Hopes and Dreams
Chapter 1
Elana looked down at the old picture and did as she always did. Cried. The picture was just a normal picture, what with its moving characters and such.
The photo was of Elana with all of her old friends. Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black, James Potter, and the former Lily Evans, or Potter, as she became. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. Elana had no official nick-name, not that she needed one, what with everything Sirius used to call her. She smiled at the old memories.
They were all waving and smiling, apparently oblivious to their fast-approaching fates. Lily and James dead, Remus an out-cast, Sirius wrongly accused and sent to Azkaban, though not for long, Elana thought with a chuckle, and Peter betraying his friends and living as young Ron Weasley's rat, Scabbers.
The photograph was taken at Lily and James's wedding. Elana remembered the day fondly. The ceremony had bee held at Hogwarts, after suppressing James's arguments that he, "Wanted to have one of those Elpis Vesley weddings in Las Pegas," or something of the sort. Sirius had been James's best man, with Remus at his side, while Elana was Lily's maid- of-honor, with Lily's dreadful sister Petunia at hers.
About six months after the wedding, Elana had moved to America for personal reasons….basically wanting to find her parents.Before Hogwarts, Elana had grown up in an orphanage in Kent, a dark cold place, under the direction of a very shady character. On the night of her 11th birthday, he came to her room to give her a 'birthday present.' Even as he walked toward her bed, she pictured him in a place far, far away, London perhaps. And to London he went. There in Kent one minute, Buckingham Palace the next. Furious guards arrested him and took him to Scotland Yard, and as far as Elana knew, he was there still. Two days later, she was in Hogwarts, meeting 'the brain', 'the spaz', 'that one hot guy', and 'the tag-along'.
A loud protest arose from the photo as one of Elana's crocodile tears splashed onto Peter's face, smudging it almost entirely.
"I can't see! I can't see!" came the oh-so-satisfying yells.
Elana chuckled, thinking, 'It's no more than you deserve.'
The rest of the photos were laughing quite madly along with Elana.
She returned the photo to the small box with Peter still yelling, Elana still chuckling.
The next picture she removed was the picture of James and Lily holding their new baby, Harry. Even though Elana hadn't been there, the Potters insisted on naming her his godmother. On Harry's first birthday, Elana sent Harry a "shrieker", a toy that, when squeezed, would let off an immense shriek, even when silencing spells were attempted. This way, when a silencing charm was placed on Harry, (as his loving father was prone to do, through no fault of his own), Harry could still make his displeasure known. Being the creator of it, Elana was quite proud.
By the 'upset sounding' letter she received from James and the amused letter she received from Lily, she could tell that her gift was much appreciated. Sirius and Remus both sent her letters of congratulations on succeeding where they failed and 'rising above her usual level of idiocy'. She responded to them telling them how big of gits she thought they were.
Elana replaced the photo and pulled out a letter.
Dear Elana,
I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but since Sirius is…unavailable, I'm the only one left. Last night, Voldermort himself paid a visit to Godric's Hollow. Lily and James fought him the best they could, but…..he killed them both, Elana. After he was done with them, he turned on Harry. He tried to kill him, but somehow, it rebounded and hit its caster.
They accused Sirius of betraying the Potters and Peter went after him. Sirius killed Peter. I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but Dumbledore thought it best to give Harry over to Lily's sister. He figured that if Harry came to you, Voldermort's followers would be on your doorstep in hours. Lily's and James's funeral is in one week. Just come to Hogwarts. I'll meet you there.
Your friend always,
Remus Lupin
Elana remembered clearly the sentence she responded with.
I'll be there.
Blinking back the tears that threatened to spill over, she banished the memories of the funeral back into the box with the letter.
Suddenly, there was a great rapping at her window. She went to it and opened it. In flew Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, and he had a letter. Quickly, she untied it from Fawkes's leg and unrolled it.
Elana, (it read)
I need you to come to Hogwarts immediately. There is something very important I need to tell you. Come to England by portkey and then you can drive the rest of the way. This is extremely urgent and worth your while.
Albus Dumbledore
Elana turned the letter over and wrote four words.
I'm on my way.
Elana tied the letter back onto Fawkes and opened the window for him. With a single, beautiful note, he flew out into the sunset. She then put everything back into the little box and stowed it back into the drawer. She pulled out her wand and packed her trunks before stacking them into a neat pile. She picked up a newspaper out of the chair and muttered, "Portus". She put it in her mouth, wondering for a split second if it would pull her teeth out, and grabbed her trunks.
"3, 2, 1," she worked around the newspaper.
She felt the familiar tug behind her naval and shut her eyes. She landed with a dull 'thunk'.
'Always have to land on my backside.' She thought bitterly.
"You always did land on your backside." Came a familiar voice.