The Dreams and Realities

Chris was staring at her reflection without seeing it. Her hands were still in the air, frozen halfway through tying her hair.

"Does you often stare at yourself like that?"

Hearing the question Chris's eyes focused on the mirror and saw Oziyat standing behind her.

"I didn't hear you come in," Chris said trying to finish tying her hair quickly but her bandages strained and she winced.

"Wait," Oziyat gently pulled Chris's hands away from her hair, and before she could protest he started tying it up into a knot.

"Oziyat, I can . . . you don't have to. . ." Chris muttered trying to turn around but Oziyat had already finished.

"Better?" Oziyat asked. The usual amusement back in his eyes.

Chris checked herself in the mirror. He did quite a good job.

". . . thanks."

"You are most welcome. How are you feeling now?"

"Better, actually." Chris turned to face him. He was too close.

"That's good. Even though you ran out like that, specifically after I told you to stay put," Oziyat raised one eyebrow at Chris.

"I . . . tried?" Chris said innocently.

"I thought so," Oziyat gave an amused smile then became serious. "I was furious when you collapsed. But then you . . ."

"Then I what?"

"Then you gave that relieved smile as if a thousand times heavyweight had lifted from your shoulders." Oziyat sighed. "I am glad you are okay and your friends are fine too. You love them, I can see that. Having your friends here really helped. You look a lot different."

"Different? How?" Chris asked confused.

"You look relieved, more open and . . . happy."

"I . . ." Chris was a loss of words. Was she really looking different just after meeting her friends? Yes, she was happy but she was always guarded with her emotions. Now, she was not?

"I like this side of you," Oziyat gave a bright smile as he gazed at Chris's face. "I always knew you were loyal to the core but to see you like this . . . your face lit up when you realize they were actually your friends, and this beautiful energy settled around you. Christina, I think --"

The half-closed door opened loudly as Sol raced into the room, with Ginny, Luna, and Colin behind him. Chris backed away from Oziyat quickly as Ginny raised her eyebrows noticing them. Chris ignored her look but noticed that all three of them looked fresh and clean with new silk clothes. Chris felt herself smiling. 

"So formal introductions are in order," Oziyat said casually, as he saw Ginny staring at him.

"Oh yes," Chris announced. "These are my friends, Ginny, Luna, and Colin. Guys, this is Prince Oziyat and Sol."

Sol, who had settled himself in a corner, looked startled as everyone turned to him after Chris's introduction. He stared at Ginny, Luna, and Colin for a long time and did nothing, so Luna smiled and waved at him.

"Hello."

". . . hi," Sol mumbled and looked surprised by his own reply. He looked down and went red.

Oziyat looked surprised as well but then smiled and whispered to Chris, "I don't know how you did that but you have changed our Sol a lot. And I can't thank you enough for that."

Before Chris could reply Ginny cleared her throat loudly.

"Did you come here to return my wand?"

"That depends on how are planning to behave. Even if you are Christina's friend, I can not allow you to hurt her," Oziyat replied looking equally serious as Ginny.

"Oziyat, it's --" Chris tried to speak on Ginny's behalf but Ginny interrupted her.

". . . fine, fine. I won't threaten her. Give me back my wand," Ginny said to Oziyat, then added, "Even though she deserves it."

Oziyat stared at her for a moment and Ginny didn't look away.

"I don't think she does," Oziyat said quietly to Ginny. "I think I will hold onto your wand a little longer."

"You don't --" Ginny began angrily but at that moment Sarah entered the room with their dinner and looked apologetic when she saw Oziyat.

"Your highness, I did not know you were dining with Lady Christina and our guests, or I would have prepared --"

"It's okay, Sarah. I am not here for dinner," Oziyat told Sarah then turned to Chris with a smile. "I will let you enjoy your dinner with your friends. We can talk tomorrow. Come, Sol."

"Wait!" Chris suddenly realized even Oziyat doesn't know exactly what happened that night and she thought that Oziyat should know about the past she saw in her dreams. "I think you should join us. There is a lot to tell."

Chris had had many breakfasts, lunches, and dinners in the Great Hall of Hogwarts while talking about many difficult topics, but maybe this reuniting dinner with her friends was not the best place to tell them this much. However, Chris was so determined to tell everything that she didn't stop or notice the reaction of everyone around her. She went on and on, to avoid questions or interruptions because she had this feeling that if she stops she wouldn't able to finish. Talking about that night was already difficult though Chris cut out the parts of her crying and the things she felt after Zil died and the effect Harry's message had on her. She tried to state the facts as much as she could without getting emotional.

Chris finished with her recent dream about Malgino coming here with Gryffindor and Wilma's son. The room went silent. Chris looked around to see half of the food was forgotten and everyone in the room was staring at her. Oziyat was the first to recover.

"So you have dreams or a kind of visions about vampires?" He looked very confused.

"Actually, it's more of visions about the founders of Hogwarts but I unlocked visions of Wilma after I went to that broken fort in Southeast," Chris explained thinking back. "I think they are connected. This fort, Wilma, her son, and Malgino."

