Chapter Thirty
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does and unfortunately I am not her. However, I do own the OCs and the Guardian Program and the other things that being a Guardian entails.
Summary: After the Second Wizarding War, a Guardian was given to each child of the main families that helped in the war. They were all tasked with a simple job, protect their allocated person with their life. Somehow, Freya screwed it up in the biggest way. She fell in love.
There are going to be a lot of OCs, but the focus is going to be on Freya.
tqkan186: There will definitely be more chapters! There will definitely be a bit more than forty chapters because I still have a lot of content to give you guys. I am really glad you are liking the story so far too!
Guest: Danzo was definitely the inspiration behind Lance – glad you noticed!
Enjoy!
HARRY POTTER
The next day
Freya was sat in her bed in her dorm. All her protective charms were in place so she knew she wouldn't be disturbed and everyone in the room was asleep. Freya knew that she should be asleep too but again, sleep alluded her. Lydia's diary sat in her lap, completely untouched. Freya had been afraid to look inside the diary since she had brought it back from the Williams manor. Polky had been very helpful but Freya couldn't bring herself to look at the diary, all the determination had left her and now all that was left was uncertainty.
Did Freya even want to look inside the diary?
Yes.
Did she want to possibly re-open old mental scars?
No.
Closing her eyes, Freya sighed deeply and leaned back, her head hitting the wood of her bed. However, she didn't pay any attention to the dull ache of her back of her head as she had re-opened her eyes and was now staring at the yellow diary in front of her again. Movement caught her eyes and Freya noticed Sapphie. Sapphie was fast asleep but had now shifted from her spot, fully content with her belly on full show. Freya smiled slightly at her cat in affection. Sapphie never failed to make her feel better, even though the cat didn't know this. Reaching out, Freya grabbed the diary and opened it. She decided to just take the plunge and get this over with as soon as she could. Freya opened the diary to the first page and saw what Lydia had written.
Property of Lydia Adele Williams
The corners of Freya's mouth twitched. The handwriting was very childish and almost illegible. It was very hard to make out at first and Freya had examined the writing intently before she realised that Lydia had only written her name. It amused Freya to see her sister's writing to be so childish and crazy but Freya hadn't expected anything less. Freya knew that Lydia had started writing in a diary when she was around four years old. Lydia was a prodigy – something that her mother always used to remind Freya of constantly when she was much younger. Lydia could pick things up easily and that included writing. At four years old, children could only usually write their name and that was with guidance and prompting, but Lydia was able to write without guidance. Freya could vaguely remember Lydia mentioning that she got this diary from Polky many years ago.
Turning the page, Freya began reading the first diary entry.
22nd May 2002
Dear Diary,
Mother and father took me out today and at first, I was excited because I thought we'd be doing something together. But, I was taken to the Ministry instead and was taken down a dark hallway right near the entrance of the Ministry. Father knocked on the wall three times and then it opened. I was taken inside and I saw a lot of other children there and I was able to recognise most of them. They were all children belonging to Pureblood families that I had only met at parties. However, none of them looked happy, they all looked scared.
Lance called me, mother and father into a white room and it was there that he explained everything to me. He said that I had an opportunity to do well and that I could restore honour to the Williams name if I joined the Guardian Program. Apparently, we're meant to protect the war hero's children from any future threat – mainly Voldemort's spawn. I didn't like it. It sounded weird and strange. But I wasn't given an option, mother answered for me and said that I would do it.
I don't remember much after that point because things were hazy and I blacked out. But, I do remember being in a lot of pain, the worst pain that I had ever experienced in my life. When I woke up, I noticed that I was back home and in my bed. There was a stinging pain at the back of my neck but when I touched it, there was nothing there. But it felt warm – warmer than the back of my neck should have been.
Polky helped me to see what was on the back of my neck and it was a mark. It was ugly and painful and it made me feel sick. I don't know what Lance had done to me but I felt sick and violated.
Now, mother and father are talking about training me with magic and it scares me. I don't know what is going to happen now and I really don't want to find out.
I overheard Lance and my parents talking too. Apparently, Ginny Potter is wanting to have a child and now mother wants another child. Lance seems to be really like this idea too but I don't and father won't say anything.
