Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter. Though the plot and the original characters are mine.
"Let's go Magic!" Ten year old Grace Parker leaned over her Welsh pony's neck, asking him for more speed. Magic's ears pricked up as he eagerly obliged his young rider's request. His tiny little hooves beat a tattoo into the recently de-thawed trail as he dug into the soft mud. Leaves left over from the fall kicked up in a whirlwind in the small pony's wake as he thundered down the track. Grace's long strawberry blonde hair whipped out behind her, a testament to her diminutive pony's impressive speed. Her silvery laugh was lost in the wind as she imagined herself on a coal black Thoroughbred, speeding towards the finish line, the other horses panting and snorting around her, the other jockey's whips flying in a frenzy as they all dashed madly down the homestretch to the wire…
Grace sighed as she pulled Magic back down to an easy canter. The barn was just coming into sight and she didn't want to be lectured again by her parents for being "an irresponsible horseman." She rolled her eyes as she remembered her father's words to her just the other day.
"Gracie one day you will be able to ride the racehorses when you are older. But until then I don't want to catch you galloping breakneck speed down the trails! You're just don't have the skills to handle a horse galloping flat out yet, even little Magic!" Grace smirked at this. Magic thought he was the size of War Admiral. Even in the pastures he picked on the sleek young Thoroughbreds that towered over him. She snickered as she remembered her plucky little pony bullying Midnight, her special favorite horse of that year's crop. He looked just like her mount she dreamed she would ride to victory. He was coal black, with not a white hair on his entire body. She knew he'd be a good one. Her mother's words came back to her, "A horse with a lot of chrome (white markings) on his body is almost guaranteed to be slow." And there was just this "look" in his eyes. Much like how she pictured Seabiscuit's expression to have been. She was broken out of her thoughts by Sam, the elderly foaling attendant, rushing toward her as fast as he could with his cane.
"Miss Gracie! There's been an accident! Your mother has been severely injured! Give me Magic; I'll take care of him. You need to go to your father. He's waiting out by the training track." Pale and drawn, Grace mutely nodded and took off as fast as her legs could carry her. It wasn't soon enough or maybe perhaps too soon, she reached the training track to find Midnight galloping around in a frenzy, reins flapping uncontrollably as he snorted repeatedly, the whites of his eyes clearly visible. She felt a brief pang for her beloved horse until she remembered that her mom was injured too. She spotted her father's brown derby about 100 yards down the track.
"Daddy!" She called out almost desperately. The middle aged man with salt and pepper hair turned around and swept his young daughter up in a hug, tear tracks visible on his handsome yet slightly aged face. He held onto his daughter tightly for a moment, and then reluctantly released her.
"Gracie, Mommy's been hurt and we have to go to the hospital." Grace could only nod as she and her father jumped in the older Ford truck to follow the ambulance to the hospital. Not a word passed between them on the fifteen minute journey, her father struggling to steer the truck through his tears. After what seemed like hours, Grace and her father arrived at the emergency room. They rushed in through the double doors to the reception desk. The woman sitting behind the desk shuffled papers in a brisk fashion before looking up to greet them.
"Please state the name of the patient you are here to see and your relation." The receptionist stated in a pleasant tone.
"Stephen and Grace Parker, husband and daughter of Christine Parker." The receptionist waved her arm in acceptance.
"She is in room 103. I wish you all the best." The relatively young woman returned to her paperwork.
Grace and her father walked quickly down the hall to her mother's room, where they were stopped by a nurse. She was a plump middle-aged woman with a pleasant face, but right then she had a very serious look in her clear blue eyes.
"Mr. Parker I assume? And Grace?" The woman afforded what she hoped was a comforting smile to the young girl holding tightly to her father's hand. Stephen Parker nodded his assent and the nurse seemed to steel herself for what she was about to say. She took a deep breath before she spoke again. "Mr. Parker, the internal injuries your wife sustained by being dragged by the horse were numerous and very severe. The paramedics did everything they could but I fear she will not make it through the night…her vital signs are very weak and she is just barely conscious."
Stephen, looking much older, replied to the nurse. "Could we see her ma'am?" The nurse smiled sadly.
"Yes of course Mr. Parker, you and Grace can go right in." Stephen thanked the nurse for her information and Grace gave her a small teary-eyed smile as they entered Christine's hospital room. The curtains were drawn, causing an eerie glow to be cast in the room as the morning sun peeked in through the small opening between them. The shaft of light caused an unearthly ray to fall across the woman's face, revealing her to have been very beautiful, were it not for the many bruises marring her face and body. Her crystal eyes fluttered open weakly and she turned her head very carefully in the direction of Stephen and Grace, a small smile dancing across her face as she looked over to Grace, who looked so very much like her. Stephen crossed the room in a few steps and took the frail woman's small hand in his large work roughened ones. Fresh tears were making their way down his face and she reached up to brush them away. This effort cost her greatly though, and she groaned before laying back down.
"Don't move angel. I can see it hurts you." Stephen said very softly to his wife, Grace sitting on his lap looking up at the two imploringly. Christine held her arms out to Grace and she sat down on the bed, giving her mother a very careful hug. Tears were now falling down Christine's face.
"Gracie, Mommy doesn't have much time –"
"Honey don't talk that way." Stephen interrupted her heartbrokenly. But he was silenced by a gentle yet very firm glance from Christine. She took a deep breath, for her breath was getting shorter. Her lungs were beginning to fill up with fluid.
"Grace, I want you to promise Mommy that you'll be strong. That you will still continue to be the wonderful horsewoman you are today. Mommy loves you so much baby, and she wishes so much that she could watch you grow up the rest of the way. But that's not to be…" She trailed off into a coughing fit. Once it subsided her eyes glistened with unshed tears having nothing to do with the coughing. The nurse rushed in to try to stabilize the fading woman but there was nothing they could do. Christine Parker passed away in the arms of her loving husband and daughter….
Okay, so I know it has NOTHING to do with Harry Potter yet, but this is just setting the story. Our heroes will come into play in the next chapter. And Grace will fall into her niche in the Harry Potter world as well. Oh yes I have plans for our characters...let me know what you think!
