When one is injured, endorphins are released to help ease the pain, and even then they do not ease it enough to be entirely bearable. Andelina’s endorphins had been working on overdrive, she could not move an inch of her body, and there were no tears left to be cried by the young girl. Every kind of pain she could undergo had been suffered, both externally and internally. Her organs were twisted out of shape, her body was unrecognizable, and she knew it. For a brief moment, she cared so deeply about what her friends and family would suffer, how her parents would react to seeing her like this, and Hogwarts…oh, Hogwarts, what would the students do with such a traumatic event…She just cared so, so deeply about it all.
The endorphins stopped when the caring did.
There was no decipherable moment when the pain was no longer numbed or toned down, and she felt every bit of pain that she should. And it was so very peaceful. The time that passed cannot be explained in any mortal measure, and in honesty, it was not time at all. It was as if every single thing about Andelina, every single bit of her soul, was released. Her cares vanished, and she could feel all her pain, but oh, she could feel so much more. She felt every single millisecond of sadness, frustration, and exuberance she had ever experienced. She could feel every bone that had ever been broken, every tear that had ever been shed; but she could also hear every favorite lyric she had ever loved and every laugh that had ever escaped her lips. She saw absolutely nothing and everything all at once.
The faces of family, friends, and strangers passed before her eyes. Every moment when she could have, and should have, done better to be kinder, more helpful…they all flashed in front of her so quickly they could not possibly have been registered, but they were. This was the end of the road. Her brain had ceased functioning by this point, but what is a brain, or a body, to a soul? Is it where the soul is trapped? Or where the soul merely resides until its time is up? When the soul itself figures out the answer to any of those questions, perhaps then humans will know as well.
Death.
Such a dreary, grim word for this transcendent experience, it seemed. This moment when all things that made Andelina human and good were reflected upon for all of eternity but yet in no time at all. This was not the cold, black Death she had seen, heard, and read about. This was not an unwelcome hug from a bony and bleak figure in a black hood. This, what was happening, was beyond beautiful, beyond remarkable. It was indescribable.
There is a never-to-be understood moment when the soul officially departs from any material aspect of the world, one that occurs for not even a millionth of a second but lasts for an infinite number of seconds. There is nothing to see, nothing to hear, and nothing for the outside, concrete world to ever be able to experience when this occurs. When, how, or even why the soul leaves has never been answered, and never will be. It would be far to dangerous to know how to take the soul away from the person, and even more dangerous to see what the soul holds. Souls put an elephant’s memory to shame, it seems.
So when Andelina’s soul departed, there was no ghostly figure that rose, no rainbow of colors that poured out of her. She stayed there, lying on the ground, bloody and bruised and growing colder with each second of bodily death having passed. She was gone now. Her voice, her memories, her kindness, her gentleness, her naivety, her very being…it was all gone, seemingly into nowhere at all. There was no light to be seen in her mind, no sound to be heard. The soul does not experience the five senses, and the soul is all that matters when one dies.
There is a curious bit of aftermath when it comes to the departed. Many will say she went to heaven. Others, of a more cynical view, will say she went to hell, or purgatory, as she had to have committed some sins in her life. Some will believe she is now one with nature, and will take coincidental occurrences to mean she is “with them” in some way. Perhaps she is. Perhaps she is not. All with think she was too young to go.
And so this is when the reader must be reminded that there is never a “time to go”. This is not a door shutting, or a window closing. There is always the chance that someone, even in the worst possible state, could breathe one more time. As expected or unexpected as death may be, as feared as it has become by some, no one is ever ready for it. Not the strongest, bravest lion, or the smallest, meekest lamb.
Here ends the life and story of Andelina Skye Reska.
"But dear, a girl has died. Morreu!" Her mother, the accent stronger in her hysteria.
"We're looking out for you, Lina." Her father, with the nickname she thought she had outgrown by this point.
They continued on with the list of reasons as to why they wanted to pull their daughter from Hogwarts, each one getting more and more outrageous. Of course, Andelina had told them about Rose, but that was because they asked if anything had happened. She had not intended for this to turn into a lecture, or an argument. It was hardly an argument, anyway. Just her parents continuing on and on about how she should stay home, closer to the family, people were getting suspicious, it was dangerous, etc., etc., and all the while, Andelina was shaking her head until her frustration boiled over.
There was silence in the hotel loft after that, one that remained there for a few minutes as the family of three looked around at each other in shock. They knew that their daughter loved Hogwarts, and that she would defend her love for it as much as she could. She had spent a few days of Easter break in Diagon Alley, as well, showing her parents around. Her father was more fascinated than her mother, who jumped a bit every time someone lifted their wand. Still, they knew how much she adored the magical world, and how blessed she felt to have been given her gift.
Cars zoomed by, the sound magnified now in the quiet. Her mother, usually so extraverted and animated, nodded quietly before stepping forward, planting a gentle kiss on her daughter's forehead. "We're concerned. We don't hear from you as much as we did before."
