Bound To You

Chapter 39: The Second Task (Part 1)

Harry sat between Ron and Hermione once again. They were in the dungeons, near the Slytherin Common Rooms, inside an unused Divinations classroom. It was a dark place, and there were three beds surrounding an orb that projected nothing at the moment. "I wonder what the Second Task will be?" Hermione asked, intrigued by the orb and curious about the beds.

"I don't know, actually, none of the Champions would tell me the hint," Harry shrugged, liking the thrill of anticipation as it climbed and climbed until it was nearly unbearable. The door then opened, yet still, nothing could be seen. That was, until three glowing sleep gown float in, walking around the beds for a moment before they settled.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen," a dark, silky voice said, and everyone shuddered as the deep, relaxing voice continued. "Let us cut to the chase, the Second Task shall be the Dreams Trial, where our Champions will travel deep into the dreamland, their mind's landscape providing their own trials. As there is no greater enemy than thyself, the Dream Trials will make you face yourself, and you'll have to prove yourself to get out of it. Now we shall wait as our Champions' magic get acquainted with the pearls from the First Task, as it's important to do so to be connected to the Orb of Dreams."

Everyone watched in silence, enthralled by the sight of magic, glowing and swirling around the three bodies, all connected to the orb in the middle. They all climbed into bed at once and laid there, their moves synchronized as if they weren't in control of it. Not even a single twitch was not mirrored by the other. This was clearly some sort of ritual, unknown to many as Hermione had never heard, nor read about it before.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, let us be witness to their fight against themselves. Thy own consciousness shall always be at war with thy own subconscious counterpart. No peace shall be found if you don't reflect on yourself, and you will only be living in a dream, as a dream if one is more dominant than the other. Now close your eyes and look up--be the spectators, be the witness, for their fight shall always be remembered, and be a reminder to thyself as of to what one could have been."

The commentator/narrator person stopped talking, and once everyone looked up, and saw the beginnings of a landscape, each different and unique in their own way--and they all realized why it's called the Orb of Dreams. It could project dreams like a muggle movie, only captured live inside a dream.

Onyx eyes gazed upwards as he cancelled the medium Sonorus charm he'd used to Comment on... Narrate on the proceedings of the Dream Trial. He felt Remus' hand in his, warm and firm, and he smiled, knowing that no one could see it through the darkness. He'd come to love these quiet yet intimate moments with his wolf. Well, admittedly, it was Sirius who'd shown him how to appreciate it, and his love for the two bloomed even more.

Really, how could one feel so much love at once, and not explode?

He shook his head while his gaze never wavered from the projection coming out of the Orb of Dreams. It's part of the ritual for the Dream Trials--at the very least 10 people for each participant must keep their eyes on their dream. The professors had agreed on which Champion's dream they will always watch, and he was counting on that lest everything went awry and the Champions become stuck in their dreamscape.

He wondered if any of the Champions would recognize the lifeline bracelet?

Aleron opened his eyes to find that he was in a forest. Dark green and lush, brimming with life even though it seemed to be nighttime. Glowing fairies and Will-O'-Wisps dancing all around him. He could hear giggles from said fairies, and whispers from the elusive Will-O'-Wisps, but he ignored it, all in favour of his beautiful mate. She stood in a silky tunic, her hair falling to her bottom like waterfall.

Her smile hypnotising and her mischievous eyes sparkled with delight.

"Aleron! What are you doing here?" her melodious voice washed over him waves, and he fell in love with her even more.

"Mon amour, haven't I told you that I'd been chosen as a Champion?" he chuckled. His mate tilted her head in thought before she nodded with a smile.

"Yes, you did say that, didn't you? Now come along, I want to show you something!"

The French teen smiled indulgently at her and nodded.

"Lead the way, Mon amour."

He never noticed the gleaming bracelet on his wrist.

Anna found herself falling--clouds parting as she passed, but it seemed to be endless. Her heart pounded fiercely and she couldn't quite suppress the panic rising in her. But then she closed her eyes--she must be in a dream. A dream, the Second Task.... A Dream Trial....? She focused on giving herself wings, and eventually she stopped falling. She opened her eyes to the sight of wings--yet not her own.

She turned to her left and saw whose wings it was.

"Xerxes!" she exclaimed, her usually gloomy look brightened immensely at the sight of her friend. "What are you doing here?"

Xerxes just smiled at her, and with a flap of his wings, all the clouds parted and left them in a sunny spot, where the light made everything look as if they're sparkling diamonds. She realized just then that her friend was also shining, and her smile fell as she remembered a verse in the hint;

I may be pretty
All sparkly and glittery,
But remember one thing about me;
Danger lurks in those that are pretty.

Be they sparkly or glittery
Or colourful or glowing
They'll make you feel jittery
Blood and poison freely flowing

Xerxes, her friend, was the Trial. She must not give in to his charming smile, even if she wanted so bad to do just that. With amazing control of willpower, she forced her dragon wings out of her back, blood spurting everywhere at the rip of her skin.

"What are you!" she demanded, and yet the Xerxes-impostor just smiled creepily. His head then became twisted, and the smile became more crooked. He suddenly lunged at her, and she, with a strong flap of her wings, took off at the speed of sound, a bracelet on her wrist glinting in the sunlight. He followed.

When Ginny awoke, it was to the sight of a beautiful bedroom, her in a beautiful sleeping gown, and a shining bracelet on her hand. She admired the bracelet for a while, until the door opened.

"Ginny, breakfast's ready," a charming Harry Potter came in, his whole body clad in crisp white clothes, made of some expensive cloth. She then realized herself that she was then dressed into a very beautiful gown, complete with jewelry that complimented both her dress and her body. She smiled at the butler-like Harry, her Harry and the way he should act around her.

"Come, Harry, let's eat, shall we?" she smiled happily, taking ahold of Harry's arm and practically dragging him to the dining room. In there, she watched with happiness in her heart as Harry pulled out the chair for her, and served her a luxurious breakfast that not even in her wildest dreams could conjure. It must be one of the Orb of Dreams power to do so.

Her Harry sat beside her, on the floor, where he should be, as she ate the hearty meal with gusto. She didn't even spare a glance towards her Harry, who was rapidly getting thinner as she kept on eating. When she was done, she saw that Harry was so thin that he could practically fall over and die. Which will never happen, of course, she thought with a smug smile.

Harry Potter was hers, and she will never let him go, even in death.