Chapter One ~ The Warning
I was swiftly awoken by my two annoying twin brothers Lorcan and Lysander Lovegood, their blue eyes staring into my green and their blonde curls brushing my long curly black hair. 'Rowey, Rowey wake up time to go, time to go!' they shouted excitedly and dragged the duvet off my tired self. 'Woah, whoa you two it's... eight in the morning,' I said with a hint of surprise in my now not tired voice. As it was their first day at Hogwarts I had expected them to be waking me up at five in the morning, however the boys seem to not be as excited as I had anticipated. My phone also beeped loudly from under my pillow, meaning a text has been received. Reaching under my purple and black pillows I felt around for my black Nokia and smile at the caller ID. James Metrol, one of my best friends but I would never love him like a lover, we're far too alike for each other, both of us having a short temper.
'Hey you excited?' the text read and I quickly replied back 'Yeah!' before batting the boys out of my room. My mother Luna Scamander nee. Lovegood sidled in as they rushed out and pulls me into a hug. 'You're growing up so fast,' she whispered and ruffled my black curls. Unlike my mother I have black hair and green eyes, but like her my hair is curly and my skin is as pale as snow just like hers. She slips a blue cord around my neck with an old butterbeer cork tied onto it, and bright blue beads have been carefully threaded onto it. It was her butterbeer cork pendant. for repelling Wrackspurts, Nargles and in my case Bad Luck. As she leaves my light blue room I brushed out my waist length hair and tie it back into a braid which goes round my neck and ends a few inches past my shoulder. Going into the bathroom I wash my face then step into my bedroom once more. Choosing a black top with red sparks travelling from the right shoulder to the bottom corner of the top, some black shorts, and black knee high boots and my favourite panda hoodie with little panda ears on the hood.I pull them on, zip up my boots and release my hair from the braid.
Checking my trunk for everything, I take out my ash, black phoenix feather, 12 inch wand and stuff it into one of my short pockets. Taking out my list of supplies for school I go through them, checking I have everything packed. All my new school books, potions kit, robes and Ravenclaw uniform, weekend clothes, fresh parchment, black ink and quills and additional possessions like my Sneakascope and reading books. Dragging the heavy trunk downstairs I put it with my two brother's ones and walk into the white kitchen. My father Rolf Scamander kisses my head and my cheek then twirls me around in the air. 'Dad, dad, dad I have turned thirteen now, I'm not a LITTLE KID!' I shouted trying to be serious but laughing at the same time. He smiled back and set a plate of toast and a pot of strawberry jam in front of me, which I spread all over the buttered toast. Crunching into it with my teeth I peer at the huge scar on my arm, caused by a former Death Eater many years ago. This is when I feel the chill, the chill which only lasts a few seconds yet spreads through my whole body. I bite my lip in panic, then stop as the chill eases.
I quickly finished my jam toast and place the plate in the sink, and my mother uses magic to turn the tap on and pour Fairy Liquid into the washing up bowl. She flicks the sponge up and wipes the plates down with hot soapy water, whilst I grab a glass cup and fill it with fresh orange juice. Downing it in one, I turn swiftly on my heel and walk outside into the garden. My Bowtruckle, Haneda came gliding up to me and nips my finger lovingly. 'Calm Haneda, Mother and Father will look after you,' I whisper and she gives a slight nod of approval and flies back to her tree. Haneda is an Ash tree Bowtruckle; she was the one who supplied the ash for my own wand. I walked further into the huge garden, my boots walking through the dewy grass. I bow down low and keep eye contact with the creature I want to see, its yellow hawk eyes boring into me. Suddenly it bows down and touches its yellow beak to the floor. Now I can go and pet Sky the Hippogriff. 'Sky,' I whisper and stroke her feathery mane. She lets out a slight purring sound and bites my hand lightly with her beak. Walking over to her meat bucket, and pick up a big piece. 'Here Sky, your breakfast,' I murmur and toss her the piece of steak.
'Rowe, come on its time to go,' my Mother shouts to me out of the kitchen window. Running up I walk inside only to me jumped on by the twins. 'Okay you two, here's some advice, you might not be put in the same houses and well Slytherin is NOT a bad house okay? Right so what I mean is one of you could be in Ravenclaw and one of you in Hufflepuff. Next bit of advice, make sure you're not late for lessons, be on time, don't try and even listen to Professor Binns he'll bore you to death, and please don't be goody-two shoes,' I said and they looked extremely baffled, but I'm sure one of them must've taken part of it in. Walking into the entrance I grab my trunk and roll it on into the front garden, open the car boot and place it in. Walking back inside I call out the name of my sleek black cat, who has the same green eyes as me. 'STORM, WHERE ARE YOU?!' I shout and she comes running down the stairs, then jumps into my open arms. 'You didn't think I'd forget you, did you?' I said quietly and place her in her cat basket. She mews loudly before I stick my hand in and pat her soft head, making her quiet her slightly.
Lorcan and Lysander ran past me and picked up their brown trunks, wheel them outside and put them in the boot with mine. Lorcan's black owl Sooty comes flying down from the old rafters of our barn followed swiftly by Lysander's white owl Snowy. They both, simultaneously, open the doors to their owl cages and Sooty and Snowy fly into both of them. Opening the car door I slide into the middle seat, Fear in her carrier on my lap whilst Lorcan and Lysander slide in either side putting their owl cages onto their laps. Mum is sitting in the black passenger seat and Dad in the driver's, he starts up the car and we're off. The half hour drive to King's Cross flies by and before I know it Lorcan and Lysander have already crossed the barrier into Platform 9 3/4. Taking a run up I disappear through the barrier and smell in the old smell of the beautiful scarlet steam train.
