Secrets Only Trouble Knows - George Weasley

29 - Enemies of the Heir, Beware

{ A/N: crazy shit's going down in this chap... }

-

Nova's POV

After a fantastic afternoon spent brainstorming further with the boys about our grand prank on Graham Montague, and perusing around Hogsmeade with our other friends that showed up later, it was time to return to the castle for the Halloween Feast.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn't make an appearance in the Great Hall for they had been invited by Sir Nicholas to attend his 500th "Death Day" party with other ghosts. But the rest of my friends and I enjoyed a delightful meal together. There was no shortage of delicious food and no one would be going to bed hungry tonight.

I was so happy to finally be completely and utterly enjoying Halloween for a change. It seemed as though it had been awhile since I'd last had one as nice as this year's. Spending the day in Hogsmeade with wonderful people really helped me keep my mind off things. Rarely did my thoughts wander to darker places.

Throughout the feast I kept being reminded of
how grateful I was to have such amazing people in my life. I was so fortunate to have the friends that I did. I glanced around at them the entire time, watching them with fondness for the way they acted without a care in the world. Everyone was in such a great mood that it was hard not to feel the same way myself.

Everything was very lovely... until it wasn't.

Just as the scraps of meats, carrots, potatoes, and rolls were cleared from the table and replaced with desserts like chocolate pie and cake, my head began to throb with pain— completely out of the blue. It was as if a full-blown migraine had just come on, yet it had arrived in the blink of an eye.

I touched a hand to my forehead, wincing. I wished I had an anecdote with me, but I kept medicine in my dormitory. I had half a mind to run and grab some so that the pain would subside and I could finish out the rest of the evening with my friends. But before I could announce what was going on, my vision began to blur. It continued to grow cloudier and cloudier, accompanied by a feeling of lightheadedness, before everything just went dark.

My sight faded in from black, giving way to a view most unlike the scene I'd just been witnessing. No longer was I in the jubilant Great Hall, enjoying dinner with my friends. Rather, now, I was standing in an empty corridor somewhere else in Hogwarts entirely.

I was almost certain it was one on the second floor. It felt familiar. I didn't pass through it to get to Gryffindor Tower, seeing as that was located higher up in the castle, but I was sure I'd used it while traversing to various classes over the years. It may have been the very one where several bathrooms were located as well, but upon first glance I couldn't yet confirm.

The sensation that quickly overcame me was one all too familiar. Everything around me felt... real. It felt exactly the same as my dream that occurred over the summer had— the one about my father being attacked by a dementor.

But I wasn't dreaming. I couldn't possibly describe this as a dream. Not when but mere seconds ago I had been at the Halloween Feast, perfectly awake. I couldn't have just fallen asleep at the table.

I looked down at my body, expecting to find something off about it. That was always a distinguishable factor about dreams. You could usually tell you were asleep because something in or about your surroundings wouldn't be quite right. Like objects or characteristics completely unrelated to the scenario you were in would be present.

But nothing was wrong with me. I didn't have something strange about me like an extra finger. I was still wearing the exact robes I'd been in moments earlier, and I could see myself clearly. I wasn't blurry or translucent. I even lifted my hand and inspected my palm, only to find that I was able to note the lines and wrinkles of my skin perfectly. I was... normal.