FLIGHT OF THE SPIRITLESS
by. Clever Fox
Disclaimer: Copyright infringement unintended. Any familiar characters and background are property of J.K. Rowling. Original content belongs to me.
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Chapter One :: Stuck at Hogwarts
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Blood stained her robes once again that day.
As Nova Hedwig Weill staggered back to the Ravenclaw common room, she discovered that she was leaving a trail of scarlet blood down the corridors.
"Now, this just will not do!" she winced as she spoke, but nevertheless cleaned the corridor spick and span with a simple flick of her wand. However, as if in spite, she found herself coughing out another painful mouthful of blood; much of which ended up on the floor.
"Oh, bloody hell... if anyone were to find out, that would certainly be the end of woeful little me..." Nova spoke to herself dryly, then cleared the corridor once more. The pains in her back and side were beginning to become unbearable, and she collapsed a few times before making her way to the entrance of Ravenclaw house.
There stood a grand bookcase, furnished with silk coverings, and marble handles. The books were all great, thick volumes dating back from centuries ago. But Nova wasn't in a situation wherein she could appreciate the wonders these books held. She muttered the password ("furvus intono!"), and the bookcase quickly slid aside to let her through. Perhaps it's agility was due to pity, but then again, did bookcases really feel such emotions?
Nova almost groaned aloud as she was met by the looming stone ladder which led up to the Ravenclaw common room. "And how on earth am I supposed to climb a blasted ladder in my state? I shall most definitely be filing a complaint to the head of Ravenclaw house once I'm feeling a bit better..."
But most fortunately, the entrance door to the common room had been left slightly ajar by it's last visitor, so she was able to call out for help. "Is anyone up there? I'd like some help here, if you wouldn't mind so..." she called out in a feeble voice. Her cry of distress was immediately followed by the sound of hurried footsteps approaching.
A plump, raven-haired girl poked her head through the doorway, and gasped in surprise when she spotted her.
"Nova! What in Merlin happened to you? Is that blood covering your robes?" the girl made no move to help her injured friend, but instead badgered her with questions.
"Emilia, would it really be so much trouble for you to maybe help me up the ladder first? Or would you rather I spent the rest of the night here, bleeding to death?" Nova asked irritably, and the plump Ravenclaw's hand flew to her mouth.
"Yes, of course... Edward? Would you please come over here? I need some help bringing Nova up," Emilia called out to someone in the common room, whom Nova was unable to see from her spot.
A tall boy with blond hair immediately rushed to Emilia's side, and followed her gaze down to the blood-soaked Ravenclaw. "By Merlin! Are you alright?"
"Do I look alright to you?" Nova scowled. "Now stop gawking at me like I'm some animal on display, and help me up at once!"
The boy named Edward hopped down the ladder swiftly, and lifted her up. He then carefully balanced himself up the rungs and Emilia took a hold of her from there on. Nova was safely delivered to the comforting warmth of the common room, where she literally collapsed onto the Ravenclaw tapestry. The softness of the luxurious tapestry tickled her cheek, and lessened her pain, if only slightly.
"Now what are we to do with you, Nova? Honestly, you worry me half to death sometimes!" Emilia crinkled her face in concern, and began to bustle about in search of a towel and some bandages.
"You should take her to the Infirmary; she's in no state to be left without treatment!" Edward exclaimed worriedly, but Emilia only shook her head.
"No, you see, that's impossible. If the teachers discover the cause of her injuries, then Nova might just die..." she shook her head sadly, and the boy only looked at her in confusion.
"D- do you know any healing spells...?" Nova asked feebly, trying to hold her head up.
"I'm afraid I don't, sweetie... But I am skilled at dressing wounds; I didn't spend ten years living with Muggle doctors for nothing," Emilia said, smiling faintly, as she slowly poured hot water into a basin.
"Just don't let it hurt so much." Nova clamped her eyes shut, as Emilia approched her with a steaming towel.
"Well, I'll start off by cleaning the wound... There we go..."
"OWW!!"
"Sorry, but I can't clean the wound without hurting you at all... I'm trying my best to be gentle though, honest."
Emilia continued to clean and dress the wounds, while Nova yelped in pain, and Edward watched on in fascination. After the procedure had finally finished, Nova managed to stand up, clutching her now bandaged abdomen, and stagger off to the seventh year girls' dormitory. Emilia put the towels and basin back, then followed her friend.
"That will probably hurt through the night." Emilia pointed out, as she helped Nova climb into her four-poster bed.
"Thanks for reminding me." Nova replied dryly.
"Was it your uncle again?"
"Isn't it always?"
"Perhaps you should tell Headmaster Dippet," Emilia said in concern, but Nova only scoffed.
"And have my father killed? No, Emilia. My father's suffered enough; marrying my mother only to discover that she's a witch, and then being tormented by her evil brother? Poor man, he shouldn't have to endure worse because of me."
"Perhaps you can get your uncle sent to wizarding prison?" Emilia offered, hopefully.
