Only The Beginning

Revelation

It was black, pitch black. The only light was coming from the thin window at the end of the hallway, offering only a sliver of sight. She tried to walk toward it, the hallway seeming to go on forever.

"Hello dearie! You came back to play." Olive snapped her head to the left, there was a cell door, those bony hands reaching out to her again, but when she looked for a face, she found nothing, only cold dead eyes staring back at her.

Panicked, she began to run away, the sound of laughing getting louder the faster she ran. She pushed herself to run toward the window, get out of the darkness, but the further she ran the farther away the window was.

"No need to run, I'll get you." The voice was like nails on a chalkboard, scratching at her brain. 

The cackling was getting closer, footsteps pounding on the ground as she felt the witch catching up with her. She looked behind her but could see nothing in the blackness. Olive's lungs burned, begging her to stop but she couldn't, if she stopped now, it surely meant death.

She felt something grip her ankle, immediately sending her to the ground, the shockwaves of hitting the stone floor reverberating through her body. She choked, desperately trying to get air to fill her lungs as she clawed at the ground attempting to pull herself the rest of the way.

"I told you I would get you."

Gasping awake Olive shot up in bed, she was cold and covered in sweat, her bangs sticking to her forehead. She sat with her face in her hands for a while as she tried to calm her mind, remind herself she was safe. But it all felt so real.

Looking around she was thankful to learn that either she made no noise during her nightmare, or her roommates could sleep through anything. It was early morning, and the sun was just beginning to rise, knowing she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep she decided to cut her losses and get ready early. After she got dressed in her robes and splashed cold water on her face, she ventured out into the common room, few Hufflepuffs were awake at this hour, so she slipped out without a fuss.

Olive couldn't remember when she went to sleep last night, every time she closed her eyes she saw Azkaban, she saw Helen. Walking past the Great Hall, the smell of fresh breakfast made her sick to her stomach, so she continued, not quite sure where she was going.

Her thoughts were going a mile a minute, she didn't notice that her body had led her to Fig's classroom. Merlin how she wished he was here right now; he was getting ready for another meeting with the Minister in London no doubt. She willed herself to enter the classroom regardless, just to feel the comfort his space provided.

Stepping into his office she was welcomed by the smell of freshly brewed earl grey tea. Eleazar Fig himself was standing by the window, using the early sun's rays to read the book in his hands.

"Professor?" She said softly, afraid that if she spoke louder, he would become a figment of her imagination.

"Oh, Olive I was going to send you an owl-"He was cut off by the girl running full force at him and hugging him with such ferociousness it almost tipped him over.

"Are you alright my dear? I was only gone for a few days." Fig felt something wet seeping through his robes.

The professor felt a sort of panic run through him as he guided the crying girl to the sofa in front of his fireplace. He sat quietly with her offering silent support until she was ready to speak again.

"While you were gone... I went on a search for information about the missing pages from that book. A witch named Anne was convicted for the murder of Richard Jackdaw back when they were students. Jackdaw stole the missing pages from Peeves, he and Anne were going to run away together in search of the adventure that was promised in those pages. He was never seen again, and she was sent to Azkaban to pay for her so-called crime." Fig offered her a handkerchief and she wiped her tears.