"OWLS, Mom. They're like SAT's on steroids but magical."
Her father gave a quiet chuckle before he reached out a hand to place it on her shoulder and give it a slight squeeze. He glanced over at his wife who still had an arm around her daughter, the two sharing an almost imperceptible nod before they turned back to Andelina. Her mother pushed a few strands of her hair out of her face.
"How about you go back to Hogwarts early, hm?" her father suggested. "We'll take you to the brick wall, and there must be a Few powder place you can use to get back."
"Floo," Andelina corrected with a light laugh, a smile finally growing back into its usual place. "It's called Floo. And you two need your rest. You have a long day tomorrow. Larry can take me."
Begrudgingly now, her two parents finally agreed, both giving her a kiss and a hug good-bye before going off to their bedroom in the loft. In Andelina's room, her bags were still packed, having hoped she would be able to leave after only a few days at the festival. When she opened the door to the room, their trusted driver, Larry, was already waiting for her and picked up her bags with a smile on his face. Her family liked him; he did not ask questions if they ever asked him to drive Andelina to strange places, and once when Andelina had been foolish and dropped her wand, her merely picked up and handed it back to her with a slight nod.
In the car, Andelina leaned her head against the cool window, counting the street-lamps as she passed by them, until they arrived at the correct place. With a wave to Larry, she was off, tapping on a brick wall out of sight until it parted. On the other side, the night sky was settling in just as quickly as it had been in Muggle London. She went from building to building, asking politely if the owner would let her use their fireplace and if it was connected to a fireplace in Hogsmeade. Eventually, she came across one in an inn that was connected to The Three Broomsticks, and the man behind it said she was so polite that he would even give her the Floo powder for free (not like it costs much, anyway).
Baggage had always been a problem with Floo powder, and when Andelina arrived in The Three Broomsticks, she let out a sigh of relief when her suitcase was still clutched tight in her hand. The place was nearly entirely cleared out, aside from the owner, who had her back turned to Andelina and seemed not to notice the girl had appeared. Not wanting to disturb the woman, Andelina moved quickly and quietly, stepping out into the nearly empty streets of Hogsmeade. No students were still roaming around, but all the lights were still on in the shops and inns, and Andelina heard quite a bit of noise coming from a pub down the street. Perhaps there was a party going on? That would explain why more people were inside than out on such a nice night, even if it was rather dark.
A few minutes into walking, she spotted two Ravenclaw boys, she guessed they were seventh years, making their way toward the end of the road. With a glance at her watch, Andelina realized it was a half-hour past curfew, which meant the boys were either purposefully late, or had lost track of time, or perhaps both. She hurried along, falling into step just a few yards behind the two brunettes, one of which was talking in a French accent and the other of which had to stop when he dropped his broom-cleaning kit he must have just bought. Shy around the two boys she had never met, Andelina stopped, ducking a bit into the shadows before continuing on behind them up until they reached the gates of the castle. She slipped in behind them.
Suitcase still in hand, Andelina practically skipped up the steps, the warm lighting from some of the windows in the castle flowing down over her as another smile appeared. Knowing that she had arrived a few days earlier than intended, she began to make her way toward the Headmistress's office to inform her of her early arrival...and then she would be off to her common room to get started on all that homework she had missed. An elated feeling filling her as she started down the hallway toward the Headmistress's office, she even began to hum, smiling at a person at the end of the hallway that it was difficult for her to see in the darkened corridors. They were just pulling out their wand, most likely to actually cast some light in the shadowy area, and she gave them a short wave as she spun and began to traipse down the hallway.
Evie put a crooked finger underneath Andy’s chin and gently lifted it, trying to make the younger girl look at her when she looked at her feet. “Make time. You deserve time for you.”
“I’d trade with you in a heartbeat, but you don’t want to be me and I’d just mess up being you.” The blonde declared in a moment of honesty that she quickly wanted to leave behind. “But I promise. I’ll suffer through the spotlight if you ever aren’t able to fulfill your duties. What are friends for after all?” She laughed lightly.
At Evie's touch, Andelina looked up, used to people telling her to hold her head up a bit higher. Show a bit more pride. But pride was a dangerous thing to show. She saw her parents get torn apart in the tabloids for expressing their pride in even the smallest of ways. "I'll try."
It was a lie. If she was making time for herself, she would have stayed at Hogwarts, with all her friends, not having to lie to them about where she was going. She hated doing this, disappearing for a weekend or a whole week, but it had to be done. She loved her parents and was so grateful for what she had, but there was so much that she felt like she was missing out on here at Hogwarts. "Well, at least I'd be a prefect," Andelina said lightly. "You're a good friend, Evie. I know you'd do great in my shoes. You'd do great in anybody's shoes, no matter what the size."
Andelina smiled at the girl gently, wrapping her arms around the blonde's neck quickly before picking up her suitcase. "I'll tell you how everything went when I get back, I promise. Goodbye, Evie."
