Melody Aira Snow - Hogwarts Assistant!

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"Ow... "

I remember saying that a few seconds before I even opened my eyes. Slowly at first, but they grew wider when I sat up, looked around, and saw where I was.

Nowhere .

Honestly, that's all I could call it. Nowhere. What would you call a place made up entirely of swirling purple-pink mist, with nothing and no one in sight, devoid of any life? What would you call a place that sparked no memory of having heard of it, of having seen it, or having even dreamt it? What would you call a place that seemed to have no limits, no bounds, no borders, exit or entrance; a place that gives no hope, emotion or feeling to one unfortunate enough to set foot in it's realm? Nowhere.

But that's where I was. I had no clue whatsoever where I was or how I had even got here in the first place. I had no memory! I remembered nothing! This was probably due to the fact that I was still dazed and in a blur from the pain earlier on, though. And that was basically all I remembered then; the pain.

I looked around. No, not a soul to be seen. I brushed my hair away from my face. Blinked. Looked around again. Still nobody. The slowly swirling mist was making me cold. I shivered. I felt numb. Completely numb. Mustering up my strength, I managed to call weakly, "Is anyone here? Is there someone to help me? Hello?" I was surprised at how sad I sounded, yet failed to actually feel the sadness . Was there an inner realisation or feeling inside that I was yet to feel, but couldn't in my emotionally-paralysed state? My voice was that of a child, innocent and lost, ripped away from the safe world she had known and plunged into nothingness. My voice was that of a child that had no one to love her, no one to care for her, no one she knew around her, no one around her, and she had been crying for quite some time without realising it.

Weakly, I got to my feet, swaying from my dizziness. "I have to find someone," I whispered. Somehow, I managed to walk, even though every tiny movement brought a sharp stab of pain to my every nerve. My vision was blurry and my head throbbed. I was so weak! What made me weaker was the thought that I might never find a way out of this... this... nothingness.

A drop of what I thought was sweat trickled down my nose. How can I be sweating in this temperature? I thought to myself, utterly weary. I reached up tiredly and wiped it off...

Blood!

The back of my hand was covered in blood! It wasn't' sweat at all! I stared, horrified, as a series of terrifying thoughts and realisations flashed through my mind;

Blood trickling from my forehead... a sharp, glowing horn... an unbearable feeling of horrible pain...

The Nixus had pierced my forehead..

Hagrid's words...
"Ye better be watchin' yerselves there, Melody, Harry... a Nixus can kill yuh anytime it wants with that horn o' theirs."

The horn kills.

Chris's joked warning...
"You think Erumpents are dangerous? Hah! That Nixus is close to a Basilisk and a Nundu, Mel. One prick of it's horn, and you're off to meet your Maker. Save me a seat in Heaven, alright?"

The horn kills.

The Nixus had pierced my forehead with her horn.

The horn kills!

Now I realised exactly what was that 'inner realisation' that I had not managed to feel earlier on. The realisation was that I was dead.

I was dead.

"Nooo!" I screamed. I sank to my knees, shivering and shaking uncontrollably. My fingers gripped at the misty, swirling ground, which was stained with drops of my blood. Shocked tears welled up in my eyes and streamed down my horrified face, while my breathing turned into choked gasps. I was dead! "No... no... " I sobbed.

You will never know what it feels like to suddenly realise that you are dead. Just like the brilliant light that first glowed from the horn, it is indescribable. The shock that suddenly washes over you like a tidal wave is filled with such force and intensity that the impact leaves your head spinning and your chest aching terribly. Your body, like your breathing, becomes horribly shaky and unstable. Soon, the shock is joined by something far more powerful and intense; Fear. I can honestly say that the fear I felt then was the greatest and most painful fear that I had ever felt before. The moment that the fear hits you, all thoughts of Heaven and Hell race blindly through your terrified, aching mind. You know that they await you, you know that they are ahead. You can't go left, right, or back. You can't go back, which means that it is time to face either one.

