Chapter 3
The Lake holds many Memories
(This was written between two people)
Darren was resting under a trees looking out at the water. It was the weekend and he decided he'd rather spend his time alone like he usually did in his life. He had sent his Phoenix off to deliver a letter to his father who was in Australia. The tree swayed in the wind and the lake's surface rippled. He wondered what everyone else would be doing in their free days. He was fascinated how other witches and wizards acted at school. He spent so much time with creatures he treated humans as the beasts that had unknown routines.
Darren sat up and looked into the lake hoping to see the lake monster that all the kids talked about. The sun was reflecting off the water obscuring his site. He suddenly wondered if he should be as close to the water that he was. Darren quickly retreated from the edge of the lake almost head butting the tree he was leaning against. Darren quickly grabbed his bag and homework from the tree and retreated a few steps back. Darren sat back down onto the surprisingly soft ground and looked through his bag. He found a lolly that his father had sent him from a wizard shop in Diagon alley. He opened the wrapper and popped it in his mouth. The taste was very different from other sweets he had before. It changed tasted every layer it went down but it also really never stopped with the other tastes. He laid down on the ground and looked up towards the castle only to see someone blocking his view.
Well, they only blocked his view for a moment before passing. Darren sat up to see a small girl in his year sit herself down near the water's edge. Her long hair danced lazily behind her like ribbons in the sunlight, playing with the subtle breeze. She closed her eyes and pulled her knees to her chest, resting her chin on arms. She was at peace, listening to the autumn leaves rustle in the wind; water lap over smoothed rocks; the warmth of the sun kiss her light skin. Yet, as she sat in complete silence, just listening, she felt a disturbance. Eyes, watching, staring with curiosity and question.
Darren looked at the girl that was sitting at the water's edge. He had seen her before in fact he had seen her in most of his classes and also on the Train with her brother. She was a Slytherin but not the same as the cruel kids he had met before. She never taunted him nor joined in with the other Slytherin so Darren guessed she was different from the others. Darren slowly edged down towards her carrying his bag making
sure he showed no sign of fear as he did with all magical creatures and people. His father had said to him "Don't let them see the fear or they will take advantage of it". Darren knew this was true and he followed his father's rules as he was always right and Darren knew that. He sat down next to the girl not making a sound and stared at her.
"Hey, what is your name? Mine is Darren, I thought I knew you from somewhere" exclaimed Darren trying to make a conversation to the girl.
She smiled sweetly at him, opening her eyes and replying, "My name is Kyra." she tilted her head just a tad to the side as she looked at him, her blue eyes sparkling. "Pleased to officially meet you."
"What do you mean 'officially'?" Darren asked, moving the lolly from his mouth as he awaited her answer.
Kyra shrugged, "We've never spoken before, yet I see you in nearly every class." Darren nodded but before he could say anything, Kyra added softly, "You avoid me because I'm a Slytherin, right?"
"Well I guess I do I just think most Slytherins are selfish and stuck up" muttered Darren under his breath feeling the lolly sticking against his cheek "But you are nicer than them so I guess not Slytherins are bad"
Darren looked at the girl for a moment trying to get a grasp on the fact he had someone to talk to for once. He felt so away from the world usually and thought he was like a ghost. But then he remembered even ghosts could be seen so he would've been no one to be invisible. He looked into his unzipped bag and found a bag of the lollies and withdrew one and offered it to the girl who was still sitting next to him.
She smiled sadly and accepted it, unwrapping it and popping it into her mouth. She locked her fingers together and said absently, as though she'd forgotten he was there, "I sometimes feel so invisible here; it is as though I never was alive."
Darren looked at his hands, not sure what to say, "Um, I kinda, um, feel the same way - though more like a ghost I guess."
Kyra laughed lightly, "I'm glad you aren't."
"What?"
"You're the only person outside of my house to talk to me without fear. And if you do have fear, you hide it well." she smiled at him before dropping her eyes again, "Even in my own house people avoid me, cause my brothers a Gryffindor." she sighed lightly and held the lolly up to the sun; it cast a faint green tint across her face.
