⌗ ⌗ ⌗

"Queenie! What are you doing here?" Iris asked in surprise.

Queenie let out a tinkling laugh as she walked down the steps and towards Iris, "Well after I got your letter, I spoke to Mr Dumbledore here about me coming to the castle for a bit during your holiday break!"

She scooped Iris up into a big hug, swaying her back and forth as the two girls beamed.

"My, you've grown so much since I last saw you, you're nearly as tall as me!" Queenie observed her, "now what's this I hear about a boy?" She winked playfully.

⌗ ⌗ ⌗

"I think, and maybe you'll agree with me Mr Dumbledore, that we need to try something new? I've never heard of someone being able to go through the consciousness of an object," Queenie suggested.

The three of them had been sitting in Dumbledore's office for a while, discussing Iris' development with her legilimency powers.

Dumbledore looked concerned while in deep thought, "What do you have in mind?"

Queenie, who was sitting on the loveseat next to Iris, patted her hand gently, "Well, the doors seem to be working, yes? We just need to work on not letting everyone in at once."

She seemed to notice the look of hesitation on Iris' face and spoke softly, "I'm only gonna be here for today, and I've never seen Hogwarts ya' know. Why don't we go on a walk and you can show me around, hm honey?"

Iris agreed, wanting to spend as much time with Queenie as possible before she had to leave, and just a few minutes later the pair were strolling down one of the many corridors, arm in arm.

"This is Professor McGonagall's office," Iris explained, gesturing to one of the large doors they were walking past.

"And is she in there right now?" Queenie challenged.

Iris paused for a moment, "No."

Queenie smiled down at her, "Good! So where is she?"

Iris stared at her incredulously, "You want me to find her? The castle is huge- I've only ever been able to do that with Harry," she protested.

Queenie gently pulled her off to the side of the corridor, in front of a large window overlooking the grounds and Black Lake. Snow was gently floating down from the puffy dark clouds hanging low in the sky, leaving a coating of ice and snow over the large expanse of grass.

"Iris honey, I want you to look out there at the world and I want you to focus on all the little snowflakes falling down from the sky," Queenie walked behind Iris and gently placed her hands on her shoulders as they watched outside.

"I want you to imagine that every one of those snowflakes is a different person, unique, going at a different pace. Now, you're the wind, guiding each snowflake, influencing its' path, and if you're gentle enough, carrying them far across the field."

Iris turned her head to face Queenie, "I don't see how this is going to help, I'm the wind but sometimes there are too many snowflakes floating around and I can't concentrate on just one person without them all coming in," she said, doubtful.

"Then don't concentrate on one person. Think of them all. Every single person in the world, we're all intertwined."

With a sweet smile, she took both of Iris' hands in hers and said sincerely, "I know it's scary, letting people in, but you need to embrace your gift before it consumes you." She gently took Iris by the shoulders and once again, turned her to look out the window.

"Close your eyes," Iris did as she was told, "Okay, now, listen to the sound of my voice, focus on the people in the castle, your teachers, friends, Harry. All of them are connected, find that connection and focus on it."

Iris took in a deep breath, feeling the cold air all around her. She went to her brother first, seeing through his eyes as he sat in front of the fire laughing with Hermione and Ron.

She went to them next, her two best friends. Then she went down the hall outside the Gryffindor entrance, finding McGonagall walking with Professor Sprout.

Iris began to feel the pressure build up in her head as all their thoughts started running through her mind.

Her closed eyes scrunched and her nose wrinkled, she faintly heard the sound of Queenie's voice telling her to concentrate.

Next, she found Professor Trelawney napping and Professor Flitwick in his office grading papers. Below him in the dungeons was Professor Snape, but she couldn't get to him, she never could.

Iris' hands reached up to cover her ears, trying to sooth the pounding of voices going through her.

She found Filch and the only other students remaining for the holidays; a Ravenclaw first-year and a Slytherin fifth-year.

Dumbledore was still in his office, but he, like Snape, knew how to block her out.

She had everyone in the castle screaming in her ears, and she thought she had them all but she was wrong.

There was one person missing.

Iris reached out farther, her eyebrows crinkling in confusion, her hands dropping from the sides of her head as the voices dulled.

Her eyeballs raced around underneath her eyelids as she searched for the one mind she had missed but could feel like a persistent stabbing pain in her heart.

The forest. He was in the forest.

She was shot across the grounds and into a restless mind.

Then she could see it all. Every thought of every person in the castle was right there in front of her.

While this was happening, Queenie was watching carefully, concerned for Iris' well-being, she didn't want to hurt Iris by having her do this, but she had long since realized that Iris was a lot more powerful than she could ever imagine.

As she watched on, she noticed Iris' hands were beginning to put off small red sparks. She had never seen anything like this except for on one occasion.

Suddenly, without warning Iris' eyes snapped open, except they weren't their normal hazel, they were glowing a bright crimson.

Though her eyes were open, she wasn't seeing, it was like she was in some kind of a trance.

Iris had just been opened up into a whole new world, unlocking a new part of herself. In the moment her mind had connected with the unknown to her person, she had found peace with the voices. All of a sudden, she was in control.

She searched through countless memories of jarring images getting colder and darker the deeper she dug, just trying to find a face to match the mind of the person she was in.

But something was forcing her out, the man had evidently realized someone was using legilimency on him.

Iris could tell he was terrified, he was hiding for some reason.

Then with one last final shove from the mental barriers of the man, his face finally came to her and overcome with emotions she did the only thing she could think of to get rid of the psychic pain it was bringing her.

She screamed.

She was brought back to reality with the shattering of the window in front of her, the face of Sirius Black still lingering in front of her eyes.

⌗ ⌗ ⌗

Wow, hi. I actually updated quickly, and I'm super motivated to write.

Who am I?

So anyway, expect another update sometime soon! Let me know what you thought of this chapter, or what you think about the book so far! I'd like to hear any suggestions you all have for the future!

Much love, Elle <3