Before I have even gathered my senses I feel at least three people hugging me. 'ROWE!' They all shout at the same time and eventually I open my closed eyes. Standing in front of me are my four best friends, Anna, James, Gray and Gemma. Anna is my cousin, she's my dad's sister's daughter and we are both in the same year and the best of friends, she has bob length dark brown hair with the same pale skin as me and dark brown eyes. James is a half blood and also one of my best friends, his mum is a witch and dad a Muggle, he has ash blonde spiky hair and dark blue eyes and is skin is relatively pale. Gemma is a Muggle-Born but very smart, though she's not the best flyer but her flame red hair and grey eyes are very stunning and Gray well really we're only friends because he's James's best friend, his curly dark brown hair and dark brown eyes acheiving him looks from most of the girls in our year. He is standing a little far away from me, thankfully not smothering me with a group hug. That's why I respect him so much. He knows I need personal space.
But I can feel an unfamiliar presence hanging and that's when I see her. She's almost transparent and has long billowing black hair which covers her face in a sinister way, her black eyes are cold and dark and she's staring right at me. She wears red and white knee stocks with an innocent looking white dress, small black school shoes and is clutching a brown teddy bear, however this innocent look defines her sinister like manner even more. The girl presses a white translucent finger to her lips then disappears into nothingness.
'Rowena, are you okay you look like you've seen a ghost?' Gray says, somewhat coldly,because we've haven't ever really gotten along. 'Yeah I'm fine, just remembered something,' I murmured then disappear into the crowd. Anna comes after me and pats my shoulder, we have a sort of link with each other and I know I'll have to tell her the truth. 'Rowe you can't hide it from me,' she says raising her eyebrows. 'Okay, well just behind one of the pillars I saw a little girl, but she didn't look like a girl she had translucent white skin, long billowing dark hair that covered most of her face and black eyes that were staring at me. She wore innocent looking clothes though, a white dress, red and white knee socks, black school shoes and clutching a brown teddy bear. Then she pressed a finger to her lips and disappeared!' I told her quietly so not to attract attention. 'Hmm you should tell The Headmistress or Professor. Flitwick,' she whispered and I hugged my parent's good bye, because we had passed them on the way, then we both climbed onto the train. Selecting a compartment near the end, I swiftly undid the straps to Fear's cat carrier and she leapt out and into the compartment. She rubbed her silky head on Anna's arm and purred excessively, then jumped slightly as there was a loud knock on our compartment and James, Gemma and Gray walked in.
'Rowe you okay?' James and Gemma asked and I nodded silently. I rubbed my green eyes and yawned loudly, and Anna patted my back and rubbed it whilst I cried silent tears. No one noticed, they were invisible really to anyone not related to me, but due to the link with my cousin she could detect them. That child hadn't looked at me for nothing, fate would never approve of that. It had to mean something, a part of destiny and sure enough the Child would not be leaving me alone. The chills went down my spine again, causing me to bite my lip hard. I sucked in the blood hoping to leave only a small bite mark from where my teeth had punctured the skin.
Anna discretely handed me a tissue which I placed in my mouth, positioning it just over the bite mark. 'So Rowena you okay?' Gray asked again and I nodded. 'What about you?' I replied and spat the tissue out and into the bin. He nodded and just frowned slightly, as did I. 'So who's up for Exploding Snap?' James asked and Gray took out his cards. Gemma shook her head and held up one of her books, it had the name A History of The Dark Arts, Including Ghosts, Dark Ones and Omens. I looked at Anna then to the book, she understood this slight gesture and asked Gemma, 'Gem could we borrow that book of yours, there's something we need to look at,' luckily Gemma nodded and handed us the book. Flicking through the pages we found the Contents section and skimmed through.
'How about 'Omens in Human Form'?' I asked Anna and she nodded, then turned to page six hundred and fifty seven. It had around ten sections, one was old woman and men, the next men and women and the section next was Female Children. We were about to find the section when a huge wind blasted through the compartment, blowing the book out of our hands. The window opened and the book blew out, landing far away in a place none would be able to retrieve it. Gemma frowned, as did Gray but James looked in shock. Anna and I just looked at each other nervously; this was obviously the Child's work. All of a sudden the light in the compartment smashed, cutting each and every one of us and screams echoed throughout the train.
The windows also smashed into smithereens, resulting in more cuts and one re-cut the scar on my right arm causing it to bleed tremendously. I looked around in panic; James and Gemma were sprawled on the floor having obviously fainted. Anna was unconscious, leaving only me and Gray awake. 'You okay?' he asked indicating the large amount of blood on my right arm. 'Yeah, it's just split open a scar,' I said pulling out large bits of glass with my hands. The pain hadn't been registered by my nervous system, and the creature in my blood was stronger than a human. Reaching into my jean pocket I pull out my wand and began using magic to take out the rest of the glass from my body. Gray begins to do the same, until we've done the others too.
'What do you think is happening?' he asked me to which I replied grimly 'She's here, the Child, she's the reason I was shocked on the platform and well have to I'll explain later,' to which he nods in approval. Putting my hand on the compartment door handle I discover it's locked, and Gray tries 'Alohomora,' which fails. 'We'll have to smash it,' I suggest and he nods again. Pushing him back I smash my fist through the glass, wincing in the amount of pain, but because of what I am I'm stronger than your average human. He pulls me away from the door and cautiously sticks his arm through the hole and unlocks the door from the outside. Silent tears stream down my face from the pain and I bite my lip hard, however these tears are far from invisible. Standing outside the door, almost looking like she was waiting for this is The Child. Her hair is now strewn out around her. This time she speaks in a high innocent voice,
'I am the Dark Child, you have been warned,' is all she says and I crash down onto the cold hard floor, and welcome the darkness as Gray crashes down beside me.
