Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: This Story will be AU. Harry Potter is born July 31st 1992 & there will be NO Hermione Granger, she will be replaced by an OC. I don't mean to be rude, but I will say it from now, if you cannot imagine reading a Harry Potter story without Hermione, then don't bother reading this and complain in the reviews. I am telling you from the beginning: there will be NO Hermione Granger seeing as she doesn't exist in my story.
Enjoy! XD
Chapter 1:
Excruciating; that was the precise adjective which summed up Isobel's current labor contractions. There was a throbbing ache in her back, pounding in an agonizing tempo, and as they insisted on her to push for the umpteenth time, the pressure in her pelvis turned intense, and to be frank, horribly unbearable. They say that pregnancy is a pretty miraculous experience, and that when you are finally in labor, the occasion is purely magical, but as Isobel was forced to push a human being out of her sore and abused vagina naturally, while lying on a cold marble floor due to the fact that her water broke in the most inopportune moment, Isobel highly speculated that they were simply rumors made by delirious mothers who were hyped up on drugs from the epidural.
Push. That's the only motivation they can give me. Let's see how the male gender would feel when forced to push a freaking baby out of their A-Hole!
"I HATE you John Gilbert! HATE. YOU!" Isobel repeatedly screamed many creative expletives and hurled malicious words at her high school sweetheart who had the audacity to knock her up due to a broken condom. She could feel his quivering yet strong hands elevate her aching and swollen body in the air, before her throbbing back was laid flush against the familiar chest of John's and Isobel grudgingly praised her good for nothing boyfriend, soon to be ex, for having thought of making her as comfortable as possible… or well, as comfortable as she could be when pushing a damn baby out of her vagina!
With one final motivational demand of pushing for the –hopefully– very last time, Isobel's drenched face slumped onto John's pectorals in vivid relief upon hearing the loud wailing of her newborn daughter, who was immediately handed over to get cleaned and warmed up in a blanket. But the surprises for the night didn't end there.
"Uh-oh," Grayson, John's older brother who was fortunately a physician in the idyllic and picturesque town, gasped. His sapphire eyes which were a hereditary trait in regards to the two tight-knit brothers, widened in ultimate shock. "John, Isobel, you're, uh-," he paused mid-sentence, and decided to go for a more tactful approach, "Did you know you were pregnant with twins?"
Mahogany orbs burnt a hole into the good doctor's forehead, hoping that this was merely a methodical habit he dished out in order to alleviate the tension by attaining bedside humor with a patient after experiencing insufferable pain. Unfortunately, the combination of Grayson's solemn mien and the feel of John's entire body stiffening at the unexpected news told her it was anything but a morose sense of humor.
Throughout another round of unendurable pain, Isobel pondered over her sixteen years of life; rumor has it, that giving birth should be your greatest achievement, but in her case, it was Isobel's greatest fear. Growing up, she didn't experience the stereotypical childhood with doting parents and kindred siblings, residing in a kitschy house behind a white picket fence and a golden retriever. No. Isobel had been cast out of her home at the age of six, and for some reason, Fate smiled upon her and led the Flemmings toward the direction of a dreary orphanage situated in ghetto London, where they instantly fell in love with her and welcomed her into their home as part of their family, going as far as to give her their last name. Being a mother, especially at the undeveloped age of sixteen, terrified her half to death and the fear of adopting her biological parents nurturing system traumatized her.
Tumultuous bawling from a pair of impressively tiny lungs permeated the isolated room. Despite her misgivings and rational fear, Isobel couldn't repress the mega-watt yet weary smile from splitting her face and tears of joy and despair cascaded like rivulets down her face. Identical twin daughters; the teenage parents memorized every single striking feature that had yet to evolve before they would regrettably give them away, from the tiny heart-shaped face structure, wide doe-like chocolate brown eyes and olive complexion. Isobel's only request was that the older twin by ten minutes be christened with a name derived from Alyeska in remembrance to the older biological brother she never got the chance to grow up with, fondly recalling his childhood obsession with all things related to the sea.
On the melancholy night of June 22nd 1992, Grayson Gilbert separated his newborn nieces from their distraught parents and with his coincidental profession, fabricated the admittance of his beloved wife, and the twins' birth certificates. The city records validated Grayson and Miranda Gilbert as the birth parents of Alaska and Elena.
.*.
A conspicuous fact in regards to Alaska and Elena Gilbert was that despite them being identical twins, they were complete opposites personality wise. The ecstatic newly discovered parents never suffered through the tedious dilemmas of differentiating between the girls.
Alaska, the older twin by ten minutes was the epitome of the strong, silent type of person, and unlike Elena, preferred to manipulate them with adorable facial expressions instead of bawling her tiny lungs out. Alaska enjoyed staring intently through the window, and her cherubic face would twist into adulterated glee whenever she was allowed outdoor; she was very in tune with nature and not once had she ever awakened them from a peaceful slumber with heart wrenching wails. Alaska was an extrovert and although quiet, she was very alert and intuitive to her surroundings. Elena on the other hand, developed divergently. The younger twin was progressively moody and a crier; another contradictory of the younger twin, was her introverted tendencies. Elena was an introvert, and would only come out of her shell in the presence of her energetic twin. She wasn't the silent suffering type and preferred to bawl her eyes out, demanding for attention, regardless of whether her parents were in a deep slumber. While Alaska's chocolate brown orbs shone with warmth and mischief – even at the innocent age of one – Elena's identical orbs shone with solemnity.
When the girls were nearing their second birthday, Miranda Gilbert had been blessed with a little miracle baby – a boy, according to the scan. It was during the weary mother's sixth month of pregnancy when an incident occurred, an incident that added to the never-ending differences between the twins, and an incident that was believed to be a hallucination at first, or probably the hysteria effects of pregnancy. Just as the exhausted mother was nodding off, ready to enter the land of dreams, Elena began wailing at the top of her minuscule lungs, her tiny face puffed up and swollen. Grayson had been warming up a bottle for the twins, and just as Miranda was about to breakout into hysteric tears, baby Alaska held onto the rails of her crib, and pointed her tiny index finger in the direction of the bottle and to the worn-out parents' amazement, the bottle levitated out of his firm grip, into the air and hurled straight into the bawling Elena's crib, prompting her to immediately cease crying and then proceeded to flash her elder twin a grateful smile.
As a prominent Founding Family member, Grayson was well-versed in Folklore and all the alleged myths of the supernatural entities. Therefore, after blinking away the shocking moment, the only reasonable explanation, was that Alaska was a witch, and since it wasn't hereditary from the Gilbert line, Grayson was left with no choice but to inform John, who in turn (after recovering from his own shock) personally relayed the enigma to Isobel. John Gilbert would never forget the myriad of conflicting emotions that danced across her visage; they ranged from shock, pride, deliria, defeat, envy, anger, horror and fear, in chronological order. John was a shrewd and inquisitive individual with visual acuity; therefore, he easily deciphered Isobel to be cognizant over the weird phenomenon in relation to Alaska, but upon probing his ex-girlfriend over the resonance of their daughter's oddity, Isobel brusquely inquired about Elena and upon receiving a negative, stymied anymore further question, feigned ignorance and demanded he leave.
Yes, it was glaringly obvious to the Gilberts, that Alaska's magical traits were inherited from Isobel's lineage and that the unearthed oddity had the skeletons emerging from her closet.
Happy endings and a life of peace was hard to achieve when coexisting in a world with paranormal entities. But the worst of all was when one had the knowledge and awareness of its intricacies.
