I honestly had fun writing this chapter. It also made me cry too. Anyway I hope you all enjoy and leave a review please!
Heart beating in her throat, Aria with the help of Piers, gets out of the Corviknight Taxi. Her feet softly touch the slightly damp road. She pushes her glasses up a bit as she looks around, staring at the small town before them. Cottages stood on either side of the narrow road, decorations to celebrate a Trainer's start of a journey twinkle in the windows. Any one of them might be where she had lived with her parents and Alister, trying to hide from Voldemort.
She gulps, this was the place where she had a family. It was in Serene Hollow Village that, but for Voldemort, she would grow up and spend her life here. She could have invited Leon, Ron, Hermione..Neville..Raihan here..maybe even having sleepovers with Piers here. Both her and Alister would had grown up here..it would have been her mother and father who would congratulate her on getting into Hogwarts. The life she had lost had hardly ever seemed so real to her as at this moment.
She wipes the tears from her eyes quickly, Nimbus licking her cheek as Piers softly grabs her hand, giving a supporting squeeze. Lyn looks down sadly at her, giving her a pat on the shoulder before making their way forward, passing more cottages. Aria looks at them, gazing at the front doors, their roofs decorated in leaves and flowers, their front porches and wondering whether she remembers any of them, knowing deep inside that it was impossible. She had only been little more than a year old when she had left this place forever.
"There's something I don't get," Piers mutters, "The Potter's Gym was in Stow-on-Side..but the cottage here was known as their home,"
"The Potters believed in separating work from home," Aria said, having studied her family as much as she could after learning the truth, "The Potters have lived in Serene Hollow Village since the time of Godric Gryffindor..even longer than the Founder...when they were asked by the First Minister Ulik Gamp to become the Eighth Gym Leader of Galar, they wouldn't move from their home. Also unlike other Gyms, where you can just walk in you have to schedule for a gym battle there," she explain as the little lane along which they were walking curved to the left and the heart of the village, a small square, was revealed to them.
The village was in fact celebrating the children who were going to start their journeys. Strung all around with colored lights, there looked like a war memorial in the middle. Several shops, once that Aria recognize as the Prewitt Pokemart, a post office (the building shaped like a Pelipper), a cafe and a little church whose stained-glass windows were glowing jewel-bright across the square.
Villagers were criss crossing in front of them, their figure briefly illuminated by the strung lights. They heard a snatch of laughter and pop music from the Cafe, as people came in and out. But Aria's attention was pulled to the church..or more like the graveyard behind it. She felt a thrill that was beyond excitement, more like fear. Now that she was so near, she wondered whether she wanted to see after all. Lyn, knowing how she must be feeling, reached for her other hand, and took the lead, pulling them both forward.
There was a kissing gate at the entrance of the graveyard. Lyn pushed it open and they edged through it. They walked through the damp grass, Nimbus' ears twitching to catch anything as they walked around the building. Behind the church, row upon row of tombstones protruded from a blanket of pale blue that was flecked with dazzling red, gold and green wherever the reflection from the stained glass hit them. Taking a deep breath, Aria moved towards the nearest grave.
"Look at this, it's an Abbot, could be some long-lost relation of Hannah's!"
Piers and Lyn kept quiet as they waded deeper and deeper into the graveyard, stopping to peer at the words on old headstones.
Aria blinks at one dark stone, her eyes narrow as she stooped down and saw upon the lichen-spotted granite, the words Kendra Dumbledore and, a short way below her dates of birth and death, And her Daughter Ariana. There was also a quotation:
'Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also'
"The mother of Albus Dumbledore and his sister," Aria looks to Lyn, not knowing that both she and Dumbledore had deep roots in this graveyard..or the fact that her and his sister almost share the same name.
"I didn't know he had a sister," Aria mutters looking at the grave.
