Chased by death.

"Shit! N-Not again…" Despite his seemingly dire situation, Zephyr didn't seem worried. Knowing that time was of great importance here, he swiftly produced the Mokeskin pouch Hagrid gifted him. The anti-theft properties on it, making it the best container for his potions. Fishing out a potion vial containing a light blue liquid, Zephyr briefly grimaced. If only the potion was as appetising as it looked. He quickly uncorked the vial and hurriedly gulped the medicine down.

'Disgusting!'

Zephyr held the urge to gag back and waited for the potion to take effect. But after a short while, he realized, his breath was still not calming down. At this point, Zephyr was panicking, and the increasing chest pain was not helping.

Was the potion poorly made? Did Snape finally decide to murder him? Or was it not working because of the orb that entered him?

… Was he going to die?

Thankfully, that seemed not to be the case, since the soothing effect of the potion finally kicked in. While Zephyr was waiting for his breath and heart to calm down, he couldn't stop his face from turning despondent. 'The potion's effect was delayed compared to the last time, huh? Well, it was expected…' Zephyr could swear his surrounding just turned gloomier than before.

Zephyr shook his head and tried to snap himself out of his sad thoughts. He was not afraid of dying, only afraid of leaving his sister before she was safe from that madman. He made peace with his doom. So why does the thought of his upcoming demise never fail to unsettle him?

Zephyr looked down at his unsteady hands. 'I don't feel any different…' And it was true, after the massive pain, nothing further happened. No awakened powers or new knowledge. Nothing. He felt a lot of pain, though, and he didn't know the reason. A frown was slowly growing on his face. 'I should visit Madam Pomfrey.'

*Crack!*

'What now?' He thought, alarmed, as various cracking sounds echoed through the room. Looking around, he saw the ceiling, walls, and ground breaking, banishing many objects into a black, seemingly unending void.

The Room of Requirement was breaking apart.

Not wasting his time to contemplate the amount of misfortune he had received today, Zephyr ran. He ran faster than ever before, snaking through the piles of Hogwarts's history while the ominous cracking sounds behind him were getting louder. Ignoring the pain in his sides and the loud wheezing in ears, he managed to get even faster! And finally, he saw the entrance door. With a last desperate sprint, he made it out, just as the last bit of ground broke down behind him. After that the door was closed by it itself and vanished, forever.

"Huff… huff." Zephyr was wiping the sweat off his face, as a huge grin was splitting his face. This was his second near death experience tonight, but there wasn't a hint of the gloom before. No, he only felt exhilarated. Though his smile faltered quickly, as realisation was flashing through his eyes.

"No, my treasures!"

- - -

"I really dislike seeing you, Mr Potter. Do you know that?"

Zephyr smiled wryly. "I can say the same thing, madam."

The hard eyes of Madam Pomfrey softened, but her voice didn't lose her sternness. "Well…" She gestured to an empty bed. "Sit down already!"

Zephyr obeyed and plopped himself down, while the school matron summoned a chair and bag filled with potions. Next, the tip of her wand shone in a pale yellow colour and she slowly moved it over his body.

"So, what did you do?"

"Nothing."

"You better did not! Your sister is already giving me new wrinkles every year. I don't need you to—"

"I had a nastier than normal pain attack today, and my heart stopped again."

Madam Pomfrey's hand briefly halted, but she soon continued her action, not looking at his face.

"I have to ask Severus for a new batch of potions then."

"Also… the effect of the potion was delayed."

At that Madam Pomfrey looked up at him, her face distraught. But she quickly composed herself, regarding him with a blank look.

"I see…" She finished the examination of his body and wrote something down on a writing board. "Your body already is building a resistance. I just did not predict it to happen so soon…"

Well, it was expected, the healing potion for inner organs was not made for repeated usage. It was rare, after all, that someone's organs fail repeatedly in a short time. The fact that Zephyr survived until now was a miracle only achievable with magic.

"It's not your fault Madam Pomfrey." Zephyr said consolingly. The matron always made her frustration clear about the inability to help him. Which he thought was silly. Countless other people, including world renowned healers, Dumbledore, and even the Flamels examined him, and no one managed to help him. So why is she taking his condition as a personal failure?

Madam Pomfrey ignored his words and said, "I found nothing new, so the best thing we can do is to proceed as usual." She found nothing? So the orb from before only caused pain, and nothing else?

Zephyr sighed and stood up to leave. "Disappointing, but it is what it is. Thank your for your care Madam. I'll see you next year."

Before he even could take the first step, a firm hand clamped itself on his shoulder.

"Where do you think you are going, mister?"

Zephyr could only groan.

- - -

Zephyr was in and his sister's room at 4 Privet Drive. It has been 4 days since the summer holidays started. Zephyr is currently on his bed reading fantasy books. He was in a bad mood. Not much happened after his small "adventure" to the Room of Requirement, besides a conversation with Dumbledore, and a worried interrogation of his only friend. Of course, he didn't tell anyone about the mysterious orb or his failing heart. What would be the point? Nothing besides worrying them unnecessarily. And that fact was the reason for his foul mood. He almost died twice and gained nothing. What makes it worse was that Voldemort got exposed. He did not need to hide and hold back anymore, and Zephyr was not any closer to do something against it. With a sigh, he turned a page. In the end, he was still useless…

"Oof!" Zephyr's back suddenly hit the ground. He quickly stood up, startled. His bed was gone! No… after looking around, he realized his entire room was gone. Now he found himself in a different, dimly lit room. Looking up, his green eyes were met with darkness decorated by stars.

"We finally meet, Zephyr Potter…" His observation was interrupted by a smooth voice behind him.