Trapped and Bloody

From Author:

Hey, my favorite favorite readers,

Thank you for reading and choosing my book. You guys are one of the best things that have happened to me. I love you all so so much. Your gifts and comments have kept me going even in the worst situations. You all are very very wonderful people. Thank you so much again. 

***

"Huh?" Chris blinked at Madam Helga's question before answering hesitantly, "Fergus said it's not my blood, not entirely."

"But why are you still covered in it?" Helga asked her again.

Chris tried to think of an answer but no matter how much she tried she couldn't remember what happened after she unlocked the successor's powers in the lake.

"I don't know . . . I think I fought Maligno. Maybe that's when –"

"Not maybe, you fought and you fought exceptionally well," Godric Gryffindor said with a proud smile. "You have proven again and again that you are a true Gryffindor."

"Yes, yes, claim her in your house as if she isn't my descendant," Helga Hufflepuff rolled her eyes at Gryffindor before smiling at Chris. "But he is right and so is Fergus, you fought very bravely and this is mostly Maligno's blood from the fight but you don't have to be covered in it. You are in Witch's Oasis, after all."

"We are where?" Chris asked surprised.

"Nobody told you?" Rowena Ravenclaw glanced at Dumbledore, whom Chris had completely forgotten was still there.

"Ah, we were preoccupied with some other topics when we talked," Dumbledore remorsefully answered the unasked question.

"I see," Madam Rowena nodded and decided to explain it herself. "We are in Witch's Oasis, darling. You see, Wizards and witches in our time had a special ability to make their souls travel or rather retreat in a safe place without their bodies. The body remained in the same space as before and only their soul traveled, and while unlocking and practicing this ability all of them found a similar space with different variations of it."

"More like the same place with a personal touch. As every soul was different, this place would reflect that differently. After a vast amount of traveling and experimenting, wizards found out or they believed that this was created by the first wizard in this world or the Goddess of witchcraft herself for some reason and all wizards and witches can access it once they reach a great level of magic," Salazar Slytherin said, only to earn a glare from Madam Rowena. "Pardon, Rowena, please continue."

". . . As I was saying before I was interrupted," Rowena Ravenclaw continued. "Wizards and witches also realized that this is the very place where we go after we die and here we get to decide if we want to continue the journey ahead or remain in the mortal world as ghosts. But more importantly, some realized that we can remain here and can travel in this Oasis even after passing on."

"Just say YOU realized that we can remain here and can travel in this Oasis even after passing on. I never understood your necessity for modesty. You were – are the smartest here," Salazar Slytherin interrupted again but this time he didn't look apologetic, he looked at Rowena Ravenclaw just like Chris looked at Ginny or Luna or Colin because of how strong, smart, or brave her friends were, like she was proud of them. That was what Salazar Slytherin looked like. He was proud of his friend.

Chris saw Madam Rowena crack a small smile at the compliment, even though she tried to look irritated at the interruption.

"Anyhow, since this place is a physical reality, it depends on how you look at it. So if you want your soul to look differently, you can imagine it and it will be reflected in the world around you," Madam Rowena nodded at the blood on Chris. "Try it."

Chris nodded slowly and closed her eyes. At first, she tried to imagine herself wearing something else but it was difficult at first as everything around her felt so knew. So she focused on how she was feeling. 

And she realized she was feeling happy.

Chris was surprised at the thought, how could she feel happy after everything but then she understood it wasn't happiness, it was gratefulness. She was grateful that Harry and her friends were alive and Fergus got to meet his father after so long. That she made it to this Oasis created by the Goddess of witchcraft herself, that everyone who died in the wizarding war came somewhere so peaceful.

As her feelings changed, so did everything surrounding her. Until now, she felt cold and shivery with those blood soaked clothes, but now slowly the feeling disappeared and warm feeling embraced her. She felt light and a sigh of relief automatically left her lips.

"Well done, you figured it out," came Madam Rowena's soft voice and Chris opened her eyes.

