Selene POV
I'm glad these last few days have gone by uneventful, well as uneventful as they can go whilst going through the end of year exams, I think I did well this year. I've dragged Fred and George into the library a few times to study and other times Hermione and I have gone together, I really do enjoy her company, it's been a fair few years now since I've been around muggles and to hear what new technology they have created is interesting which I'm sure my dad will be ecstatic to hear about.
Hermione loves to learn about our world that is now her own, and I've been more than happy to answer all her questions, we're both almost in the same boat when it comes down to it with our first year of Hogwarts we had previously no idea about magic. Although we both know that we're not the first, it's nice to know someone who has experienced the same as the other, heck I've even given her tips to look out for which she has appreciated.
I'm currently happily sitting in the room of requirement with George and Fred, going through some more joke ideas and some sweets. I've got a couple cauldrons stirring themselves with some end of year surprises we came up with, it's going to be brilliant!
I feel a slight shudder going through me, I look around from where I'm lounging on one of the seats looking around, my eyes widening in shock for a second at what I see before frowning confused. I swear for a second…I thought I saw some kind of ghost, but it's gone…and I didn't recognise it from the other ghosts in the castle we've met.
"Did you two see that?" I ask staring in the same spot I saw it, it was in the direction of the exit doors, what could it have been?
"See what? Have the poppers popped?" George asks sitting up to look at the cauldrons, I shake my head no, without looking away from the door,
"What is it" Fred asks, I slowly shake my head not knowing,
"I suddenly felt cold and I swear I saw…it was like a head…but a ghost?" I say already hearing how stupid that all sounded but it's all I can do to explain it,
"Revelio" George says, casting the spell in case there is something in here with us, but nothing happens, I frown more, looking over to them,
"That was odd" I say, they nod in agreement, George coming to sit next to me rubbing my side, I lean into him accepting his comfort and warmth, ridding the chill still there.
"Ok, so as soon as the bell goes we give our signal to peeves and he puts this all over the courtyard, and the floor will look like its disappeared – it will give them all the fright of their lives" Fred says, I smirk at that, seeing the look on everyone's faces and then the looks of fun at them standing almost in mid air will be worth it.
"Come to my chambers in two hours" comes a voice, I look to the doors to see uncle Severus' stag patronus, he rarely uses his powers I wonder what is going on, I hope they're alright.
"Good thing the potions are almost finished, wonder what is going on" Fred says, I nod in agreement, standing up to inspect the cauldrons all of them looking perfect which I grin at, Professor Snape would be impressed – if it was for class, however I think he would see this as a waste of our talents, but we need to cause a little mischief. Especially for the first years after their exams.
I put them under a stasis charm to keep them safe and stop them from going off so they will be ready for their main event in a few days time. After putting our cloaks back on we head out of the room and head down to the dungeons to chambers.
Violet POV (Three hours before)
These end of year exams always make me wonder, why we often have the same things over and over again, never changing, no differences in history of magic, or muggle studies, Professor Burbage often loves to meet up together to grade papers and for us to have interesting conversations, I must admit I have never lived in the muggle world unlike Selene, but the things they have both told me are very different, when I have spoken to Selene about it she also brought up concerns that some of the information the proffessory is teaching is rather out of date, there is no mention of the new computers that have come out or of films, even the different cultures aren't mentioned, I brought this up with her and she was astounded the level of information I brought to her in one of our catch-ups.
Admittedly our first meeting wasn't great, she along with a few professors know of my history, especially since some still reside in these halls whom were my teachers too. She was terrified of me, it took a long time and she bravely approached me to ask me some questions and I always spoke honestly. She is a hopeless romantic and when she learned that I had been in the situation I had been she was sympathetic and always says that I will find my true love.
That still puts a smile to my face, though whenever I think of love I always see a rugged face with shaggy hair.
Shaking my head from my thoughts, saving that for another time. I look down at the next exam scroll to go through before I feel a sudden change in temperature, even if I am in the dungeons it doesn't get this cold, not with the warming charms in the room.
Without warning a misty shroud of a ghost appears from the floor, at first I think it is one of the Hogwarts ghosts but I stand in fright at what I see when they stand before me.
Its Tom.
"M-my lord?" I say quietly, telling myself I must be brave, I must keep up this role, to keep us all safe.
"The power that child wields is one I have not yet come across, with his bare hands he destroyed Quirrell, and with him my host" he says with a glare in his eyes at his recent defeat. I exhale a breath in shock, surely Harry hasn't just been with him? Is he alright? Where is he?
"B-but how?" I ask confused, how could Harry have done what Tom has said, an eleven year old boy with the ability to destroy a grown wizard? Although he did also defeat him when he was an infant so there isn't much to say with the young boy.
"That remains a mystery for now. One I will look into when I can again obtain a host" he says, his eyes looking to me, but I only take a half step back, his ghostly form coming towards me, going through my desk without looking away from me,
"Perhaps…all I need is the perfect host. One whom will not fight me, one whose magic is limitless and at my beck and call. One who holds my heart as no other has" he says, his face only inches from my own. My heart freezing in fear, surely he cannot be thinking…?
