#20 Flash of Lightning

Other then the mirror changing to match the house colors, she wasn't sure what she was suppose to do. She looked into the mirror and then looked at the word on the floor behind her. Loyalty? Well, she was certainly loyal to her friends and family... But only those who she held a connection with.

How did she show loyalty to a mirror though? The mirror did nothing, it was still and unchanging except the color. She thought about how one could test her loyalty. But nothing really came to mind. How did you test that anyway?

Maybe she had to think about her friends? Or maybe her family? Who was she most loyal to? Well, certainly her family and she was certainly loyal to her friends, such as Reena? Reena and her had been together since first year, they were friends and she would stand by her friend.

Then there was always house loyal, but Lindsey always felt off when it came to house loyalty... Yeah, she loved her house, but in reality, being loyal to the house because it was your house made her feel... icky... What if her house chose to do something wrong and no one said anything, because... House loyalty?

"Loyalty seems like a hard line sometimes... On one hand, bein' loyal to someone you love and respect, especially in their time of need, is good... But then ye have a bad side of loyalty, where if they do something wrong, if you remain quiet, ye're loyal to them, but if ye speak up for the right thing, ye're not... How can one truly be loyal to anyone, especially if they do somethin' ye kin is wrong," Lindsey said in her mumbling to try and figure out something.

Her thoughts, for some reason, landed on her friends... Rylan, Sinead, Reena... Sinead and Reena had been with her since the beginning, sharing the same dorm together for years.

Lindsey wasn't paying full attention until she saw a glimmer and before her stood Reena. But, Reena hadn't been with her? She looked around and realized that, yes... She was alone. She stepped closer to the mirror and put her hand upon the glass, watching her friend. The sadness in her eyes, it clenched her heart.

"Reena, what's wrong, Mo charaid," Lindsey asked, using the Gaelic words for My friend as she spoke. "I dinna kin what all is going on, Reena... I have seen ye with Amara and it gives me a bad feeling here," Lindsey continued, putting her hand on her belly like she had a cramp. It was awful the feeling she got when she saw Reena and Amara speaking in hushed whispers.

Today had been one of those days. Reena had been off and she had felt it when she saw her go and speak to Amara in the common room one night. Lindsey couldn't put her finger on what was really going on, but she still got a bad feeling around Amara. Not only was she far too strict and could even call bullish... She seemed to be forming a circle of people that would do anything for her.

"Whatever ye have goin' on, I'll always be there, Mo charaid," Lindsey said as she placed both her hands on the glass, a smile coming to her lips. Would Reena be one of those people that did anything for Amara? Lindsey didn't know, but she would always be there. "You can tell me anything, Reena... I would listen and be there if ye need me."

Lindsey watched with sadness when Reena turned away, she balled her hands into fist.

"Reena! Whatever is going on, I have ye're back... I won't leave ye for any reason," she said, feeling in her heart that something was going on with Reena. Maybe the mirror itself knew something was going on with Reena. She looked over her shoulder at the thought, wondering if she should abandon this now and find her friend. She hesitated for a moment before turning back around.

"Reena, when this is all over, I'm going to come and find ye... I am going to let ye know this today, that ye have me as a friend for life," Lindsey said to her mirror, knowing that this was not real, but yet it was real for her. Her friendship for Reena was strong, she was going to make sure that Reena knew that.

As Reena smiled, Lindsey felt her heart clench. What was behind that smile? She could not tell, but it soon fade away like a smoke, forced away by a strong breeze she couldn't feel.

"Reena?" Lindsey took a step back and looked around the room once again. She was alone, except for the Beast.

She walked to the Ravenclaw mirror, looking at the word before she walked over it. Wisdom came in several forms, so it was time to learn of she was wise. Would it be a riddle? Maybe a word play? She didn't know... she like more hands on test, so this was going to be difficult.

Lindsey was trying to understand all of this, but it was hard. The mirror before her didn't change, the words were behind her yet again. She let her fingers run across the frame before she looked at herself.

"Well, what can help us be wise?" she asked herself in the mirror. Was it common sense wisdom? Was it book smarts? She looked behind her...

Common sense was likely tossed out when she started the journey that lead her here.

Lindsey tapped her chin, thinking contently to herself before she did a small pace back and forth, looking at the word as she thought.

"I guess everyone has some form of wisdom, aye? A wee bairn learns right and wrong at a wee age... but wisdom comes with continually learnin'..." she was thinking outloud, but looked at herself, talking to herself. "But wisdom isn't something that comes all at once... ye're always learning and gaining wisdom... no one knows everythin' and there is always more to learn."

Lindsey watched as the mirror became dark, like the others and she stepped back and looked over at the last mirror. The Slytherin Mirror. Ambition.

"Ambition can be both a good and bad thing," she said to herself as she walked to the mirror. Like the others, she realized she needed to do most the talking, at least, she felt like it.

"I want to be a healer and herbologist like my Ma... I want to help people... I don't want to see harm come to others," she said to the mirror calmly, knowing exactly where her mission lead her in her life.