Please, let this all just be a bad dream,
Lydia
Freya shivered as she read this passage. Lydia's experience had been exactly the same as hers and it seemed as though Lance hadn't changed over the years. He still used the same tactic to get people on his side. It brought back bad memories of her first experience in the white room – it had not been a pleasant one, to say the least.
Freya noted the date and thought to herself. Lydia would have been only four years old when this happened – she had been inducted much earlier than Freya had. Receiving the Guardian Mark at such a young age was dangerous and sometimes people didn't even survive that process, to begin with. Lance also used the Guardian Mark as an opportunity to weed out the weak so only the strong remained.
Reading the last paragraph, Freya snorted loudly. She wasn't surprised that she was planned that way. Of course, she wasn't conceived out of love or the genuine want of having another child. Vivienne only wanted Freya so she could have two children as Guardians – a very big accomplishment. Her parents didn't love each other and they never will, though she was surprised that her father did agree to another child. In the Pureblood community, most families only wanted one child – a male preferably – so they could carry on the family name and so there isn't any fighting over the inheritance.
Realising that this wasn't too bad, Freya continued reading. She delicately turned a few pages and only stopped when saw a passage that caught her eye. Instantly, she saw the improvement of handwriting. This time, the handwriting was neater and more legible than the first entry she read.
16th August 2004
Dear Diary,
My little sister was born today! She is the most adorable thing in the world! I can't believe that I am a big sister and I can't wait to spoil my little sister so much. Father let me hold Freya and I was so excited. Her squishy little red cheeks and the little fuzzy hair on her head just made me so happy. She was so squishy that I just want to hold her and never let go.
But Lance seems more involved than ever. He's constantly at the house and dotting on mother. I don't think I have ever seen our mother so happy, she's always got this smile on her face and she actually laughing.
Mother has stopped laughing though and she refuses to hold Freya. She won't even look at Freya and screams at anyone who tries to bring her into the room. I don't understand why she is acting this way. Lance has held Freya more than our own mother and I don't like that. Whenever he picks up Freya, I want to grab her into my arms and keep her away from him.
I don't like Lance. He's evil. No one else seems to see this though, everyone thinks he's an amazing guy but he's not.
No one has seen what I have.
Lance requested that we all train at his mansion so he can watch us. At first, there were loads of us there, possibly fifty children. We were all training to see who would become Teddy Lupin and Victoire Weasley's Guardians. Only two of us would get this chance. But the numbers are getting smaller each day. Whenever we meet up in the mornings for training, there is at least one person missing who was there was the day before.
It's scary. I don't know who is going to disappear next and I am scared to get close to people. I don't want to make friends here and then have them disappear. I know that it has something to do with Lance because the person that goes missing is always called to Lance's office. Now, everyone is scared to be called to his office.
I hope I survive to see my little sister again, I don't like leaving her alone in that scary house.
Lydia
Again, Freya noted the date in her head. Lydia would have been six years old at the time. Reading the first paragraph had made Freya feel warm and happy. She always knew that Lydia had cared about her, but seeing it written down in ink made her happy. But that happiness turned into disgust when Lance was mentioned. Lance had always been around in her childhood, but she never realised how involved he really was. A cold shiver ran down her spine and she completely understood why her sister had taken such a dislike to Lance.
Lydia was completely right in her description of Lance. Lance was evil and he had only got worse as time went on. Lance had become less careful over time and that was because he was too confident. He had got away with the Guardian Program for nineteen years without being detected or caught and it had gone to his head.
Lance's training hadn't changed much over time and if anything he had only got crueller. After Freya got her Guardian Mark, she had to move to Lance's manor for a while. She stayed over on weekdays and trained with all the other potential Guardians. On weekends, her father would train her. Just as Lydia had described, the same thing would happen were children would disappear overnight. The only difference was that everyone could hear the screams of pain as the child was being killed. Lance mentally tortured everyone in his manor into submission – sending the signal that if they did something he didn't like then they would end up being punished for it.
Shaking her head, Freya flicked through the diary until one date caught her eye.
1st September 2009
Dear Diary,
After years of training, I finally met my charge. I was at Platform 9 ¾ when I saw him, he was surrounded by a large group of people and they were all hugging him. They were all saying how much they loved him and they were going to miss him and it made me feel sad. My parents had never said those words to me and it made me long for it.
