Okay so I owe you all a huge apology because I kind of went on hiatus without telling you! I just had a lot of exams and then I got the flu so I didn't have a lot of time to write. Don't you worry though, this chapter should make up for my absence.

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter, I own my OCs.

~Chapter 26. Aren't we just a happy family~

Some years previous

Charlotte could tell that something special was going on, it was that kind of week. The kind of week where her mum rushed around the house and Mella seemed to be around for several hours a day. There was even a rumour that her dad was coming home from Ireland but she wasn't entirely sold on that one. She didn't know what exactly was happening but it probably had something to do with Ellie, important things always did. Still, she figured it would be nice to see Ellie again, it wasn't every day that her best friend was available to talk to.

Downstairs Freya was curled up in a ball on the sofa, her eyes closed against the continuous stream of prophetic visions. Her hands tightly gripped the blanket that her sister had thrown over her and she tried to go over in her mind what exactly she had seen but it was all morphing into a blur. It was a special prophecy, she knew that much. One that depicted the events that even her ancestors had feared. It was a prophecy that predicted the great rise of Corem and the even greater fall.

She remained curled up in that state until she found the image of a middle-aged woman with charcoal black hair and flame coloured eyes storm towards the door. It was a vision she'd had earlier, she'd seen the darkness descend on the late summer sky as the all-powerful witch Mella Corem came towards their front door. Freya sat up and glanced out of the window. It was getting dark now so she rushed to the hallway and pulled open the door before the witch could even raise her hand to knock. Behind her hurried a smaller, slight girl with the same hair but eyes that flooded with metallic gold rather than orange flame.

At that moment Charlotte slid down the banister and leapt towards her friend. Ellie greeted her in a hug and then pulled her away, leaving Freya standing awkwardly with Mella at the front door.

"Is your father back yet?" She asked.

Freya shook her head. "Not for a few days."

"Sofia?"

"Yes, she's home." She pointed upstairs and then, frightened by Mella's ever-changing eyes, ran off in the direction of her sister.

Mella glared after the gifted child trying to decide how best she could remove her prophetic powers. It had been simple enough to remove Charlotte's Sight but she hadn't been particularly gifted in the first place. Freya on the other hand was a lot more powerful, on the same scale as her own daughters even, it was going to be harder to silence that child.

She shook her head and went up the stairs, crossing the large hall to the second set and then knocking on the door of the last room on the third floor.

"It's Mella." She announced in a dark tone.

The door opened quickly revealing a smiling pale-faced witch with volumes of autumn coloured hair. Sofia welcomed her friend into the quiet office and sat her down quickly.

"Freya's been seeing things again. She says she's been seeing the chosen one. Our chosen one not Harry or anyone like that."

"And has she said who?" Mella asked calmly although she already knew the answer.

"No but I know that look Mella, you already have an idea of who that is, don't you."

She beamed widely. "Of course I know who it is. After all she is my creation. I knew what I was doing Sofia, she was always going to be the greatest weapon that could be used for or against me. I know how to control her and she's not the problem. The problem is secrecy, Sofia. We hide behind these walls and illusions and let these muggles run the world, run us. Well not anymore. We are the most powerful forces in existence and it is time that the world knew that."

"Are you talking about tyranny, Mella?" Sofia laughed almost psychotically.

"I most certainly am, Sofia."

She went quiet again and gave her friend a serious look. "What do you need?"

"Access to your daughter. There is corruption in our bloodline so we must destroy it now before our righteous genes begin to mutate. I need you to be a good mother, pretend to care, fiercely protect Freya from anyone and everyone and fill me in with every change and development. Let them all believe that we are nothing more than rich and bitter housewives, don't let them know how strong we really are. And lastly, aid Harry and all his delinquent followers as much as you can, for they must win for us to succeed."

"And then we shall seize control." She shook her head. "They won't know what hit them."

Mella curled her lip. "Life's a game, dear Sofia, and the only way to win is to play it."

~XC021~

Charlotte peered into Ellie's room and was satisfied when she found her sleeping. Then she crept across the hall to wake her sister who was already two steps ahead and sitting bright-eyed and dressed on her bed. She mouthed a greeting to her sister and carefully slipped off of her bed and out of her room.