With the birth of Jeremy Gilbert, the domestic family of four became an ecstatic family of five, and the twins were thriving in germane to their beauty; but all gifts come with a price. The price Alaska and Elena procured for such captivating beauty was the curse of being the shadow of somebody else; a doppelgänger. Concluding his second year of college, John departed to Mystic Falls in order to celebrate his daughters third birthday; the twins elicited loud peals of melodious and jovial laughter upon seeing their lovable Uncle John, and as they collided with his knees, each girl clutching a leg in a tight embrace, the previously ecstatic father stiffened in his stance, the jubilant smile sliding off his face like grease and into a grim line of horror; for John Gilbert recognized his daughters to be the doppelgängers of the elusive, notorious and manipulative Katerina Petrova who had a hefty fine on her head, either dead or alive.
Isobel was knowledgeable in the existence of vampires due to John's paranoia over her safety back when they were in a relationship, which fueled her obsession. She attended Duke University, where she was currently studying folklore and majoring in parapsychology, and due to her addiction, even as a student, Isobel was already an expert researcher and she began by investigating her intricate ancestry; which was how she successfully discovered her Petrova lineage from her biological mother's side and Katerina being the alleged Katherine Pierce who settled into Mystic Falls in the year 1864 and died in a fire, which she double-checked using Jonathan Gilbert's journal as a reference. Never in John and Isobel's wildest dreams, did they expect instigated common curiosity to reveal their daughters as doppelgängers, portraying the perilous dangers that lay ahead once they developed more into their years.
Living with the constant fear of their daughters being attacked by vampires since doppelgängers were a rare commodity, the Gilberts barely allowed Alaska and Elena to amble outdoors without an adult. Unfortunately, the extrovert twin was a rebel by nature; on a beautiful windy day, Miranda and her best friend, Abby Bennett, decided to congregate their children in the playground. Jeremy was a mere babe, kept in a pram by the matriarch's side; Bonnie and Elena were best friends, both introverts and calm three year olds, and both elated to play in the boring sandbox; herein lied the conundrum, Alaska Gilbert found an enchanting pink butterfly and disregarding her mother's rules, ditched her twin and Bonnie, and decided her time was better spent following the butterfly, hoping for an adventure in the idyllic town.
Lost deeply in the fluttering insect, Alaska didn't notice anything amiss until her tiny stature bumped into a solid wall, which was oddly garbed in clothes. A shadow fell upon her and successfully blocked the brilliant sun exposure from her person, prompting her to bend her neck upwards, her tiny cherubic face twisting in confusion and a morsel of excitement as she took in the stranger's appearance. A mop of dirty blonde wavy hair framed his handsomely aristocratic face; glacier blue eyes glittered with triumph, he also had an aquiline nose and full lips curved upwards into a clandestine smirk. Alaska's angelic face brightened significantly when the entrancing handsome man kneeled down to be eye-level with her, and she blissfully clapped her hands, oblivious to the fact that this stranger was no mere man, but a lethal diabolical vampire whose sole purpose for entering the picturesque town was to capture her as bait to the bastard son he was adamant in killing.
"Hello, Little One," the handsome man had a deep baritone voice, and the epitome of masculinity. The timbre of his voice never failed in seducing desperate women for a casual romp during the many lonely nights throughout the millennium of fruitless searching for Niklaus. He had to admit, the infantile doppelgänger was scrumptiously adorable and reeked of innocence and naivety; staring intently into the familiar, yet oddly unfamiliar chocolate orbs, Mikael detected the mischief and thirst for adventure sparkling defiantly back at his icy blues and with his keen senses, he easily distinguished the rebellious nature that resided in her, almost bursting to make an appearance.
"I'm not s'powsed to tawlk to stwangers." The Little One retorted defiantly and with such bravery for one so young; Mikael found himself unable to suppress his amusement and he could almost feel pity for the tiny life that would inevitably be snuffed out. Really, the Original Patriarch would be doing the Little Doppelgänger a favor by killing her now, the life of an apparition is a cursed one, allowing the three-year-old babe to survive into adolescence would only bring her much pain and needless tragedy. The decision was made, he could not allow the bastard son of Esther's to break his curse and succeed in becoming a monstrous abomination, but just as he was about to grab ahold of her delicate form and vanish into the deep abyss, a stampede of rushed footsteps and a cacophony of gasps infiltrated his senses. Snapping his eyes upwards, they widened in adulterated shock.
"Another one? Twin doppelgängers! It cannot be!"
There are many firsts when it comes to life, and Mikael's first mistake as a vampire was his lack of preparation; if he stayed concealed in the shadows, he would have discovered there to be not one, but two doppelgängers, thereby eliminating them both with large success. The discovery of a powerful Bennett witch in alliance with their family would have been fruitful knowledge as well. The diabolical vampire blew his cover, allowing the parents to hide the doppelgängers meticulously in the future.
Mystic Falls would not descry Abby Bennett and Mikael until a decade and a half later from that eventful day.
.*.
Alaska had always been a lively, energetic and confident child, and according to her parents, she had always had those attributes ever since the cradle. She never shied away from people, especially – much to her parents' lament – strangers. For as long as the elder twin could remember, she had always been fascinated with body language and the many different individualistic characteristics and personalities of each person. One of Alaska's hobbies was people watching, and with her keen acumen and sharp acuity, she could do a perfect imitation of the many emotions in the rainbow. Unfortunately for her parents, Alaska enjoyed causing mischief and mayhem, and could lie deftly – but to be fair, her affinities were used for mostly good causes.
Elena balanced Alaska perfectly; Elena was her twin sister, her best friend, her conscience, the yin to her yang, the apple to her eye, the right to her left, and the introvert to her extrovert. Elena had always been the saner twin, the person who always covered for her, the person who partook in some of the blame, and although Elena was no mischief maker, nor was she a trouble maker who reveled in chaos – unlike Alaska – the younger twin always had her back, no matter their age and no matter the circumstance. At the age of six, Alaska came up with the ingenious idea of perfecting twin speech, such as, speaking together at the same time and finishing each other's sentences; and despite their identical appearance, they were easily distinguishable due to their divergent personalities and preferences, however, if the twins didn't want anyone to tell them apart, they wouldn't until they deemed fit. At times, their family and friends could have sworn that the twins had the ability to communicate telepathically, but in all honesty, they were harmonious with each other, decrypting it to be a 'twin thing'. Both girls were very independent for their age, Alaska more than Elena, and even though they have their own friends and preferred activities, at the end of the day, nobody could ever take the sisters place.
The only differentiating feature of the twins was their hair; while Elena's dark brown hair was dead straight, Alaska's was naturally curly. There happened to be only one element that, no matter how much they tried, couldn't share. Odd things seem to happen around Alaska whenever she was feeling angry, scared or confused; at the age of seven, an indiscernible muscular man tried grabbing Elena when they were at the Grill waiting by the bathroom door for their mother. In fear for her sister and in self-defense, Alaska somehow hurled the stranger out the door and was never seen again; a memorable afternoon when she was five, Uncle John presented Alaska with a violin as a belated birthday present, knowing that the certain instrument always fascinated her. Her parents insisted she take lessons before playing the violin and perchance ruining it, and a miniature tantrum escalated. The unprecedented action of the violin playing by itself in midair had her parents and her Uncle John dumbfounded to this very day while she giggled uproariously at the oddity.
No explanations were shared, the idiosyncrasy that was Alaska Gilbert floored them all, and the elder twin would ashamedly admit to herself, that it was the violin incident that chased her away into the solitude of the library for the next sequential months. Although Alaska reveled in being unique and different, she didn't want to be a freak, and a part of her confidence abandoned her and the paramount trepidation of her parents getting rid of her due to the unexplainable oddities she composed, terrified the five year old to the core. It was during that phase, that she discovered her passion for reading and how she flawlessly swallowed every text and information, transforming into a pure genius and achieving remarkable grades in the hopes of her parents keeping her.
Three months later, Elena smacked her atop the head and pointed out how foolish her thoughts were in even thinking of entertaining the possibility that their devoted parents would ever give her away and separate the two of them. Where one went, the other always followed.
.*.
