Chapter 67: A Thousand Years of Waiting

-Rowena-

One moment, I was whole, looking at the ancient book with the initials in front of me. The next one, after the ritual was complete, I felt nothing.

There was no sight. There was no smell. There was no sound. There were no feelings at all.

It was like floating in space with nothing but your own thoughts. I didn't even have a body anymore.

I was a book, I realised.

Then I felt the presence of another, like a bubbling cauldron of thoughts nearby. The bubbling came closer until I could read their thoughts in front of me, like a book.

It was me, I realised.

The real me was carrying me inside the room, where I would wait, with every single piece of knowledge preserved, until the right apprentice came.

That could take years, hundreds of years, thousands of years, millions of years, if the castle stood for that long.

The bubbling disappeared and once again, there was absolutely nothing.

There was nothing, and I realised that there would be nothing but that for a very, very long time.

-()-

A faint bubbling emerged, out of nowhere. It was as if an explosion came upon my deprived senses.

Then I felt their presence close and finally, I was free.

Suddenly, I was laying on my bed. The explosion of sense made me fall to my feet.

I touched my face again, relishing being able to feel. I inhaled slowly, exhaled even slower, it felt brilliant.

I checked the calendar on my nightstand.

03:45 - 3/3 1267

I swallowed, I had been waiting for 200 years.

I looked inside the mirror, and saw myself for the first time again.

I was young, not a single trace of my white hair or wrinkles. I was beautiful, with long, blonde hair and a pretty smile I couldn't contain.

I was free.

It was time to see who the castle had sent me.

The silver door to my room opened, to reveal the circular room I'd designed, with the fireplace and the two armchairs.

A tall boy's eyes widened comically from where he stood in the entrance. "Who are you?" he said, looking at my feet.

"I'm a help to those in need," I said. I sat down in the armchair with a smile; it was impossible to contain, like trying to stop a river with your bare hands.

I was free.

The boy sat down, blushing. "What– what do you help with?" he said, his eyes looking anywhere but at me.

"What do you need help with?" I asked. This was the only person in two hundred years the school had sent me, he had to be special.

The boy shrugged. "I don't know, I've done all my homework."

I smiled. "Surely you've got something other than homework to do?"

The boy shrugged. "I want to be the Minister of Magic," he said. "But I don't think you can help me with that."

I smiled. "You'd be surprised. What do you need to become the Minister?" I said, not quite knowing what the Ministry was, but assuming it was a fairly authoritative position.

"Power," he said. "Connections. Ruthlessness."

"Creativity," I said. "That's what you need. Everyone else aiming for the position will do their best to get power, they'll be ready to sacrifice everything, they'll make sure to know the right people. You need to be creative, and figure out how to distinguish yourself from everyone else."

The boy smiled shyly. "I guess," he said. "But how?"

"How are you going to be creative?"

He nodded.

"What do you think?" I said.

He cleared his throat. "I don't know. . . perhaps I could try to be nice?"

I remained silent, gesturing for him to continue, but I knew then, deep inside, that he was lost. He wasn't worthy.

He continued to blabber on, but I shut him out, only nodding occasionally.

Instead, I looked inside the purple fire in the fireplace, focusing.

Slowly, images of the castle appeared.

There were so many students, I remarked. Easily ten times the amount when I left.

Then, finally, I saw her.

She was floating by the railing of the astronomy tower, looking out over the Hogwarts grounds. There was a faint smile on her face, before she turned around, and looked me dead in the eye.

I stopped looking inside the fire.

"What do you think?" the boy said, a faint trace of pink on his cheeks.

"Sounds good," I said. "I bet you'll be a minister within a year."

He nodded exuberantly. "Thank you," he said. "You've helped a lot."

"That is what I'm here for," I said. "But I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about me."

"Of course," he said. "That's the least I could do."

"Goodbye," I said. "And good luck."

"You too!" he said. "Good bye."

He walked out of the room, and I heard the door open, my eyes widened when I realised what was about to happen. The door shut and I–

Nothingness. I was back to nothingness.

There was no touch, no smell, no sight, no taste; there wasn't anything, except my thoughts beating in my head like enormous drums.

-()-

Suddenly, I was laying on the bed again. I sprawled myself out and sighed contently, to feel brilliant.

My image in the mirror was identical to the last time I hadn't aged a day since I'd met the aspiring minister.

I spared a glance at the calendar.

12:00 1/4 1337

Not as long of a wait that time.

A young girl, at most twelve years old, was waiting for me inside the circular room, jumping in surprise when I walked inside.

"Hello!" I said, walking inside, relishing simply feeling again.

"Who are you?" the girl squealed.

"I'm a help to those in need," I said, just the same as last time. "And who are you?"

"Azalea Smith," she said.

"Okay, Azalea, what do you need help with?"