"Let us be together in a way no husband and wife could ever dream to be my queen, let me in, give me your consent to be one with you. Together we will be unstoppable" he says his eyes filled with greed from the power he could have.
He doesn't wait for me to say anything before he moves forward towards me, I try to take a step back but the stone wall presses at my back stopping me and without warning he enters through me.
The feeling is colder than ice, my body and blood feel like they have frozen in time and with it thousands of needles stabbing me everywhere. I can't stop the screams, I don't know how I'm still standing with this pain. I can feel him moving inside me trying to fit his soul or whatever he is within me, it's like I'm being stretched and then frozen and then ripped from the inside over and over again.
This cant happen, I cant have him within me, I will never be free, the nightmare that he is will be within me however long he wishes and that could be forever, he would literally have my power to use however he wished and I would have no control.
Suddenly somewhere from deep within myself a fire erupts and spreads throughout my body, pushing out this invading entity before he is thrown away from me across the room. My legs give out and I fall to the floor, expecting to fall on hard stone flooring but warm hands catch me and bring me up, leaning on a solid body holding me up right, my knees on the floor and my complete body is shaking, I feel like I'm going to be sick.
"What happened! Why didn't that work?!"
My eyes slowly look up to the ghostly figure again, my breaths are deep and ragged, I can't concentrate and I can't keep my head up.
"My lord what happened? I heard her screams" I hear Severus beside me, he must have been the one to catch me, was he also the one to banish him out of my body?
"Quirrell was defeated and I am yet again in need of a host. My queen had allowed me to share her body to hold my spirit until I could find another host but before I could finish I was thrown out, it left like flames were pushing me out from inside" he says, I want to shout that I didn't allow him at all but I can barely get my breathing regulated never mind speak a word at this moment.
"My lord perhaps it is because she is not an ordinary witch, even with Violets extraordinary skill she is not of the same blood as any of us. She has not just unicorn hair but dragon heart sting willingly given within her very core. We couldn't even begin to understand what that could mean, not just with her wandless magic and other gifts. Perhaps with one of those it is an added defence to her too. You said it felt like flames, that could be from the dragon heart strings, dragons are formidable creatures, no witch or wizard can possess them, that trait could have gone to Violet also."
Even after ten generations there is still things to learn about myself.
"That does not help with my current circumstances Severus!" Tom says angrily, if possible it looked like his form were becoming more transparent, that or I am not in good shape at all right now.
"I must leave, I can feel Hogwarts herself forcing me to leave. Know this, I will return for what is mine" he says, hi eyes landing on me.
I must have blinked because when I opened my eyes again he was gone. I sag in relief, grateful that Severus caught me again, this time lifting me up into his arms and placing me down on the sofa. He brings his wand out and hovers it over me, my breathing still deep but I don't think it's as ragged anymore.
"S-Sev-erus" I whimper, my arms covering myself as much as possible, my body curling into a ball with fear.
I have hated him for some of the things he has done, and then my hate for him grew for what he tried to have planned for Selene, but I have never feared him. I think he knew that I could beat him with my magic, it's the reason he chose me, to have an incredible power close to him and never against.
But I never imagined he would try something like this.
"I'm here Violet, I wish I could have done something, when I heard your scream I came as quickly as I could, and when I found you like you were…I feared the worst" he says, sitting beside me and pulling me up to lean me on his side, I wrap my arms around him shakily, he has to help me do this and then wraps his arms around me, rubbing my back in a comforting motion.
"you are a truly remarkable witch my chosen sister" he says, my resting on his shoulder,
"For anyone to have such unique abilities as yourself, you could almost be considered unstoppable. Your body literally won't allow anyone or anything to possess neither your mind or your body. Possessing abilities to weild magic in ways that no-one has ever seen or heard of before. And yet you have a heart of gold. If he were to have even half of your ability we know he would use such gifts for destruction and to put those he considers weak down into submission. You will be alright" he says, I close my eyes taking in what he has said. The pain and terror my body has just gone through is in a numbing stage now but I can already feel it healing, my strength returning.
And my resolve is iron clad, I will protect those I love no matter what happens, he must be stopped.
"Thank you, dearest brother" I say, I feel his head resting on mine, we may not be siblings by blood, but I feel like our relationship is stronger this way, we have chosen to be each other's most trusted companion, not in a romantic way but in a way we know we can always rely on one another and have each other's backs. We don't see each other in an attractive way, just two souls so similar to one another that that is all we need.
Some of the words Tom said start to play in my mind, and that is when I freeze,
"Harry!" I scream, bolting up and running out of the chambers, not even stopping to explain, hearing him running behind me, I run to third corridor,
"Violet you shouldn't be running in your condition! What is happening?" he asks, I stop at the door with fluffy behind it,
"He said he was defeated, he told me he was defeated by the child – he has to mean Harry" I say urgently, without even waiting for me to say anything else he opens the door swiftly but are both forced to stop when the growls of Fluffy erupt in front of us…
well, until they catch sight of me.
