The Philosopher's Stone (A Harry Potter Rewrite)

FRIENDSHIPS

"Well go on then", Hagrid said and sat down beneath a tree.

Ria took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She turned to face the depth of the forest from where the wind blew. It sang and swirled around her, enveloping her whole body like a mother singing to her child. Ria relaxed her body and casted her mind outwards into the wind, the same way she'd done in the lake. And then she could feel the balls of life around the forest. This time they glowed in different colours. Ria felt a swarm of bright red glows in one part of the forest and another swarm of brown in other. A few were blinding white. Hagrid was a strange orange right behind her. Ria casted her mind towards the castle and felt hundreds of crimson glows everywhere. She tried getting a view of the lake. But it felt blank. Either she was too far away or she had to be in the water to be able to view it.
Ria opened her eyes and let the image slip away. She now concentrated on trying to control wind instead of gaining information from it. Concentrating hard, she imagined the wind blowing hard. A furious gust blew through the forest making the trees squeak. Ria stumbled back, hit a tree root and feel over. There was a loud crack and something hit the ground with a great thud.

"Rudy hell!" Came Hagrid's voice. The wind was gone as suddenly as it had come.
"Yeh alright?", Hagrid asked Ria having pulled her back to her feet. She looked around and saw a huge branch lying exactly where Hagrid had been sitting.
"Sorry", she told Hagrid with a sheepish little smile. "See why I need to learn and control it?"

"Yes, I see that. But yeh had done enough fer tonight. Now get back ter the castle before yeh crack me head with them branches", Hagrid said smirking.
"Yeah you're right.". She hadn't realise how much effort it had taken her to read the wind for life. She felt tired.
Hagrid insisted on leading her back to the castle. Once at the door, he said goodbye and Ria went back to the Common room.

It took Ria two whole weeks of struggle before she learnt to consciously control the wind, when she finally realised that she needed to use her wand. On all the other occasions, she hadn't had her wand on her. With it, accessing her abilities was easier. It didn't make her as tired to read the wind and she could now command it to change speed and direction although it took rather a lot of effort. McGonagall informed her that it would take her a lot of time and practice to master control as the elements of nature are extremely powerful and independant.

"Try requesting instead of commanding", McGonagall said. "When you are dealing with someone as independant and illusive as Wind, you have to remember not to be overconfident or rude. Remember that each of the elements you control are more powerful than you. You have the talent to control them only as long as they want or allow you to. It has been said that a Naturakinance might loose his or her ability if their pride overpowers their gratitude. So don't ever forget to be grateful. Do not try to stay apart and control. Instead, loose yourself in it, become it and then work together. Never try and be the master. Be a partner."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Two days later, Ria was returning from the forest after an hour of practice. After a few days, Ria had told Hagrid that he didn't need to come along. She wasn't scared of the forest anymore. It was a part of Nature and Nature was a part of her.

She entered the girls washroom to freshen up before going back to the dormitory. She had barely taken off her robe when a dreadful wail rang out from one of the cubicles.

Ria jumped and took out her wand. Carefully she made her way toward the cubical and knocked.

"Who's there?", shrieked a shrill weepy voice from behind the door.

"Umm...it's Ria. Are...are you ok?"
The door burst open. The ghost of a girl with lank hair and thick glasses was floating above the toilet. She was in the Hogwarts uniform and her face was constricted with rage.