JINX in JEOPARDY [fred w.]

i. brave enough to dream !

BRAVE ENOUGH TO DREAM !

. . .

The ambience of the ever magnificent Great Hall was gravely suppressed by the sight of the shivering children seated on the benches, with puddles of water collecting beneath their feet. The first years were effortlessly distinguishable by the fact that their eyes were anxiously plastered to the ceiling, startled by every roll of thunder sounding through the hall like waves forcefully crashing against the coast.

It was unusually stormy for a day in September, thus the tables were loaded with sour faces cursing at the rain outside.

However sulky everyone appeared upon entering, their wretched moods vanished spontaneously at dinner's arrival on the wooden tables. Everything the stomach desired was displayed on the tables, row after row of mouth-watering goods.

The scents that spread through the room and filled every fibre of the student's garments worked miracles on the starving children and soon the numerous complaints were no longer clouding their thoughts.

Unfortunately, not everyone was given the luxury of the warmth and comfort from inside Hogwarts' walls. A girl, gruesomely lonely, with hair that must once have been voluminous, but was now sticking to the sides of her face as if it had always been moulded that way, was stood just outside the property.

She had the features of which you'd automatically assume would light up when she laughed, but looking at her defeated expression now it'd be unimaginable. She was muttering seemingly meaningless words to herself, her jaw clenched as she paced back and forth.

Every now and then she would raise her arm to try to wipe the rain from her face, but since she was wet to the bone it wasn't of much use. Her clothing was torn and dirty, loose threads hanging from the sleeves of her top, like loose ends waiting to be tied up.

She had resorted to jerking at the gates as if that was going to help her get them to open. The chains were rattling loudly, yet not loud enough to overrule the growling of the sky, which seemed to be reprimanding her.

As if she hadn't been scolded quite enough for one evening.

Just as she was about to give up and allow her knees to collapse, a figure approached, no more than a shadow, and she would have missed it if she hadn't been looking so longingly at the castle's glow of light.

She blinked furiously, there was no way of knowing whether she did it as a result of the bright light the figure was carrying or in order to hide the tears welling up in her eyes.

'Who is there? Reveal yourself.'

The figure spoke in a low and calm voice, its presence radiating authority and disapproval. The girl took a step back, angst creeping up on her, almost seeming to accompany the figure as a ghost in the night.