Somehow, you just know that Heaven is out of reach, and that the merciless fires of Hell are what you might be doomed to face. No matter how saintly you may have been in life, you can't help thinking of this terrifying possibility. All the horrible stories of torture, grief and pain in Hell dance about your brain, mocking and taunting mercilessly, about to claim your soul as one of their victims. The very thought you, you, being part of their torture, unable to escape or even cease the pain throughout all eternity, saddens yet scares you so much at the same time that you feel you can't breathe anymore and your chest pounds and aches again. Hot tears race down your face, accompanied by your heavy yet silent breaths. As you stand completely rooted to the spot by the shock, another heart-wrenching emotion appears; regret.

Suddenly, you regret everything even slightly bad that you have ever done, and you feel like the most sinful person on earth, undeserving of forgiveness. The great God's divine light and mercy seem so far away, out of sight and unreachable to your crying, helpless soul. The tears flow faster down your grieved face as you realise that when it comes to this, there is no more asking for God's forgiveness. The Saviour you have turned to all this while cannot help you anymore... will not help you anymore, for it is He himself that you will be facing. No amount of praying, sobbing or begging will bring you back. Your mind, body and spirit are suddenly and swiftly drained of all courage and hope, leaving you weaker, helpless and devoid of strength and will. You are scared, you are fearful, you are helpless, you are just... well, dead. I was dead. Now that the painful realisation had hit, there was only the matter of what was coming up ahead.

Now, try as I may, I have never been good at putting my emotions onto paper. What I have told you so far is just pitiful compared to what I really felt then. Reading it may not have shook you up, but eventually, you'll feel it too... one day.

So there I was, sobbing alone, the shock overwhelming me. I couldn't help wondering what had happened to my physical body. Had they found it already? Sure enough, because I remember blacking out by the window. Were they sitting around it crying? Did they write a letter to my family? Did they... did they... bury me already?! At that thought, I shivered and started crying again, but comforted myself by the fact that if I must be dead, at least I will be remembered... I hope.

All of a sudden, amongst my fear, sadness and grief, something else emerged from the darkness of my mind. I started to feel anger. My heart and chest burned and pounded with a white-hot fury, more white-hot than any other fury I had ever felt before. My lips quivered and my breaths quickened, hurting my chest. I had only one thing I needed to say... one thing I needed to ask... and one thing I needed to know. Now I stood up shakily, my face red, and yelled it out loud into the nothingness and emptiness of the place; "Why did you kill me?!"

I stamped my foot on the barely-there ground and let out an extremely frustrated cry. What did I do that was so horrible and evil to get me murdered? What filthy crime did I commit to be standing here in this empty place without my life? What...

I spun around and stared. I could've sworn I heard a footstep or something behind me. I frowned. "Who goes there?" I cried, "Show yourself!"

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I searched the mist, turning left and right, seething. There was someone else here! I heard them! "Who is it?!" I yelled again.

"No one but I, my lady."

That voice! Growing angrier, I scanned the nothingness frantically. It had to be her! That heartless, evil...

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a shadow emerging from my left side. I turned and saw her; the Nixus!

Her form became clearer, clearer as she came closer, until I could see the whole of her. I found myself backing away, glowering. This beast had taken my life away! And now she dared to walk up so calmly and coolly to me like this, pretending nothing had happened? Why, she looked so calm!

"Hello, my lady."

The fires sparked and rose up, blazing within me. "Bloody Hell, you!"

Enraged, I ran at her like a mad creature, hands outstretched, screaming while the tears continued to stream down my face. I wanted to mutilate her! Send her off to Hell!

The split second before I reached her, I saw a bright white flash, blinding me and making me skid for a while. I turned my head away and lost my footing. Next thing I knew, I stumbled and fell palms-first onto the ground... onto the spot where she should have been!

Letting out a pained groan, I picked myself up and looked around for her. That creature is going to die! Suffer! Like she did to me! I thought fiercely.

"Your frustration and anger is unnecessary, my lady."

What?

I looked around, then looked up. My murderer was flying about ten feet above my head! My patience had run out and my temper was beginning to take control. I picked myself up, clenched my fists and stamped my foot. "Come down here, you murderer!" I screamed.