I accidentally met him on the train because I bumped into him. It was then that I got a really good look at him.
He was… so cute.
His hair was yellow, showing that he was nervous. I had already been briefed that he was a metamorphmagus and that I was aware of what each colour meant. But it just made me like him, he was so scared and so unaware of how important he was to the Guardian world. There also seemed to be an air around him that just pulled people in. He was warm and happy and I wanted to so badly be able to express myself in such a manner.
It was no surprise that Teddy was sorted into Hufflepuff, he really suited that house. However, I was disappointed when I was sorted into Ravenclaw because I had wanted to be in the same house as him. I suppose it was for the best because if my parents had ever found out about me becoming sorted into Hufflepuff then mother would freak out. In all the Williams history, there had never been a Williams that wasn't in either Slytherin or Ravenclaw – none of them had ever been in Hufflepuff or Gryffindor.
Being in Hogwarts is amazing though, I am finally away from my parents and away from Lance. I know that he can't enter Hogwarts for some reason but I wasn't about to question it. It gave me some freedom that I was in desperate need of.
For once in my life, I felt free and happy.
But I do fear for Freya. She is now left alone with mother and I worry for her. It is even more concerning because I've heard the whispers that Lance is looking for more Guardians and has already begun his search. More of the war heroes are having children – or at least thinking about it – and Lance wants to be prepared.
I just hope that Freya isn't going to be involved.
Lydia
It was after reading that passage that Freya realised that she and Lydia had been through the same thing. They had both seen things that no child should have to witness or hear. Lydia would have trained at an early age to become a Guardian – she was only four years old when she dragged into this world. Lydia had been the first ever Guardian, she would have been the one people looked up to the most – and also hated the most. Yet, even though Lydia had gone through so much, she still had a positive outlook. Freya didn't realise how similar she and Lydia were, not until that point.
Freya pursed her lips together, willing herself to push down her emotions. She could feel herself getting sentimental and she didn't want to. Her emotions were betraying her. Shaking her head, Freya flicked through the diary until something caught her eye.
October 2011
Dear Diary,
I can't deny it anymore and I can't hide it.
I am in love with Teddy Lupin.
I have tried so hard to hide it and deny it, but I can't. No matter how much I try to bury these feeling deep down, I can't do it. Lance has really cranked down on the Guardians and has been harsher than ever. Victoire's Guardian has already been changed twice and now a girl called Amy was Victoire's Guardian.
Everything about Teddy makes me swoon. When he plays Quidditch (He is bloody fantastic!) I can't help but stare because of how determined he is. When he runs his hands through his colourful hair when he's confused, when he bites his lip when he's nervous or the way he smiles at people.
At first, I thought that it was a silly crush – it was bound to happen eventually. I thought the feelings would leave and I could move on just like other people who got crushes at this age. But they aren't going away and they are just getting stronger as time goes on. It doesn't help that Teddy and Victoire are getting close and seeing them together makes me feel so sad an unhappy. Whenever I see them together it makes me want to be in Victoire's place so badly. I wish that I was able to speak to him freely and maybe make him laugh. But I know that I would never be able to compete with Victoire and I have accepted that she is best suited for him. As long as Teddy is happy, I am happy too.
However, seeing them together just makes me realise how alone I really am. I will never be allowed to find my own Teddy. I will never have someone that looks at me like I am their entire world. I will never have someone to hold and laugh with. I can never have what they have and I need to accept that before I get in trouble.
Lydia
Freya closed her eyes for a moment, needing a second to herself. This was exactly how she felt about James. She cared for him so much and it was so difficult because she wasn't supposed to have feelings for him. However, Lydia had the guts to put her feeling down to ink. Freya realised why Lydia was protective over this diary as it contained secrets that if they were found, would be the undoing of Lydia. The things she had written down were confidential and private, they were her most inner and deepest thoughts and feelings.
It was too dangerous for Freya to ever own a diary, she wouldn't want to risk anyone finding it. Freya refused to leave any possible evidence of her deepest thoughts and feelings because there were too many risks.
