A Different Kind of Magic

The Rose

"Whitehurst! Whitehurst, are you okay?"

Grogginess filled my head. Someone was talking to me. Who? Why.

Pain shot through my arm.

Was someone shaking me? Why? Who?

I moaned.

"Whitehurst! Are you alive?"

I opened my eyes. Everything was blurry. Someone came into focus. I didn't recognize him at first but then I realized it was the Hufflepuff Prefect, Ned Heyna.

I pushed myself up on one elbow and rubbed my eyes, trying to refocus. Something wet was on my hand. I looked down at it. Blood? How did I get blood on my hand?

Everything then rushed back to me. Who were those people in my head? They said something about a connection. A connection? What connection?

I looked up at Heyna for answers.

"Are you alright?"

"I don't know. Wh-what happened?"

Heyna shook his head. "I don't know. I just was making sure everyone okay and I found you laying here." He caught sight of a black rose that I lightly held in my hand. "What's that?" He started to reach for it.

I suddenly remembered the rose. It had been white but it turned black when... when... it had sucked my blood!

I yanked it away from his grasp and said quickly and a little too harshly:

"Don't touch!"

He looked at me in surprise.

"I mean... um... please don't touch. It's- er- special to me and I would like it if no one touched it."

Heyna studied my face. His yellow-brownish k-9 eyes made me nervous. I could tell he didn't believe me but he suddenly grinned.

"You remind me of a friend I used to know. She hated sharing her problems and would often hide them and try to solve them herself. She had a scar like you too." He lightly traced his finger down his face.

I scowled and began gathering up a few things that had scattered out of my bag.

"Sorry," He apologized as he helped me, "She taught me better than to talk about scars. Physical or mental."

We stood and I began to follow him out of the compartment.

I lay on a cold floor staring at the ceiling. My brain felt raw and bruised.

I grasped my head and leaned against the frame of the door.

"Are you okay?"

"Yea. How much longer 'til we get to platform 9 3/4?"

The train began to slow.

"That answer your question?" He smirked kindly.

Naturally, I didn't even crack a smile.

"You'd better run to the bathroom and clean up. You might draw questions. Especially from your family."

I nodded and quickly slipped down the hall into a bathroom and cleaned the blood off my hands and face and did my best to get off my robes. I also stuffed the rose in my bag. I then skidded around students getting off the train to get to the compartment I had been earlier to get Vance. I then followed the flow of students on to the platform.

As I stepped off the train I looked around for my family. I finally caught sight of mom and Hannah looking around confusedly. I snuck around back of them then lightly leaned on Hannah's shoulder.

"Well hello there. You look lost."

Hannah grinned.

"There seems to be no end to you freaks, are there?"

"Freaks? You mean wizards?"

"One and the same."

"Oh, we're not freaks, just... unique."

She rolled her eyes. "Unique?"

"Oh, Zander! We've missed you!" Mom said as she gathered me in a hug.

I squirmed away. "Mo-om, you know I don't like hugs."

"Ah, yes. I forgot. Shall we go home? The younger sisters are dying to see you."

Quickly we gathered up my luggage and took it to the car.

As we pulled away from the station again I had that feeling. You know the one you get when you know something bad has happened. But what could it be? But I shook the feeling after as we pulled up to the house and went inside.

"Zander!" My little sisters squealed as I entered.

"How was school?" Mary asked.

"Great!" I answered.

"Meet any cute girls?" Hannah gently teased.

I waved the question away. "Didn't care to look."

The day was a blur of joy and happiness but still, there was that nagging feeling in the back of my head that something was wrong.

Finally that night I had some time to myself to think things over. What was wrong with me?

Suddenly my body began to feel weird and I started to sweat and I began to feel dizzy. I realized that something was wrong. But what?

I stared down at the wand in my hand. What had I done? What more would I have to do? That girl deserved happiness as much as I deserved to die. But of course, we won't get what we deserve for years.

I stood and shook my head. What had just happened?

Wait a sec. Was the boy here? In my head?

"Who are you?" I mumbled.

I-I can't tell you that yet. Not until we meet.

"When are we going to meet?"

You'd better hope not for a while.

"Why?"

You'll see when it happens.

"Why are you here? How are you here? In my Head?"

Shh. Your family might hear you.

"Why are you in my head?"

It's not really our choice. She made the connection and even you can't break it.

What do you want with me?

A lot, Z. A lot.

Wait a sec. Is this Mil?

No. No, this isn't Millie... Zander, you'd better hang onto everyone you love while you can.

Why?

You'll see. I need to close the connection right now. We probably won't talk for a bit. And... I'm sorry.

Wait! For what? Who are you?

Next thing I knew I was waking up to my mom calling my name.

"Zander! I let you sleep in! Get up."

My mind crossed over what had happened during the night.

What had happened? Was it a dream? Did I eat something funny before leaving Hogwarts?

A's fun fact: Ned is an original character in my Descendents fanfic Rise of the Fallen. He actually pops up in every one of my books, you just have to look closely to find him.