Like snow • Minerva McGonagall
written by Kallistê Ophelia Black
Minerva McGonagall was a brave, young witch, who was known for her wit and outstanding transfiguration skills. Her love for books was as big as her love for Quidditch and her loyalty to her house and school. On a cold day, this young, bookish girl roamed the hallways of Hogwarts and found herself to be lost in one of the many school's secrets.
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
4
Reads
814
004 • Gloomy and gleaming thoughts
Chapter 4
Minerva found herself to be facing the edges of a door which she could see by the small stroke of light that came from under it. In the first seconds she was sure this was a dream but when she realized it wasn’t, she rushed forward, pulled open the door and sprinted out of the room. She only stopped running when she was no more than five turns and three stairs away from the room she had just gotten herself out. She only now noticed that her cheeks were wet. The panic had made tears come out of her eyes and her body was shaking all over. When she let the silence fall, she could still hear the voice in her head. The nasty hissing of which she had no idea what it was. She felt cold and sweaty and decided to quickly get back to bed. She wiped the tears from her cheek, put on a straight face and quietly made her way back to Gryffindor tower. She walked the way to her bed without really noticing where she was. Her mind was still locked up in the room.
Minerva felt a rush over anger come over her as she saw her best friend Emily laying in her own bed. She was in a deep sleep and for a moment Minerva doubted if she should wake her up as to give her the lecture right now, but she decided against it. Very carefully, Minerva sat down on her bed and took up her watch. Her heart leaped as she saw what the time was. She quickly looked outside and realized the night had become lighter. It was already far in the morning. Minerva had been in the room for ages.
With a lump in her throat, Minerva got into her back. She crawled deep under the blanked. Not until now she realized how cold she had gotten. She curled up and closed her eyes, but as soon as she did, she was back in the dark room. Her mind seemed to have been stuck in there, while her body escaped. Minerva widened her eyes and lay on her side, staring past a small gap between the curtain and the wall where she could watch the sky. Her heart thumped and while she slowly warmed up, her mind spun. Many questions came to her, she wished she knew what was in the room and deep inside her curiously started to fester. She tried to push the thoughts away, but even though she was afraid, she wanted to go back there. She wanted to find out what it was that had stopped her magic. What had gotten her so afraid? She didn’t want to be afraid of anything, she wanted to face her fears and deal with them. At least, that was what she told herself to make up for the thoughts she was having. Deep down, however, she knew it was more than that.
Barely two hours later, Minerva was woken up by Emily. She felt her head thump as she pushed herself up, not saying a word to Emily who kept chattering and chattering on. She didn’t notice Minerva’s silence. It was very normal for Minerva to be the listener while Emily held a monologue. The only difference now was that Minerva really wasn’t listening. She was too tired to pay attention and still mad at Emily, so she didn’t feel the urge to try very much, but mostly, her mind was still with the dark room and the enforcement she had felt. While Minerva was tying her shoes, she stared at the wall. She didn’t even realize she laced her shoes twice and she especially didn’t notice Emily shouting her name and trying to get her attention until Emily practically jumped in front of her.
‘Mini!’ Minerva looked up in surprise and got up quickly when Emily told her they were getting late if they still wanted to eat before going to class. Minerva nodded absentmindedly and walked to the door, without waiting for her friend. Emily grabbed her arm.
‘What’s wrong?’ she asked, her voice suddenly full with concern. ‘You look exhausted and… off.’
‘I spent all night searching for you as to make sure you wouldn’t get your dumb, shallow butt into trouble,’ Minerva snapped. She pulled her arm back and stared Emily in her eyes. Emily looked slightly taken aback. She opened her eyes and seemed to want to be saying something, but Minerva had already gotten herself loose and sped downstairs. She didn’t answer as Emily called after her. She jumped out of the portrait and took a turn left. She kept walking and walking. Her head still pounding. She wasn’t thinking where her feet were leading her, but suddenly she was there again. In front of the wall where she had gone through yesterday. The only difference was, that there was no door. The wall was there, very solid and with not a hint to a door that could have been there. Minerva let her hand slide over the bricks and stared at it. A sob left her mouth and she leaned against the wall. She slid down and pulled up her knees. She wasn’t sure what had made her lost it, normally she was very good at keeping herself together. It was probably the lack of sleep, the shock of yesterday and many more small things. Minerva realized she shouldn’t have come back to this place. Eventually, she forced herself to go back to the common room and crawl back into her bed. Emily was sent to look on her later that day. They were okay when Emily made sure Minerva was called in sick. They weren’t friends for no reason. Minerva had forgiven her already, it had just been the shock of discovering what she did. She hated the darkness playing with her mind. She knew what she had experienced was the temptingness of dark magic. What she had discovered that night had been a a piece of her worst nightmare and her greatest desire. Every wizard would be — at some point in their live — confronted with dark magic and this was Minerva’s bit. Minerva did think about it lots of times after this night. She even went back sometimes. Sometimes when she lost that bit of control she did, but she never came back in. Minerva was glad about that, because it made the temptation stand well outside her reach. She dove even further into studying the good parts of magic. Eventually the cold and snowy days past and spring set in. After a few months, Minerva only thought about that night on very rare occasions. She only discovered, however, what the dark magic had been after a certain dark wizard returned to power and boy — marked by a lightning bolt — opened the room to retreat and destroy a silver, gleaming diadem.