Spending most of her time with the Gilberts, Caroline Forbes soon discovered at the delicate age of five, that the household she lived in was a far cry from normalcy. Her mother, Elizabeth Forbes, was the town's Sherriff, and therefore, barely made it home to tuck Caroline in bed; waking up in the morning, the young blonde would enter the kitchen and in a routinely manner, grab whatever her mom left for her in the microwave. In and out, that was the description of her mother to a T, barely making time for anything but the citizens of Mystic Falls and her deputies. In actuality, bubbly, hyper Caroline Forbes had always been a Daddy's Girl, but unfortunately for her, ever since the day after her fourth birthday, Bill Forbes became an absentee parent and never made time for his little girl, just like his estranged wife.
Elena may be Alaska's best friend, but her true best friend that wasn't connected to her in a familial fashion, was Caroline Forbes. The blonde and the brunette were so alike; it scared the citizens in the idyllic town. Both girls were extroverts, cheerful, bubby, hyper and adored mischief. The quartet best friends comprised of Alaska and Elena Gilbert, Caroline Forbes, and Bonnie Bennett; they were renowned in Mystic Falls as the quarters to one another, who always had each other's back, never strayed too far from each other, and nobody could ever hold a candle to them – many had tried to replace one of the girls, yet nobody had yet to succeed.
Although Elena and Bonnie found kindred spirits in each other with their many similarities and preferences, the same could be said for Alaska and Caroline. When an outsider scrutinized the Quartet, they compared them to the Laws of Attraction: opposites attract and likes repel; therefore, no matter how much the duo of kindred spirits clash, you can never find a quartet of loyal friends such as the four girls.
.*.
The happenchance that occurred on July 24th 2003 was merely the beginning. When an incongruously garbed woman strode down the lane of the picturesque town on that radiant summer day, nobody knew of the weird phenomenon that was about to occur, one that would change the lives of many people in the present and the ever-looming future, and one that would set many events into motion, both beneficial and detrimental.
Blinking repeatedly at the peculiar woman who stood on their doorstep, Miranda ushered her inside, leaving out the specific wordings that could prove advantageous to a vampire for safety purposes. The incident that followed was not to be expected, even with the many eccentric happenstances that shook the domestic household. Alaska was a witch, a bona fide witch with a wand, broomstick, cauldron and spell books, all of which, were associated with a hidden community, a Magical Community. The woman, Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, explained in excruciating detail of the workings of the magical world, a world their daughter so happened to belong in.
Apparently, Alaska was a Muggleborn, and here she wrinkled her nose in distaste, she couldn't help but imagine the specific term to sound like some sort of racial slur meant to isolate those with 'Muggle' parents from those with a magical upbringing. Excited could be used to describe the eleven year old girl, however, a sharp pang collided with her heart, unable to imagine not only leaving her family and friends behind until Christmas, but being apart from her twin; separation from Elena was unbearable. Ever the insightful Uncle John, her shrewd uncle couldn't withhold himself from inquiring as to why she had been accepted into an institution in England as opposed to one in America, the country of her birth. Professor McGonagall hypothesized that perhaps a distant relative had British roots and Alaska's birth brought them to the surface, initiating her rightful place at Hogwarts; she also informed them that despite Elena being her twin, not all siblings inherited the magical gene, and that magic residing in Muggleborns had always been a conundrum and quite enigmatic.
Unbeknownst to the doppelgänger twins, the name 'Isobel' echoed in Grayson, Miranda and John's head. Suspicions over who her biological parents were and if Alaska inherited the magical genes from them, and how come Elena didn't revolved repeatedly in dizzying circles inside the recess of their minds.
.*.
Diagon Alley was the embodiment of magic, as idiotic as it may sound, Alaska could not locate any other word to portray her memorable visit to the wizarding district that radiated adulterated magic. Staring at the magnificent scenery of the Hogwarts Express, Alaska couldn't help but wonder over which idiot had the clever idea of forcing children to run headfirst into a solid brick wall in order to travel to Hogwarts. The Wizarding World had a habit of overcomplicating the simplest things, but whatever.
Ambling down the long hallway in the Hogwarts Express, Alaska tried suppressing the tears from cascading down her face as she thought of her family and friends. Oh, if only the Quartet could attend Hogwarts, learn magic and rock the Magical Community as they did in regards to everything else. The mere thought of Elena nearly brought the older twin down to her knees and the hole in her heart blazed strongly. Connecting her eyes with grey orbs paired with a pale pointed face and white-blonde hair, Alaska couldn't help but shiver at the half flirtatious smile, half sneer evident as he stared back at her; shaking her head at the creepy boy, she plowed onwards and was just about to give up by throwing her trunk out the window when she came across two boys who looked about her age.
"Hello, do you mind if I sit with you? Either the compartments are completely full or half-full with creeps," Alaska shivered dramatically in effect, succeeding in bringing out a smile from the raven-haired boy with enchanting emerald eyes. The slob with dirt on his nose sitting opposite to him had flaming red hair, long hands from what she could make out, blue eyes and a face littered with numerous freckles. The second the redhead opened his mouth, Alaska knew that she had her work cut out for her, "Blimey, you're American!" The raven-haired boy stifled a mortified sigh and she couldn't help but roll her eyes and dryly quip, "Really? I hadn't noticed. Thanks for sharing Einstein; I went eleven years without knowing my nationality."
Suffice to say, the redheaded slob wasn't the brightest crayon in the box. The raven-haired boy however, shared a certain enthusiasm toward her biting humor and patted the place next to him. Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley. For some odd reason, the redhead gaped like a lunatic when Alaska didn't fawn over Harry or show any signs of recognition, a feat that wholly pleased the poor boy. Shrugging, Alaska retorted to the tactless moron, "Give me a break, dude. I'm still new to this world. I didn't know I was supposed to memorize the damn attending roster."
It may be too early to presume, but if she were correct in her assessment, then Harry and … Ronald might just be her first two friends in this whole new world.
.*.
Rabid thoughts buzzed through the crevice of her mind and Alaska could have sworn a few brain cells popped as she gaped at the singing hat, and it was only the familiar stern timbre of McGonagall calling out 'Abbott, Hannah' that snapped her from the improbable mirage.
"Gilbert, Alaska!"
Involuntarily, the vain concept of the myriads of heads that tatty hat touched was thrust into her head, and she forcibly repressed her muscles from recoiling in disgust while still keeping the neutral expression on her face. Looking directly at the sea of curious students, Alaska stiffly sat on the stool before everything went black, and she wrinkled her nose in disdain as she was unable see to anything past the black insides of the shabby hat.
"I do take offense to that," a snide voice spoke up. Chocolate orbs widened and a small gasp escaped her lips, thoughts of, the freaking hat can freaking talk, reverberated repeatedly inside her head. "No need to think so loudly, I can hear you just fine, you know." Of course, just when Alaska thought nothing else could surprise her, she would get proven wrong … again! "Mr. Hat, are you reading my mind? 'Cause let me tell you, if you go in, you might never be able to get out."
Much to Alaska's bewilderment, the hat began quivering slightly, a few dark chuckles echoing into her ear. "Ah, it has been centuries since I last sorted an American, your terminologies are always a nice change. But back to the sorting dear, AH! There is more to you Alaska Gilbert that meets the eye, hmm… you have astounding loyalty, yes, yes, yes, you would rather die than betray your loved ones, for such a young age your loyalty is set in stone, but … ah, to a fault. Loyal to a fault, hmm, not Hufflepuff, no, no, no. You have a sharp analytical mind, quite the young genius, however Ravenclaw would suit you ill with your rash hotheadedness-"
Thanks for the insult, how sweet of you, she thought dryly, only managing to elicit more dark chuckles from the sentient hat before he abruptly shushed her and continued with his diatribe. "Slytherin would be perfect for you. Quite the manipulative streak you have there, and oh, so cunning; you do have belonging traits to the Snake House, however your 'Muggleborn' status would be an adversity-, oh, my what is this? Such bravery … quite the lioness you are, how refreshing, oh, and a mischievous troublemaker to boot, oh, well, there is no doubt where I will put you…"
"…. Let it be GRYFFINDOR!"