"That's the other thing, why there are no records or anything about this son of our most famous Queen? I don't understand. Godric Gryffindor's legend is one of the biggest stories of our people, yet nobody knows about his and our Queen Wilma's son?"

"I think it was intentional," said Ginny. "According to Chris's dream, Gryffindor took his son back to Hogwarts so nobody can know about him, right? Though, what I don't understand is that why every founder's kids were friends with that ridiculous Malgino? Was there no one else in Hogwarts at that time? For God's sake, get good friends. That self-centered moron is going to sacrifice you all in the end. Idiots."

"I think he made friends with the founders' kids for that very same reason," Oziyat replied.

"I know that," Ginny glared at Oziyat.

"Is she always like this?" Oziyat asked Chris.

"Er . . ." Chris looked at Ginny, whose eyes were daring Chris to say anything.

"Choosing the wrong friends to trust, is just a sensitive topic for her," Luna told Oziyat.

Oziyat nodded and Ginny whirled at Luna, who just gave a small pat on her shoulder.

"Alright, to answer your question Oziyat, I think the Queen knows about Queen Wilma's son," Chris said trying to get back to the topic at hand.

"What? Mother? Why do you think that?" Oziyat looked bewildered.

"Well, you know Rosaline was telling me about the legend of Gryffindor and Malgino, she mentioned that she thinks the Queen knows more than anybody else but she barely speaks about it and to be honest, it is possible that because of some reason Wilma's secret was passed down only to the monarchs," Chris sighed. "Malgino's legend was also passed down through all the Headmasters and Headmistresses of Hogwarts and nobody else knew about it."

"But mother . . . why didn't she say anything even till now? When she is so ill and . . ." Oziyat rubbed his forehead looking frustrated. "Does nobody trusts me with anything important?"

"It --" Ginny was about remark but stopped when she noticed the apologetic look on Chris's face.

"Oziyat, I am so sorry," Chris touched his arm and he let out a long breath.

"I'm sorry everyone but I would like to be alone for a while," Oziyat looked hurt more than anything. "It's better than marching into my mother's room and demand answers, I think. Excuse me."

"Will he be okay?" Luna asked.

"I don't know," Chris sighed. "And I wanted to meet the Queen but I will wait until Oziyat is okay. Meanwhile, Sol," Chris turned to Sol. "You know a lot about creatures. Have you read about Snallygasters? I have but I don't think I know much about them."

As soon Chris asked the question, Sol's eyes widened and he looked around Ginny, Luna, and Colin very quickly, panicked.

"It's ok if you don't want to talk now," Chris said promptly. "We can talk later."

Sol calmed down a little bit and nodded. Chris smiled at him.

"And Sol, don't worry my friends are nice."

"But take as much as time you need, Sol," Luna said kindly.

Looking embarrassed at Luna's words Sol stood up, ready to bolt out of the room, but stopped.

"I . . ." Sol still looked nervous but spoke looking down. "I . . . wanted . . . to tell . . . you. . . Even . . . this time . . . I don't . . . remember . . . what happened . . . after I . . . entered the . . . fort. How . . . do you . . . remember . . . everything?"

"Wait, what?" Chris was confused. "If you don't remember anything both times you were there then . . ."

"There must be a memory charm," Colin asserted.

"But then how does Chris remember?" Luna asked.

"Exactly." Chris stared at the wall, thinking. What it could be? "Sol, what do you --"

". . . bye." Sol was already out of the room.

"Sorry, he just doesn't like talking to strangers or talking at all. He has a condition, he feels uncomfortable around people," Chris explained.

"By the way, who is that boy?" Ginny asked. "You didn't say."

"Oh, he is Princess Rosaline's son."

"But he is not a vampire. He doesn't have red eyes," Colin said.

"Yeah, his father was a wizard. Don't tell anyone you know this," Chris added.

Colin nodded in understanding.

"So, just to summarize," Ginny straightened up and cleared her throat dramatically. "Malgino was friends with the son of Godric Gryffindor and Vampire Queen Wilma, and they are all connected to this fort thing in the southeast part of the forest, where a Snallygaster lives and it is also under a memory charm which affects this boy Sol and not Chris."

"And nobody apart from Sol and I had ever returned from there alive," Chris confirmed.

"Yeah, that's probably because everybody gets eaten by the Snallygaster," Luna said casually.

Colin and Chris looked at Luna startled.

"Great," Ginny gave a fake amused look. "At least, we have more information than before . . . but what are we going to do with it?"

"Ginny, now you are just being annoying," Colin sighed. "We are all thinking --"

"She almost died, Colin." Ginny snapped suddenly. "Now you know, why she is this injured. Why Leyla and that vampire boy is so worried about her. Because she was too close to dying. If not for her Thestral, she would have. She could have been eaten by that Snallygaster thing and we wouldn't have known. We would have spent an eternity looking for her and she probably would have been dead."

Ginny's eyes looked bloodshot as she stood up. Luna and Chris both reached for her but she stormed out.

"Sorry," Chris whispered sinking in her chair.

Luna got up and wrapped Chris into a warm hug.

"It's not your fault, Chris. You have been through a lot too. But we are strong. We will get through this together. Okay?"

Chris nodded hugging Luna back.

⟦To be continued. . .⟧