"Really? Well Kyra I do believe that we shall sooner or later fit into the rest of the crowed... hopefully" exclaimed Darren lying on his back
He was amazed that he wasn't the only person feeling alone and misplaced. it made him feel happy and less alone then he was before. The only problem he had ever had was being different and alone but now with someone like Kyra he knew he wasn't the only one he felt rejected. Her brother was Gryffindor which must have made life hell for her in the Slytherin common room. He took off his shoes and socks and walked towards the lake. He deep his feet in making sure that his pants would not get wet. He looked back at Kyra smiling
"You ever heard of the lake monster in here? I sent a letter to my dad, he works with magical creatures. I am going to find out what the creature is hopefully" Said Darren watching Kyra suck on her lolly
Kyra smiled and stood up, removing her shoes and socks and rolling up her jeans to her knees. "Hey, you can't go alone." she laughed and hurried into the lake, splashing water everywhere.
Darren laughed too, covering his face as water hit him. "You honestly believe in the lake monster?"
Kyra shrugged, wipping water from her glowing face, "Sure, I mean, why not. If I obtained my powers because my brother hit me with a weird spell, I'll believe anything."
Darren nodded then asked out of curiosity, "What do you mean, you obtained your power from a spell?"
Kyra looked out over the lake and said simply, "It's a complicated story - a complicated family history really."
"No pressure," Darren said quickly, making her smile again, "I won't ask you to tell me. I've got my own secrets too."
"Alright, thanks. Let's go find us a monster."
Darren smiled at Kyra who Darren knew he could trust compared to other people. There weren't that many people in his year and the ones that were never really spoke to him. Not Kyra though she was sweet and nice to Darren, He enjoyed being in her company despite she was a Slytherin she was nice. He saw the sun shine through the clouds cascade down onto the lakes surface. He could see the creatures shadow underneath the water.
"I know what you are" muttered Darren under his breath "I am going to have so much fun writing about you"
The creature moaned under the water it was still clear when the sound penetrated the lakes surface it almost enhanced it.
"You do realise to find the creature we have to go swimming?" asked Darren looking at the girl and pointing to the Lake "And we don't have any swimmers on meaning we'd have to get our clothes wet"
Kyra laughed, smiling, "And I don't see a problem with that. I don't mind the water you know, plus, my shirt is navy blue, so I'm fine." she felt so unbelievably happy around him; she trusted him and felt like he might honestly be her first real friend. Hopefully, she thought to herself, mentally crossing her fingers.
"Do you know any spells that will let us breath underwater?" Darren asked as the thought finally entered his mind.
Kyra pondered the question before remembering something in a book she'd been reading. "Yeah, I wrote the spell on the back of one of my sketches. One second; I'll go get it." she waded out of the water and ran over the stones to her book bag. Darren came up behind her and looked over her shoulder as she rummaged through her papers.
They were unlike anything he'd seen anyone else draw. All were still - not moving - and in black ink and pencil. But what caught his attention most was the fact that they all had something to do with creatures. Werewolves, vampires, faeries, merpeople-
"Here, this one." she exclaimed, holding up an ink sketch of a kind of water sprite. "Infinitas aer."
"Endless air," Darren murmured, still slightly amazed by the drawing. Did she really believe in creatures like he did?
Kyra nodded, not fully realizing that her friend was in a temporary haze "It's a harder spell, but it'll last until we come up for real air again."
Darren was looking at the sketch in Kyra's hand he had never seen such beautiful drawings before. He had tried to sketch Creatures he had met but he really couldn't draw. His father encouraged him saying they were good drawings but Darren knew they weren't any good, these though were master pieces. He heard Kyra mutter something about the spell but really wasn't paying very much attention he nodded as Kyra finished her sentence.