A tumultuous applaud shook the hall from the red and gold table and as Professor McGonagall removed the hat from her head, Alaska heard a few parting words, "Good Luck, Alyeska Gilbert, you will need it." The Sorting Hat, in her opinion was bagshit crazy, especially since he pronounced her name incorrectly, and she thought nothing more of the odd ramblings of a sentient object as Harry ran forward with a cheerful grin and sat directly next to her, both of them quieting down to watch the last few students get sorted.
.*.
It had been a couple of centuries since Hogwarts admitted an American into their esteemed educational system, so naturally, Alaska Gilbert stood out like a sore thumb, especially since her slang differentiated from British terminology, and there was a collective varied opinions about the beautiful brunette. McGonagall would preen with utmost pride; a month into the term, Alaska Gilbert was already known as the smartest witch in her year despite her muggle roots. Shame enveloped the Slytherins, unable to comprehend a Muggleborn had the ability to wipe the floor with them intellectually; but what had them seething was when they whispered the unforgivable expletive, 'Mudblood' at her – it was obvious the American knew the meaning of the crude insult due to the stiffening of her shoulders, but the fact that she would always brush the word away, smirk at them and depart the premises without a retort or even a few tears, had them reeling and honestly, dumbfounded them. The American never even complained about their abominable behavior toward her, but merely took everything in stride and went on with her life.
Diminutive Professor Flitwick was never a wizard to show favoritism and he never would, but it wasobvious to all that he favored her above his own Ravens. It was a well-known fact, the half-goblin would complain good-naturedly to McGonagall during their routinely staff meetings, over how she got a perfect raven into the lion den. The Ravens were envious of the American Muggleborn, but it was extremely difficult to hate the brunette since she never boasted about her skills, and was more than eager to lend anyone a helping hand. Snape, on the other hand, was the greasy dungeon bat, given the moniker by Alaska herself; during the second week of classes, the acidic Head of Slytherin called her a know-it-all despite the fact she never spoke up in class or interrupted his session with burnt cauldrons, unlike poor Neville Longbottom and the pyromaniac Seamus Finnigan – her fellow Gryffs. But the sharp brunette discovered the true reason; Draco Malfoy was his godson and hated Alaska with a passion.
Draco Malfoy, his brainless goons, Crabbe and Goyle, and his adoring stalker, Pansy Parkinson, were four callous individuals; early on, Draco and Harry began a rivalry; Harry denied Malfoy's hand of friendship after he insulted the brave James and Lily Potter's death, called Alaska a Mudblood and called Ron a penniless disgrace to the Wizarding World – and the bloody idiot actually had the gall to be insulted over Harry rejecting a budding friendship. Moron! Crabbe and Goyle honestly wasted the oxygen from those more deserving in her opinion; they had no brain cells to rub together and were only deft in shadowing the blonde idiot and cracking their knuckles menacingly. But while Draco disliked Alaska, he merely insulted her whenever she was around Harry and Ron, otherwise he basically ignored her existence… if only the same could be said about Pansy 'the pug' Parkinson. Envious over the fact that the American had beauty and brains, and was also building a reputation and popularity amongst the mass, the bitter pug would constantly try and bait her, acting identically to a rabid dog that needed to be put down. In Mystic Falls, Alaska never experienced the cruelty of bullies since she was part of the Quartet and the daughter of an esteemed member of the Founding Family, but her baby brother Jeremy would often get snubbed by a few boys, led by Tyler Lockwood, the Mayor's son, and therefore, she knew that ignoring a bully would grate on their nerves since nine times out of ten, they adored attention.
Suffice to say, the rivalry between Alaska and Pansy was at the same level as the growing enmity between Harry, Ron and Malfoy.
.*.
Halloween had always been one of Alaska's favorite holidays; why you ask? Simply because it is the one night where one could peel off their true self and be somebody else entirely. Alaska always related Halloween to Identity Fraud, the one night where your imagination would take you to inspired places and are given a free pass to strip and bare yourself to the world. When she was young, the cliché excuse of drowning in a sugar-coma was given, much to the parents' amusement. But to quote Caroline Forbes: Halloween is the night where all the weirdoes in this picturesque town, came out to play and show their true colors to the oblivious citizens.
On that day, Hogwarts were given the rare treat of witnessing the typically lively and vibrant American Muggleborn, buried in a catatonic state of depression alongside her best friend, Harry Potter. Now, the Boy-Who-Lived being unresponsive and sullen was understandable, after all, it was the anniversary of the night his parents died and he became an orphan; they were all clueless toward the American Muggleborn's peculiar state, but what would they know about homesickness? Their families were nearby, a day's owl away… Alaska on the other hand, could only send missives to her loved ones once every two weeks due to the long distance. Currently, the Gilberts and the remaining members of the Quartet would be donning on their Halloween costume, knocking on doors for Trick or Treat and visiting a multitude of Haunted Houses for the fun of it, probably ending up at the Lockwood Mansion for their yearly get together.
When Pansy yelled a crude remark toward her, she barely batted an eyelash, and in a show of solidarity for his depressed friend, Ron retaliated for her sake. Charms class was Alaska's favorite; Professor Flitwick allowed the students to relax and talk amongst themselves as long as they completed their classwork; they were instructed to cast the Levitation Charm, 'Wingardium Leviosa'. Alaska unsurprisingly produced the charm correctly on her second try, but showed no enthusiasm in coming to her struggling classmates' aid. That night, she forwent attending the feast with everybody else, deciding to wallow in her self-depression by her lonesome in a vacated bathroom until desert was served. Due to that reason, when a perilous incident arose, the brunette was oblivious to the fact that her second brush with death would occur that very night (the first being her interaction with Mikael, but she was clueless to the fact that her innocent three-year-old self was conversing lightly with a diabolical vampire).
The troll was exuberant in terms of demolishing the bathroom with his ginormous club, and the tiny girl was shell-shocked, rooted to her spot with her mouth agape, the methodical rambling thoughts completely diminished from her brain and her wand held loosely in a hand, unable to process the fact that she was about to murdered, squashed to mush by a mountain troll. Harry and Ron stumbled over to her side immediately, and in a bout of quick thinking, the redhead bellowed the Levitation Charm, knocking the hideous troll with its own club. That night solidified the American Muggleborn's friendship with Ron, already being on great terms with the Boy-Who-Lived, and despite his lack of tact, idiocy and poor mannerisms, Alaska felt warmth embrace her over the fact that he risked his life for her well-being.
The events of that particular night would evolve their friendship into a strong united front and become one for the books, were they would later be known in the Magical Community, as the Golden Trio.
.*.
John Gilbert was rendered speechless as he listened to the other end of the phone as his older brother frantically relayed the disturbing letter he received by Alaska's Head of House and Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, explicitly stating that her and her two friends were admitted into the Hospital Wing and nearly lost their lives due to their bravery in protecting the school and theCommunity. Grayson squeezed McGonagall dry, demanding every sliver of information; apparently an important artifact was placed in a special chamber in the school guarded by perilous enchantments. Alaska and her two friends grew suspicious over what lay in the forbidden corridor and spent most of the year investigating into what the artifact could be and whoever was trying to steal it. A vein bulged on his forehead and his fist clenched until a few droplets of blood appeared when he was informed that the three eleven-year-olds confided in an authority figure about their speculations and was cynically turned away, therefore giving them no choice but to grab the artifact themselves before it could be stolen by one serving evil.