"Oh he did..and a brother," Lyn said, "Aberforth, he lives in Hogsmeade. Nice man, owns the Emboar's Flame. Hardly anyone knew of Ariana until they carried the coffin out of the house and held a funeral for her. Those who are..not fond of Dumbledore said that Dumbledore's mother was a terrifying woman, that while she was the first in her family to go to Hogwarts she said otherwise. But the Dumbledores..they weren't a well off family and while both her boys passed the Hogwarts Entrance Exam..little Ariana did not. Some say she was not proud to produce a kid that couldn't go to Hogwarts. Others who are on Dumbledore's side said that she was delicate. That her health was too poor to permit her to leave the house, yet she was never taken to St. Mungo's and no doctor was ever summoned to see her,"
Aria stares at Lyn, but glad her face was hidden by shadows. If it wasn't for Lyn who knew how long it would take for Aria to come here, probably irrelevant to the job Dumbledore wanted Aria to do..whatever that was. She stood up, turning away, passing many tombstones, some new and some extremely old, weather so that Aria couldn't hardly make out the name. She blinks at one that had the mark of the Deathly Hollows, a symbol of the three brothers, Sorcerers who sealed the Demon Gods in the Nether World. Aria kneels down reading the name, "Ig..Ignotus?" she blinks, knowing that was the name of the youngest brother...her ancestor..could the Potters have been here since even then?
Then Piers' voice called out, sharp and clear from a few yards away.
"Aria, they're here..right here,"
And she knew by his tone that it was her mother and father this time. Taking a deep breath, while Nimbus nuzzles her, feeling as if something heavy were pressing on her chest, she moved towards him..
The headstone was only two rows behind Kendra and Ariana's. It was made of white marble, and this made it easy to read. Aria didn't need to kneel or even approach very close to it to make out the words engraved upon it.
James Fleamont Potter Lily Irene Potter
Born 27 March 1960 Born 30 January 1960
Died 31 October 1981 Died 31 October 1981
'The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.'
Aria read the words slowly, as though she would only have one chance to take in their meaning. She understood the quote, it was in fact the family motto, or more in fact the Peverell Family Motto. It was because during the time of the Gods..death was a punishment to those who stood against the Demon Gods, so to fight..knowing that you might die..that..that is what her parents did. They knew they were going to die when Voldemort broke through the Telu Barrier, broken by a person they thought they could trust, just to protect their children. They held the belief of living beyond death. Living after death.
"But they were not living. They're gone. Their corpse lay beneath me, indifferent, and unknowing," Aria feels the hot tears run down her face. She didn't wipe them, what was the point of pretending? She was no longer at the Dursleys, she was allowed to cry. Letting them fall, biting at her lip as she stares down at the green grass where underneath were the last of Lily and James lay, bones now or dust really, not knowing or caring that their living daughter stood so near, or that their living son was kidnapped and raised by the people who helped killed them.
Piers kneels down, and wraps an arm around her shoulder. She couldn't look at him, pressing her face against his shoulder, taking deep, sharp gulps of air, trying to steady herself, trying to regain control.
"Always the innocent are the first victims in wars," a voice rumbles out, "So it has been for ages past, so it is now,"
Aria jumps, along with Piers but Lyn carefully turns around. The man who stood behind them was tall, taller than Hagrid. With long white hair underneath an orange beanie, his other clothes were disheveled, patched together as if in some way to try and fit him. His black eyes stare at them while a Floette floats around them, holding an unusual black and red flower.
"Nicolas," Lyn curtsy to the large man, who bows back, "Thank you for meeting us here,"
The man sighs but shrugs, "I understand your reasoning. You don't want Albus to know that the Cup still exist, and it wouldn't be odd for Countess Potter to come and visit her parents grave," he look at Aria and sorrow shines in his black eyes, "I'm sorry for what my, Ultimate Weapon had done..I thought I was finally free..but it seems like my past..and what I have done..will never really escape me," he sighs while the Floette coos with sorrow.
"War is coming, the planets and stars have been warning all those that can read them. They speak of a choice that one day you will have to make..but whatever choice you make..you will do great things. Will they be wonderful things? Or will they be terrible things, only you will decided that,"
Aria shivered a bit, biting at her lip. Piers steps closer to her, keeping an eye on Flamel while Lyn pulls the Cup of Life out of her bag, handing it over to him. He bows to them once more, before he turns around. The black flower Floette coos, floating in a circle around the grave, and a bunch of carnations and hyacinth grew along the grave.
Aria gulps a bit and takes a shuddering breath as they watch the King of Kalos walk past the church and out of sight. Her body trembles, "I...I can't stay here any longer," Lyn nods her head and gently takes her hand, walking past the graves of Dumbledore's mother and sister and out through the kissing gate, Piers slowly behind them.
Walking in the opposite direction from which they entered, Aria could make out the point where the cottages ended and the lane went into the Glimwood Tangle. But then Aria stops once more, her green eyes wide. Nimbus chus, his ears down in sorrow at the sight.