"You're a very good drawer has anyone ever told you that?" asked Darren looking at the other sketches "My Father would love to see your drawings he'd probably rather you with him at work rather than me" he looked at the merpeople "He... works with Magical creatures, maybe one day in the holidays you could come with us and sketch the Creatures"
He looked at the werewolf sketch and shivered. He remembered when he had been running from the creature with his father. Nothing could stop it every spell used only postponed it for a short while He and his father had made it into a Shack and locked the door magically just in time.
Kyra paused for just a second before saying, "That's not true. You're his son; clearly you out rank me based souly on that." she tucked the sketch back into her bag and stood up after closing it. "But I'd like to visit over the summer. Perhaps I could write a letter home asking? I doubt my parents would have a problem with it. That'd be my brother..."
"Overly protective, I'm guessing?" Darren asked, raising an eyebrow.
Kyra nodded with a smile, "You're right. He's like the parent nobody asked him to be." they shared a laugh before she asked Darren, "We're still going after the lake monster, right?"
Her eyes wondered back to the lake. Its glass surface was undisturbed, shimmering an inky black. The wind gave a sudden howl, blowing Kyra's hair across her face; Darren covered his eyes with his hands to avoid the dust and dirt being carried by it. Kyra tossed her face to face the lake head on so her hair no longer clouded her view. A thunderous growl ripped through the silence the moment the wind vanished into nothingness.
Darren too was facing the lake and together they witnesses a long spine-like creature twist in the air before breaking the surface of the lake with a huge splash - there was enough force behind it to create waves that rolled dangerously fast towards shore.
Kyra and Darren took off, grabbing their things as they hurried for the grass. They made it just in time. The waves choked the entire rock shoreline before recoiling back to their proper place like dogs scaring off trespassers.
Darren looked at Kyra and in that instant they both knew, whether or not they actually did follow after the monster, it was not a task to be taken lightly.
"Well wasn't that exiting?" exclaimed Darren putting down his bag keeping an eye on the water "I know what is as well" Darren pulled a book from his kaki bag He searched through the book looking at all the strange creatures "Here" he pointed to a page with a picture of a giant creature
The creature looked like a spine pure bone with the little discs in the middle of the joints. Its head was a Angel fish crossed with a dragon, its eyes glowed with a ghostly blue.
"Dad told me about these, in ancient times these things could destroy whole armadas in seconds" muttered Darren looking at Kyra "So I really don't think we should be going after it buuuut you can re draw it off the picture in my book"
He put the book in Kyra's arms and kept watching the water. He closed his bag and looked back at Kyra "Hey if you really want to see this thing we can go I am just saying it is very dangerous"
Kyra read over the words printed beneath the creatures picture (one she did plan on sketching later on after the rest of the Slytherins went to bed). Shaking her head she said, "There is no way I'm going after that alone and I'm not dragging you along so we die together." Kyra stared at the lake in awe. "How in the world do the merpeople put up with such a monster?"
"Stay out of its way and not tick it off?" he joked; Kyra's lips curved into a smile.
"Mind if I borrow the book? I wanna check out some of the other creatures after the common rooms emptied for the night." her eyes were hopeful; Darren couldn't say no.
"Sure, but it's my fathers."
Kyra nodded, "Understood. I'll take great care of it."
"So the Slytherins really don't like you?" asked Darren looking at Kyra
She was staring through the book studying all of the creatures that were through the book. It was an old book but had allot of information and pictures he knew Kyra would take great care of it. Even if it was destroyed when he got it back he knew she wouldn't have let it just happen, she would've tried to stop the problem.
"I thought you know being in a house meant you were respected I mean I have different people in Ravenclaw but they always are recognized well except for me but you know" said Darren staring at Kyra waiting for an answer
"They don't like me for many reasons. My brother is merely a smudge on my record." she averted her eyes, not wanting him to see her if her eyes began to fill with tears. "I didn't exactly obtain my magic like most wizards. Forget about the fact that I'm not a pureblood. Both my parents are squibs. The only reason I'm at this school is because my brother enhanced my powers enough for them to accept Me." she closed the book and hugged it to her chest.
