Endgame

Chapter 12

(Please play the song now, thank you)

New Hampshire - 10 years ago

"So, Hallie. What bedtime story do you want tonight?" Gracie asked her as she sat in her very pink bedroom. Every night of the week, Hallie would get to choose any story she liked from The Jungle Book or The Ice Queen. Tonight, however, she wanted something different.

"Mummy, what do you know about Zeusy?" Six year old Hallie asked."Who is he?"

"Do you mean Zeus, my love?"

"Yes, mummy," she nodded enthusiastically. "Can he be in my bedtime story tonight?"

"Of course he can," Gracie smiled.

"Half way between the underworld and Mount Olympus lay a kingdom," she used her hands to gesture a grand building."The ruler of that kingdom is Zeus."

"Each time a person passes, he determines whether they go to the underworld or mount olympus."

"So the underworld is for the baddies, and Mount Olympus is for the goodies?" Hallie asked, intuitively.

Gracie nodded. "One day, however, there was a girl who made it to the realm. Whenever she got there, Zeus couldn't decide where to put her. Why do think that is?"

"Maybe she had made a few too many mistakes, mummy?"

"Not quite," Gracie said, smiling. "The girl had the heart of the truest believer."

"Oh wow," Hallie said, mesmerised. "That sounds amazing! Surely she could've made it to the land for the goodies though mummy?"

"That was the thing," Gracie blinked slowly. "Zeus found more use for her down on earth, restoring faith in those who had lost it."

"Faith?" Hallie made a face to show her confusion. "What's that?"

"It's believing in something, sweetheart. Like you and I, we believe in the shooting star. When we wish on it, we have faith that good luck will come to us."

"Oh yes," she nodded. "So what happened to the girl afterwards mummy?"

"The girl returned to earth once more, with light magic safely inside of her," Gracie smiled.

"How is light magic put into someone?"

"Through an act of love," she smiled."A real deep act of love."

"Well then, why can't everybody return to where we are now? That would save lots and lots and lots of crying from people, wouldn't it mummy? So why doesn't everyone return?"

"Not everyone has the heart of the truest believer," Gracie nodded.

"Oh that makes sense," Hallie smiled. "I'm tired now mummy, can I go to sleep?"

"Of course sweetie," she kissed her on the cheek. "Remember to dream vividly tonight. Whatever land you visit, hold onto it."

"Night night," she smiled, and rested her head on the pillow.

Living there, you'll be free. If you truly wish to believe...

***
"The vanishing spell can be utilised in cases where one must make an object disappear. Rather obvious, you may say, but the complexity of the spell is determined by the animal itself," Professor McGonagall said rhythmically at the front of the classroom. She was a stern woman, but with kind eyes and a bun as loose as her humour. That was saying something, for there was never a hair out of place.

"Could anyone tell me the incantation?"

Hermione's hand shot right up in air before anyone had a chance to answer. For the first two years of her education, Hallie became quite cross with this but as time went on, she began to care less. If she knew the answer herself, that was enough.