I was running. How fast, how far, and for how long? I wasn't sure. But I was running. My lungs ached from exertion. My breathing was short and fast to keep the blood pumping to the muscles in my limbs, so they could keep working. I felt like they were going to fall off.
The place I was running to was unfamiliar. I couldn't be sure where I left, or where I was now. I was in a forest someplace, but my path seemed to be cleared for me. They walls of trees on both sides of me were tall, too tall to see over. In front of me was a mist that kept me from seeing more than 10 feet in front of me.
"Adena…" I heard my name called throughout the trees on the left side of me. I stopped where I was, skidding to a halt, hurting my bare feet on the dusty dirt and rocks I was running on. I must have been too pumped with adrenaline to notice it before.
"Adena…" The whispery voice called again. I identified it to be a male's. I wasn't sure of the age. I shuffled toward the voice through the trees, in an almost hypnotized state. A hole in my tank top snagged a nearby branch, waking me from my daze. I realized what I was doing and just how reckless and naïve I was being. I started to draw back. Who knows who that is? But, if they don't know me, how did they know my name?
"Trust me, I'm an old friend", said the voice softly. "There's no need to fear me".
"If you're a friend, why won't you tell me who you are?" I called out sounding much braver than I felt.
"Just come here!" shouted the voice, sounding much stronger than it had a minute ago. I turned around to retreat, but the trees around me pushed me roughly with their branches, ripping another hole in the jeans I was wearing.
I was passed quickly from tree to tree until they brought me to a clearing in the woods. I looked ahead of me and saw a small pedestal raised above the fog, and on it was a cloaked figure.
"What do you want with me?" I whispered, quite afraid.
"To give you back what was once yours", said the voice sounding much less intimidating now. The cloaked figure slowly turned around, sweeping up the fog around the bottom of the robe and making it disperse in large waves.
When the male was fully turned towards me, he took down his hood. I caught quick glimpse of white skin and red eyes. I opened my mouth to scream-
I jolted awake in my bed to find myself screaming. I looked at my hands to find them twisted in my blanket. My knuckles were white from how tight I'd been holding on. I untangled them and sat up, rubbing my eyes. I stretched my arms up and ruffled my burgundy hair.
I threw my blankets off and slid out of bed. I glanced in the little mirror I had set up at my desk. My grass green eyes were bright and wide. My straight hair, which usually is flipped out about an inch above my shoulder, was stuck up all over the place. I clearly hadn't been sleeping very peacefully.
I grabbed my brush off the end table next to my bed and ran it through my snarly hair. I would definitely need a shower before my "escort" arrived.
I checked the time to find it was 7:45a.m. I bolted to the shower, not knowing exactly when my guide was to be here, therefore, not knowing when I should be ready.
I rushed through my shower and blow-dried my hair in my room. I grabbed a pair of green cargo pants. I threw on a black camisole and glanced in the mirror at my slender frame. I wasn't more that 5'2" and my long slender fingers were wrapped on my hips. I took one of them and traced the structure of my angular face and pointed chin. My full lips stood out against my very pale skin. I shrugged my shoulders and walked out of my room.
Taylor was sitting in the living room sipping his soda. My brother wasn't a big coffee drinker. Actually, he didn't drink almost anything other than soda. He was just kind of quirky that way.
"Hey kiddo" he said setting down the Daily Prophet that he'd been reading.
"Hiya" I said stretching and yawning. I walked over and plopped down on the couch. "When is my escort supposed to be here again?" I said smiling brightly. He saw through me immediately.
"You don't have to pretend. How many times am I going to have to tell you that? He should be here in like 10 minutes."
"You know who it is then?" I inquired.
"Yes, not that I'm going to tell you", he said smirking.
"How come?" I asked lightly.
"I want to see the look on your face when he gets here."
"I'm afraid."
"Don't be. He's just a big teddy bear. Go get your shoes on and be ready when he gets here."
"Okay…" I said hesitantly. I ran back to my room and grabbed my combat boots with wool interior out of the little closet I'd put them in. I grabbed my thin ankle socks and slipped them on. While tying my boots, I thought about what my escort was going to look like.
I imagined this short little wizard with tufts of white hair around the brim of his hat. I imagined him with a squeaky voice and luminescent blue robes. I laughed at my imagination and went back out the living room.
"I've put the galleons I got from our account on the coffee he said nodding his head towards a little cloth bag filled with shiny, gold coins. I tied the bag to my waist with the drawstring and sat back down to wait for this mystery man.
It seemed like only seconds had passed by when we heard a knock on the door. I thought this was a very strange thing for a magical person to do. Most of the time, they just apparate in and that's that. Maybe this person thought that would be rude?
My brother answered the door and the biggest man I had ever seen walked through it, ducking to get his head through. I almost fell backwards at the shocking sight that met my eyes. A man with a wild mane of black hair, a full beard and the kindest black eyes you've ever seen was gazing steadily at me. He had hands the size of my whole body! My jaw dropped open, but I closed it quickly.
"Oy, you must be Adeeena. Nice to mee' ya", he said in a deep, gruff voice, extending a hand.
"It's Adena. Nice to meet you too Mr…." I said shaking his hand. Well, his hand shook. My whole arm shook. I could hear Taylor snickering.
"I'm Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. Most jus' call me Hagrid tho", he said smiling.
"Oh, alright then Hagrid", I said smiling really wide. He seemed really nice, like a gentle giant. Hey, maybe he was a giant? Who knows?
"Well, we should prob'ly get goin' then. Say goodbye to ya brother there and we'll head out"
I went over to my brother and hugged him. "Thanks for everything" I whispered.
"No problem. Have fun kid", he whispered back.
We let go and I walked over to Hagrid. "Alrighty, I'm set. Let's get goin'"
We walked out of my brother's apartment building and walked down the street like the odd pair that we were. We turned onto a street and walked down to a little bus stop. We got on the bus and took it downtown.
We got off near a bunch of shops that were all looking a bit rundown. He led me down to a little pub that looked sadly forgotten. He waltzed right in like he owned the place and I trailed behind him. We walked up to the bartender where Hagrid loudly stated that he had important business to do and he couldn't be bothered for drinks today. The bartender looked slightly puzzled as he hadn't said anything about drinks, but he just nodded and let Hagrid through.
We walked to the back of the pub and went down a hall to enter a closet. The only thing in the closet was a couple of black trash bins and a brick wall. I didn't see how this could be of much importance, so I looked around for something else with more significance. He pulled out a light pink umbrella that seemed to be fairly damaged and tapped the bricks on the wall in a particular pattern. I was really confused, but I'd come too really like Hagrid, so I waited for something to happen.
All of a sudden, the wall seemed to disintegrate. A bright light hit my eyes and my jaw dropped for the second time in an hour and a half.
A/N: How do you think I did on Hagrid's dialogue?