Darren stood silent, unsure of what to say. It was just too much. How she managed to live with it all and not be reduced to an emo child who couldn't even pull off a fake smile was beyond his knowledge.
"People judge me like they'd judge a book: The cover's boring, so it must be lame. The titles been used, so it must be a re-write. I just get so - It's just so -" Kyra sucked in a heavy breath, whipping her eyes with the back of her hand. She put on a real smile and removed the thoughts from her mind. "It's not your burden to carry. I apologize." the smile turned sad and her eyes glistened with waiting tears.
Listen I promise you I will look out for you besides I think we can agree we are now really good friends" said Darren wiping away a stray tear from Kyra's face "Now don't be sad who cares what other people think, they are just... normal, We are what keeps things interesting the weird people. We almost jumped in a lake with one of the most dangerous creatures on earth!" exclaimed Darren pointing to the river "If that is weird I don't know what is, now come on you have a great friend, a really good artistic side and a bag of lollies cheer up, if not for you cheer up for me!"
Darren looked at Kyra with hope that she would see the bright side
Kyra nodded, effortlessly casting a real smile, "You're right. You're a great friend and yeah, it's true. Us weirdo's have a tendency to keep things interesting." She gave a small laugh and dried her eyes using the palms of her hands.
"See, there's the Kyra I know!" Darren exclaimed, patting her on the back and handing her another lolly, "Orange this time?"
"Thanks," she replied, tucking the wrapper in her bag and popping it into her mouth. It tasted like the fresh Christmas oranges her mom would buy sprinkled with sugar
"That's alright dad said he be sending me some very soon in fact to-" Darren was interrupted by a squawk of a bird.
He looked up and smiled, it was his phoenix Argon. The red bird dived down towards the earth. Darren could see and object strapped to Argons leg. A small package and a letter, the bird swooped down and landed on Darren's shoulder. It flexed its wings the folded them against its body.
"Oh good boy!" exclaimed Darren untying the package off the birds leg "Kyra I'd like you to meet my Phoenix Argon, Argon go say hi!" muttered Darren putting the package in his bag.
The bird ignored its master for a second and pulled Darren's necklace up out of his shirt. It was a Golden Phoenix encrusted with Many Jewels. Darren Quickly grabbed the necklace and hid it back under his shirt. The bird squawked and flew over towards Kyra landing on her shoulder.
Kyra smiled as the elegant bird landed on Darren's shoulder. She'd never seen such a creature before. Oh, to be able to sketch its beauty, Kyra thought.
"Argon, go say hi!" Darren said with joy, putting the package in his bag. Kyra watched the bird pull out a golden chain, but only saw a blur of jewel bright colours before it was hidden again. The bird squawked and flew over to Kyra. The muscles in her arm tensed as the bird landed on her shoulder, but relaxed instantly after it landed. It was so gentle for something that looked like it'd kill you without a thought to it.
Kyra slowly reached out a hand to stroke its feathered body, and the bird allowed her to do so freely. Yet, as she admired the bird, her mind was stuck on the necklace. It was gold ... and decorated with brilliant orange jewels.
'I won't ask you to tell me, I've got my own secrets...' Darren's words ran through her head and she let out a silent sigh.
I should let him tell me on his own terms, Kyra thought, but she couldn't help herself. Curiosity was just too strong. "What was that?"
"What was what?" Darren asked.
"That blur of gold and orange."
"It is... a necklace; my mother gave it to me before... she died in a duel with a dark wizard" muttered Darren clutching the Necklace "The day she left for that Wizard she gave it to me. She knew how dangerous it was but her job at the ministry was to capture wizards and that she tried to do but..." his voice trailed off
He sat on the ground lowering his head "She never returned I hope everyday that she will walk into our house and things will go back to normal but I am sure after three years she would be dead" the last words were caught in his throat until he finally got them out.