One of the boys, Ron, suffered from a concussion for a day, his beloved and courageous daughter escaped with her life intact, save for a few scrapes and bruises from a fucking TROLL, and the last member, Harry, was unconscious in the hospital for two days and counting due to his magic being severely drained. A part of Grayson and John wanted to withdraw Alaska from Hogwarts, and he relayed his contemplation to Isobel, who was currently happily married to some historian she met at Duke; Isobel proved to be vehemently uninterested in the adversities Alaska had succumbed to throughout her schooling at the magical castle, but she adamantly stated that if they were to withdraw her from Hogwarts, then her magic would be chaotic and unable to be controlled, making herself a danger to those around her.
The fact remained that Alaska Gilbert was one of the two Petrova Doppelgängers, a being cursed with many hardships and turmoil in the future; John only hoped that his beloved daughter would survive her magical education and the many obstructions in her perilous path to survival.
.*.
Gilderoy Lockhart was a complete pillock to put it bluntly.
Alaska's Uncle John had many connections and managed to conveniently befriend the American Ministry of Magic, Alan Jefferson when he asked for directions to the American Ministry of Magic during the summer after her first year of Hogwarts, where he threatened – along with her parents – to withdraw her from Hogwarts and relocate her into a Magical Institution in America. After many tantrums that shook the Gilbert Household and many angry tears, the grownups acquiesced, but Uncle John was a sharp intellectual and stated that they were better off knowing the many rules and laws of the Magical Community. John struck a quick friendship with the Minister, who was surprised a magical citizen of America had been accepted into the prestige Hogwarts, and convinced the Gilberts to activate their fireplace for floo-travelling instead of sending many envoys for a portkey.
Alaska introduced Elena and Jeremy to Harry – who hadn't been answering her letters all summer due to a sneaky yet insane house-elf, and Ron – who in turn, introduced his parents. Arthur Weasley was ecstatic upon meeting the Gilbert adults and immediately began bombarding them with numerous questions regarding Muggles, which was a fascinating addiction, much to Molly Weasley's fond annoyance. Upon entering Flourish and Blotts, they found themselves suffocated by a horde of lovestruck women, all adoring eyes focused on a handsome wizard dressed in garish turquoise robes, with flawless golden curls, twinkling cerulean eyes and a smile that could blind the nation with his white gnashers.
"He'd be perfect for a Crest Commercial," Elena mumbled beneath her breath, prompting Alaska, Jeremy and Harry to burst out into uncontrollable fits of laughter, which escalated upon noting the comedic expression of confusion on Ron's face. Unfortunately, Elena's witty comment and their uproarious laughter managed to beckon Lockhart's attention, and immediately snagged a befuddled Harry from the horde of his mindless adoring fans. The man was full of himself, that was for sure, and much to her distaste, he announced in a gloating tone, that he of all people, would be their Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor that year. Jeremy groaned and couldn't help but point out, "You're doomed." If the dreadful confrontation with the pillock wasn't bad enough, they ended up colliding with none other than Malfoy, who at first, blinked repeatedly from Alaska to Elena, his mouth opening and closing like a dumfounded fish.
"What? Never seen identical twins before?" Alaska sneered, looping arms with her twin and keeping a protective arm around her baby brother. But before he managed to snap out of his shocked reverie, a stunning man who was palpably Malfoy Senior, appeared in their midst, his cold silver eyes roaming Alaska's figure and giving her the sensation of being violated, but a moment later, he merely sneered, a indecipherable glint in his icy eyes and focused his entire attention on a defiant Harry. He showed a creeptacular interest in the Boy-Who-Lived, going so far as to touch the accursed scar on his forehead – without permission, she may add – and prompting shivers from her baby brother. Alaska didn't like Malfoy Sr. in the slightest and couldn't repress the sigh of relief that escaped her pouty lips when the Weasleys, her parents and uncle arrived in the vicinity.
Chaos ensued and the mischievous Gilbert twin along with her protégé brother who was adamant in following her footsteps, joined the Weasley twins, Fred and George, in cheering Messrs. Weasley and Arthur in their physical combat. The Holy Grail was when a huge purple bruise erupted on Lucius Malfoy's flawless face due to an Encyclopedia of Toadstools; even Uncle John chuckled slightly at the comedic scene. Suffice to say; only Molly Weasley seemed to be scandalized by the debacle, bellowing in loud tones over what Gilderoy freaking Lockhart would say.
.*.
Alaska Gilbert prided herself in being a genius and denominated the prestigious title as the smartest witch of her year; for that particular reason, the American Muggleborn had to suppress the growing desire of bashing her skull against the marble wall repeatedly. How could she have been so stupid? Second year of Hogwarts began with a bang when Harry and Ron arrived via flying car and collided into the Whomping Willow because Dobby sealed the platform. Gilderoy Lockhart proved to be a nuisance and a complete contradiction to his books, therein making him a fraud. The castle had been submerged into chaos and pandemonium after the Halloween Feast when a disturbing script was grafitied on the wall, claiming that 'the Chamber of Secrets had been opened, Enemy of the Heir Beware'. Muggleborns were being vilified and attacked, and Alaska feared her to be the next victim.
A mockery of a dueling club was initiated by the pillock Lockhart and in that catastrophic event, the discovery of Harry being a parselmouth was revealed to the entire school, and fingers started pointing at her best friend, condemning him as the Heir of Slytherin. Alaska said it, and she'd say it again… the Magical Community lacked any common sense whatsoever; all of them were nothing but a bunch of asinine sheep. Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, orphaned due to Lord Voldemort, and a boy with a pure heart… Harry Potter, half-blood with a Muggleborn as a mother, is the Heir of Slytherin attacking Muggleborns, who by the way has a Muggleborn as a best friend… most witches and wizards were such vacuous individuals. Alaska truly believed that those who act like sheep, will be eaten by the wolves, and they will reap their comeuppance soon enough.
Flipping rapidly through the pages of a specific book in the library, a triumphant gleam flashed through her chocolate orbs, and she wasted no time in ripping the page off and departing in search for Harry and Ron; when Harry complained yet again over hearing the disembodied voice before the Quidditch match, Alaska was struck with the sudden realization of how stupid she had been. Harry could talk to snakes and was hearing a voice nobody else could, therefore, the monster in the Chamber of Secrets was a bloody snake, precisely a Basilisk. A foreboding sensation suddenly consumed the brunette just as she bumped into a Ravenclaw prefect; in the blink of an eye, she whipped out her trusted compact mirror Caroline gifted her with a year ago and strongly advised the prefect to never detach her eyes from the mirror.
The next thing Alaska knew, there was a bright flash of yellow connecting with her warm browns and sudden blackness enfolded her vision and she knew no more.
.*.
Lucius Malfoy was ecstatic with the fruitful results of his dastard scheme; as a member of the Hogwarts Board of Governors, he was instantly informed of two more attacks that coincided at Hogwarts and after threatening the other Board Members, he made his merry way toward the school to overthrow the old codger Dumbledore from his esteemed position as Headmaster. Getting rid of that diary was ingenious of him; he hit many birds with one stone: getting rid of Muggleborns, Dumbledore and the Diary his Lord entrusted him with, as well as achieving retribution toward that blood-traitorous, muggle-loving fool, Arthur Weasley who insisted on raiding his manor. With his elegant cane in hand, Lucius strolled into the esteemed castle. Just as he was about to scour the institution for the codger, he was hit with a burst of spontaneity and entered the Hospital Wing. Draco kept him up-to-date with the identities of the individuals attacked, however, the last two students had been undisclosed and curiosity consumed him.
