Hello all! This is kind of a different Harry Potter fic, I think, or I hope, anyway, in that there's no Harry, in fact, it's safe to say that there will be very few characters from J.K. Rowling But one important one remains, and is serving as a refuge in one of the wizarding world's darkest hours. One young girl in particular finds shelter offered behind the school walls. But will she accept it? And even if she does, will that guarantee that she will be protected from her greatest danger – herself?

Oh, and before I forget, the standard disclaimer applies.

Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1 : Promises

The child shivered, and drew her cloak around her with stiff, reddened fingers. The rain continued pouring down in torrents, and the wind whipped at her. She tried her best to take herself away, to a place where she might be warm, and dry and not hungry or tired. Where she would never be terribly frightened, nor so shakily anchored, with images of the attack that killed her parents, when the fighting between the Catholics and the Protestants had been visited upon their small village, no longer always with her. Sometimes it seemed like she had never known such a place, and other times the faintest wisp of memory.

She stumbled, and her companion caught her.

"Doucement." Careful, he said. Tears pricked her eyes, which she hastily blinked away. How much longer? She wondered. Then she felt, rather than saw, his reassuring smile. "Hold on for just a bit longer, little one.. We're nearly there-can you believe it?" she felt his excitement. "It's really not much further. Promis."

Élise could rely on his promises, she knew that - she trusted Hervé without question. It was he who had been there since – she didn't want to think about it. Instead she thought of how an old friend of her mother and father, visiting, had rescued her from the confusion then surely and quietly led her to safety, then gently bound her wounded hand. How he'd charged himself with accompanying her to her relatives and new guardians in England, his disarming smile as he'd told her "My business brings me there, a happy coincidence, is it not, mademoiselle?" She thought of the three months they'd been travelling – walking if they could, riding when possible, on the boat to cross the water, which had been a nightmare, as she had never gotten over the queasiness from the Ocean's relentless pitching. He had taken her from her home outside of Toulouse, France to here, to England, and kept her safe along the way. He had filled the great, empty black hole, and had given her a reason to care. He was her family now.

It was only a few moments before they saw ahead the welcoming lights of small cottages, illuminating the dusk – it wasn't quite dark yet. The mist made it hard to see much else, however. Hervé told her,

"Our destination is a little ways at the end of this village. "

By now, she could barely see a hand in front of her face, but Hervé kept his hand tightly on her shoulder to guide her. An unearthly shriek suddenly made her jump, all the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

"Nom de Ciel, Hervé, what was that?"

"Oh..just the wind. I don't suppose you're used to it where you're from. Come now."

Suddenly, the ground felt different beneath her feet, she could hear the distinctive lapping of water, and as her eyes began to adjust, she could see a little dock just ahead. It was still raining steadily but the wind was now calm.

"We have to just cross a small creek. "

He helped her into the small ordinary looking rowboat, and then he pushed off smoothly. She saw other dark shapes of similar little crafts in the water up ahead.

Then a little while later, they came to dry land again, much to her relief. As she stepped out, the castle suddenly loomed up ahead, a sprawling and impressive structure that took away her breath.

"Is..is that-?"

"Indeed it is."

Silently he ushered her to a strange buggy, that was pulled..by nothing. She kept blinking, as if it was just a trick of the light, the horse has to be there. There were several other people, some her age, some adults with them. Everyone was silent, which was just fine at that time. They were borne swiftly toward whatever destination awaited them

She managed to force her trembling legs down when the carriage came to a stop.

There was a great door, and it was Hervé who pushed it open allowing their group – there was another carriage too –

inside. She could only gape in wonder at the front hall, stranger and grander than any she'd ever seen.

Then she felt Hervé's hand on her shoulder, as he whispered

"Welcome to Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, Élise."