Once upon a time, a little girl awoke from a dream of flight. In her dream
she had flown with a phoenix from a place of endless terror to a safe, warm
land. The phoenix couldn't keep her in his nest, and had set her down in
the middle of the Quidditch pitch, wet with in morning dew. The little
girl had never been to a Quidditch pitch before, but was very familiar with
the uncomfortable feeling of morning dhu. She reached inside herself and
called on her grandmother's magic to warm and heal her. She heard the
nightingale song from far away, and was instantly healed of all her
injuries, all except for the faintly visible scars on her wrist – even
phoenix tears could not heal those. But the phoenix had not tears for her
– it was gone. Without a phoenix, she could not fly. She could not fly,
but she could to walk.
"What are you doing here, missy?" a small giant asked her as she walked toward the forest. "Students are forbidden from the Dark Forest. Too dangerous for little witches."
"I'm not a student," she replied calmly. After the previous night, nothing could frighten her.
"I know that - you're not wearing your uniform. And you're too young for a Hogsmeade Weekend jest yet. I'm Hagrid, by the way, the new Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. Who might you be?"
"Hogwarts - that's where mummy lived," she said almost to herself. "I'm Elise."
"Well, Elise, you'd best get yourself home now, before you get into trouble."
"She already is in trouble, Hagrid. That's why she's here," said an old man with robes like the sky an a long white beard. Hargid's bearded face broke into a wide smile, and he seemed to stand a little straighter.
"In trouble, Professor Dumbledore? How could that be? She's just a slip of a girl."
"No mere little girl, Hagrid. Don't you recognize her? She's Elena's girl. One of them." He looked down his nose at her, adjusting his spectacles. "Why didn't you say anything, child? Trying to spy for your father?" he asked calmly, tapping the wand in his hand.
"I'm not spying – the bird dropped me here. I'll go now."
"Fawkes has told me what happened, and how he found you, young woman. I ask you again, why didn't you?"
"I'm Elise," she said, staring at her bare feet. It was the only thing she could think to say. The old man hated her, and she wanted to leave so much! No one had ever looked at her that way before, even the ones last night. No one had ever wished her away. It hurt worse than the scars.
"Elena's girl!" the giant breathed. "This is wonderful! Where's your mum, sweetheart? Old Hagrid's her best friend! I've got a new litter of puffskeins to show her, and you of course, and a ..."
"Elena is gone, Hagrid. This girl is all we have left of her," the old man said, closing his eyes. His shoulders slumped for an instant, but then he opened his eyes and stared her down. "Youngster, you're too young for this school. In fact, given your parentage, I think you're unfit for a magical education at all. Yes, far too dangerous. But as you are somewhat my responsibility, I'll give you this choice – return to your father, or stay here and renounce magic."
"Renounce magic, sir? Professor Dumbledore, look at her! She's Elena's child. Your grandchild! You can't deny her magic! You just can't!" Hagrid said, highly agitated.
Elena reached up and took the giant's hand, sending her Healing magic through him. "It's all right, Hagrid. Everything's fine," she said with a dazzling smile. "I can't be a witch, then grandfather?"
"No, I can't allow it. You can stay here, like Hagrid. We'll protect you, but you must be a squib. I'll cast a charm on you to seal it. But you must never use your power here at Hogwarts."
"I want you to stay, Elise. Your mother was a great friend. I owe it to her to help you. Stay here, with me."
"Hagrid, I'm not sure that's wise," Dumbledore said.
"You'll keep her in the castle with you, then, sir? You'll like that, Elise. Lots of magic to learn, even if you're too young for lessons just now."
"Absolutely not, Hagrid. On second thought, I thank you for your offer – I'm afraid if Elise stays, it will have to be with you. She doesn't belong at Hogwarts."
"Her mother did."
"Her mother was my child. This girl is not. I'll have no more of this, Hagrid."
A huge slobbering dog was sleeping in the doorway of a hut, but at the sound of Dumbledore's sharp voice, his head came up and he bounded for the trio, barking. Elise's eyes went round with terror and she tried to run away, but he pounced on her and knocked her to the ground. She lay there, too petrified to move or scream as it lapped her with big friendly doggie kisses.
"Come on now, yeh great beast!" Hagrid said, pulling the dog off her. "Now, now, Elise. It's not so bad! Dinna cry now! He's just a great ugly beast, but he wouldn't hurt a fly. Just like me. There, there, little princess," he said, patting her back awkwardly and brushing the muddy paw prints off her robe.
