July 15th, 1976
AMBERLE HAS always been the one to trust her gut.
When she was little, her mother taught her that the gut feeling was always right. No matter what the situation was, the intuition always knew the outcome. It had all the answers and Amberle listens to them. (Hence why she gets all the high grades even if she doubts herself).
Now, however, it was different.
Her gut feeling was making her sick. Her stomach twisting in unpleasant knots and for once she wished she couldn't feel a thing. Or maybe not believe in such a thing in the first place.
She was meant to go visit one of her closest friends Rowena Bonneville but due to the bad feeling, she just wanted to stay home and be by her mother's side. That seemed to worry the girl a bit as the nightfall has approached and her mother was nowhere to be seen.
She walks down the stairs and grabs her wand from the inside of her worn out boots. Pulling the robe closer to her body for more warmth, she makes her way outside. In a search for her mother. The girl pulls the wand up in the air and incants, "Lumos."
The tip of the wand illuminates a fairly warm light, making the girl able to see where she needs to go in the dark. With that, she closes the door and starts making her way further away from their household.
To be quite fair, Amberle had absolutely no idea as to why she thinks she will succeed in finding her mother on the field but she surely, she won't be home. So outside is her only chance. Plus, she was the only one home as of right now — with her mother obviously. Her older sister Edythe hasn't been home for quite some time now. Last time she saw her sister was right before her train left to Hogwarts when she was leaving for her third year.
Her father, was away still working or fallen asleep in his office. One or two, maybe both of them, knowing her father all too well. He spends a lot of time in his office and works at the department of magical games and sports. Amberle has always found it amusing as he never was all that good at playing Quidditch back when he was only a student at Hogwarts.
She sighs and walks through the field, up to the hill towards the old oak tree. It was the best place to overlook her surroundings. She could get a view on everything from up there, at least when it came to their property. It only takes her few minutes to reach the hill and she looks around. And nothing.
Nothing seems out of ordinary, field as a field. House as a house, night as night. Nothing. The only off-putting thing was the sound, there was absolutely no sound around her. Almost as the world was put on mute.
Then a branch snaps behind her and she jumps, spinning around she extends her arm out even more for a better view and she sees nothing. "Mum?" she whisper-yells, looking around.
Another snap. She spins around again. Nothing.
Her mother would definitely not play games with her, not to scare her at least. And she was getting scared.
She was about to call out her mother once again but was stopped with dark black clouds soaring through the air and she follows its gaze where it lands. One by one it starts to surround her, trapping her in some sort of a circle. Her eyes grow wide in panic. She wasn't able to perform any sorts of magic outside of Hogwarts due to her only being still fifteen (sixteen in three days but that was beside the point). So she wasn't too sure how she will be able to protect herself.
From the dark black smoke people in masks step out and she wants to run and hide. Death Eaters. Her sister and mother have warned about them but she never came in contact with any of them before. Until now.
Amberle looks around, her wand following her, she really had no idea what to do. She could just use magic to protect herself and hopefully get just a warning but she was surrounded with Death Eaters from every side of her, so she knows it won't go well.
"Amberle!" Her mother's voice suddenly erupts on the hill and wraps her arms around her daughter. Tingling sensation goes through her body in a way it tickles her and she knew her mother used Apparetation to transfer them somewhere else. For a second the girl couldn't breathe, her body squeezing tightly.
As they get somewhere else — ending up in another field, that surely wasn't theirs. She looks up at her mother and wraps her in a tight embrace. Letting go, she finally gets a look at her mother's face and instantly her heart drops. A fresh cut on glazing on her cheek and eyes red from crying. "Mum, what happened? What's happening?" she wonders, as she looks around.
"We don't have a lot of time." Her mother grabs Amberle's hands, bringing her daughter closer, "You have to listen," Amberle nods her head repeatedly, still looking around to make sure they don't have any unwanted company, "You have to find Professor Dumbledore, he'll keep you safe."
"Safe of who? Mum, what's happening?" She pleads desperately. Her mother wasn't answering any of her questions and it was scaring her a lot. Whatever it was, it wasn't good.
"If you see your sister, " Her mother breaks an eye contact with her daughter to check up their surroundings and if no Death Eater was around. "You can't trust her. Whatever she says, don't be fooled."
Amberle's eyebrows knit together in confusion of a mention of her sister, "Why?"
She wanted to scream out of frustration, nothing was making sense to her at all. First, her mother says to find Professor Dumbledore and now she can't trust her own sister. None of this was giving her the right answers, she just grew more confused by each second that passed by.
Right as her mother was about to reply, a black cloud of smoke reappears in front of them. Her mother takes a step forwards, shielding her daughter from a Death Eater. Amberle holds on to her mother's arm and steps out so she can stand next to her. They glance at each other and nod their heads. The Death Eater in front of them takes off their mask and when she sees the person behind it, her heart stops for a second. She starts to shake her head, hoping this was all just a dream. A very unpleasant one. "Edythe?" She whispers in disbelief, squinting her eyes to see if they weren't deceiving her.
Her older sister glances at her and breaks into a huge smile, "It's been a while. Isn't that right, mother?"
