Epilogue – The Curse of the Ring; Yubaba’s Redemption
Tired old Yubaba was sitting in her hut, waiting for the sunset, mumbling to herself. She tried to remember all the spells she had cast with her magical powers, but she couldn’t remember them one by one anymore. Now, she had grown old and was forgetting the works of her youth; she could no longer remember all the pain she had caused. After a few minutes of silence, the sunset-red flickering sky filled her eyes, and one faint memory slowly and dimly came into her head.
She had been strong, wicked and cruel. Nobody could disobey her because she controlled them by stealing their names – except for one small girl named Chihiro. She had eventually lost count of the years since Chihiro had returned to her own world through the tunnel where she first stepped this world. The kaleidoscope of fractured memories made it hard to form a picture, but she knew that somehow Chihiro had kept her name, and defeated Yubaba. Abruptly she returned to the present, and angry she ordered her crow to spy out a new victim. For the first time, the crow refused her and she had to content herself with throwing a pebble at its small black head.
She, who had always been resistant to emotions from, actually was hit with the blues. She realised that the power of her magic wasn’t actually limitless as she had believed all her life. She muttered away again.
She felt her eyelids melt down, so she just sat and half listened to the sweet sound of the birds singing. Slowly she realised that a little girl was approaching her hut, making her way through the forest flowers. Was it Chihiro, thought the old witch, come to mock her? The girl was carrying a small white birch basket filled of flowers. Yubaba tried to think of herself like a spider which sensed something trapped in its web, soon she would strike. But instead she rather felt rather glad to have someone visit her on such a gloomy night, so she welcomed the little girl.
“Are you by chance an old witch?” The girl asked the question without any hesitation as her sparkling black eyes looked into Yubaba’s face. Yubaba was confounded. She couldn’t answer, she just asked the little girl to seat herself and asked what the little girl knew about witches.
“Smell these flowers!” The girl said, in a gentle voice.
“They are the most beautiful flowers in this forest. I’ll give them to you because you are too old to stoop to pick a flower.” The girl kept speaking.
“I live on the opposite side of the forest and I come out to pick flowers everyday. I lost my way when I passed through a strange tunnel.”
Yubaba listened to what the little girl was saying; she even forgot to smell the flowers that the little girl passed to her hands. It was strange to have someone seem friendly, and unafraid of her power.
‘Obviously this little girl doesn’t know anything about me, or about witches.’ Yubaba thought. After a little while, Yubaba asked.
“Little girl, do you know what witches look like or what they do?”
“I think witches must be like angels. They transform big stones into fresh golden-coloured bread, transform the dew on a blade of grass into milk and honey for poor children, make rain to bless the flowers, and guide lost animals home. If they see a dying child they can bring life-giving water to the child. Wherever something happens that God doesn’t like then the witches can straighten it out before they get worse.”
Yubaba listened attentively, her hands shook slightly and she couldn’t take her eyes from the little girl.
“Who told you that?” she asked.
“When I picked flowers in the warm wind, I knew it was possible, and when I met you I felt that you had the power do these things.”
Yubaba invited the little girl into her hut. Hot soup appeared on the table, and gold-coloured bread. She said to the little girl “eat as much as you like, there is more if you need it”. When the dinner was finished, a bed spread with white was appeared, and the little girl fell in sleep as soon as she lay down.
But Yubaba stayed by the fireplace, watching the little girl as she slept.
“What is wrong with me?” She wondered. “Why have I not taken her name and made her my slave?” And she looked into the flames for an answer, and then she quietly drifted out into the night.
When the little girl woke up she rubbed her eyes and looke around; it took a little time for her to remember what had happened to her. Then she noticed that the table was laid for breakfast. She was hungry and so she sat at the table and happily ate the food that had been prepared. She felt sure that the witch would be back as soon as she had finished whatever she was doing.
However it was the crow that came into the hut, not Yubaba.
