Chapter Two ~ The Mark
I awoke sprawled on the compartment floor, the darkness gaping out like a black hole of eternity. Bits of glass were strewn all over the blue carpet, blood dampened the hard carpet floors and the stench was unbearable. Opening my eyes slowly I looked around at the still dark surroundings, when I felt something clutching my hand. Gray had it firmly in his tight grip, as if he's making sure that I don't run off into the sinister train. Uncurling his hand from mine he stirred slightly, but did not wake. 'Anna,' I whispered in her ear and pat her head slightly. 'Anna please get up!' I said a little bit louder than the first. To this her brown eyes flick open and she shakes her head slightly. 'Oh my gosh, was I out for this long?' she asked looking round at the wreckage.
'Yes, only me and Gray were awake to see the Child, but she doesn't call herself the Child she said 'I am the Dark Child, you have been warned,' I told her and she gasps. All is silent in our carriage but then we see a light. 'Anna someone's awake!' I said loudly pointing to the light. The person carrying the light slides open the compartment door, and we can see his face a little clearer. Taking out our wands we both mutter 'Lumos,' and the bright light shines in his face. It's not the Driver, and it's certainly not the Dark child,it's a teacher. The new DADA teacher to be exact, as the last one fell ill after seventeen years of teaching. 'How many are in your compartment?' he asked to which we both reply 'Five,' and he nods. 'How many are unconscious?' he asked and we reply 'Three,' and he nods like before.
'Well I am Professor Sirius Black Jr., now I am assuming that you are Miss Scamander and Miss Pryce?' he questioned whilst repairing the windows and the lights in our compartment. I nod as Anna does and look at my wounds. The scar on my arm is still bleeding and I have many cuts on my legs, arms, and my face. Luckily Anna also had enough sense to remove the pieces of glass from her body as well, just before she passed out. The Professor sends a ball of light into the now fixed lamp, causing light to flood into the darkness of the compartment which gives me a better look at my surroundings. There is dry and wet blood everywhere, though there is a minimal amount of glass because the Professor used it to fix the windows and lamp. Just before he is about to go I blurt out, 'Professor because I blacked out, there was a Child, an evil looking one standing outside and she said I am the Dark Child, you have been warned, do you know what that could mean?' and he looks horrified. His eyes widen in shock and with a hurry he summons some parchment and a quill and begins to write. 'Miss Pryce may I borrow your owl?' he stated, meaning it be a rhetorical question as he indicates to her owl Fluff and she nods in agreement. Taking out some string he attaches the letter to Fluff and opens the window, letting her take off into the night sky
'I have sent a letter to the Headmistress, Professor McGonnagoll, now I am going to see the Driver and would you two kindly tend to your three friends,' he said sincerely and without warning zooms off, sending light into the lamps he has fixed as he goes. 'Well that was strange,' I said to Anna who laughs hardly. Shaking Gray I kick him slightly and he stirs heavily, then I slap him slightly and he wakes up and puts his hands up to his eyes because of the bright light. Taking a big piece of glass out of his leg I chuck it out of the open window and remove some smaller pieces with my wand, also hurling them out of the window. 'Professor Black's just been in,' Anna informed him, indicating the fixed windows and lamp. 'Yes, he's sent a letter to the Headmistress,' I said whilst shaking Gemma and James.
Gemma was the first to wake shaking her head slightly, then removing a piece of glass from her finger. Next James wakes up and is very lucky to have no glass in him at all, because he seemed to have rolled underneath the seat when the windows smashed, which released the worst amount of glass. 'That was strange,' I whispered to Anna then release in shock. 'Lorcan and Lysander, I need to help them!' I shouted and heaved the compartment door open. Gray is running after me in a jiff, as I go through checking the now lit compartments for my twin brothers. I finally come to them, huddled together in a compartment and wrap my arms round both of them. 'There was a scary girl,' Lorcan murmered and Lysander added 'Yeah she blew up the windows and the lamp,' but luckily they are not too damaged because like James they must've had enough sense to roll under the seats.
