Trent waited for the door of the commonroom to open so that he could talk to anyone.
Just anyone.
Trent hasn't spoke to anyone this year.
He hoped he could start over.
He started playing music but Trent had nothing to say he was depressed, this happened a lot lately.
He hadn't written to anyone at home because there was nothing to say he was waiting for a miracle to change this.
He picked up a book but couldn't concentrate so threw the book and it landed in the corner.
He was waiting.
That's all he tried to do lately just hoped something happened.
Trent was waiting for a friend.
Zepha opened the doors to Gryffindor's common room, intstantly noticing the difference in layout and design. She was a Ravenclaw but sometimes she like wandering through other house, searching for new people or new things to entertain herself.
Suddenly she heard a loud bang and looked over to the bookshelves where a boy had just slammed a book down to the ground. He looked, well she wasn't sure. She was normally fairly good at reading people but she couldn't.
She looked into his eyes, they were empty and full of sorrow. She slowly walked over to the book and grabbed it off the floor. She walked over to him and stuck it out, to hand it to him.
"Hi, I think you. Well you kinda dropped this." she allowed her white teeth to spread into a sly smile that reached up to her green eyes.
"I'm Zepha." she said as she tucked a short strand of blonde hair behind her ear, now noticing that she didn't recognize the boy. She realized she wasn't exactly the most social person on campus but she usually knew peoples faces.
She settled into the chair next to him, hoping to start a conversation. She was bored, and had nothing to lose.
Trent was now excited he had someone to talk to.
He took the book and put it on next to him. "Thanks" he replied.
Maybe the time was right, maybe he'd make a friend.
He smiled back to her smile and relaxed a little.
He was waiting this whole year for a moment like this and now he didn't know what to say.
So he turned to grab him book and started to read, his favourite thing to do when relaxed.
He was pleased to find interesting facts in it.
Trent had forgotten to introduce himself. He folded the corner on one of the pages and closed the book and held out him arm waiting for her to shake it and said,"Hey I'm Trent".
"So, Trent" she said, thinking about the name. She didn't know any Trents, or none that she remembered. Maybe he was just as anti social as she. Or maybe she wasn't very observant. Regardless she hadn't met him before.
"Howcome I don't know you." she finally said, looking at him. "I usually recognize faces or names but your unfamiliar." she hoped that didn't sound creepy. She really was just currious as to where he was from.
She looked back at him and noticed he'd picked up his book and started reading. Was she boring him? She started to get up and head for the door, not wanting to intrude where she wasn't wanted.
Trent was surprised. Had he made her leave?
"No, don't leave!" he asked her.
Maybe he'd leave reading till later, when it's boring.
He grabbed her hand so he wasn't alone.
He grinned and said,"I don't talk much that's why I've never seen you and you've never seen me."
He hoped he had not scared her when he grabbed her.
Trent hoped she'd stay at least a little longer.
He'd wanted to open his mouth desperately and now her finally could.
"So, how's Hogwarts been for you" he asked unsure of what to say.
He kept smiling to make her stay, he hoped it would work.
Zepha was a little shocked when he grabbed her hand. "Oh" she said and looked up at him "I just assumed I was boring you." she said witha smile.
"I'm guess I shouldn't be too suprised that I've never seen you, I wasn't all that social untill about a year ago either." she said, thinking about all the friends she'd made, all within the last year.
The way he kept smiling at her was cheesey but cute, like he was uncertain of something. "Oh, Hogwarts has been alright, I'm not exactly the strongest student but I survive." She frowned a little as she pictured her last report card.
"How about you? Which house are you. I'm Ravenclaw." she asked her words and eyes full of curriosity.
"Me?" he asked.
He hoped he didn't upset her when he said he was in Gryffindor.
"Gryffindor, but my friends-well ex-friends are in Ravenclaw, you might know them," he said with smiles fading and reappearing again as he spoke.
He heard laughing and giggling in the background. He wished he could do that. That all stopped now that his friends and him split.
"Well" he had nothing to say. He couldn't think of the same things he had in common with her.
So he waited for her to say something in the awkward silence.
"Hmm... maybe. I try not to hang out in there very often." she said with a straight face. "Too... its just too stuffy for me. Same as here. Wanna go for a walk or something?" she asked with a smile, hoping to put him at ease.
She started to walk out of the building and noticed he wasn't moving. She went over to him and grabbed his wrist, trying to keep him from getting all awkward. "Come on" she said grinning "I promise I'll be nice.
At first he didn't like the idea incase he had any encounters with the Ravenclaws.
