ever find help if you shut everyone out?-
It did seem tempting. It probably wouldn't be painful in this dreamworld, and it would end the nightmare.
-LISTEN TO ME!-
The voice began with a deafeningly loud noise, blasting into his mind, and then slowly faded. Kevin, shocked, stepped back. -Yes... yes, I'm listening...-
-About time. Now, remember what I'm saying. You're in danger. From more then one enemy. You face two nemesis-- one will attack your mind, and one your physical self. One is your true enemy, and the other does not yet regard you as a foe. Beware them both.-
-Why can't you stop speaking in riddles?- Kevin asked angrily. -Just tell me what you mean, straight out!-
-I only know what you know, Kevin. Your thoughts, your memories, and everything you once knew and have now forgotten. Every instinct and insight, emotion and sense. That, and nothing more.- The final sentence was tinged with sarcasm.
-More riddles, damn you.-
-It's surprisingly hard to make aware to a person what he already knows.- There was more then a touch of sarcasm to that.
Kevin tried to calm himself. -Fine, then. What did you mean... about a chance? Can't you be even slightly more explanatory?-
-Evelyn.- His mirror called. -You need her. She is a means to an end, the end of your own nightmare. Don't let her go. Remember.- The other him raised his hand...
He was falling...
"Rashall? RASHALL!"
Kevin started, opening his eyes and jumping up. Trelawney was standing, frowning, in front of him. "Did you hear a word I said?"
"Uh... no." His mind was clear, now. Everything around him was clearly perceivable-- in contrast with his former grogginess, he suddenly felt perfectly alert.
Trelawney was staring daggers at him. "Ten points," She said sternly, "From Ravenclaw. For foolish behavior in class."
Biting his lip, Kevin looked back down at his notes, and continued copying what Professor Trelawney was telling the class.
After dinner that night, Lyra pulled up a chair to watch Stewart and Kevin play another game of chess. Kevin was on white for the first time; he figured a change might help him win, for once. If either of them noticed his unusually good mood, they didn't comment.
Kevin began losing the game after the sixth move. Well, perhaps he had been losing from the start, but he hadn't noticed until then. Stewart finished the last of his pieces off quickly, sending his queen on a rampage inside his inner defenses. Kevin made yet another mental note about chess; you had to make your defenses work both ways. Easier said then done, he thought to himself, and Stewart finally checkmated Kevin's king with his queen and remaining bishop.
"Er... guys?" Lyra asked.
"What?" Stewart and Kevin both asked, turning.
"It's a bit stupid, but I've never played chess, and it looks interesting..."
"Oh." Stewart sighed. "Well, I've got loads of studying to do for that Transfiguration test, but do you a few free minutes, Kevin?"
Kevin shrugged, smiling. "All my homework is done... sure, I'd love to." He turned to the chess pieces, which were halfway through the process of flipping the chess board so they could fold it up and put it away. "Guys... er, back on the board."
The White troops were very glad at another chance of victory, and the King began yelling heartening words to his troops as they marched into place. Stewart moved off to the other side of the common room to read up for the test, and Lyra sat down in the wicker chair, surveying her pieces with a look of interest on her face.
Kevin began explaining the game to Lyra. "What you want to do is checkmate the enemy king. You can't capture him, but you need to make it so that no matter what he does, including staying on the same spot, he's in threat of being captured. Now..."
Krysten spotted them and pulled up a chair. She was carrying a large scroll, a quill, and a bottle of ink. "Chess is fun," She commented, "But I'm awful at it... I spend forever making my moves and they turn out to be bad ones anyways." She sighed and went back to writing.
"What're you working on?" Kevin asked absentmindedly as he showed Lyra the way the knight could move.
Krysten sighed. "Some Potions report... pretty easy stuff, really; I'm half copying from this book." She laughed. "Snape'll never notice."
"I finished mine yesterday," Lyra added. "What's that you're copying from... oh, dear, I copied from that one too. Well, I do hope he won't notice. He'll think one of us is copying the other." She sighed. "Not as bad as McGonagall's Transfiguration test, though... and so early, too."
Kevin nodded. "She's making sure we've been listening all month-- Oh my, no, the king can only move one space in any direction!"
Krysten finally capped her ink jar and began rolling her scroll up, just as Kevin and Lyra began a practice chess match. "That's done," she said. "I think that's all I had for today... good, maybe I can get a bit of rest."
"G'night!" Kevin called after her, grimacing as Lyra's pawn decapitated his. The battle had begun, and all the pieces on the board knew it; as the body of Kevin's pawn, carrying it's severed head, walked off the board, all the other moved into battle positions.
"Oi! You!" Called Lyra's remaining rook a half hour later. "Move me down two spaces, and he won't stand a chance..."
