Disclaimer: I do not own any of J.K. Rowling's characters or ideas.
I would like to dedicate this fan-fiction to my friend, Michelle, whom without I would have never done this.
Things Not Seen
Chapter One: The Lake
She felt a reckless rage burn inside her. She pulled out her dagger and flung her hand at him, screaming, "This is for mother and father!" He deflected it like a toy. "Pathetic," he snarled as the weapon clattered to her feet, and she fell back, helpless once more. "Righteous anger will get you no where," he said, his eyes gleaming strangely. "You need to really desire power, really desire my death if you wish to kill me." He paused for a moment as though waiting for her to resume her attack, and when she didn't, he spat. "You're weak. But when you want power, come seek me and I will find you…"
He disappeared once again in a flurry of the wind and she ran blindly through the trees, crashing through the undergrowth to find him. But he was gone. Instead she found herself by the river, and as she looked down at it, the tears fell for the first time, creating one small ripple at a time. Her own scared eyes stared back at her until her reflection shifted; the features distorted until she was looking at him, and he smiled. "You're weak."
She made a strangled cry and punched the water, and the reflection vanished. "I am not weak!" she shouted at the river. "I-will-find-power!"
The gold eyes snapped open, and it took a moment for Erin to adjust to the brightness filling the small room. She was lying on a rather uncomfortable cot in a tightly cramped room with at least eight other sleeping children.
Last day of the trip, she thought happily, climbing off the cot and peering out the window. Perhaps she would participate with the day's activities… after all, it wasn't long until winter started, and she dreaded the snow. Pulling out her slightly cracked mirror from underneath the bed, she gazed carefully at her reflection; until, deeming it satisfactory, she opened the window and sat on the ledge. Her feet dangled dangerously high above the ground.
Before her, a small town stretched out over the expanse of the rolling plains. It was a quaint town with interesting shops, but Erin had become quite bored with it by the second day already. There wasn't much to do in Little Hangleton, but, as Matron had said, "This is a vacation spot for orphanages. So shut your trap and enjoy the sunlight you're not going to see if you keep speaking without permission!" Erin sighed and gazed imploringly at the tree branch hanging so tantalizingly close to the window. It would be so easy to just lean over and swing off the branch onto the ground, run away and start her life over on the streets somewhere else…
Not that she wasn't grateful to the Saint Peter's Orphanage for giving her refuge, but she did not know how much longer she could cope with it before she grew mad. She bent her knees a bit, daring the branch to come any further when-
"Girl!" The door was flung open roughly and a voice barked out, stirring many of the sleeping children. "What do you think you're doing? Get off of that window- that's a danger hazard!"
Matron was a formidable woman. She was large, with very little neck and a constant, crazed look in her eyes. She was one of the reasons Erin despised the orphanage so much; her and her wooden walking stick.
"Well?" she said, brandishing it now like a weapon (which, in fact, is what it was used for). "Are you going to move or am I going to have to use the cane?"
Erin gave her a sour look and jumped off the ledge, and Matron narrowed her eyes before rapping her stick smartly against one of the children's bedpost. The noise awoke whoever had not woken from the previous conversation. "Everyone up!" she shouted as the room groaned in unison. "This is the last day we will be staying in Little Hangleton," (there was a silent cheer for this) "and then we will be going back to Saint Peter's tomorrow morning as soon as dawn breaks."
She left the room for the others to change into proper clothing, and Erin went straight back to the open window. There she stood for a moment, as though evaluating the scenery, and then pursing her lips and making a loud, high pitched whistle. One of the young girls, obviously new, looked up in confusion. "What's she doing?" she asked in a whisper that carried over to Erin. Her friend shook her head and leaned in closer. "That's the witch-girl. You don't want to mess around with her… she's calling her familiar now, that's what she's doing."
That's a way to put it, Erin thought, smiling to herself. The new girl looked up in surprise as a small, dark shape approached them, the object growing larger and larger until it was resting on Erin's shoulder and she could tell what it was.
It was a falcon, with a silvery-blue gleam to its feathers and inquiring, gold eyes. Erin lightly stroked her head. "Everything alright, Sapphira?" she asked softly. The falcon chirped in acknowledgment and Erin's eyes gleamed playfully.