He deftly placed a silencing and disillusionment charm on himself before stealthily approaching the last two beds. Scrutinizing the redhead, Lucius frowned in confusion, recognizing her to be Penelope Clearwater, a half-blood, and therefore, should have been immune to the workings of the attacks meant to specifically target Muggleborns. Shaking his head diminutively at the anomaly, Lucius strode toward the last bed, cold silver orbs widening in recognition. Alaska Gilbert; the confounding and enigmatic American Muggleborn who had managed to get enrolled in the British Community for some puzzling reason, smartest witch of her year, and the thorn in Draco and Pansy Parkinson's sides. For some undefined reason, Lucius was not overwhelmed with joy at her attack, there was a nagging feeling informing him that this specific Muggleborn was not to be trifled with, and the enigma further enraged him. He was no pedophile, and in his role as a Death Eater, Lucius never partook in the defilement of woman and children like some of his fellow comrades; Lucius was apathetic in regards to his wife, sharing no love between them, but for loyalty due to the marriage contract their parents arranged more than a decade ago, therefore, Lucius enjoyed ravishing an abundance of women and partaking in the sensual carnal pleasures; for a twelve-year-old, Alaska was a gorgeous specimen of the female gender, and he knew in a few years, she would evolve into a goddess… Unfortunately, she was a Muggleborn, and a Malfoy never lowered themselves to such filth.
However, as Lucius Malfoy departed the Hospital Wing toward Hagrid's Hut, he couldn't shake off the foreboding feeling running through his veins, nor could he shake off the image of the enigmatic American Muggleborn's petrified state.
.*.
Summer in Mystic Falls was uneventful once Alaska returned from Hogwarts since nobody allowed her out of arm's reach, always keeping her within close sight. In part, she understood their reasoning and the fright of nearly losing her to the Basilisk, but the extrovert twin was about to explode from the suffocating actions of her friends and family. Caroline and Bonnie were sworn to secrecy and confided in her being a witch, and they too, had been overbearing toward her. Unable to believe her thoughts, but Alaska began counting down the days until she would board the Hogwarts Express, incapable of surviving through the continuous coddling of her loved ones. The American Minister of Magic paid them a visit one momentous day, explicitly warning them about Sirius Black, the first individual to have ever succeeded in escaping from the fortress of Azkaban prison surrounded by Dementors. The reason for the warning other than her safety was because the British Community speculated Black to be after Harry, believing with her best friend's death, Voldemort would resurrect once again.
Although she appreciated the Minister's consideration toward her and Harry's safety, Alaska felt bitterness in regards to the man, for he had achieved in surmounting her loved one's coddling. So every year she had been placed in deathly dangerous situations… so what? It wasn't like she did it on purpose; being the best friend of Harry Potter had its ups and downs, but like the Sorting Hat stated, she was loyal to the core and to a fault, and Alaska would never betray her friends. Alaska Gilbert was part of the Quartet and the Golden Trio, and her sister and four friends deserved her complete loyalty and protection, even if she had to duel Voldemort himself to protect Harry, she would in a heartbeat.
.*.
Sirius Black had been innocent all along! Harry's godfather had been imprisoned for twelve years under false charges, and Ron's revolting rat was the actual traitor and Death Eater. The end of her third year didn't really go as she expected it to; attacking Professor Snape, being dragged into the Whomping Willow by the animagus Sirius Black, watching a traitor bloom from a rat, and then be a witness to Professor Lupin's utterly painful transformation into a werewolf… it only got better when she suffered under the horrifying effects of the Dementors when she followed Harry in his attempt to saving Sirius' life.
Currently munching on a giant block of chocolate and listening to Professor Snape roar about her and Harry being liars while the idiotic Minister Fudge blathered about them being confounded by Sirius Black, who was locked up in Flitwick's office about to be administrated to the Dementor's Kiss, Alaska couldn't help but glare daggers into the greasy dungeon bat's skull; Snape really was a conniving, vengeful son of a bitch! Alaska may despise Malfoy and Parkinson, but a decade from now, if they were to be put to death and innocent to boot, she would defend them, unlike the greasy bastard. Luckily, Albus Dumbledore managed to save the day by giving them hope; twinkling blue eyes that held such wisdom connected with her warm chocolate orbs, imparting a plan that only she understood before departing.
Alaska signed up for Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes and Divination as her third year electives, and was therefore trusted with a Time-Turner. Ah, the irony didn't escape her, and a sly smirk appeared on her visage as she twisted the device three times, ignoring Harry's baffled mien. The Ministry of Magic entrusted her with the Time-Turner to attend her classes, in return aiding her in breaking the law, and allowing the 'mass-murderer' Sirius Black to escape from the Ministry's custody. Alaska loved irony, but not more than creating trouble. That night, the duo managed to save Buckbeak (Hagrid's Hippogriff that was sentenced to death by the moronic Malfoys) and succeeded in helping Sirius escape a fate worse than death by riding the Hippogriff into the night. She truly pitied Harry; being an orphan and discovering that his godfather had been imprisoned for twelve year due to false charges set up by the rat that lived in close proximity to him for three years must be a hard pill to swallow. Hopefully, Pettigrew would get caught soon and Sirius' name would be exonerated, sanctioning him to raise Harry like he should have all these years.
The surprises for the year didn't end there. No; the greasy bastard confided in his Slytherins about Professor Lupin's furry problem, knowing that they would spread the rumor; an hour later, the whole school knew he was a werewolf. The best DADA they ever had was given no choice but to resign, and as Alaska glared at the smug smirk on the vindictive bastard's face, she vowed to herself that he would pay. Fourth year would be hell for Severus Snape!
.*.
When Bill Weasley set his eyes upon his youngest brother's best female friend, he was astounded with her otherworldly beauty and completely mesmerized by the sound of her voice. Alaska Gilbert, the famous American Muggleborn he had heard so much about from his parents, brothers and Ginny. Bill could already see how much his family adored her; Percy was mostly apathetic toward her, only seeking her company in terms of educational banters; Fred and George detected a profound friendship with her due to their affinity in causing mischief and mayhem, as well as their love for pranks. Also, Alaska had an identical twin of her own. For those reasons, Fred, George and Alaska got along like a house on fire, and would always seek out solace of each other. Bill also discovered the fourteen-year-old beauty was privy to the twins' joke shop plan, and had been made an honorary Weasley by them and one of their business partners in building the shop and its many items to fruition. Ron on the other hand, was first and foremost her best friend, the other member of the Golden Trio, and they were completely loyal to one another. Bill sensed his younger brother to have a growing crush on the brunette, but it was only one-sided, and he hoped their friendship didn't get ruined. Ginny gave Alaska the moniker of her best friend, and Bill identified them gossiping and giggling many a time when he walked in on them.
He was growing dangerously enamored to the gorgeous American, and so, the eldest Weasley sibling ceased all conversation with her, hoping to keep her at a distance until she left for Hogwarts. There was a large gap of age difference between them; ten years! He was ten years her senior! And she was Ron's best friend; he had to quash his budding affections towards her before they consume him. Unfortunately, Bill was not a blind man, and he had many experiences with lustful woman; he never missed the many glances she sent him, the suggestive glint and cunning smirk appearing on her visage which only had his member hardening at the thought of ravishing the utterly enchanting and devious girl. So, when Harry Potter finally arrived the night before the Quidditch World Cup, he was torn between relief and envy; Harry's arrival had the Trio of friends ensconced in a private bubble or in Ron's room, conversing about matters unbeknownst to him, and jealousy flared within him at the thought of Alaska and Harry being romantically involved.
Due to his many experiences in life, Bill had to be blind to not notice the many lovestruck, lustful and dazed looks Alaska received once they took the portkey to the campsite. From afar, he closely observed her running into many familiar faces and embracing them giddily, and to his ire, most of them were male, and all of them flirted with her immensely. Clenching and unclenching his fists in envious fury, the intelligent Weasley was unseeing to the ever widening knowing smirk his sister shot him as he was too busy burning holes into the myriad of boys' heads. Even Lucius bloody Malfoy's ice cold orbs roamed her form appreciatively, despite her being a 'filthy' Muggleborn.
Bill didn't know how much more he could handle; he had obviously failed in nipping his attraction to the Alaska in the bud, and as the Quidditch World Cup began, he exhaled a loud sigh of relief at the blessed distraction from the gorgeous enigmatic brunette he longed to decipher, sitting two seats away from him.
.*.
