A Hex Of A Whole

Chapter Three: Open Your Eyes

(introducing the new technology called multiple POVs in one chapter!) 

It wasn't a dream. 

That is the first thought that enters my head when I open my eyes, expecting the darkness I've grown up with, to instead find light that is still painful to my eyes. Instead of a hard stone floor, I'm in an actual bed, something that She frequently promised me if I could get a spell right, a promise that was never delivered on no matter what I did, right or wrong. Mostly wrong. 

That's when I notice the voices, at least seven of them, all talking at once, but they're so jumbled I can barely make out a single word. 

"How long-"

"What-"

"Did you-"

And then one voice, louder than the rest, which I vaguely recognize, stands out above the others and silences them with a single sentence.

"Oh, would you all just be quiet?!"

Everyone shuts up and with no other warning a blur of color that I suppose must be a person swoops into my vision. The blur is silent for a moment before saying,

"First of all, what's your name?" 

Name? 

She never bothered to give me a name, just calling me 'stupid' 'curse' or 'dust-brain' if She addressed me at all.  And some other names, which I won't repeat. 

I have to reply, but it's so hard to get even a few words out, because I almost never spoke in the Dark.

I..I... I don't...have a name..."

More silence, and the blur pulls out of sight. The voices start up again, but a little quieter and further away, and I can no longer clearly hear anything. But this bed is so comfortable, so different from the moldy stone floor of the Dark, that I don't really care. All I want to do is go back to sleep. So I do.

-POV SWITCH!- 

(Emma's POV) 

She doesn't have a name? How does that even happen? Okay, so I was eavesdropping. I couldn't help it! I'm naturally curious! And if you saw a girl being carried by two teachers out of the dungeons and then passing out when they walked past a window, I'd bet my entire stash of candy that you'd be curious too! I was given this opportunity to find out more about her, and I'm going to take it. What do a few more detentions matter? In my first three years here I've already racked up several hundred, and I'm actually starting to find them fun. It gets me out of Astronomy most of the time, which is always a bonus. Professor Vega is scary. 

Anyway. So now she's just lying there in her bed, which gives me a chance to have a good look at her finally. I can't really see her face too well, because her hair, which is dark brown and kind of curly, is covering it. But she's really pale and whoa, I think that she's the thinnest person I've ever seen. It looks like if she fell down the stairs she would snap like a twig. 

She twitches and rolls over so her back is facing me, and I can't see anything else about her since she's basically cocooned herself in blankets. 

I'm just considering getting out of bed to go have a look at her face now that the teachers are gone when a stack of books thump down on my dresser, right in front of my face. 

"Ugh, we have so much homework, Emma. I swear the teachers just want half the school to have mental breakdowns before the Christmas holidays. Anyway, I wouldn't want you to miss out, so here's the assignments. Read the first three chapters of this book for Care Of Magical Creatures, chapter 5-8 of this one for Transfiguration, and, this one's the worst by the way, 1-10 of this book and write a summary for Defence Against the Dark Arts. A roll of parchment on cars for Muggle Studies and last one, practise the Lumos Duo spell for Charms. Good luck, you have a week! Bye, I have to start on this stupid (a sound like someone kicking a wall) pile of work. See you, Em!"

As far as I can tell, that was Beatrice Harper, one of my friends, who always takes it upon her to bring me homework when I end up in here. Some people would bring chocolate frogs or Fizzing Whizbees. Not Bea. Her get-well presents are textbooks and revision tasks. To mirror her earlier words, ugh. There goes the idea to have a closer look at Nameless Mystery Dungeon Girl.

With a quiet sigh, I sit up in bed and reach for the rainbow pen that I managed to smuggle in here. Really, that thing is a lifesaver.   

A/N: Yay for reality! ...Not really. If it wasn't for reality I'd be at Hogwarts right now. Grr...