AN: The magical world is a place of fantasy where seas could be tamed and mountains be levelled with the wave of a wand. So let go of everything you have been taught, for this is not the world you know.
Enjoy :)
She had a dream.
A woman was crouched on the floor in the most unladylike manner, carving a pentagram and drawing runes on each of the vertex. She slid a knife across her palm and shed three drops of blood onto the center, mumbling in a foreign tongue. Then the runes glowed and the pentagrams began to coalesce into a sphere, suspended in the air. The silvery glob descended towards the ground and began to flatten into a thin, oval mirror.
The woman held her wand with long, delicate fingers and gave it a flick. The newly formed mirror rose and cemented itself onto a wall. She stood in front of the looking glass; her hooded face lost in its misty depth. "Magic mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?"
The mist cleared and showed a sleeping girl in her nightgown. Her lips were red as blood. Skin as white as snow and hair the shade of ebony. She was her. She was Snow Black.
Five years after the death of Snow Black's mother from childbirth, her father had confided in her that he had once again fallen in love. And Snow Black couldn't have had been happier. She yearned for a mother figure in her life. But above all else, she wanted her father to be happy.
And so, came the biggest event of the century. As well as the biggest scandal, for the esteemed pureblood, Lord Orion Black shall soon be wedded to a woman of questionable origin, and nothing the ton had to say would deter him from his path.
Snow Black had been awed the first time she met Tamila Riddle. She was, in Snow's most humble opinion, the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Even though Tamila was a commoner, she carried herself with an aura of superiority that rivalled the honorable, Lady Malfoy. Wherever she went, ladies flocked to her while the eyes of their husbands followed her.
For a while, they were the happiest family in Magical Britain. Her father had found love, and Snow Black finally found a person she could call 'Mother'. Then, tragedy struck when Snow Black was seven years old. Her father had died, and Tamila Riddle suddenly became her only source of comfort, the most important person in Snow's life.
Snow would do anything for her mother.
"I'm so sorry," Snow sobbed and choked on her tears.
"It's not your fault, child," came the voice of Tamila Riddle, gently stroking Snow Black's raven locks. She resisted the urge to pull with all her might. Such actions were unladylike for a lady of her standing, after all.
"But it is," Snow whispered into the bedsheets. "If I hadn't visited the dragon's reserve, then you wouldn't have contracted dragon pox. The healer said so."
Hot tears filled her eyes and flowed down her porcelain cheeks. No one in this world had the right to look this beautiful when they cried. Tamila clenched her jaws at the injustice.
"Are you hurting, mother," Snow placed a comforting hand on Tamila's temple. "Do you want me to call the healer again."
Tamila closed her eyes and took in steady breaths. I only have one shot at this. "I don't blame you, child," She took in Snow's soft hands, "I love you with all my heart. Truly."
"Why are you telling me this," cried Snow. "Please just tell me what to do. There must be a way."
That was easier than casting an imperious on a healer.
"No," Tamila fell into a coughing fit, "It's too dangerous. My heart bleeds at the mere thought of you in danger."
Like a fire that had been lit at the pit of her stomach, Snow Black leaped to her feet, "So there is a cure!"
Tamila nodded, internally laughing at how gullible her stepdaughter was. "The tears of a phoenix could cure all forms of maladies and injuries. However, the tears must be freshly acquired to be potent enough to cure dragon pox."
Snow chewed her lips. "Phoenixes are awfully rare, aren't they? I could not fathom where to start looking for one."
"I've heard rumors of a wild phoenix within the Forbidden forest," said Tamila, "Legend says phoenixes will show themselves to those in need of their help."
"Then it's settled then. I shall venture into the Forbidden forest to obtain phoenix tears."
"Absolutely not!" Tamila exclaimed. "Do you not understand the term forbidden?"
"But I must," Snow knelt beside Tamila, "I can't lose you too. I don't know what I would do without you. Let me do this for you. Father would have done the same."
A tense silence passed between them until Tamila relented, "Fine. But do be careful, and take one of my spare wands."
Snow smiled and kissed Tamila's cheek, "I promise I won't fail you, mother. And when I come back, you shall be whole and healthy again."
When Snow left the house, Tamila sealed every window and door but one. She flashed her wand and soon after, the door closed by itself. The air rippled and a young man now stood before her. He was tall and lanky with jet black hair and hazel eyes. "My lady," The man offered a mocking bow.
Tamila sneered and offered her hand, "Are you ready, James Potter?"
The man raised an eyebrow. "Don't we need a binder?"
"Such triviality is insignificant to a witch of my caliber," she said condescendingly.
Potter grasped her hand and cocked his head to the side, "Then why do you need me to do your dirty deed?"
"The girl has acknowledged me as her mother, so by the laws of mother magic, I am forbidden to directly cause her harm lest I wish to suffer a fate worse than death."
