Thunder

[Larissa Sedgwick]

The icy December wind skirted around the castle walls, calling out as it passed the windows, howling as it found its way to one of the turrets, which it circled in a knotted dance. Most of the students at Durmstrang Institute were asleep, or else sitting in the common room, often silent with a book laying open upon their knees. For another hour, it would be the Head Boy and Head Girl's job to patrol the corridors, disciplining any students who were not where they should be. For Larissa, this time she could spend peering out of the windows as she passed them by, the silence deep and welcome, her head often filled with thoughts. Thoughts she normally ignored. But tonight, as her shoes tapped against the ground, her grey orbs watching through the sheets of glass at the chaos of the trees as their arms collided with the power of the wind, she allowed herself to plunge into the dark pool of her mind, to scoop out a cupful of thoughts, to examine them closely.

Her first thought was of her life after Durmstrang, the life she had once been so sure of. Doubt filled her. Nay, not doubt of her choice to join the Death Eaters. If anything, that was one of the few welcoming thoughts. It was losing that security of the school, the security of knowing that if one were to mess up, there were safety nets in place to catch and prevent injury. In the real world, Larissa knew that if she well and truly messed up, she would end up dead.

A distant rumble echoed across the castle. Thunder. Larissa had stopped to stare out of the tinted window. Her hair was flat against her gaunt cheeks, her breathing was steady and controlled. She was already eighteen years of age. Some of those from her past- her life in New Zealand- were now engaged, married, parents, even. What had Larissa got in that sense? She hoped to someday wed, to have a child of her own. But what was the reality of the situation? Mark was everything she had ever dreamed of, and yet, he seemed hesitant to commit. Larissa would never have believed herself capable of commitment to one person. She had never seen herself bothering with that for at least another twenty years. That was until she had met Mark, until her life had been flipped upside-down, until Mark had proved that he really would do anything for her.

Larissa took a step back from the window, and continued pacing along the corridor. Her wand remained in her pocket, silent until it was required. She didn't feel the light of her wand would be of much assistance in the darkness; the light of the moon shone brightly upon the every last crack, illuminating a large percent of the building in a soft white glow. She had just passed the library when a sound emerged from inside. Larissa stopped dead in her steps, turning her head and blinking through the mounds of darkness. She took out her wand. "Lumos" she breathed, hearing the faint sound as the wand tip lit. Larissa retraced her steps to the library door. Surely no professor was sheltering within the library walls at this hour? There was still a week until the school holidays. A week until she could relax a little. A week until the teachers could inhabit the library for a mental escape, without children pestering them constantly. Her hand settle on the great handle. Slowly, and as quietly as possible, Larissa opened the door.

There was somebody inside.

 

[Tyler Jay Kirby]

Tyler was sitting in his bed, staring out the window. He couldn't sleep, and he so desperately wanted to. It didn't help that it was freezing cold on this winter night. He shivered and pulled the covers over himself. After several minutes he decided to get up. After all, he really couldn't sleep anyhow. He tried walking around the room a few times, but he felt weird. What if one of the other boys woke up and saw him? He would obtain a creepy new reputation in the dorm. Or worse, in the SCHOOL. He knew it was way after curfew but he decided to take a walk through the castle. He snaked through the hallways, not easily detected with his dark hair, and clothing. He hid behind corners and dark areas as what seemed to be the Head Boy and Girl walked by, inspecting all areas to make sure no one was out past curfew. They missed him. As they went out of sight he saw a blur, make its way around the other corner, near the entrance to the library. He was astounded to see someone else out. His first thought was that perhaps one of the professors had forgotten about something, and needed in the library urgently. I better go back to the dorm. He thought, not wanting to be caught by a professor. But his curiosity got the best of him. He knew the "blur" hadn't made it into the library somehow he knew. He went to a secret passage that led into the library, the only way to get there fast enough. When he walked inside it was empty. He thought maybe he had been mistaken, and the "blur" hadn't really been heading to the library. He headed to the front door to exit. Before he touched the door, it opened on its own. Before he had time to even react, standing before him was a girl. "What are you doing out here!?" was the first thing he thought to utter, and he gasp after wards. He felt a little rude for blurting that out like that. He stared at her face waiting for a reply.