Name: Chamber of Destinies
Author: Sweet-calmness
Genre: Romance/Action/Angst
Disclaimer: I own the plot, nothing more
Chapter11B
A shiver ran down her spine, and for a moment she froze as the floorboards beneath her gave another agonizing whine. The light beyond the end of the tunnel seemed to be edging further and further away from her reach, blurring itself as a stream of blood trickled over her left eye. How the blood got there, she did not know.
In fact, there was a lot that she didn't know, like where she was, how she got there, what time it was or even – who she was.
This lack of detail, more or less, had given her quite a fright when she first woke up five minutes ago amidst the dust and frayed carpet. Although the house seems desolated and unwelcoming, it holds a certain nostalgic air to it – almost as if she was meant to recognize its interiors.
I'll just consider myself as Figure A for now, until I find my identity. There must be a logical reason of why I'm here, and as soon as I find out where here is, I'll be able to come up with the safest solution to get out. I'll be fine, I'll be fine…
The floor boards squeaked again, making Figure A bite her tongue by accident.
Shi…tukki mushrooms
The corridor led her to an oval shaped music room. Like the rest of the mansion, the room has been horrifically desecrated, its wallpapers torn down and the remains of what was once a proud chandelier on her right. The light of the moon shone through a nearby window, illuminating the shards of broken glass, its light playing on the walls so that something caught Figure A's eyes.
A portrait hung o the walls, seemingly untouched by the defilement of whatever that had occurred in the past. A girl stood in the painting, tawny curls framing her pale face and warm caramel eyes. Figure A reached for her own curls, remarking in the similarities that the two girls shared; her footsteps toward the painting made another squeak with the floorboards, and it was then that she found the startling revelation that the figure within the portrait was moving.
The girl within the portrait looked just as startled as she did, although it would seem that she's a lot more capable of
'Oh my! You look like me!' the girl in the portrait said, her hands on the frame almost as if she wish to escape its confines to get a better look. Figure A nodded her head dumbly in agreement, not able to decide whether to be shocked by the portrait that looked like her, or to be shocked that the portrait actually spoke to her.
Her mouth was open and shaped in an O, mimicking the mouth of a fish. The girl in the portrait must have realized that Figure A was confused, and smiling kindly, she gave a curtsy.
'Hello, I seemed to have forgotten to introduce myself. How very rude of me. My name is Gwen. Gwen Katherine Gryffindor. Who are you?'
Figure A snapped out of her stupor and peered into the portrait curiously, eyes widening as Gwen followed her actions, mirroring her every move. Blushing madly at her bluntness, Figure A bowed her head, a frown etched over her face.
'I don't know.'
'Do you know where you came from?'
'I can't remember.'
'Are you a muggle then?'
'Err…a what?'
The Gwen in the portrait frowned. Looking carefully at Figure A's face, she sighed in puzzlement.
'But you do look so much like me, even though it's downright freaky. You can't possibly be me, since I have been this age since I was painted a long, long time ago - unless…you're my reincarnation or something like that…'
Figure A cocked her head to one side, once again making a mirror image of the girl within the portrait.
'Oh my gosh! James would absolutely have a snitch if he ever finds out. He would love the fact that there is another me somewhere out there.' Gwen remarked, her expression turning from wonderment to sadness. 'Of course, I haven't seen the real me, the alive me, for years, and I'm not really sure how long has passed since the manor was torn apart, so I don't really know what has been going on for the past few year. The real Gwen could very well be dead, and you could very well be her reincarnation…'
Figure A gapped, but didn't reply.
'But you do look like me so much…so much…you sure you can't remember who you are?'
Figure A nodded mutely, watching Gwen ponder the same question that's going through her mind.
'Maybe…maybe I am you…your reincarnation I mean.' Figure A stuttered, a little bit of hope emerged on her face. Maybe she is Gwen, and by some coincidence she managed to get herself into this weird world of dark corridors and moving and talking portraits.
Gwen continued to ponder until a bright smile illuminated her face, making the whole portrait light up. Her warm caramel eyes gloated with triumph, making Figure A wonder if her own eyes are like that.
Unlucky, everything was so dark, and had there been any mirrors in the mansion, they were most likely broken into pieces.