They were outside, all twenty-six of them, melting in the summer's heat and their minds wandered aimlessly as the thin, graying man before them continued to drone on about trivial matters. Erin fingered the collar of her patched petticoat; it was way too close to her neck for her liking.
"… And so we come to the most well known area of Little Hangleton- the Stoneway Center. Here you can find interesting shops and food centers that are also an excellent tourist attraction…" The man made a motion with his hand, and Matron shepherded the orphans forward. She handed them each a few crisp pound notes in their hands saying, "You have the day off to buy what you wish with this money. If you lose it or run out, don't come crying to me!"
Erin clenched the notes in her hand, a feeling of uncertainty. She had never held her own money before, let alone bought anything for herself. Not altogether sure she would enjoy the experience she reluctantly followed the group making their way to the shops.
Sapphira dug her claws in her shoulder, not hard enough to hurt but enough to get her attention. She followed Sapphira's eyes, and out of the corner of her own, saw five or six orphans disappearing in the opposite direction of the group and out of the town.
She followed them for a little more than an hour until stopping before an impossibly large, towering black cliff. It was dark and faceless, and gave her the chills just looking at it. The orphans she followed seemed to feel the same way. They silently gazed up at it, their unspoken thoughts all saying the same things. "I heard that the sea was past it," said one of the curly haired boys, Barnie, whom Erin had never liked. "They say its haunted there- too bad we won't be able to see it." Erin stepped out from behind the rock. "Why, are you too scared to scale the cliff?"
The orphans all spun around in surprise at the sound of her voice, some eying her and Sapphira warily. Barnie narrowed his eyes. "No, I'm not scared," he said defiantly. Then he pointed at the cliff. "But I bet you are. I dare you to climb over that… and stay at the sea overnight." His friends all smirked at each other. Erin knew they understood she wouldn't refuse. She couldn't.
"Scale the cliff and stay there overnight?" she said, raising an eyebrow. Barnie laughed. "Yeah, that's it- unless you're too chicken." Erin peered closely at the cliffs, taking in all its features, before saying in a low voice, "I'll do it." Sapphira cawed in warning and Erin stared at the scraggly, black rocks, shivering.
The climb was not as dangerous as she had expected. The cliff, in appearance, seemed impossible to scale, but Erin was surprised to find footholds in places she had not seen them before. Sapphira hovered protectively around her, although there was nothing she could do if Erin fell. Not that she thought she would fall. She seemed to climb with ease and expertise although she had never climbed anything so dangerously high before. In only a matter of time she had scaled both sides of the cliff and dropped lightly to her feet, relieved to stand on stable ground again.
The first thing she smelled was the salt. It stung her eyes and throat in an unnatural way she couldn't place her finger on. Even Sapphira felt uncomfortable, and dug her talons hard into Erin's shoulder. But she didn't need the warning.
Although it had been easy for her to climb the cliff, it had taken the whole day to do so. It was already quite dark out and the moon was brightly visible in the black, inky sky above. She was standing on a high rock, broken away from the cliff sometime ago. Below her was the sea, illuminated by the moon, and this gave it a strange, eerie glow. Perhaps Barnie was right; perhaps this area of the sea was haunted. Erin gave her head a little shake, ignoring the goose bumps crawling up the skin of her body. There was nothing to be frightened of. It was just a trick of the light, a trick of the light that the sea appeared to be casting off a green glow. She didn't fear the dark; in fact, she embraced the night as her companion.
She rested her back against a large rock and placed Sapphira in her lap, gently coaxing her somewhat frightened friend. Eventually, Sapphira drifted off into a light sleep, but Erin remained awake. Her large, gold eyes stayed open, unblinkingly gazing at the foaming torrent of water. Somehow she wasn't tired. She felt as though she drew strength from the sea- she was scared of it, and yet at the same time, somehow drawn to it.
The sky shifted, and its color began to lighten as the first touch of dawn spread itself over the vast sky. Erin was not tired in the very least, and gently placed Sapphira in her front pocket as she made her way over the cliff she was so hesitant to climb just the very day before. Somehow, she made the trip back in such little time the sun had barely risen when she landed on the opposite side. The night by the lake seemed to strengthen her. She accepted, even liked this feeling of strange, new power.
"Where have you been?" whispered a voice so malevolent and filled with anger even Erin winced. Behind the frightening shadow of Matron stood Barnie and his friends, all grinning widely in triumph.
