In the middle of all the debris, and amidst all the rubble that littered what's supposed to be pristine, white carpeted floor, lays an old lady, her hand clutching a wand.
He's too late. He has apparated across continents despite the mortal risks, but he is still far too late.
He hurriedly ran and kneeled beside an old lady, murmuring diagnostic charms while visually checking her for injuries.
"Meemaw, please don't move, lest you'll aggravate your injuries..."
As he lifted her head up in an attempt to place it above his lap, he felt something warm and sticky coating his palms.
Blood.
"Moonpie..."
He felt a certain chill wash all over him, his tears threatening to spill, but never came.
"Meemaw...don't talk. Please save your energy. I'm calling the healers..."
He then pointed his wand towards what's supposed to be the living room wall, already blasted to pieces, revealing the neighborhood that has met the same fortune as his Meemaw's house.
Blinding light shot out of his wand, momentarily basking the house in eerie silver light, bounding off towards the night's black nothingness, never to come back.
He felt a hand clutch firmly onto the front of his robes.
The old lady shook her head.
"Listen to me..."
"Meemaw..."
He tucked in a loose gray hair to the back of his Meemaw's ear.
"There's no time. Run. Go to Houston. Look for Dr. Flora Douglas. She's a dear friend of your mom and mine. I've...already sent her a Patronus. She and her husband are already expecting you..."
With a wave of a wand, she produced a parchment with an address written on it, then placed it on his hand.
"It's too late for everybody in this town. Save yourself. Run...and never look back..."
"No, please. I can't leave you like this Meemaw..."
"I love you, Moonpie...I will always be proud of you, remember that. I'm so proud of you, my Moonpie..."
All in one night, he had lost everything.
Missy was right. For someone who has prided himself for being intelligent beyond his years, he is quite stupid.
He shouldn't have played the hero. He should have just minded his own business.
He...had always hated Dr. Sturgis' Augereys. But never had he felt frightened by them. Until now.
"Nightmares, buddy?", said the voice coming from the wall opposite the headboard of his bed.
"Hello, Leonard. I apologize for...inadvertently waking you up in this ungodly hour", Sheldon replied after taking a deep breath.
"Ah, no, I was just turning in. Just finished reading the new comic books I've picked up from the store..."
With a tone of concern, Leonard continued, "Hey...if you don't mind, I have a few vials of Dreamless Sleep here, I think you could use some..."
"That's not necessary, though I thank you for your concern. I'm be going back to sleep now..."
Sheldon went back to lying on his back, pulling his comforter up to his neck.
"Wait, are you sure? I mean, it's no bother, and what if you get nightmares again?"
Sheldon scoffed.
"You make me seriously reconsider reinstalling the Silencing Charms in both our rooms..."
"Geez Sheldon, I'm just concerned about you..."
"You shouldn't display your Hufflepuff tendencies so wantonly. That's the reason why people always take advantage of you. You know people often misinterpret kindness for weakness", Sheldon reprimanded
"Hell, what are you, a Slytherin? You didn't even went to Hogwarts, what do you know?", Leonard exasperatedly replied.
"For your information, I was a Gryffindor."
Leonard paused, both in shock and disbelief.
"Wait, you said you graduated from Ilvermorny! What the hell are you talking about?"
"I said I graduated from Ilvermorny. That statement in itself doesn't disclose any information as to whether I went to Hogwarts or not."
"And you, a Gryffindor? Yeah right..."
"I don't see why that's hard to believe, Leonard."
That statement was met with a derisive snort from Leonard.
"So, you went to Hogwarts, huh? Damn, you're probably in the same year as I was", Leonard continued after a brief pause.
A ghost of a smile momentarily flitted Sheldon's lips, then it was gone.
"Go to sleep Leonard, we still have work tomorrow. I do not wish to meet my untimely demise just because we got involved in a car accident due to you not getting enough REM sleep."
"Apparate to Caltech if you're so distrustful about the safety of my driving. And for your information, my car has Cushioning Charms around it...", Leonard rebuked.
After a brief pause, Leonard continued, "But really, buddy, are you sure you don't need some Dreamless Sleep potion?"
Sheldon dismissed Leonard with an exasperated sigh.
"Go to sleep, Leonard."
"Oh what the hell", Leonard said in resignation, pulling the sheets on top of him.
After a stretch of silence, Sheldon called.
"Leonard?"
"Yes?", Leonard replied, weariness aparent in his voice.
"Thank you", Sheldon said in between ruffling of sheets.
"You're welcome, Sheldon", Leonard curtly replied.
A Hufflepuff from a well-known pureblood family of Slytherins, a son who always seeks his illustrious mother's approval, but always falls short...never enough, and can never be compared (nor can ever compete) to his older, more accomplished siblings.
Today, he has reached a new level of lame.
For a third year student, he should be quite used to Hogwarts by now. But he had found himself going in circles, stuck in the more sunny and bright (albeit student-less) parts of the castle, and if this continues, he's going to be late for his Potions class.
No one wants to be late for Potions class with Snape. Not unless you have a death wish.
And if the sunny ambiance (the chirping birds adding further insult to injury) is of any indication, it just means that he is still miles away from the dark and cold corridors of the dungeon.
(He belatedly apologized for being inaccurate to no one but himself. He is usually good at doing approximations, whether it be in Imperial, or Metric units. But he has long accepted the fact that plenty of Muggle rules don't apply to Hogwarts. Or in the wizarding world in general.)
He released a deep sigh of resignation to his inevitable fate.
At that moment, a tall, lanky figure wearing Gryffindor robes was approaching, walking towards the opposite direction.
Without thinking, and out of desperation, he suddenly grabbed the Gryffindor's arm, earning him a sharp glare.
"I'm sorry, but can you please, please, tell me which way it is to the Potions classroom?"
The Gryffindor raised a graceful eyebrow at him, seemingly contemplating on whether to flee from him, ignore him, or hex him into oblivion.
That’s when he noticed his beautiful, pale blue eyes.
"Are you just gonna continue standing there, gawking at me or what?"
He immediately looked away from the Gryffindor, blushing profusely. He then immediately turned full scarlet upon realizing that he is still holding on to the tall boy's arm.
"Sorry!", he apologized, suddenly letting go of the arm he has been clutching to for far too long.
Few seconds of silence has stretched between them, before the Gryffindor has decided to break the ice.
"You're asking directions as to which way it is to the Potions classroom, is that correct?"
The Gryffindor’s accent isn’t quite different from his.
An American, then.
He nodded in affirmation, making sure not the make further eye contact with the Gryffindor.
"Follow me."
The Gryffindor didn't even wait for him as he immediately started walking towards the direction to where the Potions classroom probably is.
"I think it's the first time I’ve seen you around here...are you also a third year?", he asked the Gryffindor after he hurriedly followed him.
The Gryffindor stayed quiet.
"By the way, I'm Leonard Hofstadter...you are?"
"I'm not really into banal chit-chat, so I'd rather show you the way quietly, or would you rather prefer to find the potions classroom yourself?"
The walk towards the Potions classroom was both awkward and uneventful.
After what felt like an eternity, at last they have reached the Potions classroom, with Leonard still have five minutes to spare.
"Thank you so much for helping me find the classroom", Leonard said to the Gryffindor.
"You're welcome."
"See you around..." I guess.
"Cooper."
"Sorry?", Leonard looked back to the Gryffindor, his hand already on the doorknob of the classroom.
"My name is Cooper. Sheldon Cooper."