'I know! You can go to Hogwarts. My father and the headmaster there are good friends, so you'll be able to seek help from the school, I'm sure. You can use my name for now, since most likely you're me or at the very least related to me in some way. Gwen Katherine Gryffindor, remember it okay?'
Figure A nodded mutely, relieved that she finally has a clue and a sense of direction.
I'll be fine…
'Hogwarts is about two miles from. I'd suggest for you apparate, but I highly doubt that it would be safe for you, and you can't really apparate into Hogwarts grounds. I'm not really sure if you can still floo here, unless you can still find a fireplace that is in one piece. You can always try your luck with the attic fireplace – people rarely go up there, so it should okay to use. There's some floo powder in the kitchen; it's in a jar in the shape of a witch's hat. Just alight the fireplace, grab a handful of the floo powder, and throw it into the fire whilst shouting "Hogwarts!" You should get there in cinch.'
As the new Gwen left to follow the instruction, the Gwen in the portrait finally noted something.
'Her eyes. She looks just like me, but she has his eyes…' She whispered, but her comment was unheard.
Gwen/Figure A was already gone.
Obtaining the floo powder and finding the attic was easy, but walking into the green fire had been trying. She was hesitant, testing her hands in the fire first. When it deemed safe, she stepped completely into the fire only to immediately be pulled into something akin to a tornado.
She crash landed out of a very different fireplace. The hut that the fireplace belonged to seemed to be made for a giant; the bed was so big that it covered at least half of the three by four metre interior, and the sofa next to it must be at least five times a usual chair's size.
She decided not to prolong her stay and quickly scrambled out.
Who knows what kind of a person lived in such a house.
Hogwarts was completely devoid of people when she stepped onto its grounds; however, the young witch didn't really take notice of it as she was too enraptured by the castle before her. So many turrets and towers shot towards the sky, the castle gleaming under the moonlight as if it had materialized from a fairytale.
Breathe taken away, Gwen stepped into the confines of the entrance hall. Never had she seen anything so grand, so beautiful, so beyond this world…
Really, then why does it feel like I've been here before? She asked herself, a niggling sensation making its way up her spine and settled it uncomforting at the back of her mind. A pout settled over her face, and she shrugged the doubt and uncertainty away. You can do this Gwen! Just a little bit more and you'll be able to find out who you truly are. It's too late to back out now!
The sound of Handel's Sonata drifted through the halls, mystically drawing Gwen towards the origin of it.
Can all the paintings in this world move? She mused, noticing that all the portraits appeared to be devoid of any characters. The dark corridors lit up as she walked by until she stopped and turned to face two wide open doors and peered inside; a funeral was taking place. The sonata reached a crescendo and Gwen watched in awe as candles from the ceiling lit up in syncopation, which was when she noticed that the ceiling was not a ceiling at all but-
"'It's bewitched to look like the sky outside, I read about it in Hogwarts, a History.' "
Where did that come from? Get a grip Gwen, you don't want to appear loony so early, do you?
There were so many people gathered in the hall, meaning that the funeral must surely belong to someone of great importance. Stretching her head and steeling her toes as far as she could, the girl still could not see what was at the front. Finally surrendering to her height deficiency, she acquiesced to ask a boy in front of her.
Bashfully, she tugged at his sleeve. He didn't turn around, only muttered an impatient 'what!'
'What's going on?'
'What!' He repeated again, annoyance laced in his tone. 'Don't you know anything! This is Hermione Granger Black's funeral!'
'Who is Hermione Granger Black?' Gwen asked, trying to peer over the towering shoulders of the other students. She still couldn't see.
'Who's Hermione Granger Black? Don't be dunce. Hermione Granger Black was the girl who saved the Wizarding World. Where have you been for the past two weeks?' He said, his back still turned towards Gwen. The girl scowled and tugged at high sleeve again.
She needs to find the headmaster. What was his name again? Dumbli-door? Dumbee-do?
The boy she was tugging at appeared to be on the last straw of his temper. Blaise Zabini turned around and was just about give whoever-that-was-bothering-him a piece of his mind but-
His eyes darted towards Gwen, whose eyes had widened in fear when he had started to approach her in anger, to the coffin that was slowly being lowered down at the front of the hall. Again it darted, back and forth and back and forth again. Blaise did the only thing he could think of.
'Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..!'
