Rainbows (A Hogwarts Mystery Story)

Chapter 6

A sharp gale whooshed past my ears and whipped round my robes, threatening to let my lit wand fly from my hand. My face stung with the cold, eyes pricking with tears that dried on my face as they leaked. Dark storm clouds hung overhead, followed by the swooping sounds of something flapping in the harsh wind--something cloaked and hidden in the shadows. And then I heard him, screaming for me--faint against the whistles, but still present.

"Clara! Clara, help me!"

It had echoed through my mind before, and now it was there again--just another scream was all I needed.

"JACOB!" I shouted against the wind, my voice sucked through the gales. "I'M COMING!"

Something grabbed my hand and gripped tightly on my fingers--instantly, I began to panic.

"NO!" I tried to twist my hand out of the harsh grip. "Stop! I need to--"

"You need to wake up, Clara!" another familiar voice implored--a male voice, almost unrecognizable in my immediate memory.

"I can't!"

"Please." The voice softened, and I found myself obeying him, relaxing in his hold. "Please."

---

My eyes instantly flew open and I sat up, unaware of where I was or what was happening until I realized that I was sitting in a bed, not standing on the ground in the Forest. The sight of the hospital wing, the very chamber where Madam Pomfrey would teach me healing charms and tips, instantly brought about a headache, and I felt my throat constrict with panic. Why was I here? My brother's in danger, he needed help...

"Clara. How are you feeling?"

The sound of the same male voice that called me to earth made me turn, and I swore I caught sight of red hair and freckles, a slight smile on his face.

"Charlie?" I was surprised by how hoarse my voice was. Was I really screaming in my sleep?

"You passed out in the Forest," Charlie explained to me gently. "Trust me, I wouldn't know how they showed up, but--"

"How what showed up?" I asked, swallowing the phlegm back. "All I recall is the cold."

"Clara. There were Dementors in the forest," Charlie whispered to me. 

Dementors. The very word instantly brought a sinking feeling in my chest, and I began to curl into a ball. Weren't Dementors just responsible for keeping order in Azkaban, making sure that prisoners didn't escape? I couldn't imagine what second crime a prisoner would try to commit without the watch of the menacing authority. What were they doing here at Hogwarts, in the Forbidden Forest? If I suffered such a horrible backlash from them, then there was no way that I could find the Vault in the Forest and find another clue to my brother. The way they made everything turn to ice and freeze life into a wasteland and brought about so much desolation...almost as if I would never know happiness again...

"How?" It was the only thing that ran through my mind, voiced with a squeak. How did the Dementors show up here? How did they know that my brother was missing, held captive? How did they have this kind of effect on me?

"I wish I knew, Clara. But I'm just as clueless as you are." Charlie's eyes fell to my hand, and he took it gently, lacing his fingers with mine. "We'll find the answers in time. Trust me."

I didn't expect Charlie to do this to me, but as warmth slowly seeped into my flesh again, replacing the cold that numbed even my own soul, I began to smile, colour flooding my cheeks. "Thanks. Really."