She stared at me for a moment, stunned, then sighed, almost regrettably. My blazing eyes turned blood-red, unblinking, as I watched her fly slowly down, landing in front of me. She seemed sad, somehow. It showed in her eyes. Gazing at me, she started to speak, with a tone of one filled with sympathy. "My lady," she sighed, "Why do traces of tears stain your young face?"

I could not believe she was actually asking me this! Sizzling, I screamed, "Because you freakin' killed me, you heartless murderer!" My chest and throat heaved and hurt from screaming so much, but I had to let her have it.

The Nixus stared, unblinking, at me for a moment... then laughed. My mouth dropped open. She... she was laughing?! She was... amused that I was... was dead?! I couldn't say anything; I just stood there feeling my blood boil.

Calming down, she shook her head. "Oh, my lady," she smiled, "what ever has occurred to make you think such an absurd thing?"

My eyes turned a deeper, fiery red; I was so angry! "You," I hissed, "pricked me with your... your... " I took a deep breath. "... fatal, murdering horn!" I finished, teeth gritted and cheeks hot.

All at once, her face turned serious. Her eyes held mine with pity as she remained silent for a while, as if drinking the truth in. "Rest assured, my lady," she said, her mane and tail slightly billowing from the wind that surrounded the place, "You need not be so scared or angry... for let me tell you now that you are not dead."

"Huh?!" My mouth dropped open again. It couldn't be! "What... what are you saying?" I stammered. I dimly realised that my forehead was growing more painful.

The Nixus neighed softly. "My words bring the meaning that death is not what has brought you to this mortally-unknown realm, my lady," she said. "You are merely... in a dream. Your mind is here while your body remains in a state of none-consciousness."

I looked around, confused." A... a dream?" I stammered, "But I... I... "

"Unconscious, my lady. Death," she began, "has not touched you in any way. When you wake, my daughter and I shall have left you already. That is why you are here... for me to tell you what you have the right to know."

"Darn right you will," I muttered. Behind my hostility, I couldn't help feeling relieved and thankful to God for giving me 'a second chance'. And now I waited for her explanation.

"I touched your forehead with my horn, true," she said, fanning her wings slightly, "But not to kill you, my lady. To harm you in unthinkable to me."

The pain in my forehead was still growing. I could tell that it was bleeding a bit more. Wincing, I put my hand to my head to try and stop the pain, feeling the warm, wet blood. Ugh! But wait... what did she say?

"I thought that the horn of a Nixus kills instantly," I whispered, surprised now at how tired I suddenly sounded. She shook her head. "Only with intent, my lady. In other words, only when we want it to," she finished. "You shall wake soon, so I must tell you quickly."

My eyes turned back to their own clear turquoise, meaning that I had managed to calm down inside. "Tell me what?" I said blankly.

"I left a mark on your forehead, my lady."

"What?" I squeezed my eyes shut and groaned. "Don't tell me that I am going to grow a horn... !" I said, not believing what I was hearing. Hornhead! Ugh!

The Nixus laughed. "No, no, my lady, I have not disfigured you in any way," she assured me, "In fact, I am quite certain that some of your friends would label my little 'gift' rather... 'cool'," she smiled.

I didn't laugh, although I wanted to. It had suddenly got very difficult and painful to breathe now, and my forehead felt like it was being burnt! I started coughing and trembling, wondering what on earth was going on now. My head drooped wearily. The Nixus, though, didn't seem to notice anything wrong. She just continued speaking.

"What you feel now is the growth of the mark you will bear on your forehead, my lady. It will grant you a great power that allows you to summon any one of us from my herd in times of need. You need only to touch the mark and pray. Know now, my lady, that Nixai everywhere recognise it as the Symbol of Trust. I have looked into the passages of your heart and have unsurprisingly found you much worthy of it. You are much known, honoured and respected, my lady, and now you shall be much obeyed."

