SALEM ᵈ ᵐᵃˡᶠᵒʸ

xxiv. The Brightest of Stars

GIDDY was the first emotion I felt. It was as if time had slowed, and so had my body.

Instead of free-falling deeper into darkness, I was floating. It felt as if you were just drifting underwater but without the pressure pushing on your chest. Then suddenly, it wasn't so dark anymore.

As if a switch had been pulled, the entire room was filled with planets, suspended by its own gravity and wandering aimlessly through strips of galaxies.

I gasped and giggled in delight, reaching out to catch one glowing star.

There was shouting happening all around me but they sounded muffled — kind of like hearing someone talk through a wall or door.

Ron floated beside me, wearing a lopsided grin on his freckled face.

"Did you see—I just saw Uranus over there. Get it? Ha ha ha. . ." Ron giggled.

I let out a pfft sound and stuck out my tongue drowsily. "You're. . .you're lame—that was lame. . ."

Someone grabbed my arm. I turned to see that it was Luna with a grim yet determined expression on her face, dragging me towards what I now noticed was a door.

"Oh," I hiccuped, "'ello Luna. How are you doing this fine evening?"

"Quite alright, Margo." Her voice sounded faraway. "Better than you are doing, I suppose."

The door sprang open and bright light blinded me from the other side. With one great tug, Luna pulled me towards it and I stumbled down.

"Ron! Ginny—are you all—?" a voice shouted.

"Harry," I giggled, "is that you?"

"Harry, we saw Uranus up close!" Ron giggled in obvious delight. "Get it, Harry? We saw Uranus—ha ha ha—"

I smiled up at the ceiling, still feeling an immense emotion of delirium. My mouth tasted coppery when I darted my tongue around, but I couldn't quite place what the taste exactly was.

I sloppily wiped away the drool that was trailing down one corner of my lip. When I pulled my hand away to examine it, my fingers were stained with thick scarlet.

My smile dropped, as did my heart.

Suddenly, everything around me started to become ten times clearer. I wasn't in the dark room with planets anymore. I turned my head to see Luna and Ginny in one corner, the former supporting the latter. A few feet to the side was Neville with a bloody nose, who supported an unconscious Hermione.

My chest felt heavy, as if some invisible anvil was crushing down upon it. And the coppery taste in my mouth, with a shocking jolt, I realized was blood.

"H-Harry. . ." I croaked out weakly.

"I've got you, I've got you," he replied hastily. I jumped, not even realizing he appeared beside me and was offering his hand. On his shoulder was Ron's arm, who still looked like he was in Wonderland, he too had the same stain of red on his mouth.

I took Harry's hand gratefully and pulled myself up, seeming more alive and awake than before.

"Are you hurt?" he fussed. "Here, put your arm around my shoulder—"