This Darkened Castle (Myn)

[wendi]

"One Mississippi, two mississippi.." Wendi counted walking down a corridor. They were so empty of people it was quite scary. Wendi hated being places alone. As weird as it sounded, she like to count to calm her thoughts. She always had since she was little. Lately, Wendi had been more scared at Hogwarts as usual. After her accident, she didn't feel safe there anymore. She felt as if the school had let her down a bit. Wendi didn't really know how the Death Eaters got there in the first place, but she was sure it wasn't that hard. Wendi continued to walk down the hall. It was silent and pretty dim. All the windows were closed because it was raining outside. Wendi listened to the thunder in the distance. Why did she have to go to the bathroom after class? Now, no one was left in the hall to make her feel any better. If there were more people, Wendi would at least feel like she wasn't alone. "Seven Mississippi.." She continued to count walking down the iry corridor.

Wendi was still a long way from the common room. She opted for the girls' lavatory farthest away from the classroom for some reason she couldn't even remember at the moment. Her feet made little stomping noises as she walked. Wendi kept looking over her shoulder. She couldn't remember ever being this scared before. But, the attacks changed her a bit. They made her think more about life and the decisions she made in hers. Wendi needed to be safer. She needed to learn what spells she could you that would defend herself best. Maybe then, she would feel safer. Wendi was actually looking forward to going home. She didn't really have to worry about anything in her large London house. Jamison had installed means of protection for the family and their grandfather had installed muggle security systems as well even though he was a wizard. Wendi felt safe there. She felt same from anything except Keith. Keith wanted Wendi and Jamison. He wanted custody of them. They would never know if he wanted to kidnap them as he had done before. Keith was the only person Wendi could admit she was truly terrified of.

The halls seemed to be getting darker and darker. Wendi started walking faster, but she knew it would take her a good ten minutes more to reach the common room. It was stories before her and for a second Wendi couldn't remember where she was. But, that feeling didn't last and she just tried to go to her dorm. Wendi looked around her. Where was everyone? Could they all be in their dorms so soon after class ended? Didn't they want to socialize with the other houses? Wendi just wanted people about. She continued to walk still scared of all the darkness. The thunder was heard outside and the rain was pouring loudly. The only thing that truly lit up the halls was the lightening. Suddenly, Wendi could hear footsteps. She stood still. She took out her wand. "Lumos." She muttered. Why didn't she think of that before? Wendi shrugged and pointed her wand at the person in front of her.

[Myn Katrenya R2]

Myn rubbed her temples wearily, watching the paper before her blur and then become clear, blur and then clear. Myn closed her eyes and shook her head slightly, instantly regretting the action as her head started to ache more than it had before and this time the ache was sharp and persistent. She couldn't remember how many classes she had missed, or indeed if she had missed any at all. Neither did she care. It was a simple matter to get the work done in class from another first year and to ask what the homework had been, if there was any homework. Usually Myn wouldn't have even thought about skipping classes for such a feeble reason as a headache but it didn't seem to matter as much as it had just a week or two ago. What did classes and homework matter when the war over the wizarding world had spilled over into the corridors of Hogwarts? Hogwarts was meant to be safe; so why were the attacks possible? Why was it possible for one of her friends to be injured in what was supposed to be the safest place in Britain?

Myn shuddered and sat up from her lazy, curled-up position on her bed, unwilling to deal with the consequences of the attacks right now. To do so would be admitting that Hogwarts wasn't safe and if Hogwarts wasn't safe then that meant that Myn and her friends weren't safe either. This war stole the innocence from children; children who shouldn't even have to know that innocence could be stolen by the horrors of the world. Myn had entered her first year as a reasonably happy yet slightly more serious than the average eleven year old but she would be leaving for the summer without the innocence in her eyes and with a world-weary attitude. Granted, not all of her change in personality was down to the war. Losing her mum had also had a big impact on Myn yet she was slowly recovering and adjusting to life without a mother. At least her dad had owled her to confirm where the two would be living; a nice, fairly big house in wizarding London but close enough to muggle London that Myn could easily visit the muggle world for a few hours if she found that she missed her old way of life.

A yell of laughter drifted up from the common room, lightening Myn's mood slightly and making her laugh and slip down to the common room, curious as to the origin of the laughter. Myn walked past the group of laughing Ravenclaws silently, unwilling to disrupt their conversation and started to wander along the corridors aimlessly. She wasn't consciously heading for any place in particular, not even really paying attention to her surroundings and so it was a shock to look around and see herself surrounded by darkness. Myn shivered, feeling unusually scared of all the darkness and the horrors that might be lurking in the shadows. "Lumos," Myn whispered quietly, relaxing slightly as the tip of her wand lit up and chased away some of the shadows. Footsteps sounded along the corridor and Myn tensed, sliding backward into the shadows and covering the light from her wand with a hand as to not give away her position. A light shone at her and Myn brandished her own wand to identify the person in front of her. "Wendi," Myn grinned in relief, stepping forward and out of the shadows to greet her friend.