"Look..look at it," she whispers.
Lyn and Piers turned and they could see it. The hedge has grown wild since Pettigrew had stolen Alister while Hagrid had taken Aria from the rubble that lay scattered amongst the waist-high grass. Most of the cottage was still standing, though entirely covered in dark ivy, but the right side of the top floor had been blown apart; that Aria was sure, was where her mother, Lily fought Voldemort in a Pokemon battle before while he had his guard down, had stabbed him.
"This..this is where they died.." she closes her eyes, seeing the flash of blinding purple fleck with green..and the high cold, cruel laugh of Voldemort, "This is where he murdered them,"
She opens her eyes and takes a step forward, touching the rusted gate, before pushing it forward. Piers called out to her but she ignored him, passing the large bushes, not noticing the yellow eyes that were staring at her, going to the front door. She blinks at the plaque that hung on the front door, written in golden letters.
On this spot, on the night of 31 October 1981, Ysbryda's Night
Lily and James Potter, The Saviors of Galar, lost their lives.
Their daughter, Aria, remains the only person to ever survive an attack of He-Who-Must-Not be named.
This house has been left in its ruined state as a monument to the Potters and as a reminder of the violence that tore apart their family.
"No mention of Alister," Aria thinks to herself angrily. Even though the League now knows of her younger brother, none of Galar knows of him. Minister Rose Blishwick and Champion Cornelius Fudge don't want anyone knowing of Alister until they find him. "If they find him," she scowls, knowing the reason was so that the people of Galar won't be angry with them, ruining Minister Rose's chance of becoming Minister again. She shakes her head before she pushes the door open.
She coughs at the dust, and stares inside of what could have been her home. Everything has mostly been destroyed, either by the decay over the years, or by people wanting a piece of the Potters. With Nimbus clinging to her shoulder, she slowly and carefully went up the stairs. Her body began to tremble as she stood outside the door, blasted open and marked with scorch marks.
Walking in, she saw what must have been her nursery. A crib laid in the center, the wall had many holes from all sorts of attacks. There was a stain on the carpet which Aria knew must have been blood, where Voldemort had been bleeding to death. Yacker, who was in her Dynmax band, flies out and pokes at the many Wishing Stars that were laying on the floor. She kicks one, her body trembling as her body absorbs the Dynamax energy from the Wishing Star. She didn't know why and neither did Lyn on why she has such a reaction to the stones or even the energy that make Pokemon grow.
She shakes her head staring at the room, which was supposed to be the room she would have grown up in.
"Curse you Voldemort...fucking curse you, Tom Riddle" she whispers, her hands into fists, "May, Yveltal take your soul to Ysbryda, so she can send you to the Abyss where Giratina shall punish you," she closes her eyes as tears stream down her face once more.
The words came out easily. Almost like silk as if she was blessing the soul. The fact that made her even more angry is what she heard from her housemates. Voldemort and her were a lot alike, both orphans, both sorted into Slytherin, and surprisingly both having a Noibat as their Starter. But what she also learned was far from what people say about the Leader of Team Neider and the Blood of War.
The boy who was sorted into Slytherin was very different to the man who killed her parents. He had many friends, and not just in Slytherin, but in other Houses as well. "He had ideas," Theo Nott had explained, as his grandfather was an old Housemate of his, "The Cipher War was just beginning and going strong but no one was really doing anything. Not even when Grindlewald was sending bombs to Galar. You know why Wyndon is so brand new? It's because it was blown up! It has only gotten back to normal after Rose became Minister," Theo shakes his head, "But no one wanted to do anything. Dumbledore was saying that he will be dealing with Grindelwald but he never did,"
"Wait..but doesn't it say that he was the one who brought Grindelwald down?"
One of the older years snorts, "Not really Potter. Cipher was only finally defeated when a skilled member of Team Snagem, the team Cipher allied with, went rogue. That trainer swept through the members of Cipher with a young woman who could see the difference between regular Pokemon and Shadow Pokemon. He was the one to truly defeat Grindelwald. The only reason people say Dumbledore did it was because he fought Grindelwald after Wes defeated him and snag his Shadow Pokemon," Aria blinks at this.
"But what does this have to do with Voldemort?"