A tongue of white flame entwined their arms like a lasso. "Will you, James Potter, carry my order to bring me the heart of the girl named Snow Black?"
"I will."
"And will you swear to not reveal what has transpired to anyone in any shape or form?"
"I will."
The tendril of flame vanished from sight, but the tightness it held remained still. "Snow Black is heading towards the Forbidden forest. I want you to kill her within the forest to avoid suspicion. Once done, return with the girl's heart, and I shall grant you what you most desire."
James nodded and left the house.
And if the huntsman fails, then the Forbidden forest can keep your body forever.
The last shreds of sunlight had vanished from the sky and night had fallen. Snow Black was racing across the country on her broom when a bright streak of lightning illuminated the sky and the distant rumble of thunder reached her ears. Snow could almost see the outline of the Forbidden forest, and so she sped faster.
Walking on the muddy soil, she felt the soft patter of raindrops fell on her skin. Phoenixes dared not come out in the rain, and there were strange and monstrous beasts in these vast lands. "Perhaps it's best if I stay at the outskirt of the forest until dawn."
There was an animalistic growl and Snow jumped to her guard. The sound bounced off the trees and caused the ground beneath her feet to tremble. She swirled her wand in a circular arc, and a ring of fire formed around her. "I'm not here to harm you. But if you come near me, I will burn you!"
Silence.
Snow sat on the rough patches of grass and rested her head on a tree bark. Her thighs were sore and her back stiff. Hours of flying had finally caught up to Snow, and she felt her eyelids drooping. "Just… one minute…"
She felt the knife before it came but was nevertheless, shocked when it pierced her chest. Her arms and legs were tied with ropes, and a heavy figure had straddled her waist. Choking on her blood, she pleaded, "Please… my mother… needs me…"
The stranger began to move the knife and the pain intensified. Snow met the stranger's eyes and found sorrow, regret, and… recognition? "Forgive me for causing you such anguish," He told her. There was sincerity in her tone. "Let me end the pain now. Avada Ke– "
A grim.
The great beast with black fur and rippling muscles pounced on the man and tackled him to the ground. Snow watched with labored breath as the man turned into a stag and pushed its opponent off of him. The stag rammed its antlers into the grim's stomach and was able to draw blood.
The grim snarled and with renewed strength, clenched his jaw onto the stag's thigh, ripping a large chunk of meat.
The stag whimpered and pranced away on a limping limb. The grim eyed her like a prey, then approached her. It licked her blood and looked satisfied.
I'm going to be dog food!
Snow cried. But there was no one to hear her. Help was not coming, and she knew she would die. It bit her hood and dragged her across the forest floor. Mud and soil caked her skin. Her clothes were all but ruined, torn and sticky with her blood.
Help! Anyone!
A flash of light was her prayer. Two to be precise. A pair of phoenixes danced in the sky, they soared through the trees and finally, settled on a branch. The avians blinked curiously at her. One had black, beady eyes, while the other's was blue and twinkling?
The one with twinkling eyes nudged its companion's wings with its beak, and together they flew to her sides.
"Squawk, squawk, squawk," said the black-eyed phoenix.
"Squawk, squawk, squawk," the other phoenix added.
Snow hissed in pain when the twinkled-eyed phoenix removed the dagger. However, the pain was only for a moment. The tears that fell from the phoenix's eyes were like liquid sunshine. It was warm, but not overly so. She could feel its magic coursing through her vein and granting her the strength to live. The strength to return home.
Snow warily reached her hands towards the two phoenixes. They bowed their heads, and she stroked their feathered neck. They purred like cats, and Snow laughed. A sound as clear and beautiful as her appearance.
"You've been such a great help," Snow told the phoenixes, "But could you spare a few tears? My mother is sick and your tears could cure her."
The blue-eyed phoenix chirped happily and lowered its head into her palm. Smiling, Snow conjured a small flash and brought it to the phoenix's eye.
A whine reached her ears, and Snow found the grim that had rescued her in the first place. It had curled itself into a ball, licking its wound from the stag. Her heart swelled at the sight.
Snow looked at the tears, then at the grim. The whole purpose was to get the tears for mother. But without the grim, I wouldn't have had survived.
"Can you produce any more tears?" she asked the phoenixes.
A sad melody was their response. "It's fine," Snow patted them, "You've already done more than I could have ever asked for."
"Hey there," Snow whispered, "You were so brave and helpful."
The grim's ears perked up, and it raised its head to greet her. Snow could not understand the fear or prejudice towards its kind. This selfless creature wasn't a bad omen. Had the grim not been there for her, she would have died. Forgive me, mother, for I have failed you.
"Let me help you," The creature unfurled its body to reveal a broken antler that had lodged itself in its underbelly. "This is going to hurt, but it will be better very soon." She grabbed the antler, all the while making eye contact with the grim. "One, two, three!"
A howl woke every creature in the forest that night.