"It's my word against a teacher's. Everyone would dismiss it as just another childish student's attempt at getting a teacher fired." Nova spoke bitterly, then turned over slowly, her back facing Emilia. "I'd like to get some rest now, if you don't mind."
"Good night, then. I hope you feel better tomorrow."
"Thank you. And good night."
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Nova opened an eye tiredly, and was momentarily blinded by the morning sunlight. Dazzlingly bright rays of sunlight streamed through the window, although the icy winter air hung below zero. Her dorm mates were already up, and bustling about the tiny room. Most of Hogwarts would be leaving for the holidays; Nova Weill not included.
Her best friend, Emilia Lewis had also decided to stay; she'd feel terrible leaving her injured friend alone. And so the two girls followed their dorm mates down to the Entrance Hall, and waved them off. It was most likely going to be very dull and uneventful on their own, and they would miss the other girls' company.
However, as they joined the teachers for breakfast, they realized that they weren't the only ones staying behind. Sitting at the Head table along with the teaching staff, sat two second years from Gryffindor, a tall Hufflepuff girl, and Tom Riddle from Slytherin, who was also Head Boy.
Nova was supported by Emilia as she tried to slip into a seat without cringing from pain. She could feel her uncle's icy stare, but she didn't dare meet his eyes. A few of the teachers greeted them, and the Hufflepuff girl nodded politely. Emilia reacted with her usual cheerfulness, and was conversing animatedly with the others in no time. Meanwhile, Nova sat silently; she was afraid she might groan with pain if she opened her mouth.
Although she wished to be left alone, Nova also felt a little glum that no one but Emilia had even tried to strike up a conversation with her. Then again, perhaps I don't look very compatible... Nova thought to herself, as she chewed slowly on a buttered bun.
"Say, Tom, how about going into the Auror profession once you're out of Hogwarts? It may be a dangerous career all right, but I think that a lad of your talent could do wonders in that area," Headmaster Dippet turned and said to Tom. Nova lifted her head slightly to see the reaction on the boy's face.
"Why, thank you for the compliment, Professor. But I hear it's extremely hard to become an Auror; perhaps I'll consider it if my N.E.W.Ts come out alright," Tom replied politely, and several teachers smiled, as if to hear their favourite son being praised.
Nova's face twisted into a sour expression. She had heard about the famous Head Boy often. Smart, charming, handsome and brave; talented in everything he tried. It made people like her become reduced to nothing; after all, who would praise a silly girl like her, when there were far more brilliant students like Tom Riddle? In fact, Nova had always been praised for her cleverness -probably the reason of her being put in Ravenclaw- but in her fifth year, Tom Riddle had received better O.W.Ls than her. If a Slytherin with numerous talents could easily beat Nova's most prized skill, then didn't that make her absolutely worthless?
She narrowed her eyes at him, jealously, and he noticed. But Nova made no move to look away. Instead, she gave him a look full of contempt which he returned with a curious stare.
"Nova..." Emilia spoke under her breath, and nudged her elbow. "Are you deaf? The headmaster's speaking to you!"
Nova looked up with a start, and indeed, Headmaster Dippet was looked at her worriedly. "Is something the matter, Miss Weill?"
"No, Professor. I- I was just distracted, sir. My apologies," Nova stuttered, and the headmaster nodded kindly.
"No need to apologize. I was just asking why you chose to stay at Hogwarts over the holidays."
"Oh. Well, my parents decided to do some traveling, and I thought I'd probably just get in the way if I went along." Nova smiled awkwardly, all the while clutching her side in pain. Everytime she spoke, it seemed, the pains returned.
"Ah, what a generous daughter you are," Dippet smiled kindly, and Nova suppressed a snort. "I hear that your parents reside in Germany, yes?"
"That's right, Professor. But my mother is actually from Wales, and my father is German. To tell the truth, he's a Muggle. My mother met him when he came to Britain as a tourist. They fell in love after that, and then moved to Germany, where I was born." Nova finished with what she figured looked like a polite smile. To her annoyment though, no one beamed at her like they had after Tom's speech. Although Headmaster Dippet did listen attentively, nodding in all the right places.
"Is it nice in Germany?" Emilia chimed in.
"I don't know. I guess it's okay," Nova replied, and felt extremely stupid after saying what she had.
"Are there many wizarding schools there?" The Hufflepuff girl also joined in the conversation, and Nova felt a bit baffled at all the attention.
"I think there are two. A very large one in Berlin, and a smaller one on the outskirts of Heidelberg." At this remark, the others nodded as if to absorb the piece of information. Then followed a moment of silence. Nova felt a little uncomfortable, as if she ought to be the one to think up a new conversation topic. But nothing came to mind, so she just slurped her vegetable soup loudly to break the silence. A few teachers looked at her disapprovingly, but no one voiced any complaints.
The rest of breakfast continued in silence, save a few teachers conversing quietly amongst themselves. After the plates were cleared, Emilia and Nova returned to the common room.
But the moment they stepped through the doorway (Nova being helped up), Emilia burst into a smile. "Isn't Tom Riddle absolutely charming?" Her eyes sparkled as she spoke to Nova.
