The Staff of Dreams

Malicia’s first week back at Hogwarts had been somewhat of a roller coaster ride. At first she’d been terrified that her short temper with small children would get in the way of being a teacher; thankfully, she discovered that what she thought was a short temper was actually good discipline. Her native house being Slytherin, many of the students were often apprehensive of her, they’d expected her to be cruel and give more homework than they could handle like other professors had done after coming from Slytherin house. The Slytherins, of course, had taken to her quite nicely and had welcomed her home. She was sure, with time, she would be found peculiar by her old house. Other houses had started to warm up to her once they realized her class was going to be interesting and that she wasn’t holding the way they were sorted against them.

She spent most of the first week explaining what she was going to do throughout the rest of the year. Some kids had taken to it while others didn’t understand the need to know more about other sorts of magic. Thankfully, curiosity amongst the students was rampant and most students opened up to her and started asking all sorts of questions. The books that the students had been asked to purchase in Diagon Alley in preparation for the school year had been one Malicia had started with when she was curious about other regions of the world. She thought it would be arrogant to cover her own books in her class when there was already plenty of other information for the students to find that would be better suited to her teachings.

Perhaps the best thing about her first week at Hogwarts was being reunited with her old friend Lia and of course some of her favorite teachers. Hermione was teaching at the school now as well, having taken the place of the former Arithmancy teacher. It was funny to see how the bright woman hadn’t changed a bit since childhood. Unfortunately on Malicia’s second day she’d gotten the woman talking about the rights of the House Elves that had changed drastically due to her work with the Ministry of Magic’s Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Lia had nearly hexed Malicia for having gotten her swept into an hour long conversation during their only break that day.

Halfway through the week, Malicia was starting to remember her way around the school. She’d found herself reminiscing about the old days and the friends she’d lost touch with over the years. Her life had changed so much, it was hard to think she was the same person that had walked the halls so long ago as a curious student. But now that she’d returned to teach others, it was like she was bridging the gap between her past and present and finally picking up the pieces of a crumbled social life. Not that she’d ever really thought about how bad it had gotten, but considering Luna Lovegood was her protégé and also her only friend, it felt nice to have others to talk to. She had briefly considered that she would miss Luna while she was away at school, but found that impossible considering that she had already sent her several owls throughout the week, making Malicia aware of every sale they made and every curious customer who had come in. She’d even compiled a list of strange muggle foods she was waiting to try until Malicia had returned for one of the holidays.

After a particularly long class filled with Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors, Malicia started packing up her things for the night. Lazily, she waved her wand and watched as book after book slowly teetered to the edge of her desk and hopped dramatically off into her bag. It was the last class on a Friday afternoon and she was feeling particularly exhausted. The class had run longer than it was supposed to thanks to some mischievous Gryffindors trying to push their boundaries with the new teacher. One of the students had snatched a few pieces of paper off of Malicia’s desk and unfortunately they had been bewitched papers from another country. She planned to start the next week off teaching about the papers and their origins and explaining how they worked. The three young third year boys who had snatched those papers had started spontaneously floating during the middle of her lesson so she’d used them as an example. She’d let them remain in the air while she explained the dangers of using magic that one didn’t understand. Most of the students had been in hysterics by the end, including the three that were floating in the air. After she had finally made her point she’d let the children down. She couldn’t stop their curious questions about what those papers had been and why they’d done what they had done.

After promising the last of the stragglers that she’d be sure to explain to them all about the paper magic during their next lesson she closed the door and started on cleaning up her classroom. After about ten minutes she heard a tapping on the door. With a wave of her wand it opened and a young third year Hufflepuff peeked nervously into the room. He had steely blue eyes and shaggy blond hair that seemed somehow familiar.

“Yes… Collin was it?”

“Yes Professor Maena, Collin Andrews.” For his age his voice was surprisingly deep and Malicia did her best not to snicker. Teenagers were so awkward; sometimes she forgot how funny it was. “Do you have a moment? Or… you look busy, maybe I should come back later?”

“I’m just on my way out. If you like you may accompany me back to my office while I put my things away.” Malicia picked up the suitcase that latched itself shut and started toward the door that Collin held open for her.

“Thanks, Professor.” A familiar smile crossed his face and Malicia squinted while she tried to figure out why it seemed so familiar.

“What is it you need, Mr. Andrews?”

“I was going over my courses via owl with my father.” The boy seemed to carry his pride around on his sleeve, another attribute that seemed terribly familiar. “And your name came up as my new professor. He wanted me to ask you a few questions.”

“Like what?” Malicia couldn’t help but chuckle. What could a parent possibly want to know about her course? Surely they wouldn’t be asking if it would be dangerous for their student to participate. Going to Hogwarts was a danger in and of itself. Danger was a part of life and Malicia was pretty sure that parents who didn’t accept such a notion wouldn’t be sending their students to that particular school. Since Collin was in his third year, she was guessing this boy’s father was well aware of the danger of being a wizard and all it entailed.

“Well, he wanted to know if you remembered a boy from your years at Hogwarts named Nico. He wasn’t sure if you were the same girl he knew growing up and was curious. I told him I’d ask you and he actually told me… not to.” Collin drifted off and looked shifty eyed around the hallway.

Malicia froze in realization. That was why the little boy seemed so familiar. He was a spitting image of his father, well give or take a few small details. For one, his father’s eyes had been green and he had a different shape about him entirely.