She poured the tears over the wound and gently rubbed it. The grim wagged its tongue and panted excitedly. "You like that, huh?"
Snow's stomach grumbled and the three animals stared at her accusingly. She blushed and pulled a box from her pouch. "Come here," She removed the lid, and the three beasts watched the content with great interest.
"Squawk!" Cried the blue-eyed phoenix, it removed a lemon with its talons and began nibbling on it greedily. "I didn't know phoenixes like lemons," Snow said to herself.
"Here's a fresh rib-eye steak for you," She laid it in front of the grim who tackled it with gusto.
"And what do you want?" She asked the black-eyed phoenix. It preened into the box and settled on an apple. The phoenix took small careful bites and choked. Its flames dimmed, and its vibrant feathers turned a few shades darker.
Alarmed, Snow fed the bird water from her waterskin. Its avian companion nudged its head comfortingly and rolled his lemon to share. The black-eyed phoenix eyed the apple with distaste and began nibbling onto the lemon. "I'm terribly sorry," said Snow, "I prepared all of the food myself, all but the apple which I took from the table… which had been left by mother."
"You don't think…" She asked her new friends. The blue-eyed phoenix stopped devouring the lemon and looked at her with those twinkling eyes. No word transpired between them because none could justify the whirlwind of emotions going through Snow's mind, but she understood what the phoenix was trying to convey.
What sort of mother would willingly let their daughter travel into the most dangerous forest in existence for their own benefit? And for that matter, why would her mother want her to travel into the Forbidden forest?
A prickling sensation tickled her mind. The sky above fractured. Snow focused her eyes and saw the truth.
"Mother," She whispered coldly.
There was a conundrum Tamila had pondered for a long time now. Tamila knew she couldn't poison Snow Black, but what if she made a poison apple and simply left it on the table? So, Tamila Riddle experimented with some of the deadliest poison of the land and just threw them into a cauldron. Then, to see whether its corrosive, Tamila had dipped an apple into the mixture. What came out was the shiniest and most appetizing apple she had ever seen. When Tamila cleared the table, she forgot about the apple and never asked where it went.
"Magic mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" She slowly incanted. The sight that greeted her made her blood boil. First, the huntsman had to get his bloody leg torn off! Then, perfect little Snow Black was rescued by a grim! There hadn't even been a sighting of a grim in the past five hundred years! But no, her luck didn't end there. Snow managed to find herself phoenixes. Not one! But TWO! And one of the bloody chickens just had to eat the apple.
She cursed. She raged. She slammed her fists against the mirror. Just then, a crack formed on the screen, and she heard a voice so cold it chilled her to the bones. "Mother." Snow Black was looking at her.
Tamila panicked. This wasn't supposed to happen. Snow Black was supposed to die. And Tamila was to be the fairest in the land.
"How could you," Snow continued, raising her wand to meet Tamila. "I trusted you!"
Tamila wanted to reach for her wand, but her hands were stuck to the mirror. The jagged pieces tore her skin and her blood seeped into the gaps. The mirror was drinking her blood, eating her flesh, and pulling her into the unknown.
"No! This can't be happening!" Tamila screeched. "Why is this happening to me?"
"Because you broke the laws of mother magic!" Snow yelled. "You tried to kill me and instead, harmed these innocent creatures! I hope we never meet again. Because if we do, I will destroy you!"
Tamila Riddle was eventually swallowed by the mirror and the fractured sky fixed itself. Snow Black was silent, her knuckles were white from clenching her wand too hard, and she cried. It started with soft tears to sobs that shook her whole body. The grim barked and laid a paw on her lap. Snow tried her best to smile, "Thank you," she held the grim's paw. "I just… I no longer have a family. I don't have a home, and I don't know where to go now."
The two phoenixes shared a look, then nodded to each other.
"Squawk!" The two phoenixes took to the sky, leaving a perpetual trail of flame, trapping Snow and the grim in a vortex of fire.
"Woof!" The grim barked excitedly. Snow Black was confused, and she hugged the grim even tighter. Her heart was racing, but a part of her was basking in the exhilaration. For the first time in her life, she was free to do what she wanted.
As the vortex diminished, leaving naught but a trail of sparks, Snow Black was no longer in the Forbidden the forest. She was sitting on a patch of trimmed grass, overlooking a sparkling blue lake. At the far distance, was a magnificent castle sitting atop rolling hills. Then, she saw the oddest thing ever. "You're… humans… twins?"
The phoenixes were no longer phoenixes, but old men in the most interesting robes. They wore half-moon glasses and had long white beard tied in a knot. "Not twins," Said the one with twinkling blue eyes, but he certainly is a part of me."
The one with black eyes hit his companion, "Ignore him. We're equal parts of the same soul."
"Welcome, my dear," They said together, "to Hogwarts!"
AN: Yes. Fawkes is Dumbledore's Horcrux. Please don't hate me.