While the crow was grooming his feathers he glanced up the little girl’s face, and then laughed as though he had a secret joke. The girl was a little surprised, as she hadn’t expected even a witch’s crow to laugh. So she was even more surprised when it spoke.
The crow asked the little girl to talk about what witches do once again, because he never heard such a funny story. He kept saying that he had never heard of angels transforming children into animals, or flowers into thorny thickets, or stealing names from little girls. And he laughed aloud again.
The little girl was upset by this and so she threw a stone at him, and then waited for the old witch to return to her. When Yubaba returned and saw the little girl sitting on the chair, she felt her heart get heavy.
“I have been talking to the crow”, the little girl asked.
“Do you believe that what the crow said is true?” asked the old witch.
“I know it is true” said the girl. “I am named Chihiro, after my mother.”
Yubaba’s face went pale, but before she could speak, the girl continued.
“I also know that you helped my mother, and loved your son, so the warm wind over the flowers also spoke truly. My mother talked of you, and wondered if you too had lost your name.”
“I tried to fix a part of my life, last night...” whispered the old woman, “…I went out and tried to help those I had hurt, but I couldn’t remember all their names, I couldn’t find them.”
After a while, the little girl asked.
“Is there any way to remember them again?”
Yubaba hesitated for a long while before she spoke.
“There is no need. I too have been under a curse, corrupted by my absolute power; a power that fed on the fear of others. Your faith in me, coming here although you know the truth, has broken my power. Without that, the spells are broken too, and undone. .”
The little girl looked up Yubaba for a while and said.
“My mother said that sometimes we can forget who we are, but that we can also forget what we have been…would you like to come home?”
After surviving his last adventure, Sindibad, decided to return to his home town, The Old Baghdad, carrying with him precious jewelries and a lot of gold coins that he earned and collected during the time of his sailing adventures.
When he arrived at his home land, he ran quickly to find out who owned his parents’ house and his father’s shop. He was very eager to get them back, so he made a quick arrangement to buy them, though his father’s shop cost him a big amount of money as the owner heard about Sindibad’s fortune and was greedy to get some of it.
Sindibad enjoyed a pleasant home-coming; he worked hard until he restored the reputation of
his late father’s shop. He spent most of the afternoons with his close friend Hassan doing some gardening, running, playing and enjoying the funny stories of Yasmina’s (the talking bird that his uncle Ala Al Din had gifted to him) that she brought from around the town.The first few months went very quickly until one day Yasmina came waving her wings frantically dropping some of her feathers on Sindibad’s head while he was relaxing in his bath. He asked her about the matter, then in a very shaky voice she told him that an infectious sickness had spread in some outer areas around
Baghdad changing people’s life into hell. The only way to kill this odd disease was an infusion of rare herb that grows in an isolated isle called Sea-Maids Isle west of Sind land behind the open sea. So the town’s healer had said. The adventure of going to bring the saving herbs did not take root in Sindibad’s mind at the beginning, especially when he heard that it was impossible to reach the Sea-Maids Isle because of the unknown dangers that killed everyone tried to reach this isle. But the things began to go terribly wrong when the sickness spread inside the city affecting many of Sindibad’s acquaintances including his intimate friend Hassan and his generous neighbor uncle Ahmed.
He ran quickly to his uncle Ala Al Din asking for wise advice. Uncle Ala Al Din was a great sailor and he was the one who took Sindibad for the first sailing trip and trained him in the sailing skills making in him a good sailor. Uncle Ala Al Din was an old man unable to sail, but he encouraged his brave nephew to go as quickly as he could in order to help his people.
Sindibad left Yasmina in his uncle’s care and very quickly picked some clothes and food for his long trip and ran to the harbour asking about a ship that could take him to the Sea-Maids Isle. But everyone he had asked looked surprised at him until an old man told him that this isle was considered the most dangerous spot in the sea for the last twenty years many ships had been sunk. No one survived in reaching it, but he named a ship called Seas Jewel that was the only ship that had got to the nearest isle to Sea-Maids.
