A/N: First, a big Thank You! to all my reviewers. Yes, all of them. I was really happy about the reviews you left.
@Libby: Thank you, I'll keep all the things you said in mind and I correct the previous chapters as soon as possible. What impressed me most was that you thought I could actually write a decent plot. I always feel my plots are boring to most of my readers. The Mary Sue thing... well, that was on purpose...
@Snuffels 55/Belle: Funny, 'cause that's exactly where I got the description - other Mary Sue stories. ^_^
@HeeroTomoe: Wow, you actually seem to like my story... I am now officially awed *huggels*. You get a cookie for that! *handscookie* And don't worry, I'll finish this story. I'm just a very, very slow writer.
Rhiannon's eyelids fluttered open. It was dark around her, but she felt she was lying on something soft.
Where was she? And where was Draco? Just a moment before he had been kissing her deeply and told her he loved her and now he was gone? How had she gotten inside again at all?
Rhiannon sat up. She stretched her hand out and felt the empty room before her, then that to her right. There actually was something - it felt oddly like velvet...
She pulled on the material and a room came into view. It was dimly lit and it was only furnished with the bed Rhiannon lay in now and a single chair.
Somebody sat on the chair, holding a candle and looking out of the small window. Rhiannon didn't dare to speak. The person who sat there was a woman of about 20 years and looked almost like Rhiannon. She had the same long, black hair and as far as Rhiannon could tell their faces looked similar.
The woman slowly turned her head to look at Rhiannon. For a moment they simply looked at each other, then the woman stood up and went over to Rhiannon.
"Good evening," she said. Her voice was very gentle and upon hearing it Rhiannon didn't feel worried anymore. She also noted the woman was wearing a simple dark-blue dress that looked a bit medieval.
"Hello," Rhiannon replied. "I'm sorry, but... what is this place? And who are you?"
The woman sat down on the bed; the glow of the candle softened the serious look on her face a bit.
"My name is Rowena. And you are in a place beyond time and space. The man who was with you is also here. You will meet him again soon."
Rhiannon nodded. "But how and why did I get here and how do I get back?"
"You came here because I wanted it so. I have watched you since the day you were born and the today was the day on which I decided to bring you here. I will tell you my reasons soon. When you know them... when you know what you have to do... then I will send you back." She fell silent and looked away.
Rhiannon sat there thinking. This woman was clearly powerful but there was something she wanted Rhiannon to do for her. And that name... It was the same as the Ravenclaw's house founder.
"Tell me about you," Rhiannon said suddenly.
Rowena smiled sadly. "Well, I knew we would hit this point sooner or later." She sighted and leaned against the wall of the niche the bed stood in.
"I know you will not believe some of the things I will tell you. Sometimes I find it hard to believe them myself." Rowena closed her eyes and sighted again.
"Let's start with the most unbelievable thing - I am not completely human. I am also a heavenly being."
Rhiannon blinked. "You are... an angel? You're right, this is really unbelievable. I mean, you look like a normal human! How could you be an angel?!" She couldn't believe what she had just heard - this woman didn't seem like she was out of her mind.
"So it is angel what you call us now... but I understand that you don't believe me. Just let me finish and then you can decide whether to believe my story or not.
Well, one day I was sent down to earth with a mission - to balance Good and Evil. There was too much Evil at that time.
I was born and raised as a normal girl, my magical powers were great and they often helped me on my mission."
"Wait. Wait a second," interrupted Rhiannon. "Magic is considered evil by the church. So how could an angel - given you are one - use magic?"
"The church is wrong. Magic is not evil or good. It is simply a power. Only those who can use it make it good or evil. It solely depends on them what others think of it. Now... I met other witches and wizards and one day an other witch, two wizards and I decided to found Hogwarts."
'So she is Rowena Ravenclaw,' thought Rhiannon, but she did not voice the thought. She wanted to hear the rest of what Rowena wanted to tell her.
"For years we worked together and I... fell in love. After all a part of me was human and humans love. Salazar loved me. We... We loved each other so much, we thought we would die if we could not be together. And then the four of us began to argue."
"It's all Slytherin's fault," interrupted Rhiannon - again. She just couldn't hold herself back. "He started it with all his crazy views about purebloods and muggle-borns."
"I will not deny that it was him who brought up this particular matter, but..." Rowena trailed of and closed her eyes. She breathed in heavily. Rhiannon got the faint suspicion that one of the most famous witches in history was about to start crying her eyes out.
"Sorry," muttered Rhiannon. "You can skip this part - if you want to."
Rowena nodded and brushed over her eyes with her hand.
"In the end he went away, leaving me behind at Hogwarts, pregnant with our child. I never saw him again. A few years later I died - without bringing my mission to an end. And that is where you come in."
"You want me to complete it," Rhiannon stated.
Rowena nodded. Inside Rhiannon's head her thoughts were running wild. She suspected where it was leading and she wasn't sure if she could do it. There was no way she could! She was too young and it completely opposed her upbringing...
"He, who carries the name Lord Voldemort... you must destroy him. He is the one who ruins the balance."
"But... I can't do that. I'm only... I'm meant to..."
"I know," said Rowena calmly and looked directly into Rhiannon's eyes. "But you have to. And I also know you can do it."
Rhiannon sat there, head bent down. The only clear word she could form in her mind now was 'No!' - over and over again. This just could not be...
Rowena stood up from the bed. "Now, follow me. I'll bring you back to Hogwarts."
The two witches walked the hallways of the stone building.
"Where are we? What is this place?" asked Rhiannon. She tried desperately to block the recent revelation out of her mind.
"My prison, I think it is called Avalon," came the answer from Rowena. Rhiannon was moderately surprised by this. She had never thought Avalon was real. "I was sent here after I died. Not only for not completing my mission but also because I helped God's foe."
"Salazar?"
"The Devil sent him to stop me. Because I loved him I gave some of God's power to him and for that I was sent here. Salazar is also here. I suggest you ask your friend about him."
They took a turn and Rhiannon suddenly found herself standing in front of a thick white wall of fog.
"This separates me from Salazar. I can't cross it. It will send you back, though." Rhiannon nodded and began to walk towards the fog.
"I have just one question I want to ask you before you leave."
Rhiannon looked back over her shoulder. It was the first question the founder would ask her in all the time she had already spent here.
"Why did you commit yourself to that boy like this? There was no need for it."
"It was a test," Rhiannon replied. "To see if he really loves me. Because if he wouldn't he'd treat me in a horrible fashion."
"It still was a foolish thing to do. Deep down you already knew he loves you and still you didn't trust him, nor your judgement. Be careful of what you are doing in the future."
Rhiannon looked away. She was right and Rhiannon knew it too. And still she had insisted on testing Draco... Maybe she didn't deserve him after all and should leave him to Pansy...
"Good bye," Rhiannon whispered and stepped into the fog. As soon as the fog fully enclosed her her sight went black and she knew no more.