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Location: United States
Out there, across an ocean and several landscapes and seemingly lifetimes away from a floating castle in the coast of Scotland, people lived and dreamed.
People lived, dreamed, and died.
Some died for what they believed in, some died for what someone else believed in, and some just died because there was nothing else left for them.
Across an ocean and a lifetime, in a place of technology where people lived in buildings with electricity and controlled computers, one woman stood in front of a huge glass plane window in a white room with white furnishings. She wore a long white coat and she stared out at the nighttime scenery of a marvelous manmade and man-maintained garden.
Blue eyes with glasses perched on a delicate nose, fair hair of hay pulled back in a tight bun, slightly parted lips and a fragile hand lifted to touch the see-through plane. There were faint lines under her eyes and around her lips (could have been cause by laughter, could have not), and sounds came though her open bedroom door.
" Code Blue! Send out the back up! Attack troops, G-8! Deploy them now!" a man shouted before he ran past.
" Help request being sent in from Section U-5! Healers needed! Landscape is too dangerous on foot, fly the medics in!"
The sounds of wheels and people running and pushing. Blurred commands and the P.A. system called for order. Sound of boots headed in different directions and fast walking heels shouting instructions.
"Take him to the Emergency! Have the doctor on call take a look at him."
" We need more medics! Wake up the sleeping staff. There is too many wounded."
" Oh god! Neil, live Neil! You better not die on me you bastard!"
" Move it, we need to deploy immediately!"
Shouts and screams and then a tense quiet. A thud, the sound of someone slumping against the wall.
" There were so many wounded." A voice rasped. " And how many died."
" It'll be ok." This one was low grumble. " He'll survive, Sam."
" But how about all those out here? How many died? And sending more troops out now...how many more will die?" A broken sob.
" Sam..."
" You saw those things George! There wasn't anything we could do against them! We were getting massacred! And now they're sending more men out there...for what?"
The second voice did not have a reply and she closed her eyes.
In the world across the ocean and a lifetime away, in the chaos created by death and the dying, between the sterile white walls Dr. Melanie Avalon closed her eyes.
" God." Came the broken voice. " Save us."
Melanie felt saddened. She did not believe in God, because he never saved them before and she knew he wouldn't be saving those now headed towards their death. God couldn't save them but Melanie knew where their salvation was and it was far away, having done its duty once already and she had hoped it would never again have to be used.
Her shoulders slumped and she squeezed her eyes closed tightly.
. : - : .
Location: Europe" Commander!" a shout from the left. " He's still alive!"
Jake Burns nodded curtly to the soldier and turned to his right where a bunch of people in white walked from body to body on the ground.
" Medic!" he ordered. " To Sheldon! He's found a live one!"
" Thank God." He heard the healer muttered as he walked past him.
Jake didn't feel like thanking God for putting them out in the middle of a battlefield after the fight and having to tend to the more often then not dead. But the man was a healer and if a healer didn't believe you could be saved then there really was no point, and if the belief of a God helped him heal, then let him have it.
" Medic!" Jake shouted again as one of his soldiers raised his hand in signal a few yards away. " To Anderson."
The war veteran watched as another white skittered over the dead bodies towards his other soldier. He then looked around the field and felt disgust rolling up inside.
Bodies littered the ground and they were all theirs.
Jake felt sick.
" Commander." A voice said then tapped him on the shoulder.
He turned to see his sub-commander Jane Frost standing next to a woman in a lab coat.
Jake felt like sneering. Heels and a skirt on sight of a battle. He was sure his dislike was clearly seen on his face, but the woman ignored it.
" Have you a body count yet, of the dead and the wounded?"
" No." He spat. " I'd like to say I did, but the number just keeps raising when I thought it couldn't be possible."
" Cause of death?" she asked.
" Severed heads, severed limbs, blood loss, crushed organs..." he swept an arm out in a mockery of show, " take your pick lady, you ask it, we got it."
Her mouth tightened but she ignored the jab, " Residue of magic?"
" Yes." Jake responded, jaw clenched. " Residue's been confirmed, in a large amount."
" And the bodies..." the woman continued.
" What?" he barked, losing patience. He lost some good soldiers today, and they lay by his feet. He didn't feel like being nice and he didn't want to have to bury them later either.
" Do any of them appear to be mauled or eaten?"
" What?"
" Do any of the bodies appear to be mauled or eaten." She repeated slowly.
" I heard you the fist time." He sneered and the woman stiffened. " Mauled or eaten…" he stared at her and let his gaze linger on the white coat. " Have you been expecting this?"
She looked away from the edge of steel in his voice.
" Woman!" He barked.