“So, your father, Nico, told you not to ask me if I remembered him or not?” Malicia actually laughed. Collin was apparently relieved to see the professor was smiling.

“I was curious, I couldn’t help but ask. He’s spoken about a Malicia before and it’s not a very common name so I figured it was worth finding out.”

“I understand your curiosity perfectly.” Malicia smiled. Now that she’d realized that this boy must be Nico’s son she couldn’t believe it had taken her so long to figure it out. It seemed obvious now that it had been pointed out to her.

“So Professor Maena, did you know my dad?” Collin seemed to be feeling awkward again. Thankfully it was late in the day and she wasn’t keeping him from any classes. Sure, he might be a moment later for dinner but it was Friday evening and she was sure half of his friends were taking their time enjoying the grounds before it got too late.

“Yes, I did.” Malicia stopped walking when she reached the platform to the sixth floor hallway. “We were very close back in school days. Let him know I say hello if you ever manage to confess to him that you asked me anyway.” Collin looked sheepishly aside.

“I’ll work up to it when he’s in a good mood. I knew it though.” Collin smiled brightly. “You were kind of what I pictured from his old stories about Hogwarts.”

“I’m not sure if I’m flattered or not. I guess it depends on what stories he’s told you.” Malicia smirked then messed up the young man’s hair. He was shorter than some of the students in his year but if he was anything like she remembered Nico, he’d sprout up a few inches in no time. “Now if that’s all, Mr. Andrews I suggest you get down to the Great Hall for dinner.” Collin nodded his head, waved to Malicia then rushed down the stairs to a group of mixed Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors that seemed to be waiting for him. Malicia shook her head in surprise. Hogwarts really had changed, but it seemed to be for the better. Slytherin still seemed to be the most stubborn of houses, but even then she saw a few students intermingled with their green and silver capes amongst other groups. Even though Slytherins were still stubborn, at least some of them were breaking the mold and trying to be friends with the other students despite what color they wore.

Malicia walked into her office and set down her suitcase. Over the last week she’d rearranged her office twice and her living quarters three times. She’d been restless during the night and attributed it to the unfamiliar home, though she was unsure what truth there was in that thought. Removing her cloak, she draped it over the front of her desk and then sat down in her office chair.

The room was decorated in familiar silver and green colors, walls lined with books and shelves that were filled to the brim with artifacts she’d recovered on her travels. To a stranger it would look like a bunch of old junk but Malicia knew the secrets that dwelled within her trinkets and loved them even more for those reasons. She wasn’t the one to always run around in the colors of her old house, but the nostalgia of returning to Hogwarts had renewed her pride in Slytherin house. Despite the reputation that Salazar Slytherin had garnered, he had been a powerful and wise wizard. She’d had many arguments with other wizards about such a thing. Clearly he had a fascination with the darker arts and had been stuck in his pure blood ways, but those had also been the times of that age of magic!

Why would the three other more benevolent founders have bothered to deal with Slytherin if he hadn’t had an affinity for magic and love for learning that was shared between them? It was only logical that there had to be some positive aspects to the house founder in order for him to have been a part of the school. Even if he had become more of a sourpuss with age, Malicia was sure that at some point he had to have some redeemable qualities. No one was truly, completely wicked.

So even though Malicia had been far removed from most of her Slytherin brethren during her school years, she’d always been incredibly proud to be part of it. It had made her peculiar but not an outcast amongst her peers. The other Slytherins had always accepted her as the odd member of their house, though Malicia realized it was probably mostly due to the fondness Nico had for her. He’d been one of the more popular Slytherin boys in school and her sweetheart for many years. It had been really nice to see his son and to hear about him. Deciding she’d had too much nostalgia for one day and feeling far more tired than one should feel after a week of school, Malicia got up from her chair and started out of her office. She would meet Lia, once again, for dinner in the Great Hall.

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Lia’s first week back at school had been uneventful and fairly routine. It had taken her a few days to get her sleep schedule adjusted as all of her classes had to meet at midnight at least once a week, so she found herself catching naps in the few hours she had between her classroom and her practical lessons. Neville’s son Frank had been her most excited student, he was up at the astronomy tower nearly an hour before the rest of the class; he even beat Lia up the stairs. Before his first practical lesson, about halfway through the week, Lia laughed as she opened the door and saw him gazing through his telescope at the clear night sky, counting stars and watching their movements like a dance in the darkness. “Frank, you know you’re not supposed to be up here without a teacher.” She chided as she set up her own telescope.

Frank grinned mischievously with one eye still glued to the brass frame, “You’re here now aren’t you, Professor?”

Lia shook her head but smiled, amazed at the similarities she saw in Frank when compared to his father, Neville. For the first three or four years of school, Neville had been quiet and lacked the confidence to meet a teacher’s eyes let alone speak to them without fear showing in his quavering voice, but after he had faced death and fought alongside his friends, his confidence grew and he turned into a powerful young wizard. As his confidence grew, so did his capability, and by his last year at Hogwarts he was standing up to Headmaster Snape, defending the students that were being harassed by the Death Eaters, and keeping hope alive at Hogwarts in its darkest hour. When Lia looked at Frank she saw that same gleam in his eyes that Neville had had when he finally found himself. She knew that this young man was going to be a great wizard, and with parents like Neville and Hannah, he would be a great man as well. “So tell me about your other classes.” She said, returning her mind to the present. “What have you had so far this week?”

