HP-Hogwarts
Story So Far
Transcript
Three
A New
Crisis Develops
Some time before Madison distractedly excused
herself from the group in the Gryffindor Common Room. (Yvette,
Nimue and Marvo). She stumbled out the portrait hole, an uneasy
feeling in the pit of her stomach. She realised she was getting
more and more drowsy...she just wanted to lay down right where
she was and sleep....She leaned against the wall and closed
her eyes to rest for what seemed like just a moment. All of
a sudden, she felt a bump and was jolted awake instantly...and
realised that she had run into Achel. "I'm sorry," she apologised,
looking around. She was shocked to see that she was no longer
in the hallway. Looking down, she saw Egreen comforting Morticia.
"What happened?" she asked anyone who would listen. "How did
I get here? Morticia...she had another vision didn't she?" Madison
paled, realising what this meant. "Who was it? Who's hurt?"
Nimue was in the room standing to one side and
letting folk sort out the situation (she knew her help wasn't
needed and maybe not wanted). Still a little flustered having
practically been run over by Marvo and Kat in all the excitement.
She was quite pleased to see Achel here as she'd come down from
Gryffindor Tower to see if he was about.
Nimue stepped up and put an arm around Madison
to steady her - "You know there seems to be some link between
you two." She indicated Morticia, "Maybe some herb tea might
be a good idea?" She looked towards Achel whom she knew was
good with plants and said:
"Achel, some herb tea might help. Do you have
any ideas what is good for this sort of thing" She was talking
as much about Morticia as Madison.
Madison was still shaking. "W-who is it?" she
asked, afraid of the answer. "Who's been hurt?" She closed her
eyes and rubbed her temples, trying to stop the dull pounding
in her head. "Josslin," someone answered. Madison opened her
eyes, staring dumbly at nothing. She was trying to think....She
remembered that Josslin had wanted to meet her. Joss had known
something about what was happening....Madison turned to Nimue.
"What did Morticia see?"
"I'm not sure what she saw" replied Nimue, "I
came in rather late but I gather she had another vision, this
time about Joss and there are search parties looking for Joss
now just in case as with yourself she is in danger.. or worse".
Nimue's suggestion about the tea had struck a
chord with Achel. "Come on Nimue" he said we need arkongs ranthe
and peakocks yeald from greenhouse number two., He grabbed Nimue's
hand and they headed out the door.
The two were soon back with bundles of leaves,
and flower heads. "we need boiling water" ..
Egreen took a bowl, poured some water into it
from the Jug on the table and looked at it. It started to boil.
"How did you do that" asked Achel, but Egreen
had gone back to speaking in a strange tongue.
Nimue and Achel picked some of the choicest leaves
and put them into the water. The hot water changed green, then
red, then deep purple. They poured a little into a cup and gave
it to Morticia.
She supped a little.
"I'm not sure it will work" said Achel, these
leaves are very fresh, and they should be dried. Achel and Nimue
held hands and waited for Morticia's response.
Egreen suddenly raised his head. "I must go" he
said. "Morticia will be fine, they have found Joss".
"How does he do that" said both Nimue and Achel
at the same time,
As Egreen left the dining room he ran into Professor
Dumbledore.
"I know" said Dumbledore without anything needing
to be said.
Then the two of them rushed to where Joss had
been found.
With Egreen being called away by Prof. Dumbledore,
Morticia is left in the care of Ceridwyn, Nimue and Achel. The
news that Joss has been found along with the tea does seem to
eventually calm her down.
At some point during all this, at a lull in the
action Nimue found herself standing with Ceridwyn Lindsey, Morticia's
good friend.
Nimue had found since the visit to hogsmeade (was
that really only yesterday?) that everything was sort of running
together and although she acted quite self-possessed on the
outside, on the inside she wished she had a friend as faithful
as Ceridwyn.
She couldn't actually recall whether during the
weeks at Hogwarts she and Ceridwyn had actually exchanged a
civil word. Nimue was somewhat wary of all the Slytherin girls
since Morticia's rebuff.
Still she remembered that incident when Ceridwyn
stood up at breakfast and asked the entire school about whether
they had any dreams? Someone had reported overhearing Ceridwyn
say something about this being 'something bigger than a single
student, or house, could handle' and that we might all have
to work together to figure it out.
