A Heartfelt Talk

The last day Oleandra spent in the Hospital Wing blew past in a whirlwind of activity. During their visit, Ron and Draco got in a fistfight together, which got them promptly ejected from the premises, but not before Madam Pomfrey had treated their bloody noses and black eyes! Daphne even brought her a very small cup filled with some Lime Slime, her favourite treat. Oleandra was touched; her sister loved lime-flavoured sweets more than life itself.

That night, Oleandra's mind wouldn't stop working overtime; she couldn't stop thinking about the dream. She rolled from side to side in her bed, making a mess of her covers.

"Oleandra, are you sleeping?" Harry suddenly said, pretty much out of nowhere.

"Can't fall asleep?" Oleandra replied. She couldn't see him through the drapes that were hung between their beds, but she figured Harry must also have been pretty shaken by the Dementors' attack.

"Mind hearing me out?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"Is it about the Dementors?" Oleandra guessed. "Why not talk about it with your friends?"

"They wouldn't get it," Harry sighed. "I know they care about me, but they wouldn't understand."

"And I would?" Oleandra said questioningly.

"Everyone says how Dementors are the worst," he began, "but we're the only ones who black out."

He paused for a moment.

"I heard you talking in your sleep," Harry said. "You were having a nightmare about what they showed you, right?"

Oleandra nodded. And then felt stupid when she realized Harry couldn't see her through the drapes.

"Mhm," she acquiesced.

"You know… this might sound horrible," Harry said, "but I'm glad I wasn't the only one."

An awkward silence fell over the pair.

"Sorry," Harry said after a while.

"Don't be," Oleandra replied. "…you know, Dementors drain hope and happiness from you. I think you'll feel better if you concentrate on those things."

Another pregnant silence.

"All I need are my friends, and Hogwarts," Harry said seriously. "I can't help but feel like life's got something in store for me, but as long as I've got those, then I'm perfectly happy." 

He paused.

"And what about you?" he said after a moment. "Any hopes or dreams?"

Oleandra had done plenty of things these past three years. She had adventured into the unknown, grown stronger, learned some things about herself… but in the pursuit of what goal? Her past incarnation had surely had a dream, but what about her? What did she want? 

She was no longer powerless; power for power's sake no longer interested Oleandra. She had often joked with her friends about taking over the world and she prepared for crazy scenarios such as invading the Ministry of Magic or fighting off gods, but everyone daydreamed every once in a while, didn't they?

And then, it hit her. The happiest she had ever been was when she'd discovered she was magic after all. Oleandra had something unique for a Pure-Blooded Wizard, and that was a Muggle's perspective. She was still filled with wonder whenever she witnessed magic; her curiosity knew no bounds.

"I want to see it all," Oleandra said dreamily. "I want to see what's behind the stars."

====================================================== 

By the time Oleandra was let out of the Hospital Wing the following Monday morning, she didn't have much to show for her stay except a few presents from friends and well-wishers. Apart from discovering how she had got cursed in the first place, she hadn't figured out anything more about herself. There were still a few secrets that eluded her. 

Her past incarnation's true name, for instance. The man from the dream hadn't specifically called out her full name, which meant it was still a secret to Oleandra. In the nightmare, he had only called her by the pet name, 'Vee.' She also didn't know the man's name or his appearance, for that matter. There was also the fact that the Fidelius Seal had stricken her full name from history, which meant that there was little hope that she'd find herself in a history book. 

There was also the matter of her Mystic Eyes. It is said that the eyes are the mirror of the soul, but Oleandra wasn't sure if that had anything to do with her case. At any rate, these dreams hadn't given her any information on them, or why they had allowed her to perceive the magic hidden in the stars. For all she knew, they were two totally unrelated affairs. Whether her eyes had something to do with her soul or with her bloodline, it was impossible to know for the moment. Whether her eyes had anything to do with ancient runes was another mystery, as well.

Oleandra barely paid attention in Potions class. It was only when she saw Professor Lupin in Defense Against the Dark Arts that she snapped out of her trance. It seemed he had recovered from his supposed illness, which meant Oleandra could ask him whether or not he was a werewolf!

To her surprise, Professor Lupin called out to her before she had even had the chance to ask him anything after the class had ended!

"Wait a moment, Harry, Oleandra," Professor Lupin called. "A word, if you please?"

 The pair approached the teacher's desk. Once everyone else had left the room, Professor Lupin addressed them once more.

"I've heard about the Dementors," he said with gravity. "Oleandra, you must stop going out to them on purpose. They are foul, dark and evil creatures. They are the lowest of the low, and it would be best to have nothing to do with them, if you value your sanity."

Professor Lupin was troubled. Professor Dumbledore, out of nowhere, had asked him to teach the both of them the Patronus Charm. Lupin trusted the man more than anyone else in the world, and he was deeply grateful for everything he had done for him. And yet…

Lupin sometimes felt like the headmaster seemed inscrutable, even alien at times. For one who had attained such power, it became difficult to relate to ordinary people. Dumbledore sometimes seemed to forget that his students were just that; children, students. If there was one thing Lupin cared for more than his loyalty to Dumbledore, it was his students' safety.