*snip* *snip* *snip*
The article from the daily prophet being cut away easily as the sharp scissors slice through it.
3-0 for the season as the Holyhead Harpies defeats the Wigtown Wanderers 740-530 points in a grueling 16 hour game. The game well played and very physical Holyhead coming from behind to snatch victory literally as the new seeker sensation Angelique Danesque nabs her third straight snitch.
“A wonderful game”, Angel thought to herself. “Everything was perfect about last night game.”
Places the article into a page of a large leather bound book. Angel’s book of memories started on the first day of school.
“Everything perfect, minus one flaw.” Angel adjusts the action picture on the scrap to see the crowd behind her and focuses on an empty seat.
Angel sighs looking at the picture. “It seems my life is full of empty seats.”
Closes the book and locks it. The final page being filled. No memories to be had here. An entire book filled with 7 years of life. Nothing left it seems to add to nothing left to gain. Not there was ever anything to gain, in fact the pages filled mostly with loss. Loss and sacrifice that seems to be imprinted on my soul. 700 years ago I gave myself to save the ones I loved, 700 years I give for those I love. All just pages in a sad girl’s memory book. I didn’t realize that when I flushed Yvette down the toilet after turning her into a goldfish would result in this mush karma payback. Seven fold is a lot it seems.
The book gets add to the chest and the chest closed and locked. The room that had been covered with posters of great wizards, shelves filled with old tomes, the spot where a telescope peered out a window into the heavens and all the little snitches dangling from the ceiling now gone, 7 years of life in a perverse analogy now just an empty hollow room.
A final letter written in to say good bye. The pages sealed with a bright red wax with a Knightly seal. To my sister Evie it reads. Angel ponders on the note and sighs.
“She won’t even bother to remember I am gone. She has other people to remember.” Angel tosses the lengthy note in the fire.
The family house elf goes about removing 7 years worth of Hogwarts memories from the room as Angel walks down to the dueling chamber.
“Not a fight lost ever.” Squats down running my fingers along the cold stones. “The only room in the castle where I could just leave it all on the floor and it was all good when it came time to walk out the door. No friends lost, no loves lost, the only room were my sisters were my sisters, the only class I was welcomed in and could succeed in, the only room where I could walk away from and feel good.”
“No one cheated on me here, no one lied to me here, no one left me here, no one hated me here, and nothing ever lost here.”
*flip* flip*
The lovers inverted. The tower. The soft sound of ancient velum tarot cards being drawn and lain out on the floor of the entrance hall. A blonde little Greek girl keeping to herself in the soft lights of the Christmas trees. A heavy hearted frown sinking from her face. Her hood concealing her sorrow to the rest of the world.
Phrases running through her head. Each word being pondered as she looks down at the line of cards sprawled out on the floor. She reaches for an odd little 8-ball whispering to it and shaking it. The ball revealing to her the conformation of the cards reading. Her shoulder slumped in sorrow. All of the dreams her heart went into created just became a nightmare. The two people she trusted to be her friend and girl friend betraying her. All that work to come back, just to find out that her grandfather was right. She would look the fool going home. The cave in the basement of the house would become indeed a lonely hole of dreams never more.
One last card in the series to be flipped. At this point the reading couldn’t get any worse unless of course the devil came up. The card being overturned slowly, a breath being drawn, eyes closing not wanting to reveal acknowledge that all was for not.
Eyes open slowly. Partially open, but to blurry to recognize the card. Inner strength being found through a deep breath and eyes open wide. The Wheel of Fortune.
What an odd card. It doesn’t seem to fit. Who is the Wheel of Fortune?
A shadow creeps over the readings partially obscuring the pictures on the cards in semi-darkness. Befuddled the Greek girl tilts her head slightly up to see what is happening.
“What do they say?” A tall red headed girl with a smooth eloquent voice speaks down with a familiar accent.
The Greek girl blinks from the recesses of her hood and peers back at the card she is holding and then back again.
Speaks in a quiet voice. “I lost my true love and a friend.”
Laughing lightly, “I do that all the time. My book of memories is full of those readings.”
“Really? That must be a sad book.” The Greek girl folds back her hood peering at the red head.
The red head peering down at the Greek girl and nods slowly and gives her an odd look, “do you like quiditch?”
The Greek girl blinks again, “I never thought about it really. Never went to any of the games.”
“I have an extra ticket to a game coming up. It is front row. Would you like to come?”
“I was actually going to pack my things. I am going home.” The Greeks girl sliding the cards back into the deck.
”I’m leaving too. My father has arranged for me to take N.E.W.T.S early so I will be graduated by the end of the week after Christmas. You are still welcome to come. The seat is yours if you want it.”
The Greek girl peers once again at the card in her hand and then back and smiles. “Sure, I will take your empty seat.”

An empty seat in class.

An empty seat in the common.

An empty bed in the room.

All because Melissa was sitting somewhere else, working up the courage to turn on herself.

The threat over, the cult broken, Melissa Kane feels that she can move back to America and finish her education with no problems.

So she left. Leaving her prefect badge with Professor Sprout, and apologizing for the waste of time.

Mel didn't leave a note for Seril. She was sure he wouldn't notice.

She left a note for Liss merely saying goodbye, and thanks for the brushes.

She left a note for Angerona, hoping to continue their correspondence via owl post and lucid dreams, when they can. Offering continued friendship, even if it was long-distance. In her letter, she explained that Angerona deserved somebody to love who would not be the screw-up that Melissa proved to be, and wished her the best in this quest.

Melissa Kane left, feeling like a failure, though she had done well enough in her classes. She however, had given up on the idea of finding love, because she felt like she would always screw herself, and those who got close to her, over.

And at the Hufflepuff table, Mel left an empty seat.