He was still clutching the Phoenix Necklace in fact he was holding it so hard it hurt his hand. He held back the tears that he had stirred and cleared his throat. He stood up and put on a fake smile for Kyra, He didn't want her to see him like this so weak and venerable.
Kyra smiled faintly, seeing through his mask of false happiness. Why he had to pretend, Kyra didn't understand. His mother had passed - wounds like those never healed properly, always waiting to be ripped open. "It'll be alright." she said softly, touching his shoulder, "Trust me, it will be."
Darren shrugged away from her touch, desperately wanting to be alone now. "Yeah, sure." Kyra watched him take a few steps away, towards the lake. She sighed.
"There is always a way ... Always a spell, a charm..." she said to no one, merely wishing to hear the words spoken aloud. Her eyes wondered to the forest. It is so close, she thought, so peaceful and not seeming in the slightest like its holding dark secrets.
Kyra felt eyes on her; a sad smile pinted its way across her lips, eyelids dropping to the grass. "What do you mean?" Darren asked, his voice quiet, unsure.
He had the right to be, of course. The magic was dark, powerful and so beyond their level of experience. Yet - Kyra stopped the train of thought quickly. She wouldn't go there, not yet. The consequences would be great if something went wrong; the ever lurking trouble would linger, she knew.
She chose her next words carefully, speaking clearly, but in a hushed voice. There was a group of girls passing - older, maybe third years. They didn't need to hear.
"There are spells - very dark, very dangerous - and there are charms - very deadly if preformed wrong - that have certain ... abilities ... That you may, perhaps, find useful..."
"What are you talking about? What do you mean?" Darren asked again, his voice quivering slightly, like a gentle stroke of a brush across canvas.
Kyra drew in a slow, deep breath, still not looking at him; always looking at the forest ... in the forest ... beyond what could be seen. The wind moved gently, rustling the multi-coloured leaves, the long lush blades of grass, her long hair...
And in a haunting voice, that chilled him to the bone, she whispered, "There is a way to bring your mother back."
"What? How dangerous are these spells?" asked Darren eagerly walking back towards Kyra with interest "I mean could I perform them or would I probably get hurt in the process?"
Darren was full with hope now even if he had to wait a year it was worth hearing about and just knowing when he reached seventeen he could bring his mother back from the dead. He looked into Kyra's eyes he hadn't notice but they were quite nice. In fact her dark reddish hair getting blown around by the wind was nice as well. He never thought he'd have such a nice caring friend and he wasn't going to let his mother dare he say it get in the way of that.
Kyra smiled, looking at the greying sky. There was a storm coming. For Kyra, it was a sign. Not necessarily a positive one; not one of good fortune. Yet, it neither spelt doom nor a horrible outcome. It was a chance, rolling slowly towards her, to them. It was a test, a test of their friendship; of how much they might trust each other, regardless of how short a time they'd known each other. Still not looking at him she replied, "If you have the will of an experienced wizard, the need of a warrior, then the spell will come to you with ease. The power is wicked, and will tempt the loss of control. You yourself must decide if you want to perform them."
She levelled her head and turned to him. Her eyes took a serious tone; her lips hardened into a straight line. Kyra took Darren's hands in hers, locking her eyes on his and said in a voice best not challenged, "They could kill you. They could overpower you in the split second your focus is divided. They could rip your soul from your body; drain you of the energy needed to live; destroy your mind; make your brain explode."
She dropped his hands and cast her eyes away, back to the forest, "I could lose my only friend."
"For you Kyra I won't, I don't want you to be alone" muttered Darren "I can live without my mother but to lose someone like you after I have already lost someone I couldn't bear to do and I would never ever make you have to sit through the pain I did" he grabbed Kyra hands again and looked into her eyes.
She seemed so helpless and alone he would hate to make it worse "I will not do it and we shall never speak of this again because it may tempt me"
Kyra's eyes sparked with happiness as the words flowed from Darren's lips "I could never lose you and I know you would never want to lose me let's keep us together and strong and take no risks on that, but if you do anything chances are I'll still be your friend afterwards" his sentence trailed off as he stared into Kyra's eyes going deeper into her mind.
