When Peace got Screwed Over (Edited)

Awake in Dreams

The library was more than spacious. Books of all kinds lined the shelves. Light shone through the glass roof, illuminating artefacts stacked in the centre. Papers of all kinds were stacked on the desks narrowly avoiding a tumble to the ground. The room held a certain charm. You could taste the magic in the air. It felt threatening, but also safe. There was something about it which you couldn't quite place your finger on.

Cassie walked through the room slowly, barely daring to make a sound. It was as if she was in a trance. She brushed her hand over the books dusty spines. She was itching to read them, but she couldn't. Something was telling her it wasn't time to do so yet. There was someone she needed to find first. But who? The library was empty. Not a soul was to be seen.

Cassie's brown eyes swept the room. The blue and gold colours that covered the room made it look like the personal library of Rowena Ravenclaw. Wait a second! Cassie spun around, eyes frantically searching. She had to find Ravenclaw. That was what she was here for. She scanned the bookshelves. There had to be a hint as to where she could find her in the room.

There, a raven black feather sticking out of a book at the top of a shelf. Hurriedly, Cassie grabbed a chair and clambered up. With shaking hands, she pulled out the book and gently opended it on the page the feather marked. On the page there was a riddle.

"Of course," Cassie sighed, "I don't know what other form of clue I was expecting."

She climbed down from the chair and laid the book on the table to better study what was written on the yellowed page.

Those who seek, shall not find
Those who know, need not seek
Who walks in dreams, cannot sleep
She who is useless, helps the most.

"That's just maddeningly unhelpful." Cassie groaned.

She read the lines again.

"Those who seek, shall not find..." Cassie trailed off. That had to mean that she already knew where Ravenclaw had to be. It was the only logical explanation that went with the second line. She racked her brains.

Then, it hit her. Ravenclaw had to be in the library.

"Very good, child." came a clear voice from behind her. Cassie spun around.

A woman stood there. Cassie's breath caught for a moment. She was beautiful. Her long purple gown was covered in silver beads. Her black hair hung loose over her shoulders, held back only by a Raven shaped diadem on her hear.

"Tell me, child," Rowena Ravenclaw demanded, "Why did you come?"

Cassie gaped. She had no memory of coming here on her own accord. She had just wanted to help her friends.

"I see." Ravenclaw hummed thoughtfully. 

It took a while for the graceful woman to speak again.

"As you know," she then continued, "your friends are in danger and the only way you can help them is finding the information they need to win the fight. There is a complication though."

"And what would that be?" Cassie asked. "My lady," she added on quickly after a sharp look from Ravenclaw.

„You are dead." Ravenclaw said simply.

„Then how can I help?" Cassie wondered, with wide eyes.

„Some magic transcends the veil." She smiled. „You have the necessary connection. You just need to use it."

„How?"

"That, I cannot say," Ravenclaw said, her intelligent, blue eyes giving Cassie goosebumps under their scrutiny, "but I can give you the power to seek it."

"How much danger are my friends in?" Cassie asked, "Do you know, my lady?" How quickly did she need to find the connection. What was tying her to the living?

"A fair amount." Ravenclaw replied calmly. "They lack the knowledge and therefore the power."

"Because Knowledge is power." The words slipped out of her mouth before Cassie could think about it.

"Exactly." Ravenclaw said. „Now hurry. You do not have much time."

Cassie nodded. Finding the connection to the living.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Focusing on her memory, she flipped through her mind. Over and over again she tried to sort it. The image of Theo kept flashing before her eyes. Why was it always there? There was no way he was her connection, right?

OH!

Cassie felt very stupid all of a sudden as the library swam. The last thing she heard was Rowena Ravenclaw call „Good luck!"