This chapter has been translated anew in March of 2020.
Chapter beta (2nd time): Dani
Chapter translator (2nd time): Aivy
I looked for a quiet, dark corner where I would remain unseen. Many feelings were raging inside of me, including joy that everything worked out as I had thought it would, and fear, because I was about to attempt my very first Apparition. All right, I was only fifteen, and actually you are not allowed to perform Apparition until you are seventeen, but not with me, that's why I made all this fuss.
I now had an unregistered wand and I planned to use it. Besides, I had devoured all the books that existed on the subject and felt relatively well prepared. Have I already mentioned that I cannot stand abuse of power? This law had obviously arisen from some incomprehensible whim. I hated this obvious self-importance! This law was again an arbitrary act of the Ministry and for this reason I did not care.
So I did not dwelled on it for long, but took three deep breaths, concentrated intensely on the core of my inner magic and held my new wand firmly in my right hand. As soon as my concentration was strong enough, I focused, as described in the textbooks, on my desired destination: my parents' garden. As soon as I had visualized it, I spoke the spell Appare in my mind, waved the wand and tensely held my breath.
It felt as if all air was being pressed out of my lungs and my whole body was pulled through a narrow garden hose. I was constantly spinning around myself, like a top. Simultaneously I closed my eyes, because I had to concentrate and couldn't afford to be distracted. It would be fatal to lose concentration under these circumstances. I had to constantly think of my destination, otherwise I could end up splintered. That's where the law of the Ministry came from: because children allegedly had such a poor ability to concentrate. Of course, not everyone under seventeen was suitable. If you thought of Ron or Neville, they would really kill themselves at their current age.
Bah, I felt so nauseous!
I wouldn't be able to stand this strain for long. I could feel sweat forming on my forehead and the wand in my hand was shaking miserably. When I thought I would not be able to stand the strain any longer, my body was suddenly released from the squeezing confinement.
Finally!
I blinked, still bemused, and recognised our garden with relief. Whew! With little grace and out of breath, I fell to my knees and into the cooling grass with a relieved sigh. Concentrating on taking deep breaths, I attempted to overcome the dizziness in my head because everything was still spinning.
All right: Apparating was tough!
However, for the first time and without help I thought I had done well, especially since I had covered a longer distance right away. At Hogwarts, you learn the magical leap in smaller stages, from circle to circle, so nobody but myself was to blame.
In fact, the Apparition was worked on for weeks in order for students to learn how to use it properly. Such a dangerous skill could not only be learned from books, it had to be properly practiced, and only when the student had become confident, longer jumps were taught and not the other way around. But, as I had said, I had acquired my knowledge from books only.
Now my eyes hectically moved over my body, looking for possible injuries, only to find that everything had gone smoothly; I was still in one piece. Once again, I was pleased to discover that books and a brilliant mind could be very good teachers. A mischievous grin appeared on my lips. Even though my head hurt, I had every right to be proud of myself. Today was really a good day.
No... stop! It was a really good night!
Yes, I had to learn to love the night even more. To become a part of it and merge with its shadows, if I was to accomplish my plans the way I intended to. I had to learn not to be afraid of it, but to devote myself to it, like a lover who cast their shadow on me, so that it served me well and I could move fearlessly in the darkness. That was precisely my goal.
Oh yes, much would change in the near future!
But back to the present.
With momentum, I lifted myself off the ground and stretched my body. It was like having sore muscles. Only my legs felt all wobbly. I assumed it was all a matter of practice and habit, but I had always been good at that - repetition. Well, the night was still young, so let's get to work. The garden would now be my Great Hall, only without circles. I concentrated and jumped from one end to the other. Forward, back, to the side, back, forth, all in quick succession.
After an hour of wild back and forth, I sank down at the foot of our big oak tree, exhausted and sweaty. My lungs released the air in rattling breaths. With a gruff gesture, I wiped off my fake hair, the sweat glistening on the hair band. Bending my head backwards, I closed my eyes in a state of complete exhaustion.
Heavens, that had been a really hard piece of work. My body... I was sick and I felt like something that had been puked out, but slowly it got much better. I didn't feel dizzy anymore and now I only needed a fraction of the concentration of before to get where I wanted to go.
For today, however, it was over. Firstly because it was now almost three in the morning and secondly because I had errands to run tomorrow and they would enable me to practice the long distances once again until I could perfect them too.
Therefore, tired as I was, I dragged myself into my room as quietly as possible as the effect of the potion I had given my parents would've lessened by now. I pulled my clothes over my head, threw the piece of hair into a corner and sank, dressed only in my underwear, totally exhausted onto my bed and in no time I fell into a deep, almost comatose sleep.
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