Frank squinted his eyes as he thought back over the last few days, “Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures, and double Potions.” He said, making a face with the last word as if it tasted horrible coming from his lips.

Lia laughed, “Not having a great time in your potions class, huh?” she asked. He shook his head, slightly embarrassed, “Don’t worry, your dad was horrible with potions too. He managed to survive though and so will you. Your potions master can’t be nearly as bad as Professor Snape was.” She thought for a moment and looked slightly confused, “I don’t think I’ve met the new potions master yet.”

“I thought you liked Potions,” He said accusingly.

“I did, Professor Snape was one of my favorite teachers, though I was a little disconcerted when he became headmaster, but we all were at that time. Potions can be really hard, exacting, but when I was in school I had a pretty awesome tutor.”

“Really?”

Lia nodded, “One of the guys in another house was really good, so much so that Professor Snape almost doted on him. We became friends and he helped me out. I wonder whatever happened to him…” she said, her mind trailing back to the lanky kid with the short curly hair and deep grey eyes.

Frank cleared his throat, calling Lia back to reality once more, “Um, Professor? You’re blushing.” Thankfully the rest of the class had arrived and Lia was able to dive into her teaching, resolutely, ignoring the smirk on Frank Longbottom’s face every time she glanced at him.

As Malicia left her office and swung the door closed behind her she saw a cloaked figure sneak past her down the hall. Peering curiously at the figure, she could see it was a taller man with curly hair but that was just about all she could make out before he’d opened the door to his office and disappeared. Malicia could guess that was the new Potions Master.

“Really, they couldn’t be any less broody?” Rolling her eyes Malicia walked past the line of offices and back toward the Grand Staircase. While she waited for the stairways to shift and change so she could make her way to the Great Hall she continued to rant on the subject. “What is it about bubbling boring potions that attracts antisocial sneaks?” Chuckling beneath her breath and starting down the stairs she caught up with Lia as she left her classroom.

“What are you chuckling at now?” Lia asked by way of greeting.

“Potions Masters and their broody aloofness.” Malicia said. Lia looked at her with a raised brow before she explained the brief encounter. “We’ve been here for a week and haven’t seen him; I just think that’s a little weird.”

Lia shrugged, recalling her conversation with Frank earlier in the week and decided to change the subject. The two chatted as they entered the Great Hall and made their way to the long table at the head of the room specifically set aside for the staff. Lia and Malicia made themselves comfortable as food magically appeared before them. They were in their customary seats, Malicia next to Hermione and Lia next to Neville, and Lia turned to Malicia and said, “You’re right Mal, the house elves really outdid themselves tonight!” purposely speaking loudly to get Hermione’s attention. Hermione immediately turned to Malicia and started up the conversation that was cut short earlier in the week. Malicia glared at her friend. “Oh, what was that Neville?” she said innocently, grinning and turning away from her friend, leaving her to listen to Hermione’s breathless monologue for most of the meal.

Neville looked at Lia with a raised brow and chuckled, “That’s just mean.”

Lia grinned, “I know, but payback can be.” He laughed and Malicia glared at him too.

Dinner in the Great Hall was superb, as usual, and teachers and students alike ate until not another crumb could pass their lips without them exploding. As the students dispersed, Malicia yawned and stretched, feeling exhaustion heavy on her bones. “Tired all ready?” Lia teased.

“You try listening to Hermione rant about elf rights for an hour and see how you feel.” She glared.

Lia grinned impishly, “So touchy these days.” She laughed.

Malicia rolled her eyes and said her goodbyes before making her way slowly to the grand staircase in the entrance hall. The stairs were mostly empty as Malicia made her way up the flights, having to work for every step as her limbs became heavy with exhaustion and her head became fuzzy. Dizzy with weariness she stopped on the stairs to the sixth floor and contemplated going down to see the school nurse. Then again, she had a very long week and it truly could just be that she wasn’t used to being a teacher. On the other hand, Malicia’s usual daily routine involved a lot of exploring and far more physical exertion than sitting behind a desk and giving a few lessons a day. Perhaps it was the different weather, or just an overload of nostalgia. While neither reason made sense, Malicia was willing to roll with them for now. If she didn’t feel well in the morning she’d pay a visit to Poppy. She’d been meaning to visit the old nurse since her arrival but simply hadn’t had a free moment.

Once back in her office, Malicia locked the door behind her and slipped into her comfortable living quarters. Her bed was a large four poster with a canopy decorated in shades of green and blue. Without even bothering to take off her boots, Malicia plopped face down onto the overstuffed mattress. While the bed looked like it was from another time, Malicia didn’t mind. She’d always had a peculiar vintage taste in things. Perhaps it was because of the very little bit she remembered about her parents from her childhood, or how she’d found her parents’ old home decorated but she’d always been partial to a more Victorian styling.

Vision blurring from weariness, Malicia considered getting changed or at least rotating on the bed so she wasn’t lying with her legs awkwardly hanging off the side. Before she could do any of those things, sleep had taken her and deeply at that. Even if Peeves had come bursting in to remind her of his presence as he’ done several times during the week, she wouldn’t have woken up.