She turned away quickly, knowing how easy she was to read when she had only one focus. "Thank you," she whispered with a solemn smile. As their hands dropped, her icy blue-grey eyes rose again to the sky. The clouds had dominated. A low growl rolled through them. A droplet of rain kissed her cheek.
"Should we go inside?" Darren asked as the rain fell harder.
Kyra laughed, raising her hands to the sky. Her hair was drenched entirely, as were her clothes. He was no better. When she looked at him again, he'd slipped the book into her bag. She hurried over to him, "Thanks. Come on, before we catch a cold."
Darren smiled he knew a place near the lake where there was shelter from the rain it was a small house like building. Darren guessed it used to be an old gate house for the school.
"Here follow me I know a shelter that is close" yelled Darren over the rain grabbing Kyra's wet hand
He took off his jumper and put it on top of her bag to protect it from any further rain that may fall onto it. He may have been cold but it protected the beautiful drawings of Kyra's that Darren thought was worth a lot of money. He showed her the way to the gate house keeping away from the lake. He hadn't forgotten what he had seen in that lake and he knew it was dangerous, they both did.
They entered the ruined building and Darren pulled off his shirt it was sticking to him and chaffing. He stopped himself shivering and grabbed Kyra's bag off her back and checked the sketches.
"They are fine" he muttered looking back at the drenched Kyra "Are you cold do you want me to grab you a blanket or something there is one back here" he muttered pointing to the next room
Kyra nodded absently, looking around. The place reminded her of somewhere else she'd been. Kind of like when she was staring at the forbidden forest - she was trying to see through to the bigger picture, not just what could be seen. She felt a blanket being wrapped around her, and gripped it lightly in her hand, gripping her wand in the other.
"Mind if I start a fire?" she waved her wand and blue sparks flew from the tip. A popping blue fire made itself known in the once dormant fire place. "So, what do you want to do while the rain passes? Normally, I'd just read, but the only book I have is yours, and I'm using that to sketch."
"I don't know" Said Darren opening up his bag and looking at the girl, he pulled out his journal and felt how wet it was "Damn it!" yelled Darren flipping through the pages until he got to the back where the picture of his mother the only picture of her was now ruined.
He threw the book out into the rain and took off his shirt. It was drenched and heavy Darren wasn't happy with the fact he had just lost the only picture of his mother he had. Darren looked at the other book that his father gave him it was completely dry. Darren sat himself down next to Kyra making sure he did not shiver. He was going to be brave and bear through the chill on his body. He was freezing but he didn't show it he knew if he did Kyra would offer him the Blanket.
"So what do you want to do?" asked Darren as he felt a drip of water go down his back
Kyra frowned at Darren's sour attitude. Just because it's raining doesn't mean he has to act so bitter, Kyra thought. Then she realized the ruined picture on the ground and sighed. She picked it up carefully, and looked at it with curious eyes.
The woman was beautiful; Darren looked just like her ... but his eyes were different from hers. With another sigh, Kyra tapped the photo with her wand and whispered the spell to fix it. It's waterlogged appearance vanished and the picture smiled at her. Kyra smiled back at the woman standing in front of the gorgeous country home and tapped the picture again.
Then she handed it back to Darren and said in an emotionless voice, "It shouldn't get ruined again." without bothering to listen for his words of thanks, Kyra walked out into the rain and retrieved the book.
Flipping through the pages, she found the aged ink words melting into the heavy parchment - useless, beyond repair. Of course she could've fixed it. Joel had told her many of those kinds of spells. She just didn't feel like she wanted to, and so she didn't.
She let the blanket fall to the cabin floor and picked up her bag, slinging it over her shoulder, the book tucked under her arm. "I know we're friends and all, but I think I should go. You're not in any mood to have fun. I'll be in the owlery if you decide to brighten up."