The Death Mark glowed ominously in the sky, illuminating the Golden Trio with the repulsive skull that was notoriously known as an omen of death. She had of course, read all about the First War and collected all the gory facts of the previous killings, Death Eaters, and the Mark that struck fear into the hearts of even the most valorous of warriors. Her hands trembled with fear and her entire body quivered as she sipped on the warm hot chocolate in the tent, listening to Mr. Weasley as he explained to Harry and Ron what the Dark Mark was exactly. That night, Alaska was unable to sleep, the ever-consuming thoughts of Voldemort's inevitable return revolving the recess of her mind, and she had never been more thankful than the current moment for her loved one's residing in America, and away from the upcoming war. Alaska may have many perfect traits, but in some ways, she was cowardly in the face of danger, and like her first confrontation with the mountain troll during her first year, she would freeze; the bravery the Hat informed her of having truly confounded her, but then again, perhaps it saw something she had yet to discover.
Deciding some fresh air would do wonders for her; she snuck out of her bed after ensuring Ginny was fast asleep, and crawled out of the tent. She barely managed to walk two footsteps ahead, when the husky baritone of Bill Weasley permeated the air, eliciting shivers down her spine. Alaska was unsure of how she ended up naked and aroused; one minute they were sitting next to each other in a companionable silence, and the next thing she knew, his strong arms snaked around her waist and pulled her flush against his lean chest. Passion sizzled around them as their lips met in an aggressive yet soft kiss, their tongues partaking in a fast dance, and caressing each other, before he began scoping every cavern with his skilled tongue. One fingertip stroked her arm sensually and she melted into him, her mind oddly blank just as he unzipped her dress and cupped her well-endowed breasts. A smirk appeared on his rugged visage which was instantly replaced by a look of wanton lust as her fingers tugged his long hair, releasing it from the ponytail.
Nerves began catching up with her as Bill threw her onto the ground and climbed on top of her; she was after all, a virgin, but she wanted this. She wanted to lose her virginity to this gorgeous specimen of male flesh, Bill Weasley, who was more of a gentleman and had heaps of compassion and brains, unlike the hotheaded Tyler Lockwood who had been crushing on her a year now. One rough hand splayed on her stomach while the other ran down her side, resting firmly on her hipbone, and as she stared in a deep trance into warm sapphire eyes darkening with lust; she couldn't help but melt into a puddle of lust. "We don't have to do anything. I can leave now, and we can pretend this, whatever this is, never happened." Alaska shook her head immediately at the courteous man and slyly slid a hand underneath to cup his hardened erection, eliciting a loud moan and he attacked her lips, molding their flesh together in the most sensual of ways. Bill took it slow, and after a minute of agony, she bucked her hip upwards, spurring him into action; he moved faster, and faster, his hands tightly furled on the grass as he tried not to shout at the tight heat hugging his length. His tongue flicked on an erect nipple and just as he pinched her clit, they both came as one, their bodies sweating as they held onto each other in a tight embrace.
All in all, it was a highly intoxicating end to the morbid night, and Alaska would never regret losing her virginity to the debonair Weasley man who treated her first time with such care and tender and opened up the abyss of carnal pleasures, its addicting sensations and aftereffects and the carnivorous act of savoring the other's needs and lusts.
.*.
Isobel Saltzman née Flemming was a woman on a mission; she began working all-hours of the day until late at night, barely spending time with her beloved husband. The truth, was that she didn't want to be deterred from her next course of action. Growing up into that damned family and then being disowned due to her being a squib taught the tough, ambitious woman how to be hardcore and never form attachments with others. Meeting John and entering a relationship with him was meant to be harmless fun, she was a cheerleader and he was a Gilbert, one of the most devilishly handsome and popular boys in town. They dated for a year, more than it was to be expected from her, and just as he was falling in love with her, she planned on ending their relationship, only to discover that she was pregnant with his child. Being a mother was never on the menu for Isobel Flemming, neither was giving birth to twins; the hardcore woman planned on giving them up for a closed adoption so that she could never be reunited with them, unfortunately, John fought her vehemently on the certain topic and decided his elder brother and sister-in-law would raise them instead. Isobel disagreed, but was overruled, for even though her daughters were out of her life, John continued to adamantly keep her up-to-date on their lives, therefore making it hard for her to relate them as strangers.
Alyeska inheriting her biological family's magic came to a shock when John relayed to her the many bouts of oddities, not knowing that they were in fact, accidental magic, and that she was in reality an extremely powerful witch to show the first signs of magic at the age of one. Elena on the other hand, ended up following her path as a squib, and although she felt pride in regards to Alyeska, a part of her hoped to keep her afar from the Wizarding World and its bigotry; she honestly feared the day her biological family discovered her existence. Meeting Alaric Saltzman, was unprecedented as well, and so was her spontaneous decision of accepting his proposal; but Isobel loved him, the kind of love that consumed her every being, the kind of love she had been unable to share with John, much to his desolation. Isobel was independent, and ever since discovering the supernatural from John, she drowned herself in her paranormal research and gained a mastery in parapsychology, wanting to educate herself as much as possible without John's aid. Speaking of John, the routine phone call from him arrived, and he informed her of the Dark Mark that had been cast over her daughter's head, reminding her long-forgotten fear of her roots catching up with her and the Dark Lord Voldemort which finally spurred her into action.
As much as she loved Alaric, and would deeply miss him, Isobel could not continue this sham of a domestic life she fooled herself into settling with. The chief reason for studying parapsychology was to become her research, not something aimless as curiosity. Ever since John first revealed to her about the paranormal activity, Isobel set her sights on being an immortal and powerful creature to escape her past and those that would do her harm or seek for vengeance, trying to eradicate her from the world because of her lack of magic; to show those bigoted purebloods, that Isobel Flemming, the filthy squib, transitioned into a being more powerful than them. After months of fruitful searching, Isobel struck gold when she located the familiar face of one, Damon Salvatore, who had supposedly died in the tragic battle of Willow Creek in 1864.
Electric blue orbs connected with cunning mahogany ones, and a suggestive smirk curled on his lips as he confidently sauntered toward her. Yes, Damon Salvatore would be her freedom from purgatory, and the introduction to a new beginning filled with strength, power and freedom, no longer being tied down by Alaric, John, Alyeska, Elena and the fear of her prejudiced family.
.*.
Severus Snape was having an atrocious year. First Sirius Black escaped the Dementor's Kiss, then the Dark Mark appeared once the Quidditch World Cup concluded, the Triwizard Tournament was to be held at Hogwarts meaning Igor Karkarov would be in close proximity to him, breathing the very same air as he, then Dumbledore for the fourteenth time, rejected him as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and brought Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody, the war veteran who couldn't stand his presence and tried his utmost hardest to catch him doing something illegal, and finally, the spawn of James Bloody Potter had his name regurgitated from the Goblet of Fire, meaning he had to keep a watchful eye on him and protect the dunderhead from harm. But if all that weren't enough, it didn't compare to the series of unfortunate events that had been plaguing him ever since the opening feast. He was being pranked left and right, nearly every single bloody day without rest; it was almost like those pranksters were imitating the long departed Marauders for Merlin's sake!
His cold impassive onyx eyes scoured the halls repeatedly; searching for the culprit that had been giving him hell and threatening to have him suffer under cardiac arrest. Oh, those insufferable fools would rue the day they decided to pick him as their bloody target. Scrubbing dirty cauldrons and eviscerating rodents for ingredients would be the nothing compared to what detentions he had planned for them.
He heavily suspected the Weasley twins and their sidekick Jordan to be the miscreants, but they were never caught red-handed, and whenever a prank was doled out, they were always busy in class or surrounded by a horde of students, thereby eliminating them from his list of scoundrels. Little did the aggravated Professor know, the brains behind the operation and the person instigating all the pranks was Alaska Gilbert, and the Weasley twins merely aided her with the planning and a few ideas.