I smile slightly as they bark happily at seeing me, of course they would be happy to see me, I bring them food and have been keeping them company in my spare time throughout this school year, I promised Hagrid I would as I knew that he wouldn't be able to make regular visits to them.
"Hey Fluffy" I say, walking over to them, their tail wagging happily, I lift my hands up and stroke them when they bring their heads over to me,
"You and dogs, honestly how is it you can tame such beasts?" Severus asks, I shrug my shoulders without looking away from Fluffy, me and dogs just get along.
"You go first through the hatch Severus, I'll be right behind you" I say, conjuring up some large pieces of meat for the Cerberus, having it pile in front of them but leaving room for the hatch to open for us.
"We'll go walkies after this I promise" I say, one of the heads coming up from their meal to bark as if he understood me and then went back to eating the food.
Carefully I climb down the ladder, finding Severus waiting for me with his wand lit up, forcing the venomous tentacular to retreat from the light, revealing a hidden door behind him. With haste, we go through the door and through to the room with the flying keys, only to see Hermione hurrying over to us,
"Hermione why are you here?" I ask worried as to why she is here, she looks likes she's had a building fall over her,
"I couldn't get back up to the surface, I tried all the spells to get back through to the venomous tentacular but nothing worked. I have to get a letter to Dumbledore, Ron's in the next room and hes hurt, Harry went further along but I don't know where he is, hes been so long and im so scared that he is hurt" she says, tears running through her eyes, I bring her to me and she wraps her arms around me in a hug which I return,
"Take us to Ron first then we can find Harry" I say, she nods and leads us to the next room, which I find to be a giant chessboard, the pieces all in ruins, there was certainly a battle here,
"Ron won the game by sacrificing himself so Harry could go through" she says hurrying over to the prone figure on the floor, I hurry over to him, my heart stopping before I check his pulse, breathing a sigh of relief when theres a strong pulse, but he needs to go to the hospital wing.
I look ahead of me to the next door, that must be where Harry is,
"I'll take Mr Weasley and Miss Granger, we shall send an owl to Dumbledore, you go get Harry" Severus says, I look to him and nod,
"The vial on the left" he says, I look to him curiously before realising that the next room is his task, I nod in thanks before hurrying into the next room, finding before me a table with two vials of potion, an interesting task, I can only assume one may cause the drink to fall to sleep whilst the other does nothing.
Taking the one on the left I down it in one, trusting Severus' words before finally making my way across the room to the last door, flinging it off it hinges almost at the desperation I have to get to Harry, he has to be alright, I swore to his mother and father that I would protect him.
I find myself in a giant chamber, fires lit up around the area, almost hiding the lowered platform below except the mirror I had not long since last seen, the mirror of erased, so this is where Dumbledore hid it.
I look around hoping to see Harry somewhere before thankfully I spot a small figure below lying on the steps.
I lift my arm and swiftly wave it to the side, distinguishing all the flames quickly, allowing my access to descend the stairs.
Its because the flames have disappeared that I am able to then see on the main floor, robes that belonged to Quirrell, and ash where his body was, I only pause for a moment, unable to deny the shock at how such an innocent young boy could have such power, did he know he could do such a thing?
Shaking the questions from my mind I hurry to Harry's side, quickly checking his pulse, and for the second time this evening I can exhale in relief at feeling a strong pulse, I look to his hand to see that a very familiar stone is within his palm.
So much pain and death for one little rock, with far too much power within.
Carefully I take it from his hand and slip it into my robes, before carefully waving my hand gently over him, seeing what has happened and his injuries, luckily there isn't anything serious but he needs to be seen to by Poppy immediately.
Carefully as not to further hurt him, I levitate him up and together we make our way to the hospital wing.
"Oh! My goodness gracious not another one!" cries Poppy as I carry Harry into the infirmary, gently laying him on a bed, Poppy already waving her wand over him to check his injuries,
"How is Ron, Poppy?" I ask gently, my eyes swiftly going over to the other bed where I see him sound asleep in pyjamas,
"A few inner bruises and a broken rib, all of which are being taken care of, he will likely be ready to go in the morning. This young man however will need to remain for a few days" she says, I look to her worriedly at this, did I miss something when I checked on him before?
"Some inner bruising, and some broken bones in his hand, but his cranial looks like he has fallen on the stairs, that is delicate work, will take a little more time to heal and then to allow himself to wake up when he is ready" she explains, I nod following what she is saying.
"May I stay with him for a little, just to keep an eye on him?" I ask, she looks to me with a smile,
"Of course, my dear. But don't stay too late, you look like you could do with some sleep yourself" she says, I nod in agreement, if she knew what I had been through only an hour ago she would have me in one of these beds too.
My eyes rest on young Harry now, Poppy having transfigured him so that he is now in his pyjamas and have wrapped and splinted his hand along with some other bandages and plasters, this young little boy, has just defeated lord Voldermort, and has for the second time lived to tell the tale.