-Oh, darn,- Kevin thought. -WHY did I follow that knight's advice in the early game? Stupid thing ruined me...-
That it had. Kevin found himself laughing as he finally resigned at the loss of his last capital piece. Lyra raised her eyebrows quizzically.
"It's just... sorry." Kevin cleared his throat. "You're a natural. I can't believe you beat me on your first game... good job."
Lyra blushed. "It was just the pieces ordering me around, not the other way. Besides, it was that knight's bad advice that made you start losing..." She pointed to the culprit, who appeared to be trying to sink like a turtle into his armor under Kevin's steely glare.
"You noticed too, huh... well, remind me to play black next time."
The moon was very clear that night. Kevin didn't feel a bit tired, as usual, but stayed up in the dormitory instead of roaming the school; unusually. The last thing he needed was to get in trouble the night before the delegations from the other schools arrived. He contented himself with staring out at the moon, watching as it moved sluggishly across the sky. It fascinated him.
It was half past one when Kevin heard something on the stairs leading down from the dormitories. He didn't turn around immediately, still watching the moon. The person behind him spoke first.
"What are you doing down here this late?" Kevin turned. It was a girl he didn't know, who looked like a forth or fifth year. She was dressed in a thick blue nightdress, watching Kevin with a look of confusion.
"Oh, I was just staying up a bit late... studying." He grabbed a book from the pile Stewart had been studying from and held it up for her to see.
The girl shrugged. "Couldn't sleep, that's all. Normally nobody is down here this time of night." She blinked once, and then added, "At least, I thought so."
Kevin smiled. "I just stayed down a bit late tonight."
The girl sighed. "Yeah... hey, I think I know you. You're one of the new Ravenclaws--" She frowned at that. "You look older, though."
"Nope, I'm a first year." He held out his hand. "Kevin Rashall. Nice to meet you."
"Right-- Rashall." The girl shook his hand, smiling back. "Cho Chang. We don't get as many new students in Ravenclaw as some of the other houses, I should have met you already. My fault." She shrugged guiltily.
Kevin wasn't sure what to say after that. She didn't seem to either. After a few seconds, he said "I don't want to be more tired then I already will be for tomorrow, so I better get to bed." Kevin waved; Cho Chang didn't seem to see, already staring out the window he had been looking out of a moment before. Kevin shrugged to himself and ran up the stairs to the boy's dormitories.
Once there, he walked over to the bed and picked up the bottle containing the potion Dumbledore had given him, uncapping it and placing a glass on the nightstand. But when the first drop hit the bottom of the glass, he began to argue with himself--
-Why take it tonight? Haven't you resigned yourself to going through with what your... mirror... has been trying to get you to?-
-Just this last night. I can't have nightmares just before the big day tomorrow.-
-What'll your excuse be tomorrow night?-
-If you can't give me a sensible rebuttal, then shut up.-
The second drop hit the bottom of the glass.
-Okay then, how about this. He may have something important to say-- tonight.-
Side one thought for a few seconds before replying. -I just talked to him today. He won't.-
-In that case,- Side two shot back triumphantly, -He won't give you any memories tonight. He'll only show you what he needs to, remember?-
The third drop splashed onto the glass, as side one continued--
-I don't think-- - But his thoughts were broken off--
The raven cut on his arm began to throb--
The potion bottle dropped to the floor--
Kevin stifled a yell, grasping his left arm. Pain was radiating from the raven-shaped wound on his upper arm, flowing out in waves. The shattered pieces of the potion bottle lay on the floor at his feet. It hadn't hurt like this since he had been talking to Lyra that night a while back...
The pain was growing stronger. It felt like his arm was being immersed in searing flames, in boiling water... and then it stopped.
Gasping for breath, Kevin pulled his shirt off and turned his arm so he could see it. The wound was faintly glowing, although the light was fading. All signs of healing were gone-- it looked fresh. Or did it?
On closer inspection, he noticed that it was no longer an open wound, just a red line across his skin, like an old scar-- the red glow was completely gone now. It stood out like a crude tattoo on his arm.
-What's happening?- Kevin thought, his mind racing. -He said it was just 'a reminder'... why this?-
He knew the only answers he would get would be in sleep.
A/N:
This chapter 'flowed' considerably more. However, with the approaching release of the second LoTR movie, and with the next Wheel of Time book drawing nearer, I'm getting drawn into those worlds and out of the Harry Potter one. I'm sure I'll speed up again after I see LoTR :-).
Last Boy on Earth-- thank you for pointing out my weak spots; so few people take the time to do that... anyways, I don't know why I didn't realize that embarrassing mistake before, but thanks again for pointing that out especially ;). It makes me want to go 'polish up' the whole story before continuing... but that would be folly.
Additional thanks to everyone who has reviewed! I wouldn't have continued writing if not for you. I don't write to get reviews, but reviews certainly help me write, especially ones which point out both the good and bad.