When Darkness Calls

Chapter 2- New girl

I woke with a start my heart beating strong in my in this strange dark room. I didn’t have to open the heavy curtains to know it was still dark outside I could feel it. I swung my legs out of bed and went to the sink to fill my glass, my mouth was dry and I felt the need to get up and move about the room. I was trying to piece together all the events of the previous day.

When I had followed the professor into the castle I was quickly assigned to a girl called Serena. Professor McGonagall had explained that I was a new girl and I would be staying in the private quarters of Slytherin house. Serena had hesitated as she looked me up and down then back to the professor.

‘Come girl show her to her room immediately!’

The professor turned to me now and took me by the elbow out of earshot of the now blushing student.

‘I’ll be by to check on you later dear you are to attend the great hall for supper and we will catch up after. In the meantime please unpack and get settled in if you need anything there will be plenty of students around to help.’

With that she was gone and I was left following a rather hasty Serena through endless corridors. I hardly had time to take in any of the sites and thought how I would never be able to find the place again on my own. She abruptly stopped and as I had been watching her rapidly moving feet most of the way I promptly ran straight into the back of her nearly knocking both of us to the stone floor.

‘Sorry I was trying to keep up and’

‘It’s fine’, she spat out making a rather over the top audible sigh while she smoother down her jumper.

‘I assume the old witch meant you to go in this room since it’s the only one that’s not occupied and I assume you can look after yourself from here.’

And with that she turned and was gone with her clicking heels receding down the corridor. I’d met girls like that all my life and I was beyond the point of being offended by her rude behaviour. I would just make a mental note to ignore her for the rest of the time I was here.

I turned the handle to the big studded oak door and went inside my case dragging behind. The room smelt clean but old. There was a simple single bed in the centre of the room with bookshelves either side carved in the stone of the wall. To my immediate left was a large antique looking wardrobe and dresser. The gothic window opened to an expanse of flat green that opened up to the large firs I had seen on the road in. I was pleased to see another door that led to a separate washroom with basin and bath.

I left my bag where it lay near the door and threw myself down on the bed, it was then I fell into a light and restless sleep.

I looked at my watch it was 1.19am. I knew I would not get back to sleep so I decided to check out my surroundings and try and orientate myself. I still had my clothes on from the day before being too tired to change for bed. I slowly opened my door with a fluttering in my stomach not sure what I would find. I left my door slightly ajar thinking this would be the easiest way to distinguish it from the others when I got back.

The place looked completely different to the way I had committed it to memory before. The halls were not dark but appeared to be bathed in a low moonlit glow. I instinctively reached out to the walls to feel the cool smooth stone. This place was like nowhere I had ever visited or dreamed of before. I had been given what I originally thought to be a journal by the kindly old headmaster, Dumbledore who had visited me at the centre. He had been the first person who had treated me like an adult and told me I had a choice in my own destiny.

‘I don’t want you to come and be too overwhelmed by things you know not of’, he had said while putting the journal in my hand and covering it with his own cold fingers.

‘I will leave you with this for a couple of weeks and we will discuss the contents when I get back.’

With that he was gone leaving me with the large leather bound journal. I instinctively locked the door when he left and went to my desk with the book. I opened the first page and immediately black ink started to pool on the page;

The History of Hogwarts by Delbert Rathenbore.

As I had turned opened new pages vivid colours danced on the cream paper making moving images. The chapters each discussing different elements of the school from the history of the castle to the present day classes taught at the school. I studied the images most of all the moving staircases, the ghosts that roamed the halls and the lush green forest that surrounded the building on all sides.

‘Oh Ava you will love it just as I did, they will be able to teach you far better than I have and will help you control your gift, ‘ she was looking down at her tattered book of positions stroking it lovingly.

My father had come in from work and found us at the table practicing spells my mum swishing her finger about in the air and me with my wooden spoon getting more excited with every minute that passed, my mother’s enthusiasm infectious as always. When I looked up at my father he looked angry.

‘Go upstairs Ava I need to have a word with your mum.’ He didn’t take his eyes off her and barely acknowledged me as I ran past him.

I sat on the stairs just high enough to be out of view listening as the argument ensued.

‘She’s got plenty of times for magic Cora for God’s sake just let the poor girl enjoy her youth, her innocence while she still has it.’ He had gone to the drinks cupboard and poured himself a whiskey no doubt preparing himself for debate ahead.

‘It’s for her own protection Henry she’s not like any witch I’ve ever known she is powerful, intelligent and wise beyond her years. And then there are the visions…’

‘Enough! I will not hear another word of it she’s our child Cora, mine and yours no one else’s I will not let her be used as some sort of weapon in whatever war it is you’re waging.’ His face was right in my mother’s now, she pushed him out of the way and had disappeared into a flash of green in the fireplace.

I snapped back into reality as the memory faded. I had been walking on autopilot following endless corridors not taking any of it in while my mind was in another time completely. I had no chance of seeing the dark figure in front of me until it was too late. The dark eyes focussed in on me and the look of confusion was very rapidly replaced with rage.

‘Who are you and what are you doing wandering the building at this time of night?’ I was quickly struck by his eyes so dark almost black in the pale face but I quickly recovered.

‘I’m a new student here and I couldn’t sleep so thought I would at least try and get my bearings so I can find my way around tomorrow.’ I kept his my eyes on his the whole time.

‘Ava Blake I assume,’ but he didn’t let me reply, ‘if you had attended supper like you were asked to you would know that it is forbidden for students to roam the castle at night the headmaster was going to go through it all with you after dining.’ He stood with his arms folded looking down as though willing me to shrink in his presence.

‘I apologise the journey I had been on had been long and I fell asleep when I got to my room, can I ask who you are?’ I was feeling bold I had met men like this all my life disciplinarians he didn’t scare me outside of the school no doubt he was no one.

‘You will find out tomorrow I’m sure if you can be bothered to attend breakfast in the great hall now go back to your room and if I find out you have been out again before breakfast there will be consequences, do you understand?’ He was angry now and I couldn’t help a quick smirk to myself. When I looked up at him again I realised it had been noticed his eyes had widened with rage.

‘Yes Sir, goodnight.’

With that I went back the way I came feeling his eyes on me as I walked away I didn’t rush. I had never been one to be threatened or intimidated by authority figures. All my life people had told me what to do and to keep control of my life I had always done the opposite. I eventually found my room and realising sleep would no doubt evade me I started to unpack.