Lydia was thirteen years old when she wrote this entry. She had been so young but actually she was one of the most mature people Freya ever knew. If it had been another thirteen-year-old saying they had a crush on someone, Freya would have dismissed it. But Freya knew exactly how much Lydia cared for Teddy because Freya was going through the same thing. Lydia wasn't the type of person to have silly crushes and this was something that Freya was a hundred per cent certain about.
However, it was because of Lydia's feeling for Teddy that Lance set more rules. After Lydia, Lance made sure to add the rule about the Guardians not being allowed to have feelings for with their charge. Lance didn't want another repeat of this incident.
But he was too late for that.
Taking a deep breath, Freya flicked through the diary again.
January 2011
Dear Diary,
I have had enough. I cannot be a Guardian anymore. I have been an official Guardian for three years – nearly four years – and I cannot take it anymore. I have seen people become Guardians for a week and then they are replaced with someone else. I have seen children break down due to stress, I have seen some Guardians kill themselves because they can't handle it anymore. I have seen the broken-hearted parents when they find out that their child is dead.
I cannot do this anymore.
I am not cut out to be a Guardian and I certainly never wanted to be one.
But I don't know how to get out of it. I know that I can't just leave the Guardian Program, Lance said that it wasn't possible and he heavily implied that death was the only way out. There was no way that if I left that I would be allowed to live.
Actually, I wouldn't mind dying. If it meant that I have to be a Guardian for the rest of my life then I would gladly give my life for freedom. But I can't leave my sister behind. If I were to die, Freya would be left alone with mother and father. I wasn't concerned about father, it was our mother. She's unpredictable at the best of times and her moods changes like the wind. The thought of leaving Freya all alone in that unstable house wasn't an option.
Maybe I should talk to mother and father about this? Surely they'll know what to do.
Lydia
Freya's eyes widened when she read this passage. Talking to their parents would be the worst thing that Lydia ever did – especially about leaving the Guardian Program. They didn't care what was happening to them because they were living the high life. When Lydia and Freya became Guardians, the Williams were able to access their fortune again and had access to their mansion – this had all been taken away by the Ministry due to the connection of being a Death Eater. Lance had worked his magic and was able to give everything that had been taken away back to them. If Lydia or Freya left the Guardian Program then their parents would lose everything again. Lance could easily take it away, just like he gave it.
Lydia always wanted to believe that their parents could change. She believed that everyone had the capacity to change and be a better person. She even believed that Lance could change to an extent. Lydia was smart, but she was also naive at times. Lydia had only been fourteen years old when she wrote this so Freya could excuse this as wishful thinking.
Turning the next page, Freya continued reading.
February 2011
Dear Diary,
I don't want to be a Guardian anymore. Every moment spent living like this is torture. There has to be some way around it. I need to find a way to bypass Lance's Guardian Mark and also the pendant. Those of the only two things standing between me and freedom. Once I am free, I will go to someone in the Ministry and tell them all about Lance.
However, the issues lie with the Guardian Mark and the pendant. I have been doing some research about the Guardian Mark to try and see if there are any loopholes. The Guardian Mark is a tattoo and the ink has been laced with Lance's magic which is constantly flowing. If the flow of Lance's magic is stopped – by his death or something else – then it would activate a spell which will destroy and kill anything the ink is touching. There are charms within the ink that will activate when Lance uses his magic that causes unimaginable pain. It also has protective charms that stop magic being used on the Guardian Mark and the magic will react violently to anyone trying to remove the mark unless it is Lance. I have tested this a few times on myself and have walked away with broken fingers, broken wrists and horrible burns.
The pendant also has a powerful memory charm inside that will erase anyone's memory within seconds. It is more powerful than the Obliviate charm and it was Lance's own invention. However, there is a flaw in Lance's spell and it is that the spell doesn't work on certain people – Auror's. They are now trained to resist memory erasing spells. However, the pendant isn't that much of an issue because I can simply take it off without Lance even knowing, the issue around this is the other Guardians – they would notice if I took the pendant off and they would tell Lance.
I have been looking into magical objects that block magic. I have a theory that if I can temporarily block the mark then I can get rid of the Guardian Mark. However, all the objects that I have looked into are very rare and come at a hefty price. If I was caught purchasing one of these objects then I would be in a lot of trouble.