Chris saw Madam Rowena and Helga, and Godric Gryffindor smiling at her and looked down on herself. The blood was completely gone from her body and hands and now she was wearing a beautiful silky golden flowy off-shoulder dress. Chris touched her face in disbelief and found no blood on her face as well, in fact, even her hair felt combed and fresh.

"You look beautiful, darling," Madam Helga smiled. "Now be a sweet child and tell me where are you hurt? Fergus, you too, child, tell me, are you perfectly alright?"

Fergus was caught off-guard as the attention suddenly turned towards but he hastily nodded.

"Yes, we are fine," Chris answered but Madam Helga just stared at her and when she realized Chris wasn't going to add anything else, she sighed before voicing her thoughts.

"Remember what you said? Not all of that blood was yours but some of it was. Where do you think it came from if you are completely unharmed? What do you mean you are fine? You do not have to lie to us, you know."

"Oh," Chris blinked because she never considered it a lie. She was always fine no matter what, as she knew even if she wasn't fine at that moment, she was going to be. Not to mention, right that moment, she did feel a bit tired but she had been through worse. "I . . . am really ok, Madam Helga. I don't even feel hurt anywhere, In fact for a moment I thought it was you all who had doused me with blood like my eleventh birthday."

Chris realized what she had said after she had said it and saw Fergus's eyes widening and Salazar Slytherin's frown growing at the disrespect.

"I mean – I just remembered my eleventh birthday, I saw you in my dream and –" Chris tried to salvage the situation until Madam Helga started laughing and Madam Rowena and Godric Gryffindor chuckled. And after a moment, Salazar Slytherin's frown melted into a loud barking laugh, making Chris more surprised.

"You thought we doused you in blood on your eleventh birthday? Goodness, girl," Salazar said in between laughs. "Why would we – What would we even achieve by doing that?"

"How would I know that?" The words escaped Chris before she could think and stop herself. But she quickly felt that she didn't sound disrespectful, more like a defiant child. "I was eleven and asleep. I dreamed that I was covered in blood in a room where I heard your voices. What was I supposed to think?"

"Be kind to her, Salazar," Madam Rowena said, still smiling. "She is right. What was she supposed to think? You must admit when we decided to open the door for her, it was rather sudden and terrifying for a little child."

"You decided to open the door?" Chris asked, confused.

"The door to the past, Child. It was your eleventh birthday when we decided it was time for you to get our memories and as you would come across more and more elements from our lives in Hogwarts, the more you would know about us, through our memory. We opened the door of Oasis for you. We connected your soul with the Oasis and that way we could share our memories with you."

"To be fair, you weren't supposed to hear us. We thought it wasn't possible but you were an extraordinary child that was why your soul was aware of the interference subconsciously," Godric Gryffindor explained. 

"But what about the blood and that dark room? If this was Chris's soul, why would her soul be in a dark room and covered in blood?" Fergus asked, feeling Chris's confusion and he was also curious. 

"As I said before the Oasis reflects the soul, Christina's soul always felt trapped and injured because of your powers, Fergus, and that was what reflected in her surroundings. Thus the blood and dark room," Salazar Slytherin answered. "And she couldn't have broken free from that room if you weren't there to guide her. She started to experience freedom after she met you after you explained about your magic. And about the blood now, well as you have already guessed you fought Maligno's soul, and your soul got injured in the process."

"Maligno's soul?" Chris blinked at Salazar, who finally looked pleased for some reason.

"You do not remember any of it, do you?"

"No, I thought Fergus took control, or rather his powers," Chris muttered, glancing at Fergus.

"He was there helping you but it wasn't him who defeated Maligno," Salazar Slytherin's smile widened. "Would you like to see what happened?"

"See?" 

"Of course, see. Why would I waste time telling you when you can see for yourself."

"How?"

"You did not think I was the best wizard of my time without extraordinary skills and abilities, did you?" Salazar Slytherin said, slowly raising his hands and making a circle in the air. "Now, prepare yourself."

[To be continued]