Malicia’s head was still spinning. Opening her eyes she could no longer see her comfortable and dated looking bed. Instead in front of her she saw the longest stretch of barren desert she’d seen in her many travels. Where exactly had she fallen asleep? Reaching to pinch her arm she yelped when she felt the pain rush through her. It certainly didn’t feel like she was dreaming, but she could’ve sworn she had been in her living quarters at Hogwarts.

Taking a step forward to explore her curious surroundings, Malicia’s vision started to blur and her surroundings became almost… darker, for lack of a better word. Rubbing her eyes, Malicia wondered if she was having some sort of horrible allergy attack. That couldn’t be right; allergies didn’t cause hallucinations, did they? Not the type that she’d be experiencing anyway.

After rubbing her eyes, Malicia blinked and examined her surroundings again. Much to her surprise, and horror, her surroundings were completely gone. In front of her there was nothing but darkness, nothing but black. An uneasy feeling grew and churned in the pit of her stomach. What sort of nightmare was she having? Glancing upwards she saw that there was no moon, no stars, no light of any kind as there had been when she’d first looked around. She couldn’t even see her hands or her feet. With the lack of sight came the fear of the unseen. Her chest tightened with anxiety and her breathing became shorter and ragged. “Get it together, Malicia” Even her voice seemed lost in the darkness that surrounded her. What if the world had completely disappeared and she was lost?

Refusing to let fear cripple her, Malicia wiggled her feet on the ground beneath her. Her boots crunched against the dirt of the desert she’d seen before the light had been torn away from her. Relief flooded through her. At least the only sense she’d been robbed of had been sight. And even then, she expected that it was some trick of the world around her, to keep her shrouded in darkness. Taking a few uneasy steps forward, Malicia stumbled on something beneath her feet. There was a weird sense of displacement that came with the lack of sight. Her body no longer felt like her own and she couldn’t seem to place where her limbs were.

Reaching to touch her face to make sure everything was intact, the relief continued to work away the knot in her stomach. Deciding it best to gather her bearings before working out how to wake up, Malicia reached to touch her legs. As she did something brushed against her back that made her shoot up suddenly. The hand or whatever had touched her had disappeared as quickly as it’d come. Perhaps it’d been some trick of the night. Clearly, the darkness was messing with her head. Wiggling her fingers, Malicia then touched over her arms.

Very clearly, something else touched her shoulder. Then another hand touched her leg. Malicia recoiled and nearly jumped out of her skin. But even the several feet she’d jumped hadn’t freed her from the hands and claws that were touching at her skin. They weren’t like her hands, they were slimy and scaly. Some were wet to the touch and others stubbly with some form of hair or fur. Shrieking in horror, even Malicia’s scream seemed to be swallowed by the darkness. Trying to breathe to calm down, the hands didn’t relent as they had when Malicia had taken a pause beforehand. Instead they grabbed at her, wrapping around her wrists and ankles and tried to pull her onto the ground.

Lia had said her farewell to Malicia in the entrance hall. She briefly thought that Malicia had looked a bit peaky, but let her continue up to her room unchallenged. Though Malicia had grown and changed quite a bit in their years apart, she was fairly certain that she would still refuse any kind of medical assistance and decided it wasn’t worth the fight; she had other things to do that evening and decided to check on Malicia when she was finished. Her decision made, Lia headed out of the entrance hall and onto the extensive grounds of Hogwarts.

Lia’s first week of classes had gone well, her students continued to grow in their interest of astronomy as they saw the progression of the stars and planets in the sky. The past few days she had been working with her more advanced students who began their study of the southern hemisphere and while showing them the different constellations, she had seen something that was slightly unsettling in the movement of the Phoenix. Because Malicia had gone to bed early and she didn’t need to worry about being up for classes the next day, Lia decided to go and have a chat with the centaurs in the Forbidden Forest and get their opinion on the matter.

As she walked deeper into the forest the light around her faded more and more. At first she did not think much of it, the Forbidden Forest had always been dark and treacherous at night, but she knew her way to the centaurs gathering place well and didn’t worry. It was only when she entered the Gazing Vale that she noticed that something was wrong. The Gazing Vale was a small hillock in the midst of the forest that was cleared of trees and grass and berry bushes that grew under the warm rays of the sun; here the centaurs would gather to get an unimpeded view of the stars and share their insights on their movements.

Lia had spent a great deal of time there when she was a student at Hogwarts, and had returned a handful of times as a teacher, but when she stepped into the valley, darkness fully enveloped her. The moon and stars disappeared and the tree line was no longer visible. She carefully walked up the highest hill, placing her feet carefully and stretching her arms out to feel for anything that might block her path. With only a few stumbles she stood upon the hill and turned every which way, trying to discern some shape or semblance of light. When she realized that she couldn’t see the castle from where she stood, fear grabbed at her heart and she sat.

Lia allowed the fear and doubt to rage through her veins for a few minutes before forcing it into a small box in the back of her mind; she needed control right now, clarity, while she tried to imagine what had happened. She briefly thought that the world had gone dark but logic returned and she realized that it would take much more to blot out the stars than it would her eyes, the problem must be with her alone. She pulled out her wand and whispered ‘Lumos’, hoping in vain that she was wrong, but no light appeared at the tip of her wand, at least none that she could see. Sighing in frustration she breathed ‘Nox’ and stashed her wand back in her robes.