The two of them padded down two flights of stairs and out of the front door, then ran along the darkened streets until they got to the tall gates of Harrow. Freya thrust out her hand and the metal clicked and creaked as they swung open.

"You need to tell me how to do that." Charlotte whispered.

"Only if you show me how to ride a broomstick." She whispered back.

On the other side of the gate stood Ellie's uncle Timothy, waiting for them with his arms outstretched. As he encircled them in a hug the earth shifted below them and the next second they were standing on the front steps of a large manor house. Both the Ryder sisters had Apparated before which meant that neither of them felt sick after travelling.

Inside the house was alive with voices but they didn't sound happy or cheerful like Charlotte was used to. Sitting around the dining room table were a few family members and some old Aurors. The faces that they recognised were Alastor Moody, Scardavia Cross, Emephile Korakov, Timothy's wife Catherine and sister Kyara.

As soon as the sisters sat down the proceedings started and the room fell silent. Kyara, the youngest of the Corem family but definitely the most powerful, sat strangely close to Moody with her feet up on the table and a lazy grin on her face. She turned to her brother. "Why are we here?"

"We're here because of Ellie, because it is time that we discussed her predicament." Timothy started. "As you may or may not know, I have been managing Ellie's powers for a few years now trying to make sure that she doesn't hurt herself. Mella is under the false impression that I am doing this because of the incident with the Korakov child but we all know that that had nothing to with Ellie."

Emephile stirred in her seat. "You must tell me where she is, how I can find her. I must tell her that it isn't her fault."

"No!" Kyara exclaimed. "No, she must not know at this time. We must not lift the barrier that keeps her magic at bay—it could kill her now."

"Kyara is right." Timothy nodded. "You will have your opportunity to find her but for now we must ensure that she lives to see that day. Freya, tell them your prophecy."

And then Freya recited perfectly:

No other will equal her in strength and no other will equal her in mind. The floodgates shall open and the water shall fall. Then the world will succumb to fire. The reign of flame shall begin.

Do not question the power of the blue, nor underestimate the power of the storm. And the forewarning shall be a girl unspeaking, a motherless child of Ryder and a boy born to a young and noble hero.

But beware children of the greats, for the tides are against you now. For the blood bond between a mother and her daughter can be a dangerous one. In times of happiness shall they find sorrow and in times of rejoice find loss. And here shall end and begin the time of fire.

"And what does that mean?" Said Emephile.

Charlotte spoke up for the first time. "It means that mother and Mella are going to try their hardest to make sure that Ellie doesn't survive to overthrow their inevitable reign. No doubt they'll try to kill all of us, one by one and make it look like the work of other dark forces. There is a wizarding war coming and it is the perfect opportunity for the two of them to dispose of us."

Timothy sighed deeply. "The prophecy is subjective and it could play out in our favour or Mella's. That is why I called you here. I need each and every one of you to watch and care for Ellie—to make sure she follows the destiny she is meant to. Watch her on the streets, watch her in the corridors, watch her on her travels, watch her as she makes friends and watch her as she falls in love. Teach her that there is good and honesty left in the world and when it is time we will return to fight Mella's reign."

"How will you find us?" Scardavia asked, glancing from Timothy to Charlotte and then back again. "If we are successful then Ellie could have reached adulthood before we need to reunite."

"I'll find you." Freya said simply, sadly. "When the time comes, I will find you all."

~XC021~

Present Day

Freya POV

I carefully sipped my tea whilst watching Albus, Gen and Lauren from the doorway. There they were, the son of the famous boy hero, the selective mute and the young Ryder who until yesterday had been motherless. They were the warnings and now was the time.

Charlotte slipped pasted me, kissing my cheek as she went to sit beside Ellie. They all looked so happy but I couldn't celebrate with them, I couldn't be that blissfully ignorant. And as they talked about weddings and baby showers and moving house, I was already trying to locate Joreth in my mind. After I had found him, I would go.

"This is it, Freya." I whispered to myself. "Welcome to the reign of flame."

Well it's almost D-Day guys! All secrets eventually have to come out and people may not like them! And which pact will win? Find out soon and in the meantime,

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Ella Bella xx