'Thank god you two are okay,' I whispered in their ears and hug them again. 'Okay stay in the compartment until we get to Hogsmeade, and when we get there you two go straight to Hagrid, got it?' I instructed them and they nod deciding to obey my orders rather than go against them. Breathing out a sigh of relief I close the door behind me and jump as I find Gray staring right at me. 'You really do care about you brothers,' he said and I nod and replied 'Of course I do, they're the only brothers I have and I love them dearly, and well if they died I would never forgive myself,' but he just nods and walks back to the compartment, gesturing me to follow
Grabbing my robes out of my trunk me, Gemma and Anna head to an empty compartment to change into our uniform. Slipping on my tights, I grab my skirt ad hike it up just so it's three inches above the knee, next I put on my white shirt and black/grey jumper with Ravenclaw stripes on, then I take out my blue and silver Ravenclaw tie and tie it how my Father taught me, finally I take out my billowing black robes with the Ravenclaw emblem on and slide them onto my body. Taking out my black brogues I tie them carefully and braid my hair but then decide to take it out, which lets my long hair flow down my back like a black wave. Gemma pulled the sleeve of my robe up, where my scar opened and begins closing the wound, carefully with her wand. She does the same for most of my cuts and for Anna's, then me and Anna start to close hers. We're all in Ravenclaw and we know why we were put in our house, because we show smartness but that doesn't mean we're the best house and we know that as well.
Sliding open the door we return to our compartment, and James and Gray have also changed into their uniform as well. 'Gray come here you have blood all over you face,' I shouted and grab his arm, take out a tissue, spit on it then scrub his face clean. 'James you too, don't want to scare the first years, do we?' I laughed then spat on another tissue and scrubbed his face as well. 'Thanks Rowey,' he said and patted my head, then the train stops this time at Hogsmeade Station. Stepping out into the corridor, me Anna and Gemma slide open the carriage door and step out into the cool autumn air. The wind blows in my face, refreshing it from the humid train and I breathe in gulps of fresh air, letting it fill my lungs as if I have escaped out of a vivid nightmare. Huddles of First Years are bundled together, some crying from the shock of what happened on the train. They zoomed over to Hagrid, probably glad to be safe with the lovely half-giant. Hagrid made you feel safe when all was wrong.
Walking down the dirt path, I climb into one of the Thestral drawn carriages; I can see them because I saw my aunt Beatrice murdered by the former death eater that bequeathed me the scar on my arm. Anna and Gemma climbed in after me, followed by James and Gray and a girl in Gryffindor whom I had never seen before. She had long blonde hair with a purple streak and a blue streak on the side fringe, her eyes were a baby blue and she was rather small. 'Hey,' I said quietly and smiled and the girl, and to my surprise she smiled back. 'I'm Twilighta,' she said in a quiet voice and pushed her glasses back on onto her nose. 'Rowena,' I said smiling widely. 'I'm Anna,' Anna said rather loudly and high fived Twilighta, as did Gemma, James and Gray. We all laughed rather loudly, attracting attention from a carriage full of Slytherins. 'I'm assuming we're all in Third Year,' Gray said and everyone nodded. 'It's my birthday next month,' I say quietly and Gray adds in 'Yeah but it's my birthday this month,' and I roll my eyes but in a humorous way.
'Did you see what happened on the train?' James asked Twilighta and she nodded. 'I saw a child, but she just went past me then I blacked out,' she said and I gasped. 'I saw her, well me and Gray did, but she spoke she said I am the Dark Child you have been warned and I saw her on the platform at Kings Cross,' I say quietly as our heads all form a tight circle so we can speak in private. 'It could be a sign,' Twilighta suggested and I nodded. 'It has to be some sort of omen, or maybe some sort of warning because she said you have been warned,' Gemma all suggested to which we all agreed. 'She's trying to tell us something but what is it?' Anna asked out loud and everyone furrows their brows in concentration.
'How about we meet in the library on Thursday evening?' I suggested and they all murmured in agreement. 'Okay so after dinner Thursday in the Library,' I clarified as the carriages drew to a stop at the entrance gates and we all clambered out, readying ourselves for the walk up to the castle. We walk in a group of six, Gray walks on the end, then me, then Anna, followed by Twilighta, James and Gemma. I can hear many people talking about the train journey amongst them and start to think about it more closely. Had the Dark Child planned for this to happen or was it because Anna and I had become curious that she decided to attack? But why the whole train, why not just our compartment? I wondered what Professor Black had said to the Driver, he was obviously the son of Sirius Black Sr. because of his name but where did he come from? There were so many unanswered questions running through my mind that I didn't notice her standing right in front of me. No one else could see her, only me. The Dark Child, our noses were almost touching and a wicked smile erupted on her face. My arm burnt and I cried aloud in the pain, she was cursing me I was sure of it. And then she disappeared.
Looking down at my arm I saw a mark, not the Dark Mark but a small sword through a heart emblem. Running my finger along it, I felt the gradually growing darkness take over and drifted off again, this time falling on the floor. I heard screams and Gray was saying something, it sounded like 'It's okay,' then someone looked at my arm and screamed again. The sword was growing, I could feel it and it must've reached from the end of my wrist to the crook of my elbow. Then with one final breath I let go of everything and let the darkness seep into my body, I let the darkness take over my entire body so to end the misery. And with that I blacked out.