All this I heard through a blur. I had dropped to my knees from the pain that was slowly blocking out all other feelings or emotions. My eyes were squeezed shut, my head was bowed and my hand was at my forehead, soaked with perspiration. My forehead... it had started overflowing with blood, and the blood had streamed down my face, getting into my eyes, streaming down my arm, flowing into my mouth (yuk!) and dripping onto my pyjamas, staining the front part red all over. I breathed heavily and painfully as the disgusting blood dripped eerily onto the swirling misty ground in huge drops. What is happening to me? I thought tiredly. And then I collapsed.

Just before my eyes closed, I heard the Nixus's whispered words in my ear; "And the Sphere... it is now yours, my lady."

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I winced and squeezed my eyes shut, turning my head away. "Oh God... close that curtain!" I cried. Fifteen-year-old Zoe Geller jumped up immediately, closed the windows and pulled the curtains shut, then dropped down on her knees beside me on the floor again. "Mel... " she panted, "S-speak to me... are you... alright?" she gasped.

Now that the moonlight wasn't glaring directly in my eyes, I could look around clearly, but in a daze. I was lying on my back, my feet facing the window, and a crowd of the Gryffindor girls were huddled all around me, pale and scared. They were still in their nighties and were staring at me silently, obviously very worried.

"Mel!" Zoe spoke again, her brown eyes frantic, "Say something! Are you... "

"Oh my God, she's dead!" Hysterical Cynthia Mould grabbed me by the shoulders and started shaking me violently, making my brain rattle and my teeth chatter. "Mel!" she sobbed hysterically, making the other girls jump back, "are you dead? Oh, please don't tell me you're dead!"

Horrified, I raised my arms and tried to defend myself. "Get off me or I will be!" I screamed. 'Again'! I added silently. She dropped me a like a red-hot coal and gulped. "Oh Mel," she sobbed, "I'm so sorry! I was just so worried!" she moaned. I ignored her and sat up, groaning. The clever ass had managed to drop me on my head, making me dizzier.

Zoe waved her hand in front of me, making me snap out of my daze. "Mel, what happened?" she asked. "We heard you scream, and saw you pass out... and... and we saw that small Nixus flying away with a bigger one! What is going on?" she demanded, worried, but puzzled.

Her words made me stare. "I... I don't know!" I whispered, putting my hand to my head, trying to remember. Something major had happened... something that would give me a certain power... something...

I drew my hand away from my head. That's it!

The girls stared and gasped, not at me... but at my forehead. Yes, that was it! "The Symbol!" I cried. I jumped up and ran for the nearest mirror. Although it was slightly dark, I could still see.

There my reflection was... everything was normal, except for that design on my forehead. There was no sign of a prick mark anywhere! No pain, no blood... even my pyjamas were spotless! Only the Symbol remained... as smooth as if it were part of my own skin.

The mirror showed the other girls running up and huddling all around me, staring at my reflection in amazement. Several different whispers arose:

"What is that thing?"

"Oh, it's so awesome! When did you get it done?"

"Who did this to you? That... that creature? What is it?!"

"But Mel, tattoos aren't allowed in school! Especially on your head!"

I simply ignored their never-ending chatter. I was almost breathless myself. "Its... the Symbol of Trust," I whispered. "The what?" they cried simultaneously. I didn't answer; I was staring at it, touching it lightly, feeling it over. There were no bumps; it was, like I said earlier, like a part of my own skin. It had a simple design; two golden 'wings' side by side, sharp-pointed yet elegant, with a shining quality to the gold. In between the 'wings' was a circle... a misty blue one, with a sparkling silver star in the middle. The wings seemed to be guarding... or rather, embracing the blue circle in the middle.

I grinned. Some of my friends really would label this rather cool, I thought to myself. Staring at the blue circle in the middle, something else occurred to me...

I turned to the girls. They backed away, staring goggle-eyed at the Symbol, as if it were some sort of alien sign. Well, maybe it was, for them. Silence. Then, one of them spoke up. "So what is it?" Nods of agreement from the others. "What is it?"

"It's the Symbol of Trust," I repeated, my voice a half-whisper, "Kientra's mother gave it to me... along with... "

I looked down at my right hand. I was still holding it; the first 'gift'. When I opened my hand, they all got another surprise.

"The Sphere of Paradisal Bliss!"

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