"Everything!" Theo said, "He was there when the bombs were attacking us. He started Team Neider in school, in hopes to fight back. He never knew his heritage until later and also knew how those who got scholarships don't know anything about the Old Religion. Some were from other Regions and some were from the New Religion, they were uncomfortable with the traditions. They didn't like the fact that the Old Religion was getting a come back, they didn't believe Emrys belief that the Old and New Religion could co-exist. Back then rituals were quieter events but we could still do them..but then the War of Blood happen..and Voldemort went insane,"
"He did not Nott," Malfoy snaps, "That's a lie that Dumbledore made to say that the Old Religion should never rise again,"
"We all know it's true Malfoy," Parkinson snaps, "Voldemort and Tom Riddle were too completely different people at the end. She turns to Aria, "After your mother defeated the Dark Lord,, Dumbledore begins spouting out more New Religion propaganda. Lots of us would never admit it but there are not many of us who have long lines of Pokemon Training in them, or the blood of the Gods," she glares at Malfoy who was about to open his mouth, "We are actually outnumber to those with no blood and are from the New Religion..when the Dark Lord was killed..we had no one to fight for our traditions. Before Minister Rose became the Minister we had to hide our worship to Lady Dechraul in secret, like criminals. It's only now that we are getting those traditions back but still we are glared at, as if we're evil,"
She opens her eyes, green eyes flickering into gold as she begins to rant, "You could have been great! You could have change things but instead you lost your way! I hope that wherever you are laid, if you even gotten that right, that your flesh and bones are consumed by maggots! May you rest and may you rot, may all the Regions erase your name from memories," she knew that wouldn't happen but it was a hope..maybe they'll forget about her as well..maybe they would forget about the stupid Girl-Who-Lived title and she could just be Aria. She never noticed that in the corner of the room, the same yellow eyes from the bushes narrow at her, appearing all of a sudden. "You do not deserve peace in the Veil, you do not deserve to join our ancestors..may you be cursed with restless days and restless nights until Ysbryda finds it fit for you to fade from existence!" she starts to scream out the chant, pain choking up her throat.
"Aria?" she turns to see Piers looking at her from the entrance of the room, when it happens. She saw it in the corner of her. She hears Piers cry out in warning as a serpent like creature comes pouring from the shadows.
Nimbus leaps off her shoulder, cheeks sparking up but he cries out in fright as the creature glares at him before tackling him, covered in a red aura.
"Nimbus!" She cries in fear before she yelps in pain as the creature strikes, biting into her forearm. She hears Piers yelling, before she sees her friend grabbing the creature by its midsection but to her horror, Piers freezes up before collapsing onto the ground.
"Nimbus! Use Thundershock!" she orders as she tries to get the clinging creature off her arm. Nimbus looks up at her in fright and shock, "Just do it!" the next thing she knew she was crying out in pain as all thoughts were obliterated, her own breath drowned as more footsteps were being heard but were distant. But it worked, the creature let go of her arm in pain and floats backwards, just before it gets sent flying by a Thunder Punch. Aria fell backwards into an old moldy dressing table panting as her body slightly smokes, Nimbus runs over to her, pain and guilt in his black eyes, "I'm..I'm ok bud," she looks to Piers who was now laying on his back, his body spasming in pain.
Ari looks up as Lyn bursts through the door, Balthazar right next to her, with his fur bristling. "Look after Piers!" Aria yells at her mentor who gasps at the sight of Piers. While Lyn looks over at him, her Rotom Phone flies out of her pocket, a mechanical female voice speaking out of the speaker.
Dreepy: The lingering Pokemon- If this weak is by itself, a mere child could defeat it. But if Dreepy has friends to help it train, it can evolve and become much stronger.
"For a Pokemon that is supposedly weak..it sure is strong," Aria mutters, staring at the green like serpent that hiss at her. Its yellow eyes narrow at her, while the pink horns pin down on its head, almost like a cat. It waves its two hand-like protrusions in a threatening manner just before the Dreepy darted sprang out of the way, pulling a Pokeball from her trainer belt, "Nimbus, return!" as the Pikachu sprangs onto her shoulder she throws out the Pokeball, "Godzilla, use Dark Pulse!"
The Larvitar appears with a yawn, blinking his red eyes sleepily. Shaking his head, he raise his arms as they glow a dark purple, before black and purple circles erupted from them like a beam. Dreepy cries out in pain from the super effective attack. It then grabbed an old toy, a block and tried to throw it at her head but Aria ducks down. Grabbing a spare Pokeball she primes it, "Godzilla use Screech to confuse it!"
