The Tribrid and Her Prison {COMPLETE}

An Unsatisfied Hunger

Hope snarled as she shot up in bed, panting for breath. It took her a moment to realize where she was and let her nerves settle again. Taking a deep breath, she stood stiffly from the bed and checked the time.

Two o'clock in the morning.

Her gums began to ache, and her stomach screamed at her. Oh...she was hungry. No, she was not just hungry; she was starving. The exertion of exploring the castle a few hours ago must have surged her hunger.

Walking across the room, she picked open the always warm pot of porridge Madam Florence kept for her. At this point, she wouldn't doubt if the tonics were in the porridge, so she wouldn't have to take them separately. As long as it worked, she didn't really care.

She heaped herself some into the bowl and took a big, scalding bite. Hope ate until the bowl was empty, but a strange gnawing hunger still hadn't subsided. She looked into the pot of porridge and wrinkled her nose. As appealing as it was earlier, she couldn't bear to eat another spoonful.

As she set her bowl down, Hope wondered if she was ready to eat something more solid. She knocked on the matron's door, where she had her own chamber.

Madam Florence came to the door, holding her bedrobes tight to her body and squinting at the light. "Hope?" she whispered as if she didn't want to wake someone. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm hungry," Hope answered, hearing the snoring of paintings in the room beyond where she stood.

Standing in hesitation for a moment, she nodded. "There's plenty of porridge in the pot..."

"I ate some, but I can't eat anymore of it right now. I want something else."

"Something else?" She frowned and shook her head. "There's porridge for now. We can find a more suitable meal tomorrow, but for now, eat the porridge and try to sleep."

Madam Florence closed the door with a soft click, leaving Hope to her hunger pains alone. Frustrated, she paced back to her bed and sat down. Now, she was wide awake.

Hope glanced at the door's entrance to the hallway and sighed heavily. She didn't want to stir trouble, so she recalled what Albus had said in the Divination classroom. Grinding her teeth, Hope laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Quietly willing herself to fall asleep, hoping the strange hunger signals would disappear by morning.

No such thing happened.

By morning, Hope had the beginnings of a headache that the sunlight streaming through the windows made worse.

"Come on then." Madam Florence said as she bustled around the infirmary, tying her apron behind her. "Let's go down for a spot of breakfast, shall we?"

"Go down?" Hope asked with sudden interest.

"To the Great Hall. It's where most meals are held, especially during the school year. Wash up and dress. I'll have something with plenty of protein made for you. I imagine that hunger is your body's way of saying you're ready for more."

Hope took very little time to get washed and dressed, not wanting to spare a moment when she could be in a place called the Great Hall. Was it as great as it sounded?

Soon, they were walking through the castle, and this time, Hope did her best to remember their route. She wanted to avoid constantly getting lost. Just as she wondered if she could be given a map of the place, they entered the Great Hall, and her jaw dropped. It was a grand spectacle. Her gaze drifted up to the ceiling, which looked like the sky outside and hundreds of candles floating mid-air.

"Hope!" An excited voice reached her. She knew who belonged to immediately.

Newt came over quickly and grinned. "I see you're starting to obtain more liberties."