Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it belongs to J.K.R. Lyndell belongs to herself;
Lyria belongs to me. Narcissa Strider later becomes Narcissa Malfoy, and
therefore isn't mine.
A/N: This is a companion to Before They Were Legends. Each chapter focuses
on something important in a character's life before they reached Hogwarts,
and for more fun, just pop over & read Before They Were Legends.
Chapter 1: The Makings of an Auror
"Lyria! Cassi! Mum said to come in!" The youngest Strider pulled her blonde hair out of her way. Narcissa was younger than Cassi and Lyria by just over a year.
"We're coming, `Cissa," Lyri assured her younger sister, brown curls flying into her face as she whirled around. "We're waiting for Eryk!"
Narcissa sighed but knew Lyria would not be interrupted. She turned around and headed back up to the big house at the top of the hill.
The Strider home was always crowded, especially over the summer. Eryk had just graduated from Hogwarts, while his younger brother Oliver and Dylan still attended the school. Dylan had come home from his fourth year determined to be Head Boy someday as his brother Eryk had been and Oliver would be. Oliver had just finished his sixth year, and the twins were but eight and wouldn't be going to the school for some time yet. Narcissa, at age seven, had been "welcomed but unexpected," as Aragorn Strider put it.
"She wasn't in the plans, but she's the most wonderful unexpected addition we've had yet," the head of the Strider family had told his friends when Cissa was a baby.
Cassi, the youngest before Narcissa had arrived, tended to have a different opinion.
"He's not coming, Lyri," Casilda said sadly after sitting out on the fence for another half an hour. "We'd better go in before Mum gets mad."
"I guess." Lyria walked to the house with her head down. She adored her big brother.
"He must just be late, Munchkin," Aragorn tried to reassure his daughter.
"You know Eryk," Oliver said. "Mum always says he's the most irresponsible Head Boy Hogwarts ever had."
"Hush, Oliver," Jessilyn Strider demanded of her son. "He likely forgot to owl, is all."
There was a knock on the door.
All five of the children jumped up to get the door.
"Sit and eat your dinners," Aragorn said firmly. He never had to yell--the children knew to listen.
Dad seemed to know whoever was at the door pretty well, Lyria decided after he hadn't returned in fifteen minutes. When he did return--half an hour later--he wore a disbelieving expression. "Jess, we need to talk. Now, please."
She looked at his face, then at the children. "Anyone moves and there'll be no dinner for a week."
A few minutes later, the young Striders looked at each other in alarm as they heard Jessilyn begin to cry.
Oliver could restrain himself no longer. He led his younger siblings into the other room. "What happened to Eryk?" He demanded.
"Cruciatus Curse. He's alright now." Aragorn told his son bluntly. "They caught them."
Lyria looked back and forth in alarm, not understanding. "What's going on?!?" She finally wailed.
Aragorn sat down, picking up her daughter. "Some very bad wizards hurt him, Lyria."
Tears welled up in her eyes, but when she spoke it was with determination remarkable in an eight-year-old. "I'm going to stop people like that, when I get big. I'm going to make sure bad wizards get put somewhere and can't hurt people!"
"I think you may just, Little Miss Strider. You might just," Aragorn told his daughter, putting her on her feet. "But you'll have to finish your dinner first."
Lyria belongs to me. Narcissa Strider later becomes Narcissa Malfoy, and
therefore isn't mine.
A/N: This is a companion to Before They Were Legends. Each chapter focuses
on something important in a character's life before they reached Hogwarts,
and for more fun, just pop over & read Before They Were Legends.
Chapter 1: The Makings of an Auror
"Lyria! Cassi! Mum said to come in!" The youngest Strider pulled her blonde hair out of her way. Narcissa was younger than Cassi and Lyria by just over a year.
"We're coming, `Cissa," Lyri assured her younger sister, brown curls flying into her face as she whirled around. "We're waiting for Eryk!"
Narcissa sighed but knew Lyria would not be interrupted. She turned around and headed back up to the big house at the top of the hill.
The Strider home was always crowded, especially over the summer. Eryk had just graduated from Hogwarts, while his younger brother Oliver and Dylan still attended the school. Dylan had come home from his fourth year determined to be Head Boy someday as his brother Eryk had been and Oliver would be. Oliver had just finished his sixth year, and the twins were but eight and wouldn't be going to the school for some time yet. Narcissa, at age seven, had been "welcomed but unexpected," as Aragorn Strider put it.
"She wasn't in the plans, but she's the most wonderful unexpected addition we've had yet," the head of the Strider family had told his friends when Cissa was a baby.
Cassi, the youngest before Narcissa had arrived, tended to have a different opinion.
"He's not coming, Lyri," Casilda said sadly after sitting out on the fence for another half an hour. "We'd better go in before Mum gets mad."
"I guess." Lyria walked to the house with her head down. She adored her big brother.
"He must just be late, Munchkin," Aragorn tried to reassure his daughter.
"You know Eryk," Oliver said. "Mum always says he's the most irresponsible Head Boy Hogwarts ever had."
"Hush, Oliver," Jessilyn Strider demanded of her son. "He likely forgot to owl, is all."
There was a knock on the door.
All five of the children jumped up to get the door.
"Sit and eat your dinners," Aragorn said firmly. He never had to yell--the children knew to listen.
Dad seemed to know whoever was at the door pretty well, Lyria decided after he hadn't returned in fifteen minutes. When he did return--half an hour later--he wore a disbelieving expression. "Jess, we need to talk. Now, please."
She looked at his face, then at the children. "Anyone moves and there'll be no dinner for a week."
A few minutes later, the young Striders looked at each other in alarm as they heard Jessilyn begin to cry.
Oliver could restrain himself no longer. He led his younger siblings into the other room. "What happened to Eryk?" He demanded.
"Cruciatus Curse. He's alright now." Aragorn told his son bluntly. "They caught them."
Lyria looked back and forth in alarm, not understanding. "What's going on?!?" She finally wailed.
Aragorn sat down, picking up her daughter. "Some very bad wizards hurt him, Lyria."
Tears welled up in her eyes, but when she spoke it was with determination remarkable in an eight-year-old. "I'm going to stop people like that, when I get big. I'm going to make sure bad wizards get put somewhere and can't hurt people!"
"I think you may just, Little Miss Strider. You might just," Aragorn told his daughter, putting her on her feet. "But you'll have to finish your dinner first."