"I haven't finished my transfiguration homework," she sniffled. "It's due after lunch, Professor Adel said he would put me in shackles if I didn't hand it in on time."

I wanted to hurt the castle for sending her here.

Was the school using corporal punishment now too?

I shook my head, but was powerless in doing anything. "Give it here," I said. "I'll make sure you get a high grade."

The only problem was that I had to write the thing as if a twelve year old wrote it, otherwise this Adel would know that someone else wrote it for her.

My brain went into autopilot as I wrote the thing down. Eventually, my eyes drifted into the fire, looking for her.

Once again, I remarked at how the halls were almost full, bustling with life.

Helena was inside my tower, observing the statue with a frown. Her corpse.

"Here you go," I said and handed her the essay. "This should be good."

Azalea stood up to leave. "Thank you," she said.

She began to half-run half-walk out of the room.

"Can you stay?" I asked, making her freeze on the spot.

The girl looked at me like she was a terrified little rodent. "I have class," she said, and left.

Tears filled my eyes, and then, nothing.

-()-

I awoke on the bed, and this time I knew what I was going to do, whoever was outside could wait.

For a moment, I lay in bed, breathing, enjoying the scent of the air, the feel of my skin.

Then, slowly, I slid a hand down between my thighs and my whole body spasmed in pleasure.

Once done, I looked at myself in the mirror, where I looked identical as ever.

00:34 23/12 1543

I stepped outside to find a young woman sitting by the fireplace, inspecting it closely. "Who are you?" she said, and stood up with her wand in hand.

"I'm a help for those in need," I said glumly.

The girl narrowed her eyes. "What is your name?" she said.

The young woman's wand flew out of her wand. "I'm the castle's way of helping its students," I said, waving her wand in front of her. "I wouldn't threaten you if I were you."

The woman looked at me sourly. "Will you teach me anything?"

"Anything within reason," I said. "I won't teach you murder."

"That's a shame," the girl said. "That would have been useful."

"Which is why I won't teach you that," I said.

The woman smiled at me. "Teach me your favourite spell," she said.

I smiled back. "My favourite spell? I don't have one. Choose something you want to be able to do –except killing people– and I'll teach it to you."

"Teach me how to read minds," the girl said immediately.

Perhaps this girl could amount to something.

We got into the lesson, with the girl listening sharply to every word I uttered. She was clever, and grasped everything immediately, but when I got inside her mind, as she was trying to learn how to repel me, I saw images of younger students rolling on the floor beneath her, writing in pain.

I saw the teacher going white in the face when she walked by. I saw her sleeping with old men to get something.

No, I decided with disgust, she would never be my apprentice.

Helena was in the great hall, in a meeting with all the other ghosts.

I stared after the woman coldly when she left, wondering if I'd done something terrible in teaching her legilimency.

I would have a lot of time to think about it, because after that, nothing.

-()-

The next students flashed by, one after another. I noticed that the interval seemed to grow shorter with each student; though sometimes it was mere years between them, and in other cases there were almost twenty years, but no one stood out.

The people who walked inside were void of imagination, cruel, ambitionless, or reminded me too much of Helena.

"I'm a help to those in need," I said to the girl who walked inside, glaring at her, angry with the castle for sending her in there.

I helped the girl with repairing an old family heirloom, a necklace; and in the meantime, I looked inside the fire, and found Helena floating through the corridor with a soft smile on her lips.

I took as much time as possible to repair it, but in the end, the girl ran away from the room, almost stumbling on her own feet in an attempt to get away from me.

Then, nothing.

-()-

The moment I woke up, I started my customary ritual, then, once finished and panting heavily, I checked the calendar.

03:34 5/6 1767

Then, it was time for the glance in the mirror, and like every time, I was astounded by the fact that I didn't age.

An older boy –he must have been seventeen– was waiting in the room. "Hello," he said. "Who do we have here?"

"I am a help to those in need," I said, not appreciating how his eyes ran up and down my body.

"What a pretty name," he said dryly. "Does that mean you will help me?"

I nodded slowly. "The castle thought you might need my help," I said. "Whatever you need help with, I'll help you with."

The boy smiled widely. "A girl like you could only help me with one thing," he said, winking.

I stared at him, whose eyebrows raised mockingly.

"You told me anything," he said. "And what better use for such a pretty girl like you than fucking?" he said, taking a slow step closer. "You'll enjoy it," he said. "Just ask any of the girls in my year."

He stood a metre away from me.

"Fuck you," I said. "And sent him flying across the room like a little ragdoll."

He sat up, rubbing the back of his head. "Hey! You told me anything, it's not your fault you're so pretty!"

I didn't know whether to feel insulted or complimented.

"I'll help you with a piece of advice," I said. "Don't be a fucking prat in the future."

