Sanare
Aquila drifted through her front door and into the kitchen, flinging open the fridge and absent-mindedly drawing out a package of cooked spaghetti to reheat, swiping her phone aggressively in the meantime.
She poked the microwave button and it spun to life, reheating her dinner.
Aquila had just arrived back home from work, and was currently reading further information on Reality Shifting.
Why did I fail to shift for so many times? Aquila sighed as she shoved a mouthful of tomato sauce into her mouth. She scrolled through her phone, continuing her endless search for possible reality shifting methods. She had already gone through the Raven Method, the Pillow Method and so many others. They all give the same methods I've tried so many times...wait, this is new.
❝The Alice in the Wonderland Shifting Method:
Steps:
1. Lie down on your bed and visualise that you're laying underneath a tree.
2. Recite shifting affirmations (I am shifting...) until you experience any symptoms (e.g. tingly limbs)
3. Visualise someone coming from your desired reality, then get up and start running after them.
4. Now, watch them jump into a rabbit hole, and then jump with them.
5. After reaching the bottom, imagine there's a door that's leading to your desired reality. Open it when you're ready to shift. Don't rush.
6. Interact briefly with everyone from your desired reality, then walk to your desired reality bedroom then fall asleep in the same position as you began this method.
7. If everything is done accordingly, you should wake up in your desired reality.
Remark: If you get disturbed when you're in the stage of opening the door, you may get split. One part of your soul may be in the desired reality, while the other remains outside. You will have to try to join your other half in less than 2 years or both halves die. Which literally means that you pass away while sleeping.
I haven't tried this yet, maybe it'll work. Aquila cleared up the remains of her meal and hurried up to her room, desperate to try the newest and possibly last method.
Please let me succeed. I need to be with Severus Snape. I need to retrieve my heart. I need to save him.
Aquila flopped down onto her bed in a starfish position, connecting her phone with some comfy headphones. There, the sublimals are on. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and dissolved into nothingness.
I'm Ophelia...I'm sitting under a tree...Red hair, blue eyes, golden-rimmed glasses...Fields of lilies are surrounding me...I wove some into my hair...I am shifting to Hogwarts...I shifted to Hogwarts...
Tingly feeling spread.
Albus Dumbledore came and walked away, ignoring me. I got up, and hurried after him. He was surprisingly agile at his old age.
Down a rabbit hole he went, and I followed. Dumbledore was waiting for me. He stretched out a hand to help me up. "Ophelia, would you like to study magic in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?"
I nodded. "I will." A melodious voice emitted from me. Oh, yes, I was part elf.
The two of us walked down the dark corridor and arrived at a door. "Ladies first." Ophelia walked through.
Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, Pomona Sprout, Rolanda Hooch, Poppy Pomfrey, Filius Flitwick, Sybil Trelawney, they were all there.
"Hello. I'm Ophelia. It's-"
"HOOOOOONNNK!"
Once again, Aquila was disturbed. Thought there weren't any cars here. Seems like my neighbour's got a visitor.
She took her headphones off and promptly buried her face in the pillow, too frustrated to do anything except for sleep; she now officially gave up.
No method could ever let her reach Severus Snape.
Nothing.
Might as well do nothing except for my job.
Then, Aquila suddenly bolted upright.
'If you get disturbed when you're in the stage of opening the door, you may get split. One part of your soul may be in the desired reality, while the other remains outside. You will have to try to join your other half in less than 2 years or both halves die. Which literally means that you pass away while sleeping...' I split myself.
Aquila hadn't succeeded in shifting. Instead, she had made it worse.
"NO!"
-
She was walking.
Walking in a empty space. All black.
Black robes draped on her shoulders, a trolley pushing her trunk as she walked. A petite owl was in a cage, also black. Her skin and fiery hair which covered her pointy, elvish ears contrasted to the black nothingness. The black space seemed endless. There wasn't a specific direction it had.
Blue eyes peered through golden-rimmed glasses and blinked curiously at the void. Where was she going?
She had no idea. All she knew was to walk. Walk until she saw the door. Her wand was firmly bound in her wand holster, tucked into her robes. One hand clutched the handle of the trolley, the other delicately holding a letter. The envelope was stamped with a large H.
Through the door she went, her things with her, and a red-orange brick wall loomed out in front of her. All she could see was the wall, nothing else. It was pitch-black.
She automatically walked through the wall, not knowing what lay beyond it.
There was a red and black train, tooting its horn. The nearby clock's hands neared 11 o'clock. She raised her hand and the luggage floated from the trolley and into an empty compartment, her owl perched on top.
Yes, this was Platform 9¾. The train towards Hogwarts. And beside this compartment, Harry Potter, the boy who lived, is there.
The girl blinked, slightly shocked at herself. She didn't know this.
This wasn't memories. Why did she know all these? How did she know?
She herself was confused too.
These bits of knowledge weren't in her brain originally.
What was it to be, when you were in a black empty space, appearing out of nowhere and nothing, and know some things about complete strangers? She didn't even see them yet. She just knew.
-
"Come with me." A old, hunched man beckoned the girl to come with him. There was a cat with lamp-like eyes in his arms. Mr. Filch, is it? The girl thought, flicking her wrist slightly to twist a ribbon which formed words into the air. She didn't want anyone to hear her voice. Elf voices can charm. Wait, how did I know that?
"Yes. The Headmaster requested that you eat on your own before going into the Great hall for the announcements."
The girl was left in a dark room which was quite dusty. There was a table, a plate and a goblet. Spaghetti and black coffee. She thought, and the food appeared.
After her bitter yet refreshing meal, Mr. Filch led her to the Great Hall doors and told her to wait until she heard her name. He left her alone there.
What was her name?
The girl had no idea.
"So!" said a man. That must be Dumbledore. "Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty- seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it. "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year. This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy — but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts —
A man strode from behind the girl and through the doors. She barely had enough time to scurry aside, not wanting to be seen yet. The man was shrouded in a black travelling cloak, with grizzled, dark gray hair, His face was throughly scarred and one eye was normal whilst the other was large, round and a vivid, electric blue, which rolled ceaselessly.
"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" said Dumbledore brightly into the silence. "Professor Moody."
There was no applause.
Dumbledore cleared his throat."As I was saying," he said, smiling at the sea of students before him, all of whom were still gazing transfixed at Mad-Eye Moody, "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tour- nament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year. some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short expla- nation, and allow their attention to wander freely."The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of es- tablishing ties between young witches and wizards of different na- tionalities — until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued. The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money."
Sounds dangerous. Surely the money isn't that worth having to risk your life. The girl sighed internally.
"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts," he said, "the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age — that is to say, seventeen years or older — will be allowed to put for- ward their names for consideration. This" — Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, for several people had made noises of outrage at these words — "is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no under- age student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hog- warts champion. I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen."The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be ar- riving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. So, before I send you to bed, there is a new student joining us this year who has yet to be sorted. She is Ophelia."
The girl guessed that Ophelia was her name after hearing Dumbledore say that. Ophelia's a nice name.
She pushed open the doors and headed to the stool which was perched on top. A hat was lowered onto her head.
"An elf!" Came a voice in her ear.
"Yes, indeed I am an elf. My name is Ophelia. Would you please sort me into a house without rivalry? I would like to have a relaxing year." She thought.
"It will be my pleasure. HUFFLEPUFF!"