The Healer | Part 1: The Hogwarts Years

The Nightmare

Edith

It was icy cold, my skin was frozen. I couldn't breathe. Something had a death grip on my waist, it was binding my arms to my sides, I couldn't move. I didn't want to move, the lack of oxygen was making my brain foggy. Grindylows danced in and out of my vision, some grabbed on to my wrists and ankles and pulled, helping the thing that was wrapped around my middle pull me deeper.

I was going to die here. There was nothing I could do about it. I didn't have my wand and the thing holding me was far too strong. I couldn't even draw breath to scream for help. Andrej would wonder where I was when I didn't show up for breakfast. By then it would be too late.

There was a flash of blue light and I sat bolt upright in bed, gasping for air.

I was back in my bed in the dormitory. It was pitch dark outside still.

'Edie!' I whipped my head around, still gasping for air. Mia was standing over me. 'Edie, are you alright?'

'Fine,' I continued to gulp down air. 'Nightmare.'

'You weren't breathing!' My eyes adjusted to the dark. I could see that Mia's cheeks were wet. She had been crying. 'I was trying to wake you up, but I couldn't. I thought you were dead!'

'I'm sorry, Mia.' I said. I had finally started to catch my breath. How long had I stopped breathing for?

'I think you need to go to the Hospital Wing,' she said.

'No,' I answered immediately. 'It was just a nightmare.'

'Edie, you stopped breathing! That's not normal!' She sounded hysterical. I felt bad for scaring her, but I definitely was not going back to the Hospital Wing. She put a hand on my wrist. 'You're cold as ice!'

'I have some Dreamless Sleep Potion in my trunk,' I swung my legs out of bed. 'I'll take some now so it doesn't happen again.'

'And then will you go to the Hospital Wing? In the morning?' She pleaded with me.

I found the bottle in my trunk. I had ordered some in the autumn when I was having trouble sleeping because of all my school work. I uncorked it and took a drink. It was quiet in the dormitory apart from Cho and Marietta's rhythmic breathing. I was avoiding Mia's question.

'Maybe,' I answered slowly. 'If I'm not feeling better in the morning.'

'Promise?' She asked, raising an eyebrow.

'Aye, promise.' I nodded.

My heart was still pounding from the dream. I thought for sure Mia would be able to hear it, but she didn't give any indication that she had. The dream had frightened me. It was bad enough living through it the first time. Was I going to have nightmares like this for the rest of my life?

'You really frightened me, Edie,' Mia said. She was hesitating to go back to her own bed.

'I'll be fine, Mia,' I replied. 'Really. It was just a bad nightmare.'

'Alright,' she said slowly. She walked back to her bed and got in, but she didn't close the curtains around it.

I laid back down in bed with my eyes open for a few moments. My heart was still racing from the dream, but it was starting to slow back down again. I was a little scared to close my eyes in case the dream came back.

It wasn't long until my eyelids grew heavy, the potion was kicking in. I didn't have much more time to dwell on the dream until I was asleep again.

***

The next morning, I could scarcely even remember the nightmare. Mia, however, hadn't forgotten and brought up the Hospital Wing again. I was feeling alright though, I didn't see any need to go to the Hospital Wing today. I promised her that I would go if it happened again and, thankfully, she seemed satisfied enough with that.