It was a busy morning for the students of Hogwarts. To and fro the students scrambled about the halls, younger students rushing to get to their classes and the older ones taking their leisure of the morning.
Running her way through the halls, slipping passed other students, was Merula Snyde attempting to bot be late for her morning class.
"Stupid Pansy, stupid PJ.. keeping me up for most of the night talking.." She grumbled, ducking under a seventh year student's arm. Merula burst through the door of her charms class. "I'm not late!" She shouted, hunched over trying to catch her breath. She stood up and was shocked to find the classroom empty. "Uhh? Professor?" Merula then realized how quiet it suddenly became. She turned back towards the hall and found that all the students had suddenly vanished.
"Umm... hello!?" Merula shouted down the hall. She moved back out into the hall, looking around for any other student. From the down the hall she sees a tall figure turn a corner. Merula sprints down the hall trying to follow the figure, but it always seems to turn a corner no matter how close she got. In the sky, the sun quickly turned black, casting the world in darkness.
Merula turned a final corner and was met with a stone wall. The figure she was chasing having vanished.
"I know they came down here. What the bloody hell is going on?" She asked herself.
"Hello, Merula." A feminine voice came from behind Merula. She slowly turned around and was met with the last person she ever wanted to see, Marilyn Snyde.
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"Mother..." Merula whispered, taking several steps back. Her mother stalked towards her, towering like a giant.
"You've been busy, my darling. Befriending that Carmine boy."
"His name... His name is.. is.. Y/n.." Merula responded, fear dripping from her voice.
"He's going to leave you, you know. When he finds out about your father and myself." Marilyn walked around her daughter, running her hand along Merula's shoulders.
"He.. he.. NO.. no, he won't! He won't leave me, he's my friend! He's my.. my-"
"He's your enemy, Merula." Marilyn said, her words laced with venom. "He will betray you when he learns the truth. He will leave and never come back. He will abandon you."
"No...... He's.. he's my best friend.. he'll never leave me..." Merula said definitely, but she want sure she truly believed it. The world around her began to slowly melt away, her mother's voice echoing around her. In a swirl of black smoke and green fire, Merula suddenly found herself in a large room with lit braziers lining the room. She stood at the top of set of steps stareing down at a man standing in front of a large mirror.
"Professor Quirrell?" She asked, but the professor didn't respond. From the professor's feet a mass of grey smoke rose up and smirked around him until it flew at Merula, forming a distorted and disfigured face as it drew near.
Merula bolted up right in her bed, her night shirt drenched in sweat. She was breathing heavily. The other girls in her dorm were still fast asleep. She looked out the window and saw the shining marble orb that was the moon looking back at her.
"What the hell..."
Merula kicked her blanket off and silently got out of bed. She made her way into the common room, sitting down on one of the coaches that was in front of the fireplace. She stared into the fire, a solemn look about her.
"Having trouble sleeping, Miss Snyde?" A voice came from behind. She turned and saw Professor Dumbledore, not looking the least bit tired. Dumbledore quickly walked over to Merula and sat down next to her. "You're up rather late, my dear." He said softly, giving Merula a warm smile like how a grandfather would.
"Bad dream is all." Merula said, pulling her knees to her chest.
"Ahh, I see." Dumbledore said, pulling a peice of lemon candy from his robe and tossing it into his mouth. "Dreams are funny things, Miss Snyde. Especially for witches and wizards. They tend to be a way of warning us about danger or giving us advice. Sometimes they even lead us to make the right decisions."
"Even the bad ones?"
"Yes, even the bad ones. Trust your dreams, Merula, but also trust yourself with what they tell you." Dumbledore smiles once more before standing up and walking away.
"Professor."
"Yes, my dear?" Dumbledore asks, turned back towards Merula.
"What are you doing in the Slytherin common room at this hour?"
"Oh, Professor Snape keeps a hidden stash of lemon candies behind the bookcase." Dumbledore points to a rather decrepit looking bookcase filled with dusty books. Ones that Merula was sure no one actually read. "I came down to swipe a peice or two, but don't tell anyone." Dumbledore smiles and gives Merula a wink of his eye before leaving the common room.
Merula chuckled as the Headmaster left. She walked over to the bookcase and pushed it along the wall. Sure enough, there was a small box of lemon candies hidden behind it. Merula took one of the candies before moving the bookcase back and returned to the couch. She tossed the candy into her mouth and sat there staring at the fire until she fell asleep.
