The Thirsty
(Chapter Four)
Sometimes, you will find that when you are alone it is better to think over something. Like if your aunt had just died, you would like to spend some time alone thinking about that aunt and how much you'll miss her. Some people find it better to think with other people around, others think better by themselves. Harry was one who found it better to think alone. And he did as he walked down the road that the vague woman had left him on. And as he mulled over her meaning while walking, he had thought so hard he didn't see the sign in front of him and ambled right into it. The force of shock was enough to knock him off his feet by itself, but the sign just made him want to pass out cold. As he laid there his owl pecked her beak into his cheek.
Slowly he arose and with blurry vision began to read the sign. "Curiosity Court" read the lane on the left, "Answer Avenue" read the one on the right, and "Serenity Street" read the one between. These titles puzzled Harry exceedingly to a point where he felt that his whole quest to reach Hogwarts was futile. He sat down and pondered hard about the situation. His large snowy owl perched herself upon his shoulder and began to nibble on his ear. The teenage wizard shook his head, thinking about the lady in the forest. He wondered where she was now and why she had not told him the true road. Anger started rising within him and he stood up and began to throttle the sign in frustration until he heard a sleek and familiar voice rise from behind him, "This long without me and you're already frustrated? Aw, I feel terrible for you."
It was the woman again. Why had she left him to come back? Harry wanted to show her just how much anger he was feeling but suddenly it all evaporated when he got to look at her. Her hair shone in patches against the moonlight and her skin glimmered with amusement. The familiarity of her appearance drove him mad, where had he seen her? Who was she? Well, he knew he saw her at the imaginary ball, but he had seen her somewhere else before that, and not knowing who she was irritated him. Her hands were laid on her hips as she chuckled, "The roads are each a test. Each one stands for a virtue. Curiosity Court stands for love," At this she spun her self next to the sign on the side of Curiosity Court, "So if I wanted everlasting love in my life, I'd go down there." Harry chuckled himself when she pointed down the road and continued dramatically, "And Answer Avenue stands for knowledge," She spun herself again to the direction of the other road, "So if I wanted answers for all my questions and truth in my life, I'd go down there." A long and awkward pause began to follow after she stated what Answer Avenue was, and that long pause tore Harry up inside. Not with that strange normal feeling one gets when they are alone, but with fear, "And what about Serenity Street?"
At this the woman began to grin and her teeth shimmered, then the teenager noticed something he never had before. She had fangs… sharp, carnivorous fangs. She began to grin wider as she sauntered over to Serenity Street, "Serenity Street? It stands for peace… not of the world or this wretched war, but of the mind. If I wanted to be calm and composed, and have peace and silence in my life, I'd go down there." Once again, anger started to rise in the boy who lived. She worked him all up for peace? He just wanted to get to Hogwarts, why couldn't he just get to Hogwarts? The woman must have read his mind because then, she laughed, "Because if I simply took you there, I wouldn't get any fun!" "You tease," Harry growled, "Now tell me which road leads to Hogwarts!" The lady shook her head and softly began to speak, "They all do. It is which path you take that determines a stronger sense of who you are." "I'm not in the mood to play mind games." Harry growled, venom dripping from his voice as thick as the Polyjuice Potion as he stormed away off into Answer Avenue and ignored the woman's calling voice, "You cannot take back the decision you have made!"
After he left she sank to her knees and talked with herself, "Ah well, if he makes a mistake he cannot blame it on me." Soon, a snowy owl landed on her shoulder for a split second before flying away.
Author's Note: Okay, really bad writing this time. I'm rushing to do this though, so please do not blame me. I'll have better writing next time I promise!