On the bright water in the next morning Seas Jewel moved towards west and few passengers as well as Sindibad were on the board. The open sea always inspired Sindibad with hope and enthusiasm. Every afternoon he was sitting on the narrow deck watching the sunset over the water and counting the days of his trip.
On the last night, the night number ten, the ship had been struck by a strong storm that filled her with water and then wrecked her. All the crew and the passengers were drowned, but a big whale did swallow Sindibad. He remained inside the whale waiting for his moment of death, but for no reason the whale cast him forth on the rocky shore in a state of unconsciousness.
It just so happened that some fishermen had come down to the shore for fishing. They were talking and singing, and at one time as their net was full of fish they shrieked with laughter and their cries awoke the unconscious stranger. He clambered out of the rocks, wondering how to cover his naked body. The men let out squeals when they saw him, but one man called Saber calmly asked him who he was and how he came to be there. Then Sindibad told the good-hearted man his story, though the others were looking strangely at him as they thought that he was a mad one.
The man brought some leafy branches from a close bush and covered Sindibad’s naked, whale-tossed body, then took him to his home and prepared a great meal for him. After few days he accompanied him to the sea shore and taught him fishing skills. Within a short time Sindibad became an admirable fisherman, which arouse the jealousy around him especially from a lazy fishermen like Walid.
One quiet afternoon Sindibad threw his net and sat thinking how to reach the Sea-Maid Isle. Then he felt something heavy struggle in his net. He immediately pulled his net and found a very big creature. He gasped for breath. His mind was wondering what this thing could be. He lifted the net then he realized it was a girl. Then after he uncovered the whole net he saw that it
wasn’t a girl. It was a half girl half fish. “Have mercy” the fish said. Sindibad got a terrible shock then he replied “I didn’t mean to hurt you”. Sindibad and the mermaid got along pretty well after these few questions. Then Sindibad told her about his village and the mysterious herbs which are in a far away land called Sea-maid Island. The mermaid said “I think I could give you a hand”. Then she said “I’ll be back in a few minutes” and she disappeared from Sindibad’s sight. Moment’s later the mermaid came back and said to Sindibad, “Ride on my back you will be pleased with this”. At first Sindibad didn’t like the idea of sitting on her back but he had no choice. Sindibad rode on the mermaid’s back and she cautioned him from falling on the water, “This is a defended area against humans, there are a lot of dangerous sea creatures, and they are ready to kill humans”. She told him that they were killing humans because of the past when humans went too far in fishing and in killing some sea creatures like mermaids and endangered the sea life.
A few hours later she said “We are here. This is the Sea-Maid Isle. Go west for few minutes. You will find the herbs you need on that hill’s slopes, but be careful. You have to cut only the small twigs so no damage will be done to the main branch, otherwise you will arouse the anger of the isle’s creatures. I will be waiting in the water”. Sindibad gave her a hand signal meaning alright and ran quickly towards the hill. The isle was very beautiful looking like a jungle, full of amazing birds and many of rare herbs that heal most of the human diseases. Sad to say, that humans were forbidden to reach it.
He carefully took some of the herb’s twigs and filled his sack. He happily returned where the mermaid was waiting to take him back. After giving him a few priceless pearls she bid him farewell saying, “if you need me just come here and clap three times then I will appear.”
He quickly ran to look for a ship that took him back home. His story of reaching the forbidden isle and bringing the herbs reached Walid’s ears, that jealous fisherman, who quickly went and told the king that Sindibad stole the pearls of the king’s palace. Then the king immediately ordered them to bring Sindibad and sentenced him to the death. But Sindibad told the king that a mermaid gave the pearls to him and helped him to bring the herbs. The king told Sindibad that he wanted to see her in order to let him free. “Alright follow me to the beach your highness”, Sindibad said. He clapped three times the king was wondering what he was doing. After about eight minutes the king got frustrated and said: “Take this fool to the scaffold”. “Wait your majesty, she is coming”, Sindibad said. It was the mermaid.