Dreepy cries out in pain, flinching at the loud terrible screech that Godzilla was directing at it. When the screech stops, Dreepy shakes its head before its yellow eyes widen as the Pokeball hits its side, activating the capture function. It cries out as it is pulled inside the device and Aria watches as the Pokeball twitches, the button in the middle flashing red with each shake. She sighs in relief when the Pokeball sparkles, signaling the capture but doesn't go straight to it. Instead she runs over to Lyn and Piers.
She gasps at the state Piers was in. His body was still shaking terribly and his eyes were glowing gold but blood was pouring out at them along his nose, "What in the name of Dechraul?"
"He..he having a vision," Lyn whispers in horror, "But I have never seen someone have a vision this bad before,"
At that moment Piers sprang up, eyes fading back to blue before without warning, he leapt onto his feet and started banging his head furiously on the wall. Aria screams in fright before Lyn springs up and pulls Piers away from the wall, just as he throws up onto the floor. Nimbus and Godzilla watched with wide eyes, Nimbus clutching on her shoulder while Godzilla takes a step closer to her, as if he was ready to protect her.
She watches as her friend takes deep breaths, trying to get air in. He looks up, his blue eyes widen in fear, as blood leaks down his face, "Hogwarts...Hogwarts is in danger,"
Aria blinks at this, "W-what?" Aria stammers before she quickly grabs Piers' by the arm along with Lyn as he was about to fall over, "What do you mean Hogwarts is in danger?"
Piers shudders as Lyn and Aria help him down, "I..I don't know..I couldn't fully see. Well I did see something..I..I saw a door..with a Rayquaza symbol..but when I saw the door open..everything went dark. I could hear whispers..it almost sounded like what the Demon Gods were whispering from the mirror," Aria shudders at that, "But then it turns into a roar and...and I was drowning..I couldn't breath..I couldn't scream for help...I.." Piers takes a shuddering breath, "All I know..that terrible things will soon be happening at Hogwarts Academy for Young Trainers this year," he starts trembling again, grabbing his head tightly and begins to mutter under his breath.
"But what terrible things?" Aria whispers but stops when Piers makes a choking sound. Lyn puts a hand on her shoulder.
"He can't tell you anything Aria," Lyn looks to Piers sadly before she releases Balinor from his Pokeball. She then gently picks up Piers and puts him on the Mudstale's back, "Something is blocking his ability to fully see. Whatever it is, it doesn't want anyone to know.."
"Could it be Shendu?" Aria asked but she watched as Piers trembled a bit before he shook his head.
"Not..not the Demon God of Fire," he grits out, before crying out in pain.
"That's enough Piers," Lyn says softly, running her hand through his black and white hair. She turns to Aria once Piers settles, having fallen asleep.
"Shendu is still too weak..even in astral form he wouldn't be able to do something like this.." Lyn's eyes narrow in thought, "But there are many other demons besides the Demonic Eight,"
"Wait..you mean actual demons?" Aria croaks out.
Lyn gives her a tragic look, "Yes many. Once the Demonic Eight were sealed away they went into hiding, lurking in the shadows. They allied to the Demon Gods since they gave them a supply of human prey. They have powers that no decent Sorcerer or Sorceress would ever have…,"
Aria gulps before gently grabbing Dreepy's Pokeball before returning Godzilla to his own. As they left Aria's old home, she couldn't help but think about the coming year, what horrible thing was going to happen? She blinks when Lyn wraps her arm around her and pulls her into a hug.
"It will be alright Aria. I promise," she whispers while Nimbus crawls from her lap and into her arms. Hugging Nimbus close, Aria nods her head.
"I hope so too,"
I hope Aria doesn't feel out of character in this. she is eleven almost twevle year old girl who just saw her parents grave and the home that she and her brother were suppose to be raised in..so her emotions are flying around.
Also meet Dreepy! Aria's fourth Pokemon! I know I know I gave her another pusedo Pokemon but listen..I love Dreepy..its a cute lizard ghost type and it can count as Aria's Potter and Slytherin Pokemon! Its like a snake with arms! But don't worry like with Godzilla it will take awhile for Dreepy to evolve. Hope you all enjoy please leave a comment!
