lumos / phan

nine

Dan remembers red.

The flash of a ruby, the silhouette of the phoenix, the trail of blood. 

Now there's white.

Ginny's pale face, the hospital sheets, the light that keeps threatening to overtake him.

He remembers feeling frightened, feeling threatened. He remembers what felt like his chest bursting open. He remembers it pouring out of him, the magic. He remembers the flames. He remembers losing control. And now he feels so empty.

Dan finally manages to force his eyes to stay open. He stares at the figure in front of him, trying to clear his vision, finally coming to focus on Albus Dumbledore standing at the end of his bed, once again. 

"Wh-what happened?" Dan stammers, "is she okay? I don't-"

"Don't worry, everyone is fine, very much alive. Do you remember anything Mr Howell?" Dumbledore asks.

"I remember going in, the basilisk, running from it, it trapped us. I, I feel like I exploded."

"I guess that is one way of putting it. I have many theories on what happened, but each is more unlikely as the last. How do you feel?"

"I feel drained and tired. And confused."

"Ah, a very reasonable response. You did a great thing Mr Howell, saved the lives of three of your fellow students and the school's future."

"But Professor... how have I done that? I don't even remember what happened!"

"Maybe that is for the best Daniel. Things can happen for a reason. Chance is a strange thing, or perhaps it is not a thing at all, just something we like to believe in."

"What? That doesn't make any-"

"Ah, Ginny is beginning to awaken. I will leave you now, until we catch each other again Mr Howell I believe this is farewell," Dumbledore nods at him before turning and disappearing behind the flash of bright robes. 

Dan rubs his eyes, attempting to soothe the increasing pressure that's building inside his head. He hears the shuffle of bedsheets and turns to see Ginny slowly begin to sit up, blinking as she tries to adjust to the bright lights. She turns and sees him staring and they both quickly look away with flushed, pink cheeks. Silence settles over them, until Ginny speaks first.

"Do you... do you know what happened?" she asks, sounding small and scared, almost as if she's afraid to find out the truth.

"Not really I- you were in the chamber and there was writing. Voldemort, he-"

"Tom," Ginny interrupts, staring ahead with an unreadable or, perhaps, blank expression.

"Yes, well, apparently he likes to go by his new title, well, liked, I suppose," Dan sighs, shaking his head, "I'm so confused."

It's silent, until:

"Dan?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Yeah?"

"I... I think it was my fault. Tom, he spoke to me, made me do things for him. I-I think I put everyone in danger. I tried to stop but I just couldn't and-"

"I don't think it's your fault. If it really was him, I doubt you'd be able to overpower him if he had his sights set on you."

"But you  could've. You're so strong."

Dan blushes, looking away and twisting his fingers together in front of him. He remains quiet, wondering if it was him, could he have fought it off? Would he have been able to resist even the intense pull of dark magic from the Dark Lord himself? He frowns, dismissing the thoughts from his mind. Instead, he smiles kindly at Ginny.

"From what I've seen, I'm sure you could handle your own in a fair battle."

Ginny grins back.

***

"Dan!"

Dan turns around in the corridor to be ambushed by a body colliding into his. Masses of fabric swirl around him as he's knocked to the ground, wincing as his tailbone hits the ground with a dull thud. He pushes the person off him to see Phil grinning widely at him, pushing a mass of ginger hair out of his bright eyes.

"Phil, you just about killed me," Dan groans, sprawling out on the ground in dramatics, "I can't move."

"I didn't know they let you out of the hospital wing!" Phil says excitedly.

"Well it seems they might have to take me back in for a fractured butt," Dan complains, "why couldn't you have just said hello like a sane person?"

"But where's the fun in that? Besides, you can come to breakfast with me now! I think there's pancakes, I'm so excited I can smell them!"

"Phil, the great hall is still ages away..."

"Hush, to pancakes we go!" Phil exclaims, grabbing Dan's wrist and pulling him forward.

Dan smiles as he sits beside Phil at the Hufflepuff table, watching him pile as many pancakes as he can fit onto his plate and drowning them in maple syrup. Picking at his toast, Dan scans the hall for any sign of Harry, Ron or Ginny. Despite hearing the take from each of them, he still can't quite seem to piece together what happened down in the chamber and that scares him. That's the second time he has exhausted his magic and woken up with amnesia from it. What if it happens again, but instead of doing good he does... bad?

"Dan! Why are you looking so serious? Try a pancake! They're delicious!" Phil says, snapping Dan out of his thoughts as Phil dumps a sticky, syrup coated pancake right on top of the toast in his hands, "mmm, delicious right! Have another!"

Dan scowls at Phil as he smashes another pancake on top of the other and smears syrup on Dan's face in the process. Phil gives Dan a cheeky grin, causing Dan's expression to drop further as he lets the mass of pancake, syrup and toast fall to his plate. He shifts his focus on Phil's hair, grinning as he casts Aguamenti in his head. Phil yelps as an invisible water bomb drops on his head, soaking his hair and shoulders.

He turns to Dan, who gives him a shocked expression.

"Phil! What happened? Why are you all wet?" Dan asks, feigning concern.

"I think you know Daniel Howell!" Phil grumbles, "I will get my revenge."

"Oh I'm so scared," Dan snorts.

"We'll see who's scared in our next class, herbology," Phil smirks, causing Dan's face to fall.

"Now Phil, let's not be nasty here. Remember, you dropped pancakes on me!"

"Oh did I? I don't recall doing that. I think I'll suggest to Professor Sprout we look at Bubotubers! They're full of nice pus to squeeze out! Much worse to get in your hair than water..." Phil grins as he rises from his seat, "well, see you in herbology Dan!"

He races off, leaving Dan to stare after him, stunned for a moment before Phil's words sink in. He quickly climbs out of his seat and stumbles towards the exit.

"Phil! Don't you dare! Get back here!"

***

holy shit look who wrote a chapter (and a pretty wholesome one). i'm moving out of my house tomorrow, so i wanted to write one last chapter from my little bedroom where i wrote so many stories. hope you enjoyed :)