Growling her frustration, Lia stood and began pacing the hill, considering her options. She was sure that she could get back to the castle even without her eyesight; the path was well worn and she knew it well, and perhaps Madame Pomfrey, the school nurse, would have some concoction to assist her eyesight. The more she thought about it, the more logical it sounded and the more she was certain she was not supposed to do it. A few times she had even stepped in the direction of the school but stopped short, instinct pulling her the other direction. Vaguely she thought she heard her name and was about to respond when she saw a single spot of light down the hill where she assumed the tree line to be.

Words of warning that she had heard from Arthur Weasley echoed in her mind, “Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can’t see where it keeps its brain!” She was blind in the midst of one of the most dangerous forest in the known wizarding world. The Forbidden Forest was not just forbidden because of centaurs and spiders, there were parts of the forest unseen by human eyes for years, magical creatures that even Hagrid wouldn’t be able to woo. There was deep, ancient magic at work in these woods and it seemed to be calling to Lia. Almost without thought Lia stepped towards the speck of light, her decision made.

Kicking wildly to get the hands off of her, Malicia’s instincts finally kicked in and she was able to brush the many hands off and took off at a run. What on earth was happening? What vile creatures had their hands on her? Running as fast as she could, Malicia held an arm in front of her. The darkness was terrifying and while she was afraid of running into something or off of something, it seemed worth the risk. For some reason she had the very strong feeling that whatever was grabbing her in the darkness wanted to cause her terrible pain.

Instinct helped guide Malicia forward, but numerous footsteps let her know that the creatures were right behind her. A slimy hand grabbed at her wrist and caused her to stumble and nearly fall. Hopping awkwardly on one foot after she’d regained her balance, Malicia swung around and flailed violently as hard as she could, hoping that she would injure whatever was coming after her. Her fists hit something soft and squishy and it wailed horribly in response to her attack. Stumbling backwards, Malicia suddenly realized she had a way she could protect herself. Apparently she’d been spending way too much time with Lia for it to take her this long to realize she was a witch and had a wand.

Stopping short as the terrain beneath her changed, seemingly to grass from what Malicia could tell, she reached into her cloak for her wand. Breathing heavily, sweat making her hair stick to her skin and the phantom feeling of slimy and hairy hands on her skin made her gag as she groped through her cloak in search of her wand.

“Where is it?” Malicia was panicked. She had never gone anywhere without her wand since she’d gotten it from Ollivanders as a child. Why would she go into a dangerous situation without it? In her panic the creatures in the darkness had caught up to her and tackled her to the ground. With an ‘oof’ Malicia turned on her back and kicked at the creatures. Her vivid imagination was coming up with all sorts of horrific visions of what could be climbing over her. Kicking wildly, Malicia turned on her stomach and attempted to get to her feet.

The hands grabbed at her cloak and tore it away. Thankfully this gave Malicia the moment she needed to get ahead of the creatures pursuing her. Forward she ran, zigzagging occasionally just to throw the monsters off of her trail. The ground started to change beneath her; the grass was accompanied by logs and rocks. Eventually she found herself on a hill and lost her balance. She tumbled forward, her sleeve catching on something that she guessed was the branch of a tree and scraping at her skin. Wincing, Malicia covered her head and finally came to a stop, leaning against something large and hard. It was a tree, she discovered as she brushed her fingers over the bark.

Head still spinning and having temporarily seen stars in her vision thanks to having smashed into the tree, Malicia used it to get back to her feet. The bark of the tree was dry and cracking. It seemed the forest she’d found her way into was as dry and depressing as the desert outside of it had seemed.

Just as she was about to find her way around the tree and down the hill, something slammed her back into the tree. Hands were on her again, pulling at her hair, touching at her skin. They found their way down to the cut on her arm and seemed drawn toward the blood that was dripping far too freely over her skin.

Crying out in misery, Malicia elbowed and kicked the monsters away then started blindly down the hill, hoping she wouldn’t lose her footing again in the confusion. She was starting to lose steam. Between the dizziness caused from running into the tree and the blood loss from her unnaturally severe wound, she wasn’t sure how much longer she could continue.

Tears welled in her eyes, but it wasn’t like it would matter or obstruct her vision. They were mostly of frustration and annoyance. How was she supposed to get away from something so hopeless? Moving carefully forwards she felt something rush by her. Was it another creature? If so then why hadn’t it come after her? Perhaps there were more than just monsters lurking in the forest. Then in the distance she saw something that made her stop short.

In front of her, still pretty far away, there was the silhouette of something. From what she could guess, it was a tree. It was a peculiar silhouette, surrounded in a thin line of light, like someone was holding their illuminated wand right behind it. Malicia knew that this had to be where she supposed to be going. Watching her footing as she continued downhill and dodging the hands of the creatures that pursued her, Malicia felt renewed. She’d found hope when hope had seemed impossible.

Lia’s ears sharpened with her lack of sight, but so did her sense of pain. Without being able to see what was hitting her, each cut seemed worse than it was, each branch that grabbed at her robes felt stronger and more malevolent than it would be under normal circumstances. She was clearly in a part of the forest uninhabited by the semi-tamed creatures known by those at the castle; there appeared to be no trail as Lia stumbled over roots and fallen branches and as dried bushes and thorns grabbed at her as she passed. The lights continued to appear intermittently to keep Lia on track, but each seemed to pierce through her eyes making her dizzy and disoriented. After some time Lia heard scuffling around her; something new was in the darkness.