It has been two weeks since Hermione's death and so much has happened since then. The celebratory defeat of the invulnerable Dark Lord had brought so many smiles on the people's faces, and to Harry, it should have been the happiest day in his life.
But it wasn't.
In fact, he can't seem to remember what had happened in the past two weeks. When the war ended, he had been out in the field. He had refused to barge from the position where Hermione had floated off to oblivion, and had it not been the petrifying spell aimed by his much hated (now even more hated) potions professor, he would not have been moved from the place at all.
There was no such happy reunion with Sirius that he had often envisioned in the past. There was little to be said, and Harry is too ashamed of himself to speak.
He can't find the words or the courage to bring the apology out.
Many had wanted an interview with The Boy Who Lived and his friends. They all wanted to know the exact details of what had happened that night, as only a few (beside the Order and the Hogwarts students and staff) had seen the final battle with their own eyes. Many too, were confused about why Harry and his friends are so depressed, when The War has finally come to an end. He should be the happiest of them all, so why is he apologizing?
I'm so sorry…
And no amount of apologies is going to bring you back, is it?
In next to no time at all, he found himself standing in front of the great hall, attending the funeral that was meant to be for him. The coffin at the front of the hall was empty, all except for the framed muggle photograph of Hermione when she was ten. It had been one of the first photographs that they had taken, back when Ron wanted to know what a digital camera was and Hermione had insisted to show him the old fashioned way.
Harry's face scrunched up in anger. She can not even rest in peace at her own funeral. How dare anyone interrupt? How dare they!
Everyone turned around to see the commotion behind them – Sirius, Remus, the order, the school staff, as well as Harry's friends – all turned around, angered by the disruption. A sea of people had parted away, forming a clear line to where Blaise Zabini had fainted at the end.
And standing next to him was a girl that the very funeral was meant for.
She had crossed her arms in a defensive manner and edged away from Blaise. The body of student responded to her move, making a block from the doorway which she had come through, thus making the decision for her between the choice to run or to go ahead to the front of the hall.
Uncertainly, she shuffled her way up to the front of the hall, ignoring the whispering and pointing coming from the rest of the students. An old man with a very long snow white beard was at the centre of the hall, standing in front coffin and thus blocking her view. His blue eyes seemed to twinkle at the sight of her.
Before she was able to reach him though, the boy and the man that was standing next to the old man came running up to her. The boy stopped halfway, but the man continued. He would've looked handsome, but her hollow cheeks suggested that he hasn't had a decent meal in weeks. Gwen suddenly felt herself hallucinating, as an image flitted across her mind.
A mass of filthy, matted hair hung to his elbows. If eyes hadn't been shining out of the deep, dark sockets, he might have been a corpse. The waxy skin was stretched so tightly over the bones of his face, it looked like a skull. His yellow teeth were bared in a grin. It was Sirius Black.
'Hermione! You're alive.' The same man said, scooping her up in his arms and twirled her up in rejoice. So scared that Gwen was, that she couldn't help being shriek in fright, clawing out of the man's grasp and backing away from him until her back hit a table.
'I'm not Hermione! I'm…I'm Gwen. I'm not Hermione. I'm Gwen Katherine Gryffindor.' Said Gwen, her voice wavered with panic. She noticed how the man in front of her froze in shock.
'Gwen?'
Numerous others had spoken her name at the same time, but she ignored them all as she ran up to the old man with the white beard.
'Are you the headmaster of Hogwarts?'
'Indeed I am.'
She took a deep breathe, ran her eyes warily at every other entity within four metres of her and stared up at him with all the determination that she could muster.
'My name is Gwen Katherine Gryffindor.' She said. 'I need your help.'
Author's notes: Sorry for the long wait guys, I guess I have been neglecting C.O.D a tad bit. I've got my Trial HSCs (for all those living in Australia, you know what I'm talking about)! Wish me luck on my exam tomorrow – it's English Paper II. I'm so FREAKIN SCARED! hyperventilates.
I had to re-read the story again, since it has been so long since I've last written anything for it (my bad hides). I had a really fun time writing this chapter though, and I hope it's enough to satisfy your C.O.D-needs for now. I wonder what Gwen/Hermione has digged herself into?
Stay tuned to find out. And oh yeah, press that Review button after you finish read this. I command it! Pretty please?