Echos of Laughter

Chapter 1: The Dream

*Ominis POV*
Darkness surrounded me, which is pretty normal due to my blindness though what threw me off my guard was that my wand was missing. I panic as I search my clothes and robes for my wand but it was no were to ben found on me. "What the where is my wand?" I kept looking to no avail until the sound of a dark laught rang in my ears causing me to shake for I knew that dark laugh all to well.

"Awww poor little blind Ominis can't do anything without your wand right." The voice said to me with a taunting laugh lingering in the air. "You truly are a disgrace to the Gaunt name." I cover my ears as tears streamed down my face as I crouched to the ground scared out of my mind.  "I think a little punishment is in order." The voice said sending shivers down my spine.

"No please not the Cruciatus curse!" I grew frantically as I tried to make myself smaller feeling my tears rolling down my face like crazy while I shaked with anxiety before hearing the voice again laughing.

"Yes dear brother now prepare yourself for I am not holding back." I listened to the voice that held a sick twisted joy to it. "Cruc-" I ducked my head down trying to brace myself for the blast but nothing had happened. My brothers voice was gone along with his laugh that always made me freak out. The darkness was now silent for a while until the sound of wind hits my ears along with the sound of leaves rustling and the blades of grass being pushed by the wind. I slumped the ground onto my knee while steadying my breathing, happy to not have been Crucioed. I placed my hand on the ground feeling the grass underneath my palms, something about it gave me a sense of calm. But then the sounds of laughter returned, but this laughter was not menacing or evil sounding. No I was listening to the sound of a childs laugh and if I was hearing correctly it was a girls laugh.

Then the sound of footsteps was coming into range along with the laughter filling the air around me that was once tense and dark now being replaced but laughter that was free and happy. "Ominis there you are silly." The voice said with a giggle and I turned my head in the direction of the voice but it was still hard to pinpoint it fully. "Aww did your mean brother take your wand again he's so mean." The voice had somehow calmed me even more making me wondering do I know this girl for the voice seemed so familiar but no name came to my mind. As I was deep in thought I felt my hand being taken into her little ones "Do not worry Ominis I will be your eyes again." A giggle filled the air once more as I felt a small squeeze. "I will always be here for you Omanis."

Tears soon fell once more for those words had made me happy but it ached my heart at the same time. "Who are you?" I could not help but ask the voice I was listening to while holding their hand tight not wanting to let go of the warmth and kindness they give off. But the sound of laughter only filled the darkness once more making my heart feel light.

"Oh Ominis did you forget my voice its me A..." I listened to her speak but when it got to her name it went silent, I could not understand why. Did the she not wish to tell me or could she not tell me. As I contemplated this I felt the hand tug on me. "Ominis come on get up let walk together." I felt her as she kept on tugging at my hand making me laugh a bit. It somehow had warmed my heart that I could not help but smilie before standing to my feet hearing the voice get all happy while she laughed again. The laughter she gave off was so appealing for most of the laughter I have ever heard was dark, sinister and evil feeling that made me want to hide from the world. But this girls laugh made me feel at peace making me wish that this would not end.

I felt the girl leading me while signing a little song of how happy she was with her friend, "Friend....was this girl from my past but I don't remember having friends before Hogwarts." I thought to myself as I continued to listen to her sing a but as we walked before she let out a small laugh which was really cute making me laugh in the process. I truly wished this to not end but once I thought that the little girl stop suddenly. "What is the matter?" I was confused with the sudden stop in steps and laughter. As we stood there a strong gust of wind blow past us as I waited for the silence to be broken.

"Ominis I have to leave." Her voice was quiet and along with the sounds of sadness as if she was holding tears back. "Ominis promise me we will meet again." I heard her ask me feeling her grip tight in my hand as her voice cracked a little making me get on my knees, try using my hands to reach for her face but to only have her hands once again take mine, but she had something else in her hands this time.

"What is going please do not leave I have so many questions for you still." I grew frantic as I held the girls hands not wanting her to disappear but I felt her hands shaking and her sniffling. "I also do not want our time to end suddenly" But I all I could hear was the sounds of her trying sniffles as she tried to not fully break down before me.

"I am sorry Ominis I have to leave." She spoke as I felt her place something in my hand by her. I took my free hand and started felt the item within my hand. I felt a string that was long holding a gemstone at on end that I could not make it out very well. Before I could ask what it was I felt her little hands make my hand close around the object. "I have the other half of this necklace this will be our way of finding each other again one day." I start to panic for this is usual a sign meaning this girl was going to disappear for a long time, but I did not wish for that. I still needed to find out who she is and how come her voice sounds so familiar to me. But before I could utter a word the little hands left mine and her footsteps echoed in my ears. "I hope we meet again Ominis." The sound of sadness could be heard from her voice causing my heart to break.

But as I was bout to say something I heard the sound of her turning on her heel and running away from me. My mind went blanks before I quickly go to my feet fast while gripping the necklace tightly in my hand as I started to run using the sounds of her footsteps to follow. "Please no come back I need to know who your are please come back!" I yelled as I kept running as fast as I could trying to keep up but the sounds of her running footsteps kept getting further and further away from me. "Please...COME BACK!" I yelled while tears streaming down my face.

As I reached my hand out the sound of a train horn going and my blind eyes shot open feeling my wand it my hand breathing heavy as sweat was dripping down my face. I waved my wand around a bit and saw through my wand I was on the Hogwarts Express sitting alone in one of the train cars. Once I knew where I was I leaned back in my seat taking a deep breaths trying to calm my heart down as I held my wand tight.

"Not that dream again." I whispered as I gripped the necklace that I wore every day for as long as I could remember having it. "What is going on what is with these dreams?" I let out a soft sigh as I  gripped the necklace through my shirt. "It is always start and ends the same way." I exposed the stone rubbing it with my thumb. "With this necklace and that girl...who is she?" I asked myself before hearing the train horn go off again signaling they had arrived to Hogwarts. Once the train came to a stop I cleaned myself up a bit holding my wand to help make sure I looked ok before standing from my seat to make my off the train to start the new year at Hogwarts as a Fifth Year.
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Authors note
Hi there so I decided to rewrite this chapter I did like how it was at first but while dealing with a very bad day at work -was fighting with Murphy's Law- this started to pop in my head and I liked how this sounded better and I hope you all like this version better also. I also ask for patients on new chapters due to the fact I do work full time but I will try to post as frequently as I can. Thank you for reading.