The end.
Minerva felt a rush over anger come over her as she saw her best friend Emily laying in her own bed. She was in a deep sleep and for a moment Minerva doubted if she should wake her up as to give her the lecture right now, but she decided against it. Very carefully, Minerva sat down on her bed and took up her watch. Her heart leaped as she saw what the time was. She quickly looked outside and realized the night had become lighter. It was already far in the morning. Minerva had been in the room for ages.
With a lump in her throat, Minerva got into her back. She crawled deep under the blanked. Not until now she realized how cold she had gotten. She curled up and closed her eyes, but as soon as she did, she was back in the dark room. Her mind seemed to have been stuck in there, while her body escaped. Minerva widened her eyes and lay on her side, staring past a small gap between the curtain and the wall where she could watch the sky. Her heart thumped and while she slowly warmed up, her mind spun. Many questions came to her, she wished she knew what was in the room and deep inside her curiously started to fester. She tried to push the thoughts away, but even though she was afraid, she wanted to go back there. She wanted to find out what it was that had stopped her magic. What had gotten her so afraid? She didn’t want to be afraid of anything, she wanted to face her fears and deal with them. At least, that was what she told herself to make up for the thoughts she was having. Deep down, however, she knew it was more than that.
Barely two hours later, Minerva was woken up by Emily. She felt her head thump as she pushed herself up, not saying a word to Emily who kept chattering and chattering on. She didn’t notice Minerva’s silence. It was very normal for Minerva to be the listener while Emily held a monologue. The only difference now was that Minerva really wasn’t listening. She was too tired to pay attention and still mad at Emily, so she didn’t feel the urge to try very much, but mostly, her mind was still with the dark room and the enforcement she had felt. While Minerva was tying her shoes, she stared at the wall. She didn’t even realize she laced her shoes twice and she especially didn’t notice Emily shouting her name and trying to get her attention until Emily practically jumped in front of her.
‘Mini!’ Minerva looked up in surprise and got up quickly when Emily told her they were getting late if they still wanted to eat before going to class. Minerva nodded absentmindedly and walked to the door, without waiting for her friend. Emily grabbed her arm.
‘What’s wrong?’ she asked, her voice suddenly full with concern. ‘You look exhausted and… off.’
‘I spent all night searching for you as to make sure you wouldn’t get your dumb, shallow butt into trouble,’ Minerva snapped. She pulled her arm back and stared Emily in her eyes. Emily looked slightly taken aback. She opened her eyes and seemed to want to be saying something, but Minerva had already gotten herself loose and sped downstairs. She didn’t answer as Emily called after her. She jumped out of the portrait and took a turn left. She kept walking and walking. Her head still pounding. She wasn’t thinking where her feet were leading her, but suddenly she was there again. In front of the wall where she had gone through yesterday. The only difference was, that there was no door. The wall was there, very solid and with not a hint to a door that could have been there. Minerva let her hand slide over the bricks and stared at it. A sob left her mouth and she leaned against the wall. She slid down and pulled up her knees. She wasn’t sure what had made her lost it, normally she was very good at keeping herself together. It was probably the lack of sleep, the shock of yesterday and many more small things. Minerva realized she shouldn’t have come back to this place. Eventually, she forced herself to go back to the common room and crawl back into her bed. Emily was sent to look on her later that day. They were okay when Emily made sure Minerva was called in sick. They weren’t friends for no reason. Minerva had forgiven her already, it had just been the shock of discovering what she did. She hated the darkness playing with her mind. She knew what she had experienced was the temptingness of dark magic. What she had discovered that night had been a a piece of her worst nightmare and her greatest desire. Every wizard would be — at some point in their live — confronted with dark magic and this was Minerva’s bit. Minerva did think about it lots of times after this night. She even went back sometimes. Sometimes when she lost that bit of control she did, but she never came back in. Minerva was glad about that, because it made the temptation stand well outside her reach. She dove even further into studying the good parts of magic. Eventually the cold and snowy days past and spring set in. After a few months, Minerva only thought about that night on very rare occasions. She only discovered, however, what the dark magic had been after a certain dark wizard returned to power and boy — marked by a lightning bolt — opened the room to retreat and destroy a silver, gleaming diadem.
The end.
