Chapter 6

"Hello Alexsis. Did you have a nice time at Diagon Alley?" I was back at Dumbledore's office; after gathering Frog (A/N: if you don't remember go to 5th chap.!) and all of my other items Hagrid and I had immediately 'flooed' to Dumbledore's office.

"Yea, I had a great time, I got a pigeon!" Dumbledore's eyes sparkled for a moment and then took on a serious expression.

"We have many things to discuss, and then you will have your first transformation." I felt like I was going to be sick.

'I'm not ready for this, not ready! Can't we just postpone it for a little? I just got here….'bout two days ago.' I voiced my thoughts to him. Shaking his head, I slumped in my seat, any form of composure forgotten. "Aren't there any sedatives? At all? Is it gonna hurt? What happens?"

"From what I seen, the first transformation has to be the worst; in fact, I went to your father's transformation ceremony. I am not going to beat around the bush with you Alexsis. You will probably experience more pain then probably ever before.

I was just about to reply "Well, I broke my big toe once when I crashed my bike." But one look of the seriousness on his face and the tone in his voice stopped me from doing so.

"I will be there through the whole process, coaching you through it. Hogwarts has a basement below the dungeons that no one knows about; you will transform there. I have a friend who lent me this book for you. It should help you learn more about your family on your father's side. Now, let me tell you the after effects.." I was slumped in my chair more, with my mouth open, slacked off to the side.

"Wow. Hiddlyplum." The portrait swung open, knocking me over. "I'll never get used to that." Mumbling, I sat down on the ruby velvet couch, in front of the rising fire. Dumbledore had said that after my transformation I would be very very sensitive to light. Even the dimmest light could give me a massive migraine. Dumbledore and Hagrid were supposed to meet me here at nine o'clock tonight.

It was eight forty-five.

The flames of the fire licked the sides of the logs, making the shadows behind the fire dance. I picked up the book that I had placed carelessly on the coffee table and skimmed the cover.

It had no title. "How peculiar." I mumbled while flipping the book over. It looked very worn; creases lined the bind of the book, bits of collected dust here and there.

Opening the book, I noticed that the pages looked just as worn as the cover. Top corners of pages creased from many owners holding their place, visual fingerprints in various parts.

The nine consecutive chimes awoke me from my reverie. I shut the book and ran up to the dorms and placed it in the bedside drawer.

Fidgeting, I nervously walked down the stairs that curved along the wall, down to the common room where Dumbledore and Hagrid were waiting for me.

" 'lo Al." Oh god, this is going to be bad. Hagrid's face was one of greatest sympathy and sadness.

"Hi Hagrid." I hung my head down. My stomach churned.

"Alexsis, it is customary that you wear these clothes during the first transformation of an Erian." He handed me a long robe decorated with swirls of gold thread embroidered within the forest green velvet. I quietly put them on and walked between Hagrid and Dumbledore to the last dungeon of Hogwarts.

Now, I've been scared before. The triple loop rollercoaster when I was six was scary. The 'Miracle of Life' movie in seventh grade was scary.

But this?

I'm beyond scared. I feel like an unknown force has come and is slowly suffocating me. And I can't stop it. Or I'm falling off a what seems to be endless cliff, and I'm just waiting for the ground to come.

I look up to see Hagrid wiping a stray tear away hastily and look down to smile weakly, but encouragingly.

'Though my dad went through this kind of thing every crescent moon I had never seen him in a weak state. Never looking the slightest bit in pain. He was always the 'super' dad that kissed my boo-boos when I fell off the porch or fell out of a tree.'

Why did I never notice?

'Maybe it was there, but I never noticed it..'

We had clambered down many staircases by now, the torches on the wall seem to illuminate more than previous ones I had passed.

'If my dad could go through this since the time he was my age 'til until his death,'

I could sense that we were almost there.

'then so can I.'

Dumbledore opened a large, thick, wooden door. I was the last to walk in behind Hagrid.

'I'm doing this for you dad.'