[wendi]

Wendi finally breathed upon seeing Myn. She didn't know who it was. Wendi couldn't trust Hogwarts anymore. She was still Wendi, but this whole experience had change her in a deep way. Wendi looked at Myn as she lowered her wand at her friend. "Nox." She commanded watching the light fade. Wendi moved a bit out of the darkness the was surrounding them. Boom. Wendi jumped slightly hearing the thunder. She looked at Myn. A smile was near, but it she wasn't exactly in that mood. "Oh, Myn. I'm glad it was you." Wendi said wiping her forehead. She was so tired. Wendi had a difficult time sleeping lately. She had too much to think about. What can you say, Wendi didn't get over things easily. She was ten years old, and yet she would never get over the loss of her parents and that happened when she was one. Wendi didn't know if the attack would ever leave her daily memories. She wanted them to, but you just never know.

Wendi sighed. "Lately I've just been a bit jumpy." She explained knowing Myn would probably understand. Wendi glanced out a nearby window. The storm was still brewing outside. Wendi had never liked rain. In no universe had she. She liked to play outside, and rain ruined that. It dampened her parade for the day. The only thing she liked about it was that you could wear your pajamas. But, Wendi did that often for no reason so rain that one thing wasn't that great. Wendi could see the lights flash outside. She focused her vision further. They had a very good view of the Forbidden Forest. Wendi wondered if there was any protection from the outside wizarding world through the woods. She knew there probably was, but she didn't know what it would be. The rain continued to poor as Wendi stood silently.

She glanced at Myn. Wendi had first met her outside by the lake on St. Patrick's Day. They had both made shamrock necklaces. Wendi missed those simple days. That was back before everything seemed okay. That was back when Wendi didn't clutch her leg every time she felt in danger. She didn't want anything bad to happen to it again. Wendi starred at Myn again. "So, how have you been lately?" She asked to lighten the mood. Wendi obviously wasn't that happy, but she didn't know if Myn could detect. Yet, she was pretty predictable. Wendi stared at the water drenched window thinking about nothing in particular.

[Myn Katrenya R2]

Myn smiled easily, feeling more at ease with the knowledge that a friend was near. True, two first years wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight if any trouble came but somehow having a friend nearby just seemed to make everything better. After all, friends were supposed to protect you and comfort you as much as they could. The loud boom of thunder made Myn tense, fingers instinctively dipping into her pocket to grasp her wand, before she recognized the noise as thunder and forced herself to relax. "Ah Wendi, you'll have my head swelling if you don't stop. I mean really, someone was actually glad to see me." Myn grinned mischievously, sensing the fear and jumpiness that was practically radiating from her friend and trying to make her relax. Showing her own fear would only complicate things. No. She had a friend to comfort and reassure and so that was exactly what she was going to do.

"Everyone's jumpy, Wendi. This war has everyone terrified. But they won't come again so soon. It would be too dangerous because Dumbledore is surely on his guard." Myn softened her voice from the usual snappy, sarcastic tone to a gentler, soothing tone. "Not even the Death Eaters are stupid, my friend. They won't put themselves in danger so soon." Myn put her arm around her friend gently, attempting to banish any fears about lurking wizards in the shadows. Myn wasn't good at this comforting stuff but she had to try. She wouldn't just let one of her friends be haunted by their fears of darkness and what was hiding in the shadows. A flash of lightning lit up the window and Myn lit her wand again, raising it to see out the window and into the Forbidden Forest. Creepy as it was in the daytime, it seemed even more creepy at night. Not for the first time, Myn wondered exactly what made this forest forbidden and firmly reined in her curiousity before she got the grand idea of finding out.

"I've not been well," Myn admitted with a shrug. "Headaches and such. I think I missed the classes today but I'm not sure. But really, Leprechaun," Myn grinned, remembering their first meeting and christening Wendi with a nickname to suit the circumstances. "Do classes really matter when we're so close to summer? And speaking of summer, we have to make plans! I'm not going all summer without seeing a few of my friends." Myn grinned enthusiastically, poking Wendi in the side gently. Truthfully, the subject of summer had started off as a way to distract Wendi from the storm and the shadows but Myn had quickly become fond of the idea and was now fixed on the idea of seeing a few friends over summer. "I could ask how you've been but I think I can already tell. So, is it nightmares or just memories?" Myn tilted her head in curious concern, not bothering to hide the bluntness of the question. The question was the same, whether it had been dressed up in pretty little words to soften the blow or just asked bluntly. Myn lifted herself up onto a windowsill, leaning back against the wall in an attempt to get comfortable.