As she stepped cautiously through the trees, Lia heard her name called clearly from behind her. She turned sharply to the voice, forgetting for a moment that she wouldn’t be able to see the person who called her, and hit her head on a low-hanging branch. Falling to the ground, Lia lay still for a few minutes, hoping the pain in her head would lessen if she didn’t move too much. Carefully she touched her temple and winced in pain as her fingers grazed the wound and were coated in warm, sticky blood. “What the crap?” she yelled, venting her frustration as she lay in a tangle of roots and bushes, tired, confused, and in pain. Again she heard her name being called, but thought it was in her head.

As she was considering moving, a foul smell caught on the breeze and she heard heavy footfalls around her. In a matter of moments she felt the hot breath of a large animal that was leaning over her, smelling the blood blossoming from her head. She slowly moved her hand, reaching into her robes for her wand, but before her fingers could find it, a spell whizzed past her head, knocking the mysterious creature to the ground. Lia heard it growl in protest as it struggled to rise and felt human hands grab her arm and shoulder, lifting her up and pulling her back towards the castle. “Lia, I don’t know what you’re doing out here but we’ve got to go!” The voice was male and sounded vaguely familiar to Lia, but she assumed she was confused because of the blow to her head. She was about to respond when another light appeared a few yards away from her.

“I can’t go yet.” She said vaguely, pulling her arm free and stumbling forward once more. The man behind her cursed but she heard his footsteps as he continued to follow her deeper into the forest.

Losing her footing on the hill, Malicia let gravity take control and rolled down the rest of the way, protecting her head. Grass and sticks caught in her clothing and hair but when she finally stopped, she’d landed on her back unscathed other than a few minor scratches. Her arm was still bleeding horribly, but she didn’t exactly have time to take care of it and it wasn’t like she could see it properly if she had the time anyway.

Sitting up and hurrying to her feet, stumbling once or twice thanks to how much like jelly her legs felt from running for what felt like an hour, Malicia continued toward the silhouette of the tree that seemed much closer than it had been before. Falling down the hill had been a blessing in disguise. It had given her distance from the creatures and had gotten her closer to her goal without straining her body too much.

As she approached the tree, the light on the other side of it seemed to grow brighter. She could see the limbs of the tree outstretched and gnarled. It would’ve looked haunting if it hadn’t been the only symbol of hope Malicia had in her nightmare. Rounding the tree so she could find the source of the light, Malicia shrieked when something flew in front of her. Ducking low to dodge the creature, Malicia turned to glance behind her and wished immediately that she hadn’t.

The creatures pursuing her had gained on her. She stood still in shock, mouth agape at what she saw. Bug like limbs, some dripping ooze and some covered in scattered patches of prickly fur met her gaze. They stood upright, on two limbs like people did, but some had wings and most had exoskeletons. The best description Malicia could think of was that they were some sort of bug and human hybrid. Suddenly the light coming from the tree seemed more like a curse. It had been bad enough when her imagination ran wild trying to create an image in her mind’s eye for the monsters that haunted her, but now that she’d seen the reality of them it was worse than she could’ve ever imagined.

Hands shaking, Malicia stepped backwards and started again toward the tree but the creatures had caught up with her. They were grabbing at her, snarling and drooling as they tried to pull her away from the light on the other side of the tree. There was only so much she could struggle before she started to get pulled back and away.

“No!” Crying out in frustration, Malicia dug her heels into the ground and forced herself forward. Hands tore at her but left no marks. Her gag reflex kicked in again from the feel of slime. Managing her way around the tree, and barely at that, Malicia stared in awe for only a second at the sight that beheld her. The shadow of the tree was exactly the opposite of that. Where darkness should’ve fallen from its boughs, a blinding white light shone instead. Momentarily, Malicia was struck by its beauty.

As Lia walked she noticed the floor became less congested with branches and rocks, she stumbled less in the darkness, and where there was one light, now there were many. They began to move, chasing each other in the darkness, multiplying and flying in her mind’s eye, captivating her. She stood mesmerized as they circled around her, pulling her forward to join their dance. The man who followed her was calling out a warning, but she paid no attention as the lights formed the shape of an old, barren tree. Some of them circled her arm, bringing it up in front of her as she neared the tree, every fiber of her wanting to feel the strong bark beneath her fingers.

“Lia! Move! It’s a minotaur!” the man yelled as he saw the beast that he had attacked in the forest charge her, his head down and his horns sharp. The creature ran at Lia as her hand brushed the tree and the shape of a key appeared. With the force of a freight train, the minotaur rammed into Lia, pinning her against the tree between its horns. Hitting her head against the trunk of the tree, light flooded her eyes and she was once more aware of the pain in her body.

Somehow she knew she had to get to the tree. Struggling against the hands that attempted to bind her, Malicia dove into the shadow of light. Reaching the base of the tree, she grabbed onto the roots and hoped the nightmare would end. Instead it continued on. The clacking of pincers, dripping of fleshy ooze, and skittering of unnatural legs got louder and louder. Turning onto her back and leaning against the tree, Malicia stared at the tens of creatures in front of her. There was no escape. It would be only seconds before the creatures finally took hold of her.