(A/N: this would be a great place to end, but I know as a reader, short chapters suck.)

A dank, musty odor surrounded me, making me wrinkle my nose.

A faint dripping could be heard, but I couldn't see it's source because there was only one torch on the east wall.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, waking me from my analysis of the room.

"Hagrid do you have the equipment?" Looking grim, he turned to look at a solemn Hagrid who nodded and looked to me as if apologizing, before he pulled something long from his tool belt.

Cuffs. And chains.

I whipped my head to the floor to see latches on the filthy ground. I looked back up to Dumbledore.

"What are those for?" I whispered shakily.

"I'm sorry Alexsis, but I can not have you running loose. It's too dangerous. And it's to hold you still while we go through the process."

"Before we start this process, I want to know EXACTLY what will happen." I had made up my decision of that before I entered.

"Well, in the beginning, your nails will grow twice their original length. Then, after that, you will have some bone relocation, I'm worried a bit about it going wrong since your not a full blood Erian. And last, your skin on your back will open and you will grow a large pair of wings, if they turn out to be black, I'll…."

By this time, I'm sliding down the wall, with hands on my knees, hiding my face. This sounds horrible. But not as horrible as what Dumbledore says next.

"have to rip them off…"

"W-what!" I croaked out. 'Why would he do this!'

"If they are black, that signifies that you were late in transforming; you will grow pure white ones next time."

I walked shaking, in between the latches.

"Let's get it over with."

"Okay Alexsis." Hagrid walked over and first hooked the chains to the latches, then the cuffs to my wrists and ankles.

"I first say this spell, then the ceremony will begin." He opened a ancient looking book and repeated the following:

"Shiro dao merelkara archni ohabaes sendreais."

It felt as if needles were stabbing the ends of each of my fingers over and over. I dropped to my knees, clenching the floor. The dirt from the dungeon floor made little black crescent curves under my fingernails.

Soon enough, Brownish yellow pointed nails protruded from my cuticles about seven inches, and hooked at the ends.

I was taking sharp intakes of air by now, practically hyperventilating.

I could feel bones shifting, making room for wings. It was so painful. I thought I was going to die, I mean a normal person under this much emotional and physical pain would surely die or pass out by now. Why not me?

I heard a shrill, pain-filled scream, but was too absorbed in my own pain and suffering to realize that the scream had belonged to me.

I could feel my back cut open and make deep gashes to reveal tips of black feathers. Blood freely racing down my practically bare back, my robes and regular clothing being torn off in blind agony and frustration, making larges ruby colored rivers, flowing into a newly made puddle around me.

Pushing themselves completely out of my back, in my peripheral vision I could see a pair of deep black wings dripping with my own blood.

Tears were now showering down my face, making the earth beneath me make a medium sized mud puddle.

I heard Dumbledore slowly make his way over to me.

Everywhere seemed to ache for my nails to scrape across them, my whole back itched. Giving in, I just made deep gashes and stabs, which would only result later in scars.

He was getting closer.

Having a firm hold on the wings he whispered, "On three."

I was silently counting down while he said them aloud.

"One." More scratches appeared as I scratched more fiercely.

"Two." I could feel him begin to tug a little on them, only resulting in more tears on my part. I looked up to see Hagrid turned the other way, but I could still make out his shoulders shaking in silent sobs.

"Three" Families awoke all around for miles from a fierce scream from a fifteen-year-old girl in the utmost agony and pain.

No one knew that somewhere, in a castle, in the basement beneath the last dungeon where no one could find, that that same girl was curled up, clutching her knees on the ground, eyes wide and bloodshot.

And a back covered in a deep, ruby red.

Everyone in that particular basement that night shed many tears.

Dumbledore kneeled in front of me, salty tears dripping into his long beard.

"You Alexsis, have to be the bravest person I have ever met in my life, and will be forever so."

That was when my eyes shut, and I was in udder darkness, unknown to the blankets that were covering my blood covered body and now being carried in Hagrid's arms.

Out of the basement under the dungeons, and into the infirmary.