[eyes brighten up with joy] Really? That’s a very nice thing to say, Andelina, thank you so much! Actually yes. It does mean a lot already, especially since I got it for my seventeenth birthday. However, I don’t want to make a big deal out of it and focus on my Apparition test instead.
You're very welcome! I'm sure it does. Oh, don't worry about that! You'll ace it no problem! (She looked up at a clock hanging in one of the store windows, giving a slight start) Oh, I have to go pack. I'll talk to you in a few days. (She gave the girl's arm a light squeeze and began to back away) I have a wonderful idea for a banner for the next Quidditch game, and we'll need someone with a great brain like yours to help charm it. Enjoy your weekend!
Oh, well, I don't know. I went on a hike in a rain forest once, and did the zipline. It was a family vacation. Why? What's the most adventurous thing you've ever done?
*Hal shook his head and smiled as Andy rushed off to help the boy, wandering over himself and looking at the boy’s fairly small injury* Oh, that’ll be alright soon enough. Umm, are you thinking of. good thought Andy. Listen up guys! If you get a bite, use a murtlap leaf, just scrunch it up until the juice comes out, and it’ll heal it right up extra fast. Good thinking!
Murtlap! (Andelina moved over to the plant, tearing off a leaf gently and bringing it over to the boy. As she helped him, her robe slipped off her wrist and she suddenly noticed the time on her watch) Oh, no! I'm going to be late for Chess Club! Thank you for the help, Harry. I'm sorry I can't stay, but I promised one of the third years I would help coach her through a game of chess at the meeting today. Are you having another one of these soon? I'll be away from the castle for a while - family things - but if there's another session, tell your father I'll definitely be there. I'll see you around!
"You are though. You should just wear it proudly," she insisted. "I know you won’t enjoy the red carpet, crazy girl, but I hope you enjoy the festival anyway and that you find something this week to do just for you even if you have to go incognito. It’s okay to be selfish once in awhile even if you’re a Hufflepuff." She stopped fussing over Andelina’s hair, deeming it perfect now. "Now have you decided on what you’re going to say if some reporter gets the brilliant idea to get a few quotes from you or do a little niche interest blurb about the reclusive Reska daughter? People love to know all the weird details about celebrity children and now that you’re a tenager they are going to be upset youre not getting into all the expected trouble and try to make some"
Andelina laughed quietly, looking down at her feet as she pushed her toes together, letting Evelyn do as she pleased with her hair. After all, Evie did seem to have an eye for that sort of thing, and she trusted the older Hufflepuff to take good care of it. "Maybe I can go for a massage with my mom, if we have time." At Evelyn's question, Andelina quickly shook her head. Even if she did leave school to be with her parents, she tried to stay as far away from the paparazzi as possible. The reminder that the media was even more interested in her now that she was older made the girl bite her lip, somewhat uncomfortable. "There are enough other celebrities and their kids doing things to distract. Besides, they'll make something up no matter what I say." It was a harsh truth that she was still trying to accept, but she was trying not to focus on it too much. "Sometimes I think we should trade places Evie. You're far more suited for the attention. If there's ever a reason I can't be there, you should definitely just take my place on the red carpet."
Leading is a burden I am willing to shoulder, Andelina, if it’s for the well being of our community. [puts it back] I think so, myself, as much as priding on my belongings is not very decent.
Leading definitely does suit you very well. Well, I mean, it's nice to pride yourself on the gifts that others are so willing to give you. That necklace will probably mean a lot to you as you go forward, too. Wasn't it your seventeenth, too? That's when you come of age, right?
"Shout out to the one and only person who’d be willing to listen to me!" Scarlet’s bitter laughter rang through the room. "Everyone in my father’s side of the family is called Scarlet, whether it’s the first or middle name, so imagine how frustrating the family gatherings must be when somebody shouts for Scarlet and there are four heads turning to answer."
Andelina giggled a bit at the idea of so many people responding at once to the same name. It had happened in school, sometimes, when two or three people had the same name, and it was always rather comical. Part of her was a bit disappointed she had never met someone else that had the same name as her. "It's an interesting kind of solidarity, though, isn't it? To share a name with someone?"
Shaking her head slowly, Kara didn’t fight the smile that spreading across her lips. “You really don’t need to apologize.” She spoke up, blinking at the small hole that she hadn’t noticed in her skirt before. Possibly from climbing that tree from before. “Is it important? You’re leaving early and I don’t think anyone else is out right now.” Kara brought up, squirming around a little.
"I know," Andelina said with a smile and a quiet sigh. "I think it's just instinct." The Hufflepuff struggled to try to come up with a good excuse that would not be so outrageous that it was unbelievable. She really did not like using the 'my family member is ill' excuse, because so many other students had ill family members that they were not able to leave and see on a whim. "It's a...family reunion. We have them only once a decade, so I got special permission to go."
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