Round One Submission Entry
written by Jessiqua


Queenie was a mere corridor away from the Pukwudgie common room when she stopped, foot hovering an inch from the stone floor. She placed it down slowly, the tendrils of legilimency creeping out of her cerebrum. The headache started. Clenched jaw, she oscillated between moving forward and remaining. Forward held Pukwudgie, her haven. In her room she could put on her wireless, losing herself to the audible voices and music, where her mind was free to roam from the daily restraints. But remaining here seemed necessary for the moment, because what she was picking up troubled her.

It was Milicent Davies in the broom closet. The Milicent Davies, who had spent the better part of three years tormenting Queenie, painting her as a freak. But right now the thoughts flooding from Milicent’s mind were concerning, streaming with despair and desperation. Reluctantly, Queenie closed her eyes to concentrate. Like a candle, the snippets of other thoughts around her flickered away until all that remained was Milicent.

Can’t fix it. What am I going to do? Can’t fix it. No way around. I can’t do it. Help me. Help me. Merlin, Help me.

Queenie opened her eyes, her vision blurred from a light curtain of tears. Milicent found every excuse to make Queenie’s Ilvermorny life awful, but how could she abandon anyone, even Milicent? The compassion of Pukwudgie house conquered any disdain for her tormentor. Queenie stepped towards the broom closet.