She bent down to examine the body closest to them, fingers pushing ripped cloth to stare at the place where the arm joined the shoulder – and the missing chunk of flesh.
" My name," her voice as stiff as her posture as she straightened up, " is Dr. Lana Steel. And you better watch your tongue Commander."
" Why? Because you'll report me?"
" No. Because I might be what saves you one day."
Jake grinded his teeth together but managed to pull his anger in. Dr. Lana Steel nodded once to both him and Jane then turned and walked away.
" Who is she?" Jane asked, watching the end of the lab coat flutter in the wind as the doctor walked out of range.
" A Scientist." He spat the word out like a curse.
Jane didn't understand and he knew she wouldn't. Jane had started at her post only 4 years ago. Although a good length of time, she still hadn't been there for the war that happened before. Jake watched Dr. Lana turn and walk out of sight, then let his eyes drift down to the unfortunate by his feet with the missing shoulder.
He said no more that night.
. : - : .
Location: Hogwarts" Do you think Hermione's okay?" Ron asked Harry ask they hurried down the hall. " She didn't show up after Potions that day and Lavender said she saw Hermione looking very pale since."
Harry shrugged. " It's only been 3 days since then. Could be the girl thing you know."
Ron blinked. " The what?"
Harry just looked at him until a dawning happened.
" Oh." Ron shuffled uncomfortably. " Do you think that's it?"
Harry shrugged reluctantly. " If it's anything important, she'd let us know."
" Alright."
They shuffled past the Transfiguration room and headed towards the Astronomy tower when they say Hermione stumble out of the girls lavatory. They both came to a halt and reached out to steady her.
" Are you alright?" Harry exclaimed as they both grabbed an arm and kept her up.
Ron looked concerned as she lifted her head to look at them, face pale and sweating. She was shaking a little as well.
" Hermione?" Ron asked, "Are you okay?"
She blinked at them, dazed for a few seconds as her eyes roamed from one to the other. " I- I'm fine. I just need to lay down for a bit."
" Do you need to go to the Hospital Wing?" Harry looked at her glassy eyes worriedly.
" No!" She jerked her head. " No. I...uh, I just need to lay down. Pain. Pain." She winced. " Pain from uh...um..." She looked at the two of them in slight panic, then shifted her glance to the lavatory in which she had came from.
Harry and Ron locked eyes over her head and looked away embarrassed.
" Right. Pain from uh, that." Ron said knowing.
Harry nodded quickly, " Right. Do you need help getting back to the dorm?"
She shook her head and slowly pulled her arms off of them. Then took a few unsteady steps back, but stayed upright and then straightened. " I'm fine."
" You sure?" Harry knitted his brows. " Want me to stop off at the Hospital Wing and pick up a pain reliever potion for you? I'm sure since it's like every month...and all the girls we have here at school..." He grappled for an end.
She blinked at him for a moment then understanding dawn, and a flash in her eyes, before she shook her head. " No, I'm fine. In fact, I'm better already. I took some Midol"
" Mido-?" Ron repeated and Harry made a slicing motion. " Never mind."
The red head shut up and the look of relief on he other boy's face told him it was a good move.
" I'm going back to the Tower for some rest." The pale girl whispered. " Head off to class you two."
" Do you need one to us to escort you there?" Harry asked.
" No."
" Are you su-?"
" Mr. Potter! Mr. Weasley!" They three turned to see Professor McGonagall walking towards them. " I believe you two have class. I am aware that only Miss Granger has a spare this period."
" Hermione wasn't feeling so well." Ron tried to explain to the disapproving teacher. " We only wanted to make sure she wasn't going to fall over getting back to the Tower."
The teacher looked the girl over and her lips pinched as she noticed the extra whiteness of her skin. McGonagall gave a quick nod but stared the two boys down.
" One of you will escort Miss Granger back to Gryffindor Tower, but the other will head off to class now."
The red head opened his mouth, but quickly shut it when Harry agreed.
" I'll take her back to the Tower." The skinny boy said.
Ron shot his friend an unhappy look, but McGonagall only nodded, and turned away to head off to class. The raven-haired boy wrapped an arm around the girl and tucked her against his side.
" Ready to go Hermione?" he asked.
The Gryffindor girl leaned onto him and nodded. Together they walked towards the Tower. McGonagall watched them go with a pinched mouth and concern, her prize student should be watching her health more.
" Minevra?"
The Transfiguration teacher turned to see the Headmaster standing next to her.
" Albus." She said in getting.
The blue eyes twinkled down at her. " Worrying about your kittens?"
Her lips turned down in disapproval. " I do not appreciate the term."
The Headmaster chuckled but refrained from continuing that line of conversation. " I wanted to inform you there would be a meeting tonight. After dinner, at the usual place."