Coming to peace with captivity, Malicia closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She waited for the hands to grab her and drag her away from the tree, heart still pumping with adrenaline. When the blows never came, Malicia cracked one eye open and peered around. The monsters were gone entirely. Sitting bolt upright, she glanced around her surroundings that had completely changed.

Above her the sky was a brilliant and beautiful blue. Birds were chirping and flying past beneath fluffy white clouds. The tree above her was waving its lovely branches in the wind. It was a weeping willow, one of Malicia’s favorite trees. The grass beneath her was plush and all around flowers were scattered in bunches. Malicia couldn’t help but laugh. Pushing her now incredibly messy hair out of her face, she turned around to look at the tree.

A tiny glimmer of silver light caught her eye at the base of the tree. Kneeling down to get a better look at it, Malicia leapt backwards when the light shot up through the tree, burning a pattern into the bark. Darting right then downward and then back to the left, Malicia watched in awe as the light carved shapes into the tree.

When the glimmer finally faded, the shape of a door was left in the bark of the tree. Getting to her feet, Malicia stepped cautiously closer to the trunk, waiting for it to snap out and bite her or worse; to start smashing at her with its limbs like Hogwarts’ famous Whomping Willow. As her fingers brushed against the door, a rush of wind came from the boughs above.

“It’s a minotaur!” Lia heard the warning echo in her mind as her thoughts swam and feelings and sensations returned to her at last. The pale, yellow lights disappeared in a blinding flash and the moon and stars were back in the heavens where they belonged. Lia struggled to move and found herself pinned to the beautiful tree by two shiny, sharp horns. Wiggling until she turned, she saw the rest of the minotaur and fear once more gripped her. Without thinking she took the key that appeared in the bark of the tree and jabbed it in the exposed neck of the creature. It stiffened for a moment before dissolving into dust and Lia slid down the trunk of the tree, holding onto the key for dear life.

Malicia fluttered her eyes open and was surprised to be back in her room, but nowhere near her bed. She’d fallen off of it at some point and was lying face down on the floor near the window. Groaning in misery she reached up to rub her head and winced when she moved her arm. Rolling onto her back she stared at the ceiling and exhaled. It had been her first experience on the very long road she’d started before coming to Hogwarts and she’d survived. But if every bit of the path she was on was as stressful and painful as that had been, would she manage?

Looking down at her arm she saw the long scratch from her dream. It wasn’t gushing blood the way that it had been in her nightmare but it was scraped and caked with dry blood. Slowly Malicia sat up and brushed her fingers over the sensitive wound on her arm. It wasn’t deep enough to require attention so she decided to instead clean it up and try to get some real rest. Even though she’d been sleeping for a while, she felt like she’d been running for hours.

As she got to her feet and stumbled sleepily toward her bed sudden pain in her back made her lose her footing. She grabbed onto the plush comforter and bit her lip to keep from crying in misery. It felt like something was digging into her flesh or burning it. It went on for a few agonizing moments before the pain finally relented. Malicia lay stunned, half on her bed and waiting for something else to happen. When nothing else came to harm her, she cautiously stood up. Her shirt was sticking to her back and she was sure it was because of blood.

Walking into her personal washroom, she discarded her cloak on the floor and pulled her shirt down far enough to try and see the cause. From what she could see, it looked like someone had taken a small knife and carved into her skin. There was some sort of pattern made, just as it had been made in the tree in her dream. In fact, it looked a lot to her like the branches of the tree that had offered her salvation.

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Malicia reminded herself that she would have to expect the unexpected. The Staff of Dreams would require great sacrifice and struggle in order to be obtained safely. Now that it’d begun there was no turning back, she could only hope that Lia was okay.

Malicia raced down the stairs, ignoring the pain in her back. Lia had not been in her office or in the Great Hall and she was becoming worried. As she took the last few steps to the entrance hall, the doors opened the same tall figure with curly hair that she had seen disappear only a few hours ago came in the doors carrying a barely conscious Lia in his arms. She was about to ask what happened when she realized that she recognized the man who bore her friend. “Teddy Jameson?” she asked as she skidded to a halt before them.

The Potions Master glowered at the use of that name and nodded his head stiffly at his old classmate, “Theodore.” He corrected. “Good evening, Malicia. Excuse me; I need to get Lia to Madame Pomfrey.” Malicia followed the pair up the stairs and into the hospital wing and got Madame Pomfrey’s attention as Theodore laid Lia gently on a free bed.

Madame Pomfrey was an older woman when the three were students at Hogwarts and the years had not left her alone. She tottered out of her office and glanced at the three before rolling her eyes, “I should have known.” She said as she made her way toward Lia to assess her wounds. “Not one full week and already you’re knocking on my door at all hours of the night.” She mumbled, though a hint of affection could be seen in her eyes.

Lia stirred and her eyes immediately found Malicia. “Mal, it was crazy!” she said wearily. She was about to launch into the exciting tale that caused her wounds when she saw Theodore standing to one side, half hidden in the shadows. “Teddy?” she asked, clearly confused. Malicia noticed that he did not bother to correct her. She turned back to Malicia and then Madame Pomfrey, “Okay, wait, what year is it?”

Malicia laughed and patted her friend’s arm fondly, “You’re fine.” She said comfortingly, keeping the guilt that she felt well hidden. “Your ‘Teddy’ here is the new Potions Master.”