“Your majesty this man is innocent he only wanted the mysterious herb that will cure the people of his town. Please your highness be kind be fair give him the herb and let him free” the mermaid said. Then the king asked the mermaid to ask the sea creatures for a mercy on behalf of all humans He will order all fishermen not to harm them and go too far in their fishing. Then the mermaid agreed to work for peace and to open the forbidden isle for humans. Also, the king asked the fishermen not to throw their net more than twice a day and just fish the sufficient for their needs. Then to celebrate the peace in the sea, the king prepared a great feast in Sindibad’s honour and ordered a ship to be made ready to take him home. He filled a sea-chest for him with rich gifts – sumptuous robes, a golden cauldron, and a handful of jewels. Then in the early morning the ship carried Sindibad home to his Old Baghdad carrying the herbs with him and looking forward to see Yasmina and Hassan.
Horrors of the Night
Anything that sounds familiar and amazing belongs to the genius of JK Rowling. All the other stuff is mine but would be nothing without her world.
“All of you settle down, I am warning you this is the last chance or else it will be 200 points from my own house”, Hermione wearily closed the door to Gryffindor tower. Being Head of house had its perks, but getting a dorm of kids to sleep after the Halloween feast was not on the top of her list of things to do on a Sunday night.
Slowly walking down the stairs, her hand brushing over the banister, Hermione did not notice the tall, darkly shrouded figure coming up in the opposite direction. “Miss Granger, if you don’t mind returning to the living, you are in my way. For goodness sake woman get some sleep, you look like the walking dead”, “oh sorry, Professor Snape, my mind was in a whole other world”, “goodnight” she whispered as an afterthought.
Moments later Hermione reached her door, anxious of what she knew lay ahead for her. Secretly hoping that Hermione’s two way mirror connecting her to the Gryffindor common room would call her back, anything so she would not have to enter the land of dreams.
Unfortunately for Hermione the moment her head hit the pillow her eyes closed and she drifted off to her most frightening place, the deep recesses of her own mind.
Hermione had become adept at jumping straight to the action; this journey was not anything new. Before Hermione knew it, the smell and sounds hit her full force making her want to retch in anticipation. Death, blood, sweat and tears were so real it was almost as if Hermione could reach out and touch the destruction.
There was no time to linger, Hermione knew what was about to happen, right on cue Ron was yelling “Hermione come on let’s get the basilisk fang”, the two ran off in the opposite direction to the crowd.
Hermione timidly asked Ron “Are you scared, do you think we are going to get out of this alive?”, Ron took Hermione in his arms and with a wisdom and strength that she had not seen before he lovingly replied, “I love you more than life itself, and will do all I can to protect you and your future”.
They quickly arrived at moaning Myrtle’s bathroom, not having to worry about what to do next, acting as if they were on auto pilot. After several tries Ron opened the portal and they slid down into the depths of Hogwarts.
“Do you get the sense that we are missing out on all the action, babe”, Ron screamed as he picked up the fang and hopped on his cleansweep “trust a male to think of that, when all I want to do is run as far as I can from those Death Eaters and take you with me, Ron”.
Exiting the third floor bathroom, the entire staircase to their right had been blown away. “Help... Help me”, a small Hufflepuff sobbed, Hermione looked down only to regret it the minute she noticed the girl had lost both her legs. “Tourniquet limbless”, screamed Hermione, as she ran past.
Her wand was quivering as if it could feel the adrenaline in the air, pulsating like an extension of her own heart.
“Run, run Hermione.” Ron yelled at the top of his voice.
It was impossible to see, a thick smoke was hanging in the air. The final battle had been ongoing for 6 hours and Hermione was starting to feel the pains of exhaustion. Ron and she had so far been unscathed as they fired off hex and spell.