Meeting at the usual place meant a meeting for the Order. She drew her brows together and looked at him for clues of why the sudden gathering, but nodded. Something must have happened or some new information had come tot light.
" Jolly good." Albus said smiling at her. " Now I have to run off to talk to the Minister about some new issues. Take care of the children while I'm away will you?"
" Of course." She answered primly and he chuckled at her.
" I'll be seeing you tonight then." The Headmaster said once again before walking off.
The Transfiguration professor turned to the sound of giggles and saw two of the Second Years walking by and looking at her specutively from under their lashes. Her mouth tightened, Merlin only knew what they thought with those parting words. She wondered if Albus had known, and then told herself of course he had known. Her eyes darkened and she swore that her old Transfiguration professor would pay.
Nearing the portrait of the Fat Lady, Harry and Hermione paused.
" Are you okay the rest of the way?" He asked.
" I'll be fine Harry." She assured. " I just need some rest."
" Are you sure?" Harry bit his lip, " I know you said it was probably...your uh," He blushed. " Time of month, but it seem a bit extreme isn't it? You've never been affected as far as I can remember."
She gave a small amused smile at his red cheeks and he scowled at her but couldn't stop the blush. She gave a small giggle before composing herself.
" I think I had an allergic reaction to the Ginseng in Potions a few days ago."
Harry blinked. " You mean the same day Ron had the reaction to Butterweed?"
She nodded. " I was allergic to Ginseng when I was a child. But I thought I outgrew it." She drew up a sleeve so he could see the red patches and bumps on her skin. " I had a break out. I usually get hives and the shivers. I also end up with a sensitive stomach."
" Oh. But why didn't you go see Madam Pomfrey?"
She shook her head. " There's nothing she can do. I researched it up before." She ignored his eye roll. " Muggle treatment also doesn't work. All I can do is wait it out. I sent home for some rash cream and I just have to eat light until it passes. The, uh, timing seems to be making the symptoms worse. But it'll pass."
He reached out for her as her eyes widened and her body suddenly gave a shudder. He caught her as she tipped forward and she grabbed hold of his shirt.
" Dizzy..." she said.
" When was the last time you kept a meal down?" He asked as he realized she felt skinnier than before.
" I had a toast with juice this morning." She replied weakly as he moved towards the portrait.
Now Harry was remembering all the times she had been excusing herself to the washroom after every meal in the past few days, and cursed himself for not noticing sooner.
" Password?"
" Waterglem." He told the Fat Lady and she swung open.
He heaved the two of them into the entrance and helped her walk to the stairway of the Girl's dorm.
" Can you make it up there alone?" He looked down at her shivering body and tightened his hold. Suddenly he wished Ron was here, the red head was bigger and could support Hermione more.
She gave a gasp then stilled. She extracted her form from his arms and stood straight. " I'll be fine. Go to class."
He frowned. " I'm not going until I see you enter your dorm door safely. And get plenty of rest. I'll check up on you later with Ron."
She made a face at him but placed an arm and walked up the stairs. Her steps were steady and she looked fine, like she hadn't been shaking in his arms just a moment ago. When she got to the Seventh Year dorm, she looked down and waved at him. He waved back and watched her enter. He waited a few moments, and when she made no move to call for him and there were no sounds he could hear of something falling, he turned and walked out to head to class.
: - :
Location: Unknown (Past)I'll remember even if no one else does. Even as the sky turn gray and the rain turns into snow, I'll remember. Because there is no way for me to ever forget.
I remember pain-filled cries that flooded the air. I remember rivers that ran red with blood, because it was nothing else but blood. I remember love and hatred, so closely intertwined that you couldn't tell one from the other. And I remember the darkness.
The soul consuming, cruel and merciful darkness.
How I wish I could forget.
I remember lies so true that they rang fake, songs so sweet that they became bitter, and words so deep that they turned shallow. I remember.
My childhood was one that none would ever wish upon even their darkest enemy. For you of those that think that parents were cruel for not showing their care about their children, think again.
I would have rathered that they hadn't cared at all then to care enough to pretend.
I remember a one year old coming home to a warm house and loving parents.
I remember oblivion.
I remember a two year old looking up at smiling adults.
I remember a toddler's first glimpse of a knife.
I remember a three year old smiling and singing.
I remember a child singing the siren's song.
I remember a four year old finally getting its own room.
I remember an attic.
I remember a five-year-old spending quality time with her family.
I remember the freezing cold of loneliness.
I remember a six year old venturing outside for the first time without a guardian.
I remember the terror filled eyes.
I remember a child's overwhelming sense curiosity.
I remember the earth disappearing from underneath my feet.
: - :
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End Chapter One