But thought maybe he needed fresh air and decided to come when she grabbed his wrist.
"Alright" he said to her comment and he followed her out of the doorway and into the open of Hogwarts.
Zepha let go of his hand and pushed open the doors. "Ahhh, its so nice out here." she breathed heavily, letting all of the tension out of her shoulders.
She glanced around, thinking about where to walk to. She looked at him, getting ready to ask his opinion but turned back, figuring he would just mumble an uncomprehensible response. "You wanna head down to the lake?" she said, more than she asked.
As she walked towards the lake she smiled at Trent. He was nice alright, but it was like pulling teeth to get him to talk. She scanned her brain quickly to think of a good topic but stopped, deciding to let the beautiful atmosphere talk for itself.
Trent thought going to the lake was a terrible idea, it made him feel nervous, but he just went with the flow and decided to tag along.
"So, do you like the lake?" he asked as the wind flew across his hair.
They had reached the lake before Trent knew it and he stopped and sat down on the ground and folded his legs.
He liked the company Zepha brought him it was nice, he felt now that she was as close as a sister even though they'd only just met about fifteen minutes ago or maybe more.
"Oh I just love it!" she beamed, "Its like a place to go for me, when I have no where else." she paused coming up with a better way to explain. "Like when I think that I'll never be able to answer another question or do another spell, I come here and it all makes sense." she gave him a smile.
"What about you? Are you a fan? Zepha asked, noticing his uneasyness on the way down to the lake. Somepeople don't like water she thought to herself, maybe that was why.
She followed him and joined him on the ground, letting her legs hang in front of her, her blonde hair blowing around her small face. Trent was friendly enough, but it seemed like he had some serrious shell that he really needed to break through. Maybe she could help him with that.
"So Trent, we've talked about me. What do I need to know about you?" she asked him while giving him a smile to tell him that it was okay.
Trent was used to people liking the lake although he hated it. But never knew why, maybe it was the water. He never decided. But instead said,"let's just say me and water aren't really friends" he smiled weakly.
He'd reached the water maybe he could just paddle in the water for a while. Would that make him better?
Zepha asked a question but Trent wasn't' paying attention, he pulled off his socks and spashed his feet in the water.
He suddenly realised what she'd asked and said, "The one thing you need to know about me is that i can read minds, but I'm not that good, I'm still learning" he said looking up at her.
She scooted next to him at the edge of the lake and kicked of her shoes. The water was warm and her shinny toe nail polish glittered in it. "Well you and water seem to be getting along just fine right now." she joked as she splashed some on his shirt.
Mind reading, that could be a blessing and a curse for her. "Oh your right, that deffinitly is something important to know." she laughed, wondering what all he already knew she'd thought about. "Thats still pretty cool though"
"Mmm" Trent replied. Could he tell her that he couldn't swim? Would she make fun of him? All his other friends from outside school did.
But Trent felt something different about her. Maybe he should. Yes he was going to tell her.
"Um..Yeah right now water and i mix but i ... can't ... swim" he stuttered but hoped she got the solution.
He tried reading her mind to see what she was going to say, but, he couldn't enter her mind a force was blocking it.
He hoped he didn't hurt her when he tried to do that but finally he got something. "Mind reading, that could be a blessing and a curse for her."
He read that out loud.
"Is that what you were thinking" he said impressed with himself.
"I'm improving" he thought to himself.
He smiled.
She flicked one last bead of water at him "Oh, well that makes sense. I guess I've always just known how." she said, not judging him at all. He seemed sort of insecure about it for some reason. "Its not a big deal, lots of people can't swim." she smiled at him.
Zepha looked at his face and could tell he was trying to read her mind. His eyes got squinty and it looked like he might explode. He was trying really hard she could tell. It was kinda funny though and she let out a small laugh. "Yes that was what I was thinking!" she said laughing. "Thats cool that you can do that!" she said with a smile.
"Thanks" he said blushing.
She seemed to be smiling and he smiled back.
He wanted to ask her what she could do but first he had to try something.
He got up.
Her moved toward the water and placed a foot in the water.
He started walking into the shiny water and waded in the water.
"This wasn't that bad" he thought to himself.
Then he lost his footing and fell backwards, his head fell into the water and he bumped his head on a rock.
Blood was pouring his head. There was a pool of blood in the lake.
He shut his eyes. Then opened them again.
He couldn't move any other part of his body. He was stuck there floating lower into the depths of the lake. He was waiting for a miracle to happen.
He was losing the world, he couldn't see properly. He was entering some trance and lost his eyesight. He shut his eyes.
