Chapter 1

The house was always bustling this time of year, but on this particular Saturday in August, there was more cause than usual for excitement. The previous Wednesday, Elora's sister Emile has received her invitation to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The young girl was finally old enough to buy a wand and begin practicing magic, which was cause for celebration in any wizarding household.

Elora was excited for her sister. Their brother Braeden would be starting his third year at Hogwarts, and now Elora would be left alone with her parents, anxious for the three remaining years to pass so that she could leave home as well. She felt a strong desire to explore and learn.

Elora watched as her parents fussed over Emile. She wondered if she would be able to make the trip this day with her family. She had never been to Diagon Alley with her brother. Perhaps now she was old enough.

"Mother?" she said tentatively as she stepped into the entrance hall of their home. "Can I come with you?"

Phoebe Leatherby's eyes fixed on her daughter, instantly becoming hard. She pursed her lips, as if trying to decide. "No," she said tightly. "We will be dropping your off at Granny's. I expect you to behave yourself. She has been generous enough to offer to take you to the park."

Elora saddened at the news but only temporarily. She was going to Granny's! And she was taking her to the park. What fun! Granny was her best friend in the whole world. She was her only friend, actual, but maybe she could make a new one at the park. She loved making friends; they just never seemed to stick.

"Have fun, booger," Emile said, her lips turning up into a twisted smirk. Then her eyes were on her mother. "Which house do you think I'll get into?"

"Hope for Ravenclaw," Braeden said, walking a circle around his sister with his hands folded neatly behind his back. His sandy hair was combed back perfectly, and his blue eyes glittered in the sunlight that shone through the glass in the door. "It's obviously the best."

Their father, who had come to stand beside his wife, coughed. Arnold Leatherby was a tall, strong-looking man who rarely had a look of pleasure on his face. Everyone knew not to mess with him.

The smile on Braeden's face disappeared. "Or Slytherin," he said quickly.
Slytherin is just as good."

His father nodded in approval.

"It does not matter which house you are sorted into," Phoebe said, smiling warmly at Emile before kissing her on the head. "We will love you just the same."

Only because she doesn't have a chance of getting into Gryffindor or Hufflepuff, Elora thought. She did not understand what was wrong with those two houses. They seemed fine to her, and she could even seen some traits of both in herself. But her father came from a long line of Slytherins and her mother a line of Ravenclaws. They claimed joining together would produce children with the best traits of both houses (which were, apparently, the only worthy houses, according to them), but Elora thought that was just an excuse for them falling in love.

"Let's be off," Arnold said. "We're wasting time."

Granny Chrysanthemum did not live far. She ran a small bakery, which Elora's parents did not approve of because the considered baking servant work, and she had a small flat above the store. Elora always loved visiting her grandma. They were both so much alike, inside and out. They had the same long, flowing, white-blond hair that no one else in the family had inherited, and their faces had similar features, though Elora's were blue like her father's and Granny had the same hazel eyes as her daughter. Inside, the two females shared a love of exploration and wonder at the world.

Granny was all smiles when she opened the door. "Good afternoon, Phoebe," she said pleasantly before bending down to peer at Elora. "And how are you, my shining light?"

Elora smiled at the use of the meaning of her name. "Good, Granny," she said. "How are you?"

"Just fine, dear." Granny stood up, her eyes now falling on Emile. "Are you excited to be staring your education?"

"Yes!" Emile said, her eyes shining. "I can't wait to get my wand!"

Granny chuckled lightly. "Of course, darling. You better hurry before they're all sold out." She winked.

Emile's eyes widened. "They don't sell out!" She cast a fearful look at Phoebe. "Do they, mother?"

Braeden snorted. "Of course not. Be rational, Emile."

Phoebe cast her mother a hostile glance, and she pulled Emily towards her. "Come on, honey. It is time for us to leave." Her eyes flickered to her youngest daughter, her eyes hardening slightly. "Be good, you."

Elora nodded. She waited until her family had departed, and then she turned to Granny and smiled. "Mum said something about a park."

"Oh, yes," Granny said, her eyes lighting up. "I think I've found a good one. Would you like to go?"

Elora grinned. "Yes!"

Granny chuckled. "Alright. Let's go inside and you can gather anything you want to bring with you. We will be there for awhile."

Elora was not sure what this particular park looked like, so she could not figure out what to bring. She eventually settled on a long blanket and a book. These were general items that would work just about anywhere. She put them in a box and trotted back to Granny. Then the two of them started off to the park together.

"It is going to be lonely once you sister leaves," Granny commented as they walked.