Wish me luck in my search,
Lydia
Freya read this passage a few times in amazement. Lydia had been looking into ways to get out of being a Guardian. Lydia was right when she said the pendant wasn't much of issue back then, but it was because of Lydia that Lance upped his game by adding a heat signature tracker on the pendant. The whole Guardian Program had been trial and error in the first five years of it being set up and Lance would correct anything that wasn't to his liking.
Fascinated, Freya read on.
February 2011
Dear Diary
Finally, I have found what I was looking for. I have found a magical object that could possibly work. It is called the Celestial Crystal and it has the power to negate all magical seals, spells and vows – temporarily. However, they are extremely rare and only found in the remotest of places. If I could just find some then I could get rid of the Guardian Mark. If it gets rid of the mark then the rest will fall into place. Lance uses the threat of pain to keep us in 'our place' as Lance calls it. He has absolutely no regard for anyone but himself. But he will get what is coming to him. I will be free from the Guardian Program and I will be free of Lance Johnson.
Lydia
Freya's eyes widened when she read this passage. Freya had never heard of the Celestial Crystals before and it excited her. Lydia had really been on her way to beating Lance. However, Freya never realised how close she truly was. If Freya had known, she would have helped her sister. Reading it made Freya proud of Lydia. She had done what everyone else was afraid to do – even now no one had attempted to do what Lydia did years ago.
Freya read on, wanting to know more.
March 2011
Dear Diary
Around a week ago, I managed to damage my Guardian Mark. I tried to cut under the skin with magic and remove it physically off my being, but the mark reacted. I now have severe burns on my hand where the Guardian Mark reacted. However, I managed to take a chunk out of the mark and that part of the mark hasn't come back yet. I also cannot detect any magic on that part of my skin either. The skin on my neck healed fine but I had taken a few layers of skin off the back of my neck so it was very painful but it yielded results. It will scar but if that's what it takes to get it off me then so be it.
The Guardian Mark in only skin-deep and can be physically removed from the body. It's just the protective charms within the ink I need to bypass. However, once I get the Celestial Crystal, that shouldn't be a problem. I have been tracking where to find the crystals and I've managed to narrow down the location of them. However, it is found in one of the most dangerous parts of the world and tends to be protected by magical beasts.
I will find them no matter what,
Lydia
Freya felt herself freeze when she read this. The Guardian Mark could actually be removed from the body by force. This was something Freya had never even thought about. No one had dared to even touch the mark in case Lance knew and got the wrong idea. Lance made everyone afraid to even think of the possibility of leaving the Guardian Program. Lance relied on everyone's fear and he used it to his full advantage.
She had half a mind to try and remove it herself.
However, Freya stopped herself. What Lydia had done was reckless and dangerous, proving how desperate Lydia really was to leave the Guardian Program. Using a spell on the back of the neck was dangerous because of how close it was to the spine, one wrong move could kill a person or leave them permanently paralysed due to the skin on the neck not being that thick. Lance had the Guardian Mark placed there on purpose.
Thinning her lips, Freya turned the page and her blood turned to ice. Freya stopped when she saw the date of the diary entry. This one was the last entry ever written by Lydia. This made Freya unsettled as she shifted in her bed uncomfortably.
Freya had to continue though, she had made it this far.
4th March 2011
Dear Diary,
I have realised something while doing all this research and it's that I cannot do this alone anymore, I need people involved in this. If I am to continue then not only do I need a support network I also need people I can confide in. I need to have my family to back me up. I cannot do this alone because once I do leave, I will need to rebuild my life and without support then I am seriously going to struggle.
I know my mother is one of Lance's biggest supporters but maybe I could convince my parents. They should understand that this isn't what a child should be spending their life doing – it's inhumane! Surely, they would rather me be happy than have me suffer. I am their daughter after all. I have been thinking about it and I have decided that I am going to do it. Today, I will tell them what I think. I will tell them that I don't want to be a Guardian anymore. Once I am free, I will get out of this manor and start a life of my own. Maybe I'll even confess to Teddy!
I know that once I get out of this, I will be able to build my own life. I already know I want to work as a doctor in St Mungo hospital because I would rather be helping people and healing them. After everything I have seen, it would be nice to actually save some people rather than lose them.