Amberle looks up at her mother, her mouth hanging open. Even just by observing her mother's facial expressions, the girl could tell she was furious. Not once, she has seen her mother angry at anyone, especially her own blood. It seemed odd to find her angry, she was always kind to everyone, smiled brightly whenever she talked with anyone. Now her eyes were narrowed, jaw tensed and hands clutched in fists. Amberle looks back at her sister, deranged look covering her features. It was her sister but at the same time, she felt like she was looking at a stranger.
"You're one of them? Aren't you?" Amberle speaks up, wanting to take another step but was unable to even move, frozen in her spot. Edythe nods her head. Her movements were more elegant, pride showing who she was — who she has become. "Why? This is not you. I-It can't be. Edythe, we can help you. Whatever it is, we can help you escape this. Just tell us what it is."
Her sister chuckles, "You really think I was forced into becoming a Death Eater?" Her sister quirks a brow at her and Amberle cringes at the words 'Death Eater', " I've known my path since the school years. Not once did you notice when —" she takes a step towards Amberle and instantly their mother takes another step closer to Edythe,
"Don't you dare, taking another step closer to Amberle." Edythe raises her brows and another smoke cloud passes around them, through Amberle. She feels hands wrapping around her arms harshly. Wincing in pain. She opens eyes again when she's able to breathe properly and the summer breeze meets her body. Forcefully, she's brought down to her knees, a wand pressed to her neck and she winces again. Her mother looks at Amberle in fear and back at Edythe, wanting to take a step towards her older daughter but she raises her wand, ready to attack. So their mother stays still, "Let her go, Edythe. She's your sister."
Edythe's smile fades, dark features crossing her facial expressions, "And you're supposed to be my mother!" Edythe shouts, making their mother go silent. Amberle's eyes dart towards her sister and back to their mother repeatedly, trying to figure out the reasoning behind all of this. However, it was a bit hard when she was in pain from the harsh grip on her arms and a wand pressed to her neck. "You killed my husband!"
"He killed two muggles in front of me and tried to kill me!" Their mother defends herself. She studies her mother's movements and she could see she was trying to get her wand out without being noticed. Amberle's eyes grow wide and jerks in the other Death Eater's hold drastically, hoping to free herself. If she's not going to free herself right now, her mother will get hurt.
Edythe was awfully still, every movement calculated. She had a plan and everything was going according to it. Edythe wanted them right there and then. Amberle might have never guessed Edythe was one of them but she still knew her sister. She was clever.
"Edythe, please, think this through." Their mother says but Amberle isn't paying attention to them no more, too focused on getting free from a Death Eater's grip."You-Know-Who can't get to Amberle. She's too vulnerable. You know what the prophecy says."
"Oh, I'm aware of that." A wicked smile makes on Edythe's face at the same time as Amberle bites into the Death Eater's arm who had a grip on her shoulder. The girl falls on the ground right on time to perform the stunning spell. The Death Eater vanishes but other words soar through the air from her sister like knives slicing every inch of her body, "Avada Kedavra."
Through Amberle's eyes, all of it seems to happen in a slow motion. A green light flashing through the air, directly towards their mother. For a millisecond, just for that small second, she saw nothing. It felt like she survived the curse but then the teen sees their mother falling on the ground with no support stopping any of this happening. Amberle stands up and shrieks out for her mother.
She wastes no time and runs up to their mother, approaching was even worse. Her mother's eyes wide open and cold. No life left in her, she drops on the ground next to her, Amberle's lower lip quivering, tears forming in her eyes. She looks up at her older sister for a brief second, only to find her smirking and raising head higher, and vanishing.
The girl covers her mouth with both of her hands as she gasps. She drops her head on her mother's chest as she cries. After a minute, Amberle pulling herself up clenches the fabric of her mother's maroon sweater and starts shaking her,
"Mum, wake up!" She whimpers and screams in pain, No response. "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"
"Mummy please."
"Wake up, you have to wake up!"
"Wake up, wake up, wake up!"
THE DAILY PROPHET
TREACHEROUS ACT — DEATH OF A MUGGLE-BORN
A few hours ago, on July 15, Sofia Kershaw-Darlington was murdered by a family member.
She was a mother of two girls, Amberle and Edythe Darlington. The youngest daughter (Amberle Darlington) is a fellow student at Hogwarts and soon to start her sixth year. However, before her motherhood, she was also a former student at Hogwarts, despite being born in a muggle family. Her time at Hogwarts has always been outstanding, making all of her teachers proud. She was also known for being a kind, accepting and a smart witch.
It is a shame she was murdered by her older daughter (Edythe Darlington). Rumour has it, her younger daughter (Amberle Darlington) was the one to find her mother's body. No comment has been received from her husband, (Douglas Darlington) nor their younger child yet.
It came as a surprise to everyone in the Ministry of Magic as Edythe Darlington turned herself in and confessed to the murder of her mother in front of everyone.
No more information have we received about the horrific event but we will update as soon as we are able to get more about the death of Sofia Darlington.
author's note:
what's better than start off a book with a good old tragedy. ooh fun fact, none of this was really supposed to happen, her mother wasn't supposed to die, edythe was supposed to be a lovable angel and amberle was meant to be a happy student but i accidentally improvised with writing the summary for this book and after i wrote everything i was like , "huh, i guess we're rolling with this then. oh well."
oh and just to clarify, amberle is not a seer or anything like that. it was her gut feeling saying something bad is going to happen. i have that a lot so i thought why not use it for one of my ocs, ya know.