"I suppose," Nova replied rather grumpily. She was really getting fed up with all the talk about 'perfect' Tom Riddle.
"He'll probably graduate with the highest marks in our year..." Nova frowned at Emilia's words. "After you, of course," Emilia hastily added.
"No, you're right. He probably will do better than me," Nova said with a sigh, as she sat down in an armchair. "What does that make us Ravenclaws then...?"
"Don't feel so glum; there's bound to be something wrong about him. After all, he is a Slytherin, and I've never once met a decent person from that house!" Emilia assured Nova, who only stared at the fire silently.
"Say, have your wounds healed a bit, now?" Emilia asked, and Nova slowly turned to face her.
"I'm feeling a bit better now, I suppose. It doesn't hurt as much, either."
"That's good."
"But who knows when my uncle might decide to torment me for making a little mistake, again. God, I hate that man." Nova's eyes burned angrily as she spoke.
"What was it this time?"
"He was angry because I apparently spend too much time playing Quidditch, and that's why my assignments were below par."
"But you're on the Quidditch team!" Emilia exclaimed in protest.
"I know. But it wouldn't be like my uncle to take things like that into account. He's just looking for a reason to torment me, and we both know it. Besides, he says that 'proper young witches' shouldn't be bothering with male activities like Quidditch." Nova finished, scowling.
"That's really unfair... have you tried talking to your mother about it?"
"As if she'd believe me. I mean, he's her older brother; she says she'd trust him with her life. People can be so blind sometimes."
Emilia gave her a sympathetic look. The two sat in silence, keeping each other company without saying a word. Nova kept staring at the crackling fire, imagining throwing her uncle into it. A bitter smile crept up the corners of her mouth. Emilia could tell that she was having bad thoughts again, and decided to cheer her up.
"Say, why don't we go outside and play in the snow? There ought to be plenty of it after the flurry yesterday," Emilia suggested brightly.
"We're seventeen, for Merlin's sake. Aren't we a bit too old for that type of stuff?" Nova asked, though she was grinning.
"No one is too old to play in the snow! Now, quit acting superior, and fetch your winter robes!" And with that, Emilia dashed up to the dorms. Nova smiled reluctantly, then followed her.
The snow crunched under their feet as they ran outside. The grounds of Hogwarts were covered with a thick blanket of fresh snow, and footprints were yet to be made on it. The two girls made their way to the lake, which had partly frozen over. On the far end of it was a large hole made through the ice. "Probably the giant squid," Emilia observed.
She bent down to check if the ice was strong enough, but Nova immediately slid onto it recklessly. It was rather slippery though, and she ended up falling on her behind. Emilia chortled with laughter, but helped her friend up, immediately.
They held hands, and ventured further across the lake, only for Nova to slip again, this time bringing Emilia down with her. They collapsed in a fit of giggles and painful groans, grasping for something to hold on to.
"Need any help, there?" A deep voice inquired behind them.
The two girls spun around (which wasn't so hard, due to the slipperiness of the ice), and faced the stranger. But the voice belonged to no stranger. It was, in fact, a warmly bundled Tom Riddle.
"We could use a little help if you don't mind," Emilia replied shyly, and Nova shot her a look of disgust.
He kneeled over, and held his hand out to the girls. Nova refused to take it, so Emilia offered her dainty gloved hand to him, first. He hoisted her up, and she gave him a small curtsey in thanks.
"Just give me your hand, then. I don't bite," Tom said to Nova, smiling. But she just shook her head indignantly.
"Thank you for offering, but I don't need your help. Now, why don't you go off to wherever you meant to in the first place." Nova turned away from him, and attempted to pull herself up. But as she bent her waist, the pains returned, and she collapsed onto the ice, grimacing.
"Are you alright?" Tom looked concerned, and this time, he grabbed onto Nova's arms without asking. He quickly pulled her up, as Emilia watched worriedly.
"Get your hands off me!" Nova exclaimed even through the pain. He quickly stepped back.
"So sorry if I offended you, but I just can't pass by someone in need of help." Tom bowed at the waist, and gave her a charming smile before he headed back to the castle.
Nova was seething with anger as she watched him walk away. Emilia just smiled broadly at her friend.
"Wasn't he charming, Nova? You're so lucky; I wish he would have smiled at me like that!"
"Charming? Ha! I'm sick of seeing him act the part of Mr. Perfect... Am I really the only one who finds that act of his to be terribly irritating?" Nova grumbled, as Emilia raised her eyebrows.
"Irritating? I don't see what's so irritating about Tom Riddle? I mean, admit it; he was really nice to you. You should be grateful."
"Grateful? Never! What kind of friend are you to even suggest such a thing...!"
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::To be continued in Chapter Two::
Author's Note: I'm not really sure whether I should continue this or not; perhaps the plot is a bit too farfetched? Well, if I do continue (which I think I probably will), then I assure you that the story will get much more exciting in future chapters. (I've already planned out the plot so I know^^) And one more thing: Tom Riddle will not become good in this fic.