The boy stood up. "I'll make sure the aurors find you," he said. He sneered at me and wiped the dust off his clothes. "Then, when you're in a prison cell, I'll come and visit you. If you make me happy, perhaps I will let you out."

I flicked my wand, and a spell struck him between his legs.

"Good luck pleasing anyone now," I said.

The boy's eyes were wide. "Out!" I shouted.

The boy scrambled out of there.

Allowing me a few short moments to find Helena in the fire. She was in the dungeons, talking to the Bloody Baron about something.

Then, as the door shut to the room, nothing.

-()-

When I woke up, I didn't feel like doing anything. I skipped my tradition and stood up, noticing how I looked different in the mirror that time. There was a frown on my forehead, and my eyes –my purple eyes– looked like a little ship which had been through a storm, broken and shattered.

The student outside wouldn't be the one, I thought to myself. What I was looking for didn't exist.

15:48 11/11 1942

The girl waiting for me in the circular room had hair red as fire.

"Hello," she said, uncertain, when I entered the room. "What is this place, I've never seen it before?"

"It's a place the castle created to help students who needed it," I said. "Who are you?" I asked, hoping, despite my best instincts, that she would be the one.

"Julia Roberts," she said. "And you?"

"I'm a help to those in need," I said. "That's all you need to know."

"Alright. Thank you." She chewed on her lip. "Is it alright if I sit down?" She gestured to the armchair.

"Of course," I said, and sat down next to her. "What do you need help with?"

Julia swallowed. "You won't tell anyone what I tell you, right?"

"Every secret you have stays safe with me," I assured her.

She nodded. "Okay. . . There are three girls in my year," she began.

"They're–" The girl clenched her hand into a fist. "They're throwing gobstones into all my potions, they're spreading lies about me, they're hexing me in the corridors, they're–"

"I understand," I said, feeling a twinge of sympathy for the young girl. "Which house are they in?" I wondered, having learnt that people from different houses essentially thought of each other as enemies.

"Gryffindors," Julia said. "None of the other Slytherins want to help me either, they say I'm too weak."

I nodded. "Aha, well, I can help you with that."

The girl listened to each of my explanations like her life depended on it, she didn't blink once when I demonstrated; Julia followed my every word like it was scripture, but when it come to the point where she would have to replicate, all she could create was feeble sparks which wouldn't have harmed an ant.

As Julia practised, her brow furrowed in concentration, I looked inside the fire.

There were a couple less students than the last time I'd looked inside, and everyone was looking at other students with narrowed eyes, as if they were about to stab each other in the back.

I spotted an old newspaper lying visibly to me in the Great Hall.

Grindelwald takes Paris; At least 2000 dead

War, I thought solemnly. There was a war going on.

My search for Rowena continued, past an enormous man with a huge beard, despite his age; past three people with black hair who were hiding in a cupboard together, 'playing' were they thought they were unseen; past an middle-aged man who was standing at the top of the astronomy tower, holding a picture of his younger self together with another man in his hand.

I stopped for a moment, something about the man was different, like every torch wanted to burn brighter for him.

One lone tear was running down his cheek, before he crumbled the picture together and threw it off the balcony. He turned around and walked down the stairs.

I looked after the man for a moment, before I continued my search for my lost daughter.

Then I found her, she was floating in an old classroom, with only one torch inside it.

She wasn't alone.

There was a boy next to her, a handsome boy with black hair, clad in Slytherin robes.

"-help you tremendously," Helena said. "Once you've done it, nothing else will beat it."

I looked at them curiously, and realised with dread that Helena was teaching this boy something.

"I get it," the boy snapped, a wild look in his eyes.

"Conjure an animal and try it," Helena said, she floated closer and whispered something in his ear, something which made the boy sit up straighter.

The boy's pale features were cold as stone when he conjured a small mouse.

"Crucio," the boy whispered, like the word was holy.

The red bolt struck the mouse, and the mouse writhed on the table in agony. The boy's eyes were alight, like he was getting married to the love of his life.

"Good," Helena whispered. "Now you've only got one of them left."

"Teach me," the boy breathed out. "Teach me everything you know."

Helena smiled. "Of course, as long as you remember our deal."

"I will find this person for you, and kill them," he said. "I don't care who it is."

Helena smiled. "Good, Tom. I believe you already know the incantation for the next?"

The pale boy smiled, his eyes glinting red in the vague light of the classroom.

"Avada Kedavra," he whispered.

I emerged from the visions in the fire, with Julia looking at me strangely.

"Are you alright?" she said.

"Stupefy!" I said, and watched her emotionlessly as she fell into the armchair, limp.

Helena was plotting to kill me, with the help of this boy.

I had to stop her. I'd waited for a thousand years, it couldn't come to an end now.

Something had to be done.

A/N:Next chapter is a huge chapter. That's all I say. It's a huge one, in more ways than one.