Once I am old enough, I will take Freya out of that horrible house too. I can look after her and get her away from mother and stop her becoming a Guardian. I never want her to join this program, I don't even want her to know about it! Freya has been one of the only things that has kept me going. Seeing her smile has cheered me up and has brought me out of dark and scary places. I know that if I died, then she would be left alone with mother and that is a scary and horrible thought.
However, I need to try this.
Wish me luck,
Lydia
Rage filled Freya and she saw red. Freya had to drop the book on the bed or she was going to destroy it with her hands out of anger. Lydia was smart, she should have known that going to their parents was a stupid mistake that she would regret. Their mother was so far up Lance's behind it was ridiculous. Vivienne didn't care about them, she only cared about herself and no one else. Lydia should have known this and yet she made the most stupid mistake of her life. After telling their parents, Lydia had been killed. The 4th March was the night Lydia was murdered and it was all because she told their parents what she was planning. She told them that she couldn't be a Guardian anymore.
The rage rolled off Freya in waves and yet Sapphie never once roused from her sleep. Freya's magic was pulsing violently and she was having a hard time reigning in her anger. Usually, Freya was able to keep her underlying rage at bay because she knew that she can do damage when she was angry – and she had never been this angry before in her life. Freya felt bitter, anger and sadness. It was a selfish thing, but Freya wished that Lydia had kept her mouth shut and had taken her away from Vivienne and Rupert. Freya wished that Lydia was still with her now and maybe things would have turned out differently.
However, something caught her attention. A light blue glow was emanating from the diary and it distracted her enough for her rage to evaporate to a safe level. The blue light felt familiar and it calmed Freya down just by being near it. Reaching out, Freya picked up the diary and opened it on the page that was emanating the light blue glow.
There was an extra passage, one that hadn't been there previously. It came after the 4th March and Freya knew that would have been impossible because Lydia had died that day. There was no way that could have been something else written in there.
Nonetheless, Freya read it.
Dear Freya,
I am sorry.
I know what I am going to do is selfish but it needs to be done. I know that I won't be able to convince our parents of leaving Lance as they are much too close to him to even consider it. However, my death will do something – it will plant the seed. I know that I won't be able to leave the Guardian Program alive, it is too new and at the moment, Lance is too vigilant to let anything slide past him. But I believe that over time, his standards will slip as his confidence grows. He is the type of person to become cocky as the power goes to his head.
I never wanted this life for you, I never wanted you in involved in the Guardian Program because I wanted you to have a normal childhood and life. Although, I knew it was impossible because our family was ex-death eaters and that comes with a stigma – one that I am sure will take even longer to go in the future. Our mother was adamant though and I knew you would have no other choice, just like I did.
You may have noticed that I made this entry of my diary secret and it was for a reason. I only wanted you to see this passage because it contains a secret that no one other than Lance and I know. I found this out by accident when I broke into Lance's office and it has haunted me since. However, you need to know. The only reason Lance got the Guardian Program approved by Kingsley was that Lance said we could look for Voldemort's spawn. We could do this and protect the war heroes' children from harm because apparently, the war heroes were getting threats from Death Eaters still at large – but this was all a rouse.
Voldemort did not have a child. I also agree with this because Voldemort wouldn't want to share his power as he thought he would succeed. So why would he need a child if he thought he was going to win? Lance lied because he knew it was the only way to get his proposal approved. He also lied about the threats to the war hero's families – he sent them all. Lance pretended that the war heroes' families were being threatened so Kingsley would have no other option than to approve Lance's proposal.
But it worries me because now I do not understand Lance's true purpose of forming the Guardian Program in the first place.
Freya, I took a chance even though I knew it was an impossible battle. I know that I am asking a lot of you but please consider it. I believe you are the only person who can take down Lance. Even during our mother's pregnancy with you, he was already around and seemed more excited about your birth than our own mother. Before my death, I made sure to do as much research as possible for you – which I am sure you've already read. Freya, I need you to carry on my mission. I need you to bring the Guardians Program down and make sure that Lance pays for everything that he has and will do in the future.
Find Lance's weakness and exploit it.
Please consider it Freya.
I love you and I will miss you dearly,
Your big sister,
Lydia Adele Williams
Tears fell from Freya's eyes without her realising. For the first time in years, Freya Louise Williams cried her heart out.
HARRY POTTER
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