Quiet tears had no effect on the headmaster. Professor Dumbledore looked at her coldly. "So, what is it to be, Elise?" he asked her impatiently.
"Stay here with me, Elise. We'll have great fun together. Please?" Hagrid asked kindly. "I'll help you, and you can help me. I have a lot of baby animals to take care of, and I need a little one to help me, like. The little ones are frightened of ugly old Hagid. But you aren't, are you? You'll be a great Gryffindor someday soon, mark my words!"
"No, Hagrid. She'll never be a student. She knows too much already."
"But she's your blood, Headmaster! You can't..."
"I must, Hagrid. I must. And you must help me. No one here must know about her. She's no blood of mine."
"But sir!"
"No 'buts', Hagrid. Elena is dead. Her power must die with her. This child will be raised a squib. Do you understand, Elena? You stay here only as long as you follow the rules. No magic. Not ever. Just like Hagrid."
"I understand, grandfather," she said coldly.
"Not 'grandfather' – 'professor' or Headmaster Dumbledore. Tom Riddle's child is no family of mine."
Tears welled in her eyes, but she held them back. The straightened her shoulders and looked at him calmly. "Cast your charms, then, Headmaster. I'll play by your rules," she said in a steady voice. She shook her dark hair behind her shoulders. His magic couldn't bind her, unless she willed it. It was her mother's magic and he couldn't bind her, either. Riddles bounce. Vengeance is mine.
* "I'm very glad you'll be staying with me, Elise," Hagrid said gently, patting her head. "Your grandfather, sorry, the Headmaster is a great man. A great man. I'm sure he'll come around, in time. He loved your mother very much. He's just very upset. He'll come round, mark my words. He'll come round." He watched the great man climb the hill to the castle without a backwards glance. "Come on, lass. Let's go see those puffskeins!" he said with forced good-humor, taking her by the hand and leading her to a shed. Inside a box on the ground were balls of the softest golden fur, purring contentedly. She reached out a hand to pet them, but hesitated, uncertain. "Go on, girl. They don't bite. Don't have no teeth to bite yeh with."
Elise dug her hands in and pulled out two of the soft creatures, and rubbed them against her cheek. She liked them, a lot. She gave Hagrid another smile and he beamed at her.
"That's a girl. We'll have great fun here together. I'll show you all my friends. These are nice, but I have even more exciting ones, too! Unicorns, and fire crabs, and Bane and Firenze will want to meet you, and there are merfolk in the pond. Oh the things I'll have to show you! You'll never have time to miss school, Elise. We'll be far too busy."
"What are you doing here, missy?" a small giant asked her as she walked toward the forest. "Students are forbidden from the Dark Forest. Too dangerous for little witches."
"I'm not a student," she replied calmly. After the previous night, nothing could frighten her.
"I know that - you're not wearing your uniform. And you're too young for a Hogsmeade Weekend jest yet. I'm Hagrid, by the way, the new Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. Who might you be?"
"Hogwarts - that's where mummy lived," she said almost to herself. "I'm Elise."
"Well, Elise, you'd best get yourself home now, before you get into trouble."
"She already is in trouble, Hagrid. That's why she's here," said an old man with robes like the sky an a long white beard. Hargid's bearded face broke into a wide smile, and he seemed to stand a little straighter.
"In trouble, Professor Dumbledore? How could that be? She's just a slip of a girl."
"No mere little girl, Hagrid. Don't you recognize her? She's Elena's girl. One of them." He looked down his nose at her, adjusting his spectacles. "Why didn't you say anything, child? Trying to spy for your father?" he asked calmly, tapping the wand in his hand.
"I'm not spying – the bird dropped me here. I'll go now."
"Fawkes has told me what happened, and how he found you, young woman. I ask you again, why didn't you?"
"I'm Elise," she said, staring at her bare feet. It was the only thing she could think to say. The old man hated her, and she wanted to leave so much! No one had ever looked at her that way before, even the ones last night. No one had ever wished her away. It hurt worse than the scars.
"Elena's girl!" the giant breathed. "This is wonderful! Where's your mum, sweetheart? Old Hagrid's her best friend! I've got a new litter of puffskeins to show her, and you of course, and a ..."
"Elena is gone, Hagrid. This girl is all we have left of her," the old man said, closing his eyes. His shoulders slumped for an instant, but then he opened his eyes and stared her down. "Youngster, you're too young for this school. In fact, given your parentage, I think you're unfit for a magical education at all. Yes, far too dangerous. But as you are somewhat my responsibility, I'll give you this choice – return to your father, or stay here and renounce magic."