.*.
Glaring at their alleged best friend, Alaska snapped, having reached the peak of her temper, what with her best friend's name being spat out from the damn Goblet of Fire, the whole school alienating him and parroting their actions from second year, and then Ron Weasley betrayed him, calling him a cheat and a liar. No, the First bloody Task was DRAGONS! Harry had to collect a golden egg from a nesting mother! It was suicide and Alaska wanted to give the higher ups a piece of her damn mind. But since they were unreachable, she decided to settle on giving Ron a huge tongue-thrashing after hearing his poor excuse of an apology.
"You moron! How dare you betray Harry in the most despicable of ways and decide to come running back with your tail tucked between your legs after finally using the two brain cells you surprisingly have upon seeing a bloody, murderous, flesh-eating DRAGON! After our many adventures and life-threatening situations we found ourselves in, one would think you had more loyalty than that. I don't care about your jealousy issues; don't take it out on us, especially Harry who did nothing to receive such cruel treatment! Next time you even think of doing a repeat, rethink your actions otherwise I'll castrate you, Ronald Weasley!"
"You're bloody scary, you know that?" Ron whispered, his face turning pallor as he squirmed under her incensed glare, hiding his manhood from her line of attack. It was a well-known fact that Alaska Gilbert was a raging inferno when angered, and only one would be suicidal or stupid to enrage her. And therein lied the problem, most boys weren't too man enough for her; either they were horny bastards after her body and the popularity that came with being the best friend of Harry Potter, one-third of the Golden Trio, and smartest witch of her year – in other words, they were opportunistic leeches who cared more about the compensations than her. The other half of the male population where too afraid of her or despised her due to her domineering personality, or were actually her friends and she couldn't stomach the idea of being romantically involved with them. After her epic, unforgettable dalliance with Bill Weasley that night, he didn't avoid her, but he didn't search for moments to be alone with her, he continued acting prior that intense night, and although Alaska was slightly hurt with his rebuffing tactics, she decided to treat him similarly and ignored his presence altogether.
But everything changed, and the female population treated her worse than before when Victor Krum, star player and seeker of the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team and Durmstrang Champion not only asked her to be his date to the Yule Ball, but his girlfriend as well. Victor had an impressive stature, was gorgeous in a harsh rugged way and didn't admire the fans that fawned sycophantically over his fame – just like Harry. Rumors spread like wildfire over the new 'It' couple who actually looked perfect together, and Alaska discovered that Ron was jealous since he had a small crush on her; she put him straight and kindly informed him that he was like a brother to her, hoping he understood. Rita Skeeter, the most annoying Daily Prophet Journalist and Queen Bitch, had a conniption fit over them dating and began stalking her, writing disparaging remarks about her person and of how she was stringing 'poor Harry Potter' along, much to her ire. Tabloids were in a complete frenzy over the Bulgarian Seeker finally making a move on a girl since he rejected too many women to count and speculation over her being special or lacing him with a love potion spread around the Magical Community.
But Alaska had an ace up her sleeve, and gratitude over her Uncle John's early thinking consumed her. She sent a missive to the American Minister of Magic, Alan Jefferson, informing him of the illegal speculation of her person in magazines without a parental consent. Suffice to say, the British Community was gobsmacked that the mysterious American Muggleborn was well connected with the American Minister of Magic and were forced to discontinue writing about her and pay a hefty fine, lest they lose their jobs or get sentenced to prison for writing false allegations about a minor, and one under the protection of the American Community.
.*.
Albus Dumbledore sat in his office pondering about Alaska Gilbert; when Professor McGonagall frantically informed him four years ago that the special self-writing quill had enlisted an American citizen as a student ever since her birth. The conundrum only amplified upon his deputy's return, explicitly stating that the Muggleborn girl had an identical twin sister. In Muggleborn families, it wasn't strange when one sibling inherited magic while the other didn't, such as Lily Evans and her sister Petunia; however, the Creevey brothers were an exception; but never before had Muggleborn identical twins been separated before since they shared nearly the same genetics. What surprised the wizened Headmaster most of all, was her solidarity with Harry Potter; he had been informed that the girl didn't know the orphan's story until a day after they befriended one another, therefore eliminating her as those certain few who were after him for his fame, title and money. The girl proved to be a gem in Hogwarts; she was lively, enigmatic, vibrant, cheerful and a pure genius, and yet, she wasn't arrogant, or rude or malicious.
"Hat, what can you tell me about Alaska Gilbert?" Albus decided it was time to solve the mysterious puzzle, and who better to ask then the sentient Hat who managed to receive an insight of her mind. Of course, Godric Gryffindor's Hat would never betray a student and speak of their inner thoughts to the Headmaster, but there had been a few exceptions over the centuries if the student proved a risk to the school and students, and Albus only wanted to make sure the girl was pure of heart and worthy of being Harry's friend. The Hat let out a muffled chuckle, and twitched back to life, "It's about time, Albus. I was wondering how long you'd take before you give up. The girl could have been sorted into all four of the Houses, she has her own destiny unlike the Boy-Who-Lived and she doesn't know it yet. Also, the poor girl has many difficulties ahead filled with death, tragedy and suffering from what I depicted, and the last thing I will share Albus, the girl, Alaska Gilbert, she isn't a Muggleborn per say."
Albus' curiosity peaked; not a Muggleborn per say? A future full of death? He hoped it had nothing to do with young Harry. But what confounded him was the American girl's own destiny. Yes, the Hat had been very helpful and illuminating. It seems that he should keep a vigil eye on Alaska Gilbert, and not only Harry Potter.
.*.
Voldemort has returned and Cedric Diggory was murdered by Wormtail. Alaska felt herself drowning in fear as she stayed plastered to her unconscious best friend's bedside next to a whining Padfoot. She ignored Bill as much as possible; ever since he entered Hogwarts to watch the Third Task with Mrs. Weasley, he had been glaring at her and Victor with utmost envy, which frankly, he had no right since he was the one who blew her off. She couldn't believe that her friend had been forced to partake in some creepy ritual in giving his parents' murderer a corporeal form, but what enraged her was Wormtail's action. In Alaska's opinion, friends were to be treasured and betrayal was the worst form of cowardice ever to be administered. To lose all touch with reality and friendship by leading two friends to their death, imprisoning another to twelve years of hell and then trying to kill the son of two of his prior best friends, not once, but TWICE! It was an unforgivable act. And to make things worse, the pompous ass of a Minister actually tried sucking up to her due to her connections with Minister Jefferson and then proceeded to call Harry a liar. His denial would be the death of the Magical Community, along with his cowardice.
The only silver lining of the devastating night was her capturing the bug, Rita Skeeter.
Things were about to change colossally in Magical Britain after this night; Alaska Gilbert was terrified and couldn't wait to return to her picturesque and idyllic town of Mystic Falls.
A/N: I know this is an excruciating long chapter, but I wanted to get the introduction over and done with. I merely summarized a part of Alaska's life so that next chapter we can begin with the actual events. The next chapters won't be a quick summary like this chapter.
To confide a part of my plot to this new story that just wouldn't leave my head until I started writing it: There will be a few events of Fifth Year & Sixth Year that play an important part to my story and is slightly different from canon. The Horcrux Hunt (Seventh Year) will be overlapping at the same time with Vampire Diaries Season 1 & 2, but I will show some dates as more AU. Also, the Horcrux Hunt and Voldemort's takeover will differentiate slightly from canon, so there will be many changes throughout my story.
Now, I know that a lot of events in Alaska's first years at Hogwarts were skipped, but I merely wanted to show her personality and her part instead of Hermione in the Golden Trio. During the plot of my story, there will be references to events I skipped out on. I have many plans for this new story of mine, and next chapter we will stress on the Death Eaters as well, most importantly the Lestranges and Dolohov.
Question; should I save Sirius? Or have him die like canon? Let me know! XD
R&R.