章 393: Mother

Surprise!!!!! I finally got to post a surprise chapter. I saw all of you guys' well-wishing comments and I am so thankful. So here's another chapter for the best readers in the world. Thank you again for supporting me, it means more to me than you can imagine.

Love y'aaaalll.

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Chris told them what happened after they got separated. The surreal dream about Malgino winning . . . Jumping into the pool of memories . . . seeing Malgino's childhood . . . seeing Fergus . . . the night when Malgino was given the crystal to bring him back from the dead . . . meeting Fergus and how he is still – kind of alive.

What Chris didn't say was the part about her magic being tied to Fergus. She told her friends that Fergus did some strong magic to keep himself alive and how he is connected to Malgino, but she couldn't tell her friends that her powers were something that was borrowed from Fergus and that Fergus had no idea what will happen to him when this power fuses with the power of Hogwarts successor, that there is a chance she won't make out of this alive. Fergus's last words were still ringing in Chris's ears as she understood what those words meant for her.

"Spend as much time with your loved ones as possible. Don't have any regrets. You don't know what is waiting for you at the end of the tunnel but one thing I know for sure. These people, your loved ones are the only power that could stop your power from consuming you."

"Chris? The snowing stopped."

"Huh?" Chris woke up to Luna's soft voice. She winced as she tried to open her eyes.

"I know you couldn't sleep well but you asked me to wake you up," Luna said sympathetically.

"No, no. It's fine Luna." Chris said getting up.

Last night, after Chris finished her story, they decided to get some rest while one or two of them kept watching in case of emergency. Chris was the first, Ginny and Colin took after her, and Luna was last. Oziyat wanted to help them as he had a habit of staying awake all night but since he wasn't his perfect condition, they asked not to.

Chris couldn't get much sleep thinking about what should they do next and she was exhausted. Though, she walked towards the cave mouth and peered outside. Luna was right, the snowing had stopped, but after the snow, the sun was barely visible on the skyline. Chris checked her watch, it was six in the morning.

Colin and Ginny were sound asleep, and Sol was still lying down there without much improvement. Chris took some vials and went to check on Sol. After making sure that his heartbeat and breathing were normal, she made him drink a few drops of potions. Oziyat steered from his sleeping bag.

"How is he?" He asked glancing at Chris.

"Still unconscious. But I think he will get up soon." Chris assured Oziyat and he sighed.

Chris went to Luna started to help her clear the cave entrance covered pearl white snow as the sunlight got a little bit brighter.

"So do you have any idea, how we find civilization? Where are we exactly?" Chris asked.

"We are in Old Iren Forest, just a few miles away from Titian Mountains and the nearest village is half-hour east from here," Oziyat answered without getting near the sunlight.

"Alright, then Luna and I would go and get some essentials," Chris said changing her hair and eyes. "Oziyat, —"

"I will keep watch and wake them up soon. Don't worry," Oziyat nodded.

"Ok," Chris pulled a scarf around her face and Luna did the same and took her bag. "Let's go, Luna."

Oziyat wasn't exactly correct about the distance, probably because he always had the super speed to get one place to another, Chris and Luna did not. And the knee-deep snow on the ground didn't help. It took them more than an hour to reach the village. Chris bought bread, butter, eggs, and tea leaves at the first store they came across and headed back as soon as possible.

"Hey, Luna, can I ask you something?" Chris asked suddenly on their way back to the cave.

"Yes," Luna said surprised by Chris's quiet tone.

"So . . . what happened to you after we were separated under the temple? I saw some smoke surrounding you before I was pulled into the vision."

"Oh . . . I met a woman who looked like my mother," Luna responded casually.

"You — what?" Chris halted in her steps.

"Yes, but she was nice at first so we talked a little bit. But then she started to tell me I shouldn't have left Dad and I shouldn't risk my life," Luna said dreamily as if she could see the entire vision again. "And I had to disagree with her and at the end stunned her."

"You stunned her?" Chris saw her best friend, mouth agape.

"Yes, of course, I tried to reason with her but she refused to listen and she won't let me go back to you, Colin, and Ginny," Luna's voice grew colder.

"But she looked like your mother . . ."

"But she wasn't my mother, Chris. She was someone that looked like her," Luna said sternly. "My mother never would have asked me to stop being with you. She used to tell me "Anything that makes a difference in the world, is worth the risk." Anyway, the moment she approached me I knew she wasn't my mother, no matter how she looked."

Chris stared at Luna for a full minute and Luna stared back. Luna saw her mother or someone impersonating her mother, whom she lost eight years ago, and she knew it wasn't her mother. How did Luna do it was beyond Chris, she just hugged Luna tight and she hugged her back.

"You are the strongest person I have met in my life, Luna. I am so glad you are my best friend," Chris mumbled.

"I love you too, Chris," Luna patted her back with a smile.

By the time Chris and Luna reached the cave, it was half-past nine o clock in the morning. Ginny and Colin were awake and chatting with Oziyat.

Chris quickly got to cooking the eggs and Colin joined her. Everyone was hungry and with no time they all devoured the simple bread, butter, and scrambled eggs.

After finishing the breakfast, Oziyat tried to help clean but wince as slight sunlight touched his skin, and Chris noticed Oziyat was looking worse than yesterday. But before she could ask —

"Oziyat, why aren't you healing?" Luna asked observing his burns and pale face.

"These are sunburns, Lady Luna. There is a reason vampires avoid the sun. These burns are tough to heal, it needs blood," Oziyat covered up his pain with a smile.

"You need blood! I'm so sorry, Oziyat, with everything I completely forgot. . ." Chris grimaced feeling terrible for forgetting his situation.

"It is understandable, Christina. You never went to an expedition through the woods with a vampire." Oziyat said as he scooted a safe distance away from the sunrays.

"You are not going to drink ours, right? Or I will jinx you," Ginny joked holding up her wand.

"Don't worry, I don't like witches' blood," Oziyat retorted with his trademark amused expression. "Dragon blood will work better with my condition. I will get it as soon as the sun sets."

"Where would you find Dragon blood here?" Chris asked setting the kettle for tea.

"In the Dragon conservatory. They keep stock for healers, hospitals, or any kind of magical emergency," Oziyat explained.

"There is Dragon conservatory here?" Ginny frowned.

"In a walking distance, yes. I don't trust a lot of Dragon conservatory guarded by wizards but I trust this one because of Layla. I'm sure she will help us."

"Oziyat, which forest we are in you said?" Ginny asked tensed.

"Old Iren Forest, also known as Cold Forest," Oziyat answered and Ginny froze.

⟦To be continued⟧