After a quick assessment, Madame Pomfrey shooed Malicia and Theodore out of the room, insisting that Lia needed rest for her wounds. Once the doors were securely closed, Madame Pomfrey turned out the lights and said goodnight to her lone ward. Grateful to be alone, Lia thought about what had happened and pulled the wooden key from beneath her blanket to get a better look. It was beautifully crafted, she could tell immediately that whoever formed the key had given a great deal of thought into its design and spent a good deal of time whittling it to its current form. When inspecting the key gave no further answers to her strange adventure, she carefully tucked it away in the folds of her robes for safe keeping. She was just about to attempt to sleep when she heard a soft creak come from the door and saw a single beam of light bob towards her. Momentarily she thought she was back in the forest, but reality returned as Theodore Jameson conjured a chair next to her bed.

“You going to tell me what that was all about?” he asked, looking at her intently, inspecting every wound, though he knew Madame Pomfrey had taken care of them all.

Lia wiggled in her bed until she was sitting up and facing her old friend, “You first. The fall term started a week ago and you just now show up? What’s going on? Where have you been? Why do you insist upon not returning owls?” she demanded in a whisper; neither was keen on waking the nurse.

Theodore looked slightly ashamed as she listed her questions and sighed, “I was…traveling.” He said, refusing to meet her eyes. Lia glared at him until he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, “Look, you remember what it was like after I graduated. I was a Slytherin and Professor Snape’s favorite, outside of Malfoy, and everyone knew it. Then he had to go and kill Dumbledore.” Theodore shook his head, “That was it for me, I could either join the Death Eaters or leave; no one would give me a job, no one would trust that I wasn’t all twisted like the rest of them. I had to get out if I wanted to get by. I found a job across the pond in Canada, believe it or not, and worked there at an apothecary.”

“Okay, but Snape was only evil for like, two years, then he was a hero!” Lia insisted. “I don’t even remember seeing you at the battle of Hogwarts.”

“I was on the Death Eater’s side.” Lia’s mouth dropped open and she punched him. “Not fighting with them!” he said defensively, rubbing his shoulder. “I went over there to try to get information, they trusted me because I was a Slytherin. When the fighting started I attacked from their side, taking down who I could, trying to keep them from killing so many students. No one knew I was there.”

“I tried to send you letters, you know.” Lia said after a few minutes of silence. “My birds could never find you.”

“I moved around a lot.” He shrugged. “I didn’t want to come back to England so I just…went from town to town. If I liked a place I’d stay for a while, but once owls showed up I would move again. I didn’t want to be found.”

“Then why’d you come back at all?” She asked, clearly annoyed at his running for twenty years.

“Minerva sent Dumbledore after me.” Lia gave him a confused look. “It was right after the dreams started a few weeks ago. Do you remember my rather ridiculous Chocolate Frog Card collection?” She nodded. “Well, McGonagall sent Dumbledore to look for me through the cards.”

“You still have them?” Lia couldn’t help but smirk.

Theodore ignored the jab, “Professor Dumbledore gave me a thorough talking to and told me to find a fire and get in touch with Minerva immediately. I never could say ‘no’ to that man.”

“No one could.”

“So, I called her and she offered me the job, told me what was going on, and here I am.” He summed up.

“But where have you been hiding all week?” she insisted. “I’ve been all over this castle with Malicia and we hadn’t any idea you were here!”

“I’m not used to being inside anymore.” He explained. “I’ve got an office and everything here, and I stay there sometimes, but I prefer to be out on the grounds. That’s why I was in the forest tonight, but now it’s your turn. What happened today?”

Lia debated on what to tell Theodore. How could she explain to him something that she herself didn’t understand? Briefly the key flashed in her mind but she pushed it away. Until she knew more she wasn’t going to tell anyone what she had found. That key was special, precious in its own way, and no one should know about it yet. “I was going to talk to the centaurs.” She began honestly enough. “I don’t know exactly what happened after that, I was in the Gazing Vale to send them a message and suddenly I couldn’t see anything. I just…started walking.” She ended, hoping he didn’t question her anymore on the matter. She couldn’t explain the mysterious lights that led her to that tree, or how a minotaur could turn to dust by the use of a simple, wooden key. She knew there was something more going on, but she had to figure out what it was herself; whatever was going on, she knew that it would be better if no one knew.

Theodore watched her face closely as she recounted her tale. He knew that she wasn’t telling him everything, but he hadn’t told her everything either. “Well, it seems that no matter where we go, we always seem to end up here, don’t we?” He only vaguely meant the hospital wing and met Lia’s hazel eyes for the first time in nearly twenty years.

Smiling, she rested her hand on his arm, “I missed you, y’know.”

He placed his hand on hers and was about to respond when a bedpan hit him sharply on the back of the head. “I said, she needed rest!” Madame Pomfrey stormed out of her office with her wand raised. “Now out!”

Grinning sheepishly he stood, “Goodnight, Lia.”

Lia giggled at the bed pan floating above him threateningly, “Goodnight Teddy.” He turned and headed for the double doors. “I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?” she called after him. “You aren’t going to run off again, right?”

He turned and smiled, Lia thought she saw a slight blush to his cheeks but dismissed it as a trick of the light, “I’ll be here to take you to breakfast.”

“Out!” Madame Pomfrey yelled as the bed pan smacked his head once more.

Lia laughed before obediently laying still in her bed. This was turning out to be an interesting year, even by Hogwarts’ standards.