Sharing a dorm room with Pandora was a gift and a curse. Literally. On the one hand, Pandi remained the most empathetic, non-confrontational and delicate roommate one could ever dream of. But on the other, there were nights. Nights when this harmless sunflower could scare the crap out of anyone.

The heavy dark canopies around the beds muffled the sounds, so the strangled whimpering cutting through the air did not wake you up immediately, first pouring into your dreams, as sometimes happened with the sound of an alarm clock, which your brain mistook for the rattling of a doorbell or the creak of a broken gramophone.

For long minutes in your dream you wandered along the rocky shore of a featureless sea, until, in addition to the distant cries of seagulls and huge water rolling on the rocks, distant female sobs mingled with it, making you start up and look around in search of the source of the voice. The sound of crying becomes louder and more hysterical, and, rushing in its direction and running to finally find the source of the sound, you slip on a wet cobblestone and collapse into cold water... And open your eyes wide, this time in reality.

Despite the momentary fright from the feeling of falling, inspired by a dream, the world around you takes shape, allowing to realize that you're in your bedroom at Hogwarts, and Dorcas Meadows is breathing steadily on her bed to your left. She's your roommate as well, and you won't be able to wake her up even with a mandrake scream. Sometimes you envied her — your sleep was much more sensitive.

From the bed to your right came the very sounds that woke you up. Propping up on your elbow, you squint at the clock face on the bedside table — the hour hand was between the numbers 2 and 3.

Without bothering to determine the exact time you peer into the darkness of the room to see a silhouette on the bed next to yours, trembling slightly, curled up in the fetal position. The white nightgown and strands scattered on the pillow made Pandora look like an unhappy little ghost.