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True Colors - Chapter Two - Dreams
Summer went by slowly for the first couple of weeks. I hadn't heard from Harry or Ron, so I decided to owl Harry.
"Dear Harry," I wrote. "How are you? I haven't heard from you all summer, so I decided to write. Have you heard from Ron? I hope he's alright; after that incident on the train I'm worried about him. Write me soon. With love, Hermione."
I sealed the letter, gave it to my owl, and watched her until she was out of sight. Then I climbed into bed and stared out the open window at the stars before closing my eyes and letting sleep take me over.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Arms extended, I was flying over the Hogwarts grounds. I soar around the many towers of the stone castle that is my school, peering into classrooms whose windows I pass. The classes are all devoid of students, with it being summer vacation. Slowly, I return my feet to the ground not far from the railroad down which the Hogwarts express will roars at the start of each new school year. I walk the short distance to the train tracks and keel beside them. I trace the cold metal with the back of my hand, surrounded by complete and utter silence.
Suddenly I feel the metal beams vibrate against my knuckles, subtly at first, but increasing dramatically with each passing second. I gaze down the track towards the source of the movement and see, as I expect, the Hogwarts Express speeding across the countryside.
I try to get up and out of the path of the train, but I can't move; it's as if all the muscles in my body have been suddenly removed. The locomotive draws closer and rounds the last turn; I am now facing the train head on. Then the strangest thing happens.
The front of the engine begins to change. The name of the train, painted in elegant white letters, fades away. In their place are two pink cheeks, splattered with freckles. The tip of the train morphs into a familiar nose, slightly flattened. The rest of the front of the train shifts into the face of a human, a face I recognize as that of Ron Weasley.
The train does not slow down. In fact, if anything, it is accelerating. Ron's face laughs a crazed, maniacal laugh; my blood runs cold.
But the most noticeable feature is the eyes. They are not the eyes of the Ron Weasley I have known for the past four years; they seem dark, crazy, even murderous.
Still unable to move, I brace myself, though I know it is futile, for the blow that will come any second. The train grows closer, traveling faster than I had ever seen the Hogwarts Express go.
'Here it comes,' I think to myself. 'Now is when I will die.' Ron's enormous face is inches from my own now, about to crush me much as one would crush a bug.
I sprang up in my bed, sweating profusely and breathing heavily. I looked down at myself and touch my arms, not believing I was alive; the dream had seemed so real. Out the window I could see the full moon, radiating brilliantly on the background of the clear, star-speckled night sky. I laid my head back down on my pillow, and stared at the ceiling a few minutes before slowly closing my eyes and drifting back to sleep.
True Colors - Chapter Two - Dreams
Summer went by slowly for the first couple of weeks. I hadn't heard from Harry or Ron, so I decided to owl Harry.
"Dear Harry," I wrote. "How are you? I haven't heard from you all summer, so I decided to write. Have you heard from Ron? I hope he's alright; after that incident on the train I'm worried about him. Write me soon. With love, Hermione."
I sealed the letter, gave it to my owl, and watched her until she was out of sight. Then I climbed into bed and stared out the open window at the stars before closing my eyes and letting sleep take me over.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Arms extended, I was flying over the Hogwarts grounds. I soar around the many towers of the stone castle that is my school, peering into classrooms whose windows I pass. The classes are all devoid of students, with it being summer vacation. Slowly, I return my feet to the ground not far from the railroad down which the Hogwarts express will roars at the start of each new school year. I walk the short distance to the train tracks and keel beside them. I trace the cold metal with the back of my hand, surrounded by complete and utter silence.
Suddenly I feel the metal beams vibrate against my knuckles, subtly at first, but increasing dramatically with each passing second. I gaze down the track towards the source of the movement and see, as I expect, the Hogwarts Express speeding across the countryside.
I try to get up and out of the path of the train, but I can't move; it's as if all the muscles in my body have been suddenly removed. The locomotive draws closer and rounds the last turn; I am now facing the train head on. Then the strangest thing happens.
The front of the engine begins to change. The name of the train, painted in elegant white letters, fades away. In their place are two pink cheeks, splattered with freckles. The tip of the train morphs into a familiar nose, slightly flattened. The rest of the front of the train shifts into the face of a human, a face I recognize as that of Ron Weasley.
The train does not slow down. In fact, if anything, it is accelerating. Ron's face laughs a crazed, maniacal laugh; my blood runs cold.
But the most noticeable feature is the eyes. They are not the eyes of the Ron Weasley I have known for the past four years; they seem dark, crazy, even murderous.
Still unable to move, I brace myself, though I know it is futile, for the blow that will come any second. The train grows closer, traveling faster than I had ever seen the Hogwarts Express go.
'Here it comes,' I think to myself. 'Now is when I will die.' Ron's enormous face is inches from my own now, about to crush me much as one would crush a bug.
I sprang up in my bed, sweating profusely and breathing heavily. I looked down at myself and touch my arms, not believing I was alive; the dream had seemed so real. Out the window I could see the full moon, radiating brilliantly on the background of the clear, star-speckled night sky. I laid my head back down on my pillow, and stared at the ceiling a few minutes before slowly closing my eyes and drifting back to sleep.