There was a darkness lurking on the edge of the horizon, a war to end all wars approaching. Lord Voldemort was returning, and there was nothing they could do but be prepared for when he did, no matter how many people were killed in the process.
...
With a terrified gasp, Alyssa broke away from the heavy tendrils of her not so refreshing sleep still clinging to her, cold sweat beading her now sweaty forehead. It's not real. It's not real. It's not real. She mouthed the phrase to herself in fear over and over again until they smeared together and lost their meaning, blurring into reality until she could no longer tell which was which. Her quiet footsteps thudded their way to the small bathroom, and Alyssa shivered slightly as her feet touched the cold tile floor. She flicked on the too bright lights with shaking hands, revealing her pale reflection and the dark smudges underneath her eyes showing her severe lack of sleep.
Alyssa sighed as she splashed her face with frigid water, as if she could wash away the nightmares that bled into reality, that clung to her even when she was awake. They stuck like dirt underneath her unpainted fingernails, but scrubbing her hands until they were raw would not get rid of the horrid memories. Since the events that occurred the previous year with Riddle's diary, the nightmares had become constant. They all had typical plot lines, similar to those of B-grade horror movies, but that didn't make them any less horrifying. In fact, it only made her more terrified when she finally escaped the horrors of her nightmares.
She knew at this rate that there was no chance in hell of her succumbing to the sweet relief of dreams again, dreams which would quickly bleed into nightmares that would have her repeating the restless cycle. She sighed shakily, her hand reaching up to fiddle with the silver chain hanging from her neck as she patted her face harshly with the towel, almost as if she was hoping that the tough material would scrape away the fear and the guilt of what she had done. She knew it wouldn't. She gradually reached up and hesitated when her fingers came into contact with the light switch, until she paused and shook her head, leaving the room with the light on and closing the door slightly so that the light still flickered through the small gap, shining directly onto her bed. One of the small figures slumped on the floor beside the bed groaned as their eyes opened, and Jess glanced up at the girl with sleep infested sympathy.
"Again?" She asked, sighing slightly and nodding when Alyssa looked at her through haunted eyes. Millie mumbled in her sleep and rolled over, hugging a stuffed elephant closer to her chest as she smiled and giggled. "Come here." Jess smiled as Alyssa slowly made her way over to her and sat down on the end of the bed. "Are you going to tell your parents?" "Not a chance." Alyssa shook her head, knowing that they wouldn't leave her alone if she did. No matter how scared she got, she wasn't going to worry the people she cared about over a few simple nightmares. "They're more than that and you know it." Jess had told her when Alyssa voiced her opinion, but the Ravenclaw was adamant about her decision.
"Come on. It's okay, they're just dreams. Now, lie down." Jess instructed, Alyssa rolling her eyes slightly in annoyance as Jess tucked her in. "I don't need tucking in, Jess, I'm thirteen, not three." The Ravenclaw protested, but shut up at the glare she revived. "Now. Close your eyes and do exactly what I say. Imagine Riddle's diary is in a box, a box only you have the key to. Now take that box, and lock it up tight. Secure it with chains and padlocks, however many you want. Then take the chest and throw away the key, and throw the chest into the black lake. The chest is guarded by the giant squid, and the hardest obstacle course in the world, impossible to get through, no matter how skilled of a wizard or witch you are. Hogwarts is miles and miles away, and Riddle is gone. You don't have to worry about him anymore." Jess smiled when she glanced down again and found Alyssa asleep, her eyes closed peacefully and her lips parted just enough to allow air through into her lungs. "Goodnight." Jess smiled, climbing back into her own bed and closing her eyes, knowing that she would wake in a few hours to hear the Ravenclaw plodding towards the bathroom again, shaken awake by another nightmare.
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