This had been pretty much her own thoughts as
well and she wondered if inadvertently she had failed to recognise
an ally.
Without warning, she turns to Ceridwyn saying:
"You know all those weeks ago you were right even if no one
else could see it working then. Now with what's happened to
Joss and how both Morticia and Madison are being effected, I
think it most of us are ready to work together to find answers."
Ceridwyn always thought Nimue to be a very interesting
person, similar to herself, but perhaps a tad quieter. Ceridwyn
once had been completely ensconced in her books too, but then
decided that the outside world had so much to offer that she
couldn't ignore its call. Ceridwyn also admired Nimue's seeming
strength and there was always an air of regality about her.
After Nimue finished Ceridwyn turned to her, and smiled, just
slightly. "We do need to traverse house lines and differences,
I think this year is going to change us all, I mean.. it's already
made some of us stronger, more brave, more outspoken, and more
involved. I think that if we put our resources together, that
we would make a fine team, the lot of us." Ceridwyn just looks
at Nimue to see if she agrees.
Nimue was about to say something when her attention
was called back to Morticia who seemed to becoming agitated
again:
"Morticia, would you like to go to the infirmary
or remain here and wait for the others to bring news?" Nimue
asks with some concern.
"Joss! I want to see Joss!" Morticia insists,
having calmed down a bit.
"Morticia, we all want to see Joss and she is
found but in what state is not yet known. I am sure that Egreen
and the others will be back for you..for us as soon as possible."
She looks shyly at Achel. This event had unexpectedly
thrown them together and now that Morticia was calmer it seemed
they had reached a quiet understanding.
"Achel, do you think that is best or should we
follow them?"
Madison took a deep breath to calm down. She had
been sitting in a corner of the room, and had seen everything.
She stood up and walked over to Nimue and Achel. "We'll find
Joss...but, did it have anything to do with the Forest? Or me?"
she asked. If this wasn't connected to her, then they had two
problems on their hands. "Josslin knew something. She was going
to meet me...and help me with my problem. It happened again
today. I got tired, I actually fell asleep in the hallway, and
ended up here."
Then Madison had another thought. "Did any of
you see me walk in? I mean, did I look any different?"
[Madison coming over prompted Achel and Nimue
to stop holding hands.]
"I guess it might well have done" replied Nimue,
"after all there does seem to be too much a coincidence that
you were to meet her. Though it may that Morticia is very sensitive
when people are in mortal danger."
"As for looking different you were very pale
as though you weren't quite 'in' your body somehow. Maybe you
were sleepwalking?"
She looked expectantly at Morticia hoping she
might be able to provide more information or give her own opinion
on the matter.
Morticia shrugs and wipes the last few tears off
her face. "I only saw Joss. It was terrible. Is she okay? I
want to go and see if she's okay!"
Madison noticed them holding hands, and blushed
a bit, then turned serious again. "I've never sleepwalked...I
think that something may be trying to take over my mind. It
connects with Morticia's dream...she said that I spoke, but
it was a man's voice, not mine." She paused, then continued.
"If someone IS trying to take over, he must not be very strong.
He can only get to me when I sleep, when I can't consciously
fight him. I don't know what to do...and I-I'm starting to get...sleepy..."
She fought to stay alert, but found herself falling to the floor.
Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion.
She closed her eyes, and heard a man's voice echoing
in her head. "Somnus...."
This new crisis caught Morticia, Ceridwyn, Achel
and Nimue by surprise as Madison slumped to the floor.
Without knowing, Madison stood up and headed for
the door. Hey eyes seemed hollow and lifeless, and her face
was pale....
In the circumstances it seemed unwise to try and
wake her. Better perhaps to follow her closely making sure she
came to no harm. Nimue grabbed a large cushion - just in case
anyone was going to any more slumping to the floor - herself
included - they'd have a soft landing.
Madison headed down the hallway...and right into
a wall. "Ouch!" Madison awoke, rubbing her nose. She turned
to see Nimue nearby. "Guess this guy's not very good at control
spells, huh?" Madison forced a laugh, then sank to the floor.
"What am I going to do? How can I help find Joss if I can't
even control myself?" Tears welled up in her eyes and she brushed
them away. "What are we going to do? How are we going to find
Joss now?"