This had to be the end of his life, surely.
As Trent started to stand up so did Zepha, she wasn't exactly sure how well he could swim but wasn't ready to find out. As she started to slide of the grass his skinny body fell into the water, head first, and blood started gushing out of his head.
"Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod." Zepha shrieked as she ran to the water and saw his eyes closing. She plunged into the water and gently lifted his head out, carefull not to move his neck at any bad positions. She didn't know what to do, she wasn't good at any spells and he was the same size as her, maybe bigger. There was no way she could cary him back to get help.
All she knew was that she had to stop the bleeding. She tore off her jacket and wadded it up. She placed it on his head and applied pressure to stop the bleeding. She looked down at his face and he didn't seem the same. It looked paler almost. "Trent," she said loudly, "Trent, can you hear me." she stumbled around for his hand and placed it in hers. "Squeeze my hand if you can hear me." she said in a soft, worried voice.
Trent vaguely heard a voice but couldn't work out who it was.
But something did come in handy. His powers.
He tried to read the persons mind he got through and almost instantly this time.
He eventually found out that this person was shocked.
He heard them speak again something about squeezing their hand.
He grabbed a grip on her hand and squeezed as hard as he could to make sure they knew.
The rest was up to her he said to himself.But something weird happened.
He sent the message through to her it was strange like she had received his thought.
He felt some water at the back of his throat.
The stiffness felt half there now and he could move his head but not his eyes. His twisted his head to the side and opened his mouth and poured the water from his mouth onto the mud near the lake. It washed down into the lake. He tried opening his eyes and saw three people staring at him then one then three.
He realized this wasn't three it was one and he was seeing three, he knew this was Zepha, it had to be.
He smiled.
He could speak but just a few words, "That was a close one."
Zepha started to go numb when Trent wasn't moving. She barely knew this kid and was he gonna lay here and die? She started mumbling spells to herself, finally deciding on a healing spell she'd read in a book once. She pulled her wand out of her pocket and recited it, almost perfectly which was a suprise for her. She paused, anticipation and pure fear flowing through her veins.
Suddenly she felt her hand, he was squeezing it, just like she'd asked. She sucked ina deep burst of air and let a small grin. She'd done it... sort of. At least he was semi-conscience.
"That was a close one." he'd said and she started to laugh but bit her tounge. It was that bittersweet sense of humor that you had to have in times like this. She looked into his eyes, which seemed blurry and lost. "Are, you okay?" she asked in a soft voice, knowing that the answer couldn't possibly be yes. Not if he was answering honestly anyway. As she waited for a reply she contemplated wheter she should stay here with him or go get help.
"Yeah I'm fine" Trent lied.
He could feel a few bones in his body but not all of them.
He tried moving his arm.
He felt OK until he reached it over his head, then it hurt.
Trent had to do this it was his only hope. He didn't want Zepha to leave him alone.
He hated it and for this entire year he was alone.
He tried again.
"C'mon, C'mon" he kept saying in his head.
His arm had lifted slightly higher then his head. He was surprised.
He tried with his other arm.
But it failed.
He tried again.
Failed once again.
He tried one more time.
This was it he had reached above his head.
He lifted himself up.
He felt alive again.
He was now leaning on his knees.
He couldn't feel the rest of his legs though. This was a problem.
Zepha was extreemly good at reading people. I guess that comes from a life built on lies. And Trent was lying, badly. She knelt down on her knees so that she was at the same level as him and looking him right in the eye.
"Shut up" she said to him serriously, "Don't try and be a tough guy, you are obviously not fine." she said placing both hands on his shoulders to steady him. He was struggling to stay on his knees, let alone getting up and walking away.
"Trent, please tell me whats wrong. I want to help you." she said locking eyes with him. "I won't leave you, I promise." she said, hoping these were the words that he needed to hear to calm down.
It was as if Zepha was reading Trents mind.
He had to tell her the truth.
"I..I can't feel my legs" he said and thought that sounded pretty stupid.
She was trying the best she could to help Trent and he knew it. She was a good friend. Like Linvy had been.
But he didn't want to think about her right now he had a crisis to deal with.
A serious one.
No one else was here, but Trent wished there were.
Zepha kept holding onto his arms while he tried getting up but nothing worked. He had to lay back down. His whole body was killing him and bad but once he'd gotten his knee up he wouldn't have to.
But h kept thinking the worst, "Zepha i have to lay down my whole body is killing me!" he said. He hoped she'd understand.