Elora frowned slightly. "Yeah." Not that she and Emile were close by any means. It was just that she was afraid to be alone in the house with her mother.

"I get lonely too," Granny said. "We'll have to keep each other company these next few years. If you like this park, we can go back anytime you like."

Elora smiled. That sounded absolutely wonderful to her.

The park was beautiful. There was a playground in the middle with a soccer field and a basketball court on the edges. "Have fun now," Granny called as the 8-year-old ran off towards the playground, still carrying her box.

Once her feet hit the gravel, Elora stopped and looked around at the equipment. Hmm… She smiled when she saw a roundabout, and her mind began to spin with ideas. Perfect! She trotted over to the roundabout and plopped her box beside it. Then she took out her blanket, lifted it up to make sure it would fit, and flung it over the piece of equipment. The blanket covered the bars and showed some of the outer circle. Great.

She glanced at the main piece of the playground. It made many different sections that connected together. That was not how she saw it, though. In her eyes, it was a monstrous villain threatening her very existence. She was determined to survive.

Now she needed something long and pointy. A stick would be ideal. Seeing a row of shrubs separating the gravel from the grass, she walked over to see what she could find. What great luck! There was a perfectly good stick lying on the grass. Elora had to crawl under the shrub to reach it, but it was well worth the effort.

She stuck the stick halfway under the blanket. She stepped back and put her hands on her hips to admire her work. Yes, this was perfect. Now she was ready to begin. There were dark forces to defeat!

"What are you doing?"

Elora nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of a voice behind her. She relaxed when she turned around and saw that it was just a boy about her age. She wondered how long he had been watching her. His look was unfriendly; his face had a cold and calculating expression. He had jet black hair and dark eyes. Despite his obvious demeanor, Elora concluded that he was cute.

"Well?" the boy said.

Elora blinked. He was looking for an answer. What was she doing? Well, he was the one who had asked… "I'm preparing to defeat the evil dragon that is threatening the village."

The boy gave her a look that suggested he thought she was crazy. She did not mind; she was used to it. "What dragon?"

"Over there," Elora said, pointing to the play gym.

The boy gave her an odd look. "That's not a dragon. They don't even exist."

"Yes it is! And yes they do!" Dragons didn't exist? Where did he grow up? Oh, right. He was a muggle.

The boy scoffed. "You're mad." His eyes fell on the roundabout. "What are you doing with this?"

Elora smiled, quickly regaining her pleasant attitude. "I'm charging up my sword." She pointed to the stick. "I have to spin this thing around, and if I am worthy, I will be able to pull out the sword."

"What is wrong with you?" the boy said.

Elora frowned. "Don't you have an imagination?" Though she had to admit, she had not come up with this completely on her own. "Let me show you." She walked over to her box and pulled out the book, which contained stories and pictures about King Arthur. She flipped through the book until she got to a particular part and held it out to the boy. The left page showed a young boy struggling to pull a sword out of a large stone, and the right page showed the boy successfully raising the glowing sword.

"This isn't real," the other kid retorted. Then his eyebrows creased in thought. "Who's that?" He pointed to an old man standing behind Arthur. He had blue robes, a long white beard, and glasses.

Elora smiled. "That's Merlin. He's the greatest wizard in the world." And he had been a Slytherin, as her father always loved to point out.

The boy continued to study the book with a look of interest on his face.

"So, do you want to help me defeat the dragon?" Elora asked brightly.

The boy lowered the book and frowned at her. "No," he said, pushing the book into her chest. "I still think you're mad."

Before Elora could reply, a taunting voice said, "Look! Someone's got a girlfriend!"

Three older, haughty-looking boys were standing in front of them. The kid in the middle had his arms crossed and a smug look on his face; it had been him who had spoken.

"She's not my girlfriend," the boy with the black hair said in a dark tone. Then, as if to prove it, he turned to Elora and pushed her to the ground. The other boys laughed and jeered.

The girl was slightly offended, but she soon forgot about it as she stood up and brushed herself off. She did not like how these knew kids were looking at the boy she had been talking to. The leader was advancing toward him. "Leave him alone!" Elora said boldly.

The kids laughed. "What are you going to do about it?" the leader asked.

The black-haired boy shot Elora a sharp look. "I don't need your help."

"I say we get them both," the boy on the left said. "Teach them a lesson."

The boy on the right nodded his head in agreement. "Let's do it."

The first boy smiled wickedly. "Then it's on."

