The morning after the meeting, I read the letter during breakfast. It was pretty clear that this wasn't a joke anymore. It was something far more serious.
I thought of what I could do. I had seven days to break a rule and leave no trace. Easy, for someone who has never in her life broken a rule.
The forbidden zones were off limits: No one would know that someone was there, and they'd never find the card. I had to be more risky if I wanted to succeed.
And an idea popped into my head. That night, I sent a letter to my dad asking for paint. Normal, muggle paint, like the ones used at schools. It broke my heart to lie to him that way, but what's done, it's done already. I said that I needed it to make some decorations for an upcoming event. He sent me two small cans of paint, all he could manage to get. But it was perfect. I prayed for forgiveness for my Saints as I began my plan:
First of all, I memorized the prefects' patrols. The schedules, curfew and chores. I memorized it all. Then, I found a lonely corridor that I knew they wouldn't care about that much. Perfect.
And, on the fifth night, I got dressed all black and slipped away from my room. I had the paint on my hands, and it was truly a miracle that I made it to the corridor without making lots of noise. I looked at the clock, calculating my time. I had exactly twenty minutes before the next prefect passed by. I had to work quick.
With my hands, I started painting my card, the one given to me after that meeting. My hands were shaking a bit, but I couldn't stop. Not now, when I was so close to be accepted into something that could change my life a bit.
I felt my heart pounding. I didn't feel like myself, at all. It all felt like I was watching my actions, but it wasn't me doing them. Honestly, it was quite exciting.
Ten minutes later, I finished. My card, painted in black and white, all over the wall, looked back at me. I had the exact time if I didn't want to be seen.
I left the smaller card (the original) on the floor, like I had dropped it on a run. Then, I took advantage of my dark clothing and slipped away, leaving the already empty cans beside the wall.
Finally, I was back at my common room. Thank the Saints it was empty already. I cleaned my hands with the scourgify charm, and took advantage of some snoring from the rooms' hallway to slip into my own. In silence not to wake my roommates up, I changed my clothes and fell onto my bed.
I couldn't sleep the whole night. But I felt something different inside me now: A weird, uncomfortable feeling that, somehow, made me feel... new. Like I wasn't myself at all.
And, at some point of the night, I knew something had awoken on me, something that had been asleep deep down.
The Wraith.
Oh, Saints. What have I done?
