Sitting up straight, Cedric turned towards the voice, and gasped. Standing beside him was something that resembled a house-elf. The creature was short and had the long nose and pointed ears of a house-elf. However, the skin was a pale blue and the eyes were large and innocent like a puppy dog.
“Um…hello,” Cedric said. “Who are you?”
“I’m Monoi, sir,” it replied in a voice that couldn’t be identified as male or female.
He didn’t want to be rude, but couldn’t stop himself. He just had to know. “What are you?” he asked.
“A halo-elf, sir,” he replied. Still not knowing the sex of the creature, Cedric decided to think of it as male. Somehow, that was easier for him to cope with. “I’m the heavenly version of a house-elf. I’m here to help you with your journey.”
“You mean I get to go home?” he asked.
“Perhaps,” the elf replied.
“But what about clear motivations?” Cedric questioned. “I want to go back for myself, as well as my father. Doesn’t that make me selfish? Doesn’t it disqualify me from going?”
“Not at all,” the elf told him, a slight smile forming on what appeared to be its mouth. “You were asked to figure out why you wanted to go. You weren’t being honest with yourself before. Well, you weren’t being honest with the mirror. You asked to go back only to help your father. You didn’t admit your personal reason. However, you admitted it to your father when talking to him through the mirror, so we assumed you’d figure it out.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You misinterpreted the mirror’s message,” Monoi explained. “Clear motivations meant motivations that were clear in your mind. You had to understand and admit what you wanted. All your motivations didn’t have to be selfless. You may be dead, boy, but you’re still human.”
“So I passed the first test, then?”
“Indeed,” he replied. “Now I will take you to meet a Head Halo. You’ll be meeting with Charity Clearmind. She’ll decide if your visit is allowable.”
“What makes a visit allowable?” Cedric asked.
“Mostly necessity,” he explained, sitting down on the cloud beside Cedric. “Her decision is based on her belief regarding the visit. Whether or not she thinks things can improve without your visit. In this case, if she feels your visit will truly help you and your father move on, she’ll grant it. If she feels that by sending you back, she’ll only increase your loneliness for each other, she’ll reject it.”
“But how do I convince her?” Cedric asked. “What do I say?”
“That I cannot tell you. You must choose your own words. I recommend you speak from the heart. But remember this, if your application is denied, there is good reason. Charity will do what is best for all those involved. That is, after all, a Head Halo’s job.”
Cedric felt panicked. Frantically, he searched his mind, trying to think of the right words. How could he explain what it would mean to him to speak to his father one last time? How could he explain that his father was alone in the world? One last visit from his son could surely grant him so much needed comfort.
“Are you ready?” Monoi asked.
“I”I don’t know,” Cedric stuttered, being honest. “I don’t want to say the wrong thing and miss the chance to go home.”
“You can think of it for thousands of years and never be sure,” the elf told him with a knowing glint in his eye. “You only have tonight. You must return tomorrow or not all. At least, not until next Christmas. You don’t want that, now do you?”
“Of course not.”
“Then it’s time for you to meet Charity,” he replied. “There’s nothing to fear. Head Halos are in no way frightening, and I will be with you. Consider me your guide and friend.”
“Thanks,” he said. He was genuinely thankful. A friend was exactly what he needed at that point.
“Are you ready, now?” Monoi rose to his feet, looking at Cedric expectantly. His eyes were soft and calming. They made him feel like he could really do this.
“I’m ready.”
“Rise and take my hand,” Monoi instructed. “You might want to close your eyes. The spinning gets a bit hard to take. You may be a wizard, but I assure you, you’ve never experienced anything like this.”
Cedric nodded as he got to his feet. Not for a second did he doubt the elf’s words. After staring into the colorful swirls that were forever above his head, he knew heaven offered many things that magic could never dream of. That was only appropriate, after all.
As instructed, Cedric took the elf’s hand and closed his eyes. He couldn’t see what was happening, but he could feel it. Wind howled around him. His stomach heaved, a sensation he never expected to feel after he was dead.
Finally, the madness around him settled. His feet were touching solid ground again, but he still didn’t open his eyes. He was afraid. What if it wasn’t over?
“You can open your eyes,” Monoi told him, as if reading his mind. “It’s over. And there’s someone who wants to meet you.”
Opening his eyes, Cedric gasped. He was in an enclosed chamber that reminded him of a seashell. Everything was white and sparkling. His eyes struggled to adjust from the darkness. Up a tiny flight of stairs sat an elegant chair, probably crafted of gold, if gold existed in heaven.
Despite the beauty of the room, it all paled in comparison to the woman seated on the chair. Cedric had never seen such beauty or even imagined that it existed. In that moment, he realized that a Head Halo must be very similar to an angel.
“Hello, Cedric,” she spoke in a voice that sounded like thousands of singing doves. He nearly fell over. “I understand you wish to return to the land of the living for Christmas. Can you tell me why?”
He tried to think. His mind was befuddled. There was so much beauty surrounding him. His own thoughts were confused. He didn’t know how to proceed.
“Speak from your heart,” Monoi whispered.
Hearing the now familiar squeak of the elf, his mind began to focus. He was there for a reason. All he had to do was state the reason. He’d been making things too difficult. There was really nothing for him to think about at all.
”For closure,” he replied. “I know that many people don’t get closure when they die, but I have to ask. My father is miserable. My mother died many years ago, and I’ve enjoyed visits with her since my arrival. However, my father does not have that privilege. There is no one for him to turn to. Myself, I cannot find peace until he does. Knowing he is miserable because of me, will make me miserable, too. This situation may not be that unique, and it might not be enough to get your blessing. I understand that. But I’ve told you the truth. I don’t believe the mirror would’ve given me this chance if I weren’t meant to go home.”
Charity smiled. The sight was almost too much to behold. Cedric knew that kind of beauty could never exist on Earth. No one could control themselves around it. The world would be left in utter chaos.
“You have done well,” she told him. “You are a young boy, but you think like a compassionate man. I cannot, in good conscience, allow you and your father to suffer. I will allow your request.”
Cedric wanted to scream with joy. He was hardly able to contain himself. He’d have his chance. Even being dead, he’d make it home for Christmas.
“Thank you,” was all he managed to say.
“You’re welcome, Cedric,” she replied, “but there are certain things you need to know. This visit isn’t what you think it is.”
“I’m sorry?” he asked, feeling his heart sink. Another feeling he thought had been lost with his last breath.
“You’re right to look disappointed,” she replied, looking sad herself. “You can’t go home and have a wonderful holiday season. Cedric, you’re dead. You can’t go back and talk to your father. There are laws against that. All I can offer you is a chance to be there. Your father won’t see you, but he will sense you. It’ll be enough.”
He didn’t think she was right. How could that be enough? His father was nearly drowning himself in alcohol. He needed more than to sense Cedric. Didn’t he?
“For now, I will return you to your cloud,” Charity continued. “Monoi will come tomorrow morning to escort you home. Don’t fret, Cedric. It’ll be enough. Trust me, I know.”
Somehow, Cedric couldn’t help but believe her. Suddenly, he was sure it would be enough. It had to be.