Elora's eyes widened as she sensed real danger. What would King Arthur do? She quickly dropped before jumping onto the roundabout and using her left foot to push off and spin the thing around. The boy's faces were blurry as she passed them. After several turns, she jumped back off, steadying herself from the resulting dizziness. Then she grabbed the stick, broke it in half, and tossed one end to her companion, who caught it.

The bullies laughed again. "What are you going to do with those, poke us to death?" the leader sneered.

"To the dragon!" Elora bellowed. She and the black-haired boy raced off together towards the play set. The older kids were hard on their heels.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" her companion said as they scrambled up a ladder.

"No," Elora replied, "but we have to get to the heart!"

"And where is that?"

She could tell he was still not playing into this, but she had no time to persuade him. Her eyes quickly darted along the play set. "This way!" She charged forward, leading them across a rickety wooden bridge.

"They're coming!" the boy said.

But one of them was in front of them now. How he got there, Elora did not know, and it did not matter. Thinking quickly, she ducked down and darted between the kid's legs, causing him to stumble and fall over. Looking back, she saw her companion roll him over the side of the play gym. One down, two to go.

They were at monkey bars now. Elora swung across them first. She had not done this in awhile, and it made her hands hurt. Behind her, she heard an off, followed by the sound of someone crashing to the ground. Alarmed, she quickly got to the other side so she could turn around and inspect the damage. She was relieved when she saw that it was the black-haired boy who had kicked one of the other kids, causing him to fall into the gravel. Now there was only the leader left.

"Where's the heart?" the boy asked, still clutching the stick in his hand.

"Up there!" She pointed t a high tower where there was a long slide leading to the ground. They had to climb up a rope ladder to get there.

"Let's go then," the boy said. This time, he took the lead.

Elora's heart beat frantically as she scampered up the ladder, but she was thrilled by the adrenalin that rushed through her. She could hear someone behind her, and she climbed faster. Once she was on top, she jabbed her 'sword' I between two bars. "There!" she exclaimed. Then she quickly climbed up on a higher ledge to get a better look at the playground. She glanced down at her companion. "Finish it off!"

But the leader of the gang had already arrived, and he was advancing towards the other boy with a hideous snarl on his face. "You're going to pay," he growled.

The black-haired boy stepped back, but he stripped and fell backwards. He tried to scoot to his right as the enemy loomed over him.

Elora held in a gasp; she could not give aware her position. Gathering up as much courage as she could, she leapt down and pushed the older kid in the direction of the slide. The boy let out a cry of surprise as he was forced down the slide. The younger boy seemed shocked as well.

"Come on!" Elora said, a sense of urgency in her voice.

The boy got to his feet and stuck his stick near hers. She grabbed hold of the pole in front of her and slid down. Once both of them were safe, they ran for the hedges. They climbed over the shrubs and then duck down low.

Their breathing was shallow as they knelt there, waiting for something to happen. After several minutes, it became apparent that they had escaped, and they slowly stood up.

Elora chuckled nervously. "That was fun."

"It was good to get back at them," the boy agreed. "They've been bothering me for some time."

"Who were those guys?"

The boy hesitated before speaking. "They're just boys who… live at the orphanage with me."

Elora let out a gasp. "You're an orphan?"

The boy nodded.

"How long?"

"Since the hour I was born."

There was a hint of bitterness in his voice, and it caused Elora to frown at him in sympathy. "And you haven't been adopted?" It seed strange. Weren't babies usually adopted quickly?

"I don't need a family," the boy said. "I just want out of the orphanage. It's miserable."

"But everyone needs a family," Elora said. "You can't live on your own. Isn't it the better option?"

The boy shrugged. "It depends on the kind of family."

"Any kind of family is better than none," Elora said softly. And she would know. She often dreamed of running away, but something always kept her grounded. Maybe it was hope. Or love. "Do you have any friends?"

The boy shook his head. "I don't need any of those either."

"Yes, you do!" Elora said with more energy than she had intended. She blushed slightly when the boy raised an eyebrow at her. "I mean… I'll be your friend."

"I don't want your pity," the boy snarled.

Elora blinked, taken back. She was one of the last people who would reach out to someone out of pity. "I just-"

The boy turned his head when a woman's voice resonated across the playground. Looking back at the girl, he frowned. "I've got to go."

"Wait!" Elora said as he started to walk away. "What's your name?"

The boy stopped and looked at her once more. "Tom Riddle," he said with no emotion in his voice.

Elora smiled slightly. "I'm Elora Leatherby."

Tom made no sign of acknowledgement. He simply turned around wand waltzed away. Elora was left alone, wondering about their meeting.