"Renounce magic, sir? Professor Dumbledore, look at her! She's Elena's child. Your grandchild! You can't deny her magic! You just can't!" Hagrid said, highly agitated.
Elena reached up and took the giant's hand, sending her Healing magic through him. "It's all right, Hagrid. Everything's fine," she said with a dazzling smile. "I can't be a witch, then grandfather?"
"No, I can't allow it. You can stay here, like Hagrid. We'll protect you, but you must be a squib. I'll cast a charm on you to seal it. But you must never use your power here at Hogwarts."
"I want you to stay, Elise. Your mother was a great friend. I owe it to her to help you. Stay here, with me."
"Hagrid, I'm not sure that's wise," Dumbledore said.
"You'll keep her in the castle with you, then, sir? You'll like that, Elise. Lots of magic to learn, even if you're too young for lessons just now."
"Absolutely not, Hagrid. On second thought, I thank you for your offer – I'm afraid if Elise stays, it will have to be with you. She doesn't belong at Hogwarts."
"Her mother did."
"Her mother was my child. This girl is not. I'll have no more of this, Hagrid."
A huge slobbering dog was sleeping in the doorway of a hut, but at the sound of Dumbledore's sharp voice, his head came up and he bounded for the trio, barking. Elise's eyes went round with terror and she tried to run away, but he pounced on her and knocked her to the ground. She lay there, too petrified to move or scream as it lapped her with big friendly doggie kisses.
"Come on now, yeh great beast!" Hagrid said, pulling the dog off her. "Now, now, Elise. It's not so bad! Dinna cry now! He's just a great ugly beast, but he wouldn't hurt a fly. Just like me. There, there, little princess," he said, patting her back awkwardly and brushing the muddy paw prints off her robe.
Quiet tears had no effect on the headmaster. Professor Dumbledore looked at her coldly. "So, what is it to be, Elise?" he asked her impatiently.
"Stay here with me, Elise. We'll have great fun together. Please?" Hagrid asked kindly. "I'll help you, and you can help me. I have a lot of baby animals to take care of, and I need a little one to help me, like. The little ones are frightened of ugly old Hagid. But you aren't, are you? You'll be a great Gryffindor someday soon, mark my words!"
"No, Hagrid. She'll never be a student. She knows too much already."
"But she's your blood, Headmaster! You can't..."
"I must, Hagrid. I must. And you must help me. No one here must know about her. She's no blood of mine."
"But sir!"
"No 'buts', Hagrid. Elena is dead. Her power must die with her. This child will be raised a squib. Do you understand, Elena? You stay here only as long as you follow the rules. No magic. Not ever. Just like Hagrid."
"I understand, grandfather," she said coldly.
"Not 'grandfather' – 'professor' or Headmaster Dumbledore. Tom Riddle's child is no family of mine."
Tears welled in her eyes, but she held them back. The straightened her shoulders and looked at him calmly. "Cast your charms, then, Headmaster. I'll play by your rules," she said in a steady voice. She shook her dark hair behind her shoulders. His magic couldn't bind her, unless she willed it. It was her mother's magic and he couldn't bind her, either. Riddles bounce. Vengeance is mine.
* "I'm very glad you'll be staying with me, Elise," Hagrid said gently, patting her head. "Your grandfather, sorry, the Headmaster is a great man. A great man. I'm sure he'll come around, in time. He loved your mother very much. He's just very upset. He'll come round, mark my words. He'll come round." He watched the great man climb the hill to the castle without a backwards glance. "Come on, lass. Let's go see those puffskeins!" he said with forced good-humor, taking her by the hand and leading her to a shed. Inside a box on the ground were balls of the softest golden fur, purring contentedly. She reached out a hand to pet them, but hesitated, uncertain. "Go on, girl. They don't bite. Don't have no teeth to bite yeh with."
Elise dug her hands in and pulled out two of the soft creatures, and rubbed them against her cheek. She liked them, a lot. She gave Hagrid another smile and he beamed at her.
"That's a girl. We'll have great fun here together. I'll show you all my friends. These are nice, but I have even more exciting ones, too! Unicorns, and fire crabs, and Bane and Firenze will want to meet you, and there are merfolk in the pond. Oh the things I'll have to show you! You'll never have time to miss school, Elise. We'll be far too busy."