"Okay" she said, softening her voice now that she'd gotten through to him. She let go of his arms and placed her hands on his back, easing his frail body to the ground.
Zepha was good at reading people, and she knew Trent was struggling right now. That was his weakness. Hers was not knowing how to help him. She didn't know any good spells, didn't have a clue what to do. She was keeping it calm on the outside but on the inside she was freaking out.
"Wha, what do I do?" she asked in a soft, scared voice. One that she hadn't used for a very long time. She really wanted to help him, she just didn't know how.
He really didn't know what she could do to help. He layed down and shut his eyes tight. He opened them again and lay there.
He couldn't do anything and neither could she.
He had to do something. Then he had one only option.
"Zepha, you must get help," he cried struggling to stay comfortable.
It was their only hope.
Trent was waiting for her to say something. And hoped she'd accept.
He was in pain and a teacher was the only one who could fix this all up before he struggled any more. He just hoped that Zepha would leave. And she would leave now. Before things got worse. Much worse.
Zepha bit her lip and nodded her head, it was all she could do to keep from crying. "I'll be right back" she said, giving his hand one final squeeze before she took off.
Zepha ran the path back to the school, careful not to trip over something like a twig or a rock, watching where she placed everyfoot. She ran to the medical wing and when she got there she almost fell down, she was that out of breath. "Please... help." she said trying to gather words. "My friend, he's he's hurt." One of the nurses got up and hopped on a broom, she followed them and showed them the way to Trent. Hoping things could get better from here.
"He fell, and hit his head. Now he can't move" She said, trying to explain what had happened. "I stopped the bleeding but I can't do anything else." she said to her shoes. She stepped out of the way and let the nurse do her job.
-MEANWHILE-
While Trent was waiting for the rescuer he lay there all alone but he was used to this, this was his life for the past year. He waited patiently.
His arms were starting to fall asleep and his head became numb.
He closed his eyes and saw blackness, shapes started to appear. He opened them againand blinked a few times to regain his focus.
He had been waiting for about five minutes.
Maybe he should roll over so he could see when she was coming.
He tried but his body was still stiff. He tried reaching for it wand to cast a few spells, he should have thought of that in the first place.
But now was the right time. Otherwise Zepha would tell him off, anyone would. He wasn't just blaming her.
He grabbed his wand, just, and casted "Winguardium Leviosa!" he had lifted a rock off of the ground. And moved it towards himself.
It plonked down beside him and he used it a crutches to help him lift up.
It had worked! But suddenly his legs became like jelly and wobbly. He had collapsed onto the ground and blood gushed out of his head.
He hated this! He just hated this!
He felt like he was about to be knocked out.
He closed his eyes once again. And that's when he heard it. The swish of the trees became heavier and heavier. He immediately opened his eyes.
Then he noticed two people on a broomstick, Zepha and someone from the medical wing. They rushed over here and the nurse started checking on Trent.
She asked him a few things and he replied with answers.
She flopped his arm and rocked his head.
Then she started testing him and used a spell (i don't know what its called but Snape uses it on Malfoy in the sixth movie when Harry and him are in the bathroom fighting) to put the blood back into his system.
And used another spell but couldn't hear as his hearing was becoming weak.
He felt the muscles in his legs and arms now. He was alive!
He reached his feet with his arms. No pain!
He was relieved.
Trent couldn't believe it, he thought he was going to die.
But he survived to tell the tale.
The Nurse left them on her broomstick after the relief.
"Thanks, for all your help, Zepha i really appreciate what you did to help me."
He smiled. This was what he really wanted, to be alive again. And he was.
Zepha watched in awe as the nurse did her magic on Trent. It was amazing, he was better like that. Once he stood up she smiled, a weight had been lifted. "I'd like to say anytime but, please don't do that again." she said in a joking voice. That was the scariest thing since, well since the fight with her parents. And that was something she didn't want to think about.
She grabbed his wrist and pulled him away from the water, "Maybe we should go somewhere else. Less, rocky?" yes that sounded good. She led him back to the trail that they had been on an hour ago. "So good as new huh?" she said, trying to fill the space.
Trent definitely didn't disagree with that. He had had a hard time with water. He didn't want to make it worse.
"Yeah". As good as new. He thought about it. Yeah he sure did feel as good as new.
He put his hands in his pocket, as the two were walking up from the dreaded lake. He was never coming back here again.
"Where do you wanna go? The Ravenclaw commonroom?" he asked as he stopped.
He'd never seen it. He wanted to go there. Besides Gryffindors he needed a break from.
He started walking again toward the castle with Zepha.