Ron screamed at the top of his lungs “duck the staircase”, then grabbed her arm and pulled her into a corner hidden from a fallen banister. “Ron, I don’t know how much further I can keep this up, I can’t go on.” Tenderly taking Hermione in his arms he gently stroked her cheek and looking straight into her soul he quietly whispered, “It’s for our future.”
In this very moment there was no battle, no screams of pain, no smell of death. There were two people deeply connected, inseparable, of one heart and one mind. “Ron, thank you”, Hermione whispered into Ron’s chest.
“Now Hermione on the count of three follow my lead.” “One, two, three run.” The two ran out to the left, Ron tripped over a body taking Hermione with him, without looking to see if it was one of their own, they struggled up only to be hit by an unknown death eater “ stupefy” Hermione fired back, hitting the death eater square in the chest.
They knew they were heading back into the thick of it; lights from wands were flying overhead. Hermione felt a quiet thankfulness to her parents for being short. Being vertically challenged had its benefits, yet she was amazed at what a mind could think off at a time of such intensity.
“Drop and roll.” Ron fired back. Hermione knew what to do; they had practised this hundreds of times. “Ron remember your shield.” Each dropped; Hermione cast a stunner of to the right paralysing Dolohov. Ron finished it off with a body bind. The death eaters were getting desperate, some now had thrown off their masks. Hermione spun on her knees to see Bella pointing her wand at Ron. A look was plastered on her face similar to that on a child’s face on Christmas morning. Bella started to chant, “potty’s best friend, potty’s best friend.”
Hermione willed herself to wake up. She knew what was about to happen, she had witnessed this nightmare hundreds of times. Yet her mind would not cooperate.
“Potty’s best friend, potty’s best friend.” The taut was getting louder and louder as the sound of the battle diminished into the background.
“Ahha ha ha, I win.” Cackled Bella as she shot out a stream of green light “Avada Kadarva.” Hermione started to scream unconsciously realising that not only was it her dream self, but also her physical self. She spun on the spot and without a second thought directed her wand on a rejoicing Bella and whispered with the deepest venom that she could muster “Avada Kadarva.”
Hermione’s eyes flung open, it was always at this point that she woke. She was drenched in sweet and felt like she had played beater for England in the Qudditch World Cup Final. Whispering to Crookshanks she passed by “well I’m not getting anymore sleep now, I might as well get ready for the day.”
“Hermione did you sleep well?” asked Professor Vector, as Hermione slipped into her seat at the staff breakfast table. Professor Vector was wearing a ghastly bright yellow teaching robe, and was as bubbly and bright as the robes. “What a glorious morning, the sun is shining and the birds are chirping.”
“Sickly” Hermione coughed into her napkin. “Excuse me did you say something,” replied Professor Vector. “Ahem sugar, can you please pass the sugar.” At this moment Professor Hooch interrupted “Hermione you are looking just terrible, you need some sun why don’t you come flying with me.”
“Don’t you know Hermione at all, she is terrified of flying.” Minerva McGonagall intercepted. “Now my dear, how is your research going?” “Well it is going; I’m just not sure which direction. I read the article you recommended by Professor Walker…” Consciously aware that Vector and Hooch were still discussing her worn appearance in the background. “Thanks Minerva for your insight, well I better get on, no rest for the wicked.”
Minerva watched as her ex-student and dear friend walked slowly away and wiped a tear from her eye. Speaking to no one, unaware that someone was listening, murmured, “I wish the nightmares would stop.”
As Hermione went throughout her day she was exhausted from being harassed from the faculty at every turn, being asked, “How are you” in a myriad of different scenarios.
It was with relief and yet in trepidation that she opened the door to her rooms. Relief to be finally on her own, and fear of another night of horror.
Her eye was drawn towards a bottle lying on the hearth. Her heart skipped a beat as she picked it up, slowly raising it to her nose. The light fragrance of sunflowers gently hitting her nose. Hermione turned the bottle to reveal ‘dreamless sleep potion’.
