The crisp morning air was blowing softly at my face as I galloped on my amazing horse, Dreamer. There was not a care in the world as I soared over the nine brightly colored jumps in the arena. One more fence and the perfect training session would be complete. I counted the strides, three, two, and one, over...over ...over?
"Not again, Dream!" I screamed in fury as my mount took off like a bucking bronco across the arena. I finally gave a sharp tug and pulled his elegant head up from between his front legs.
I was just about to scold him, when my once Jet-black horse had turned a vibrant shade of pink.
"That's not strange" I thought aloud, sarcastically.
Then I realized just how lightly I was taking the situation. There's a horse show in two days and my horse... is--is…PINK!
How is he pink? I thought frantically. This must be some sort of joke that my neighbor is playing on me. Or maybe my mum gave him pink color enhancing diet, rather than black? No, that's nonsense. I'm getting desperate, what happened?
I walked my horse out quickly and put him away then ran to the house as fast as my short legs could carry me.
I could've sworn I just saw an owl fly over the house. NO said a voice inside my head. One strange thing happened and now I think I'm seeing all kinds of absurd things.
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"Mum!" I called, my voice sounded high and distant.
"Yes, Elana?" asked my mother, Emily Potter. She asked in a very mystified voice and seemed far away, not paying too much attention to the constant whining of kids.
"Mum, I was riding Dreamer and he--he turned...pink" I said in a forced calm. It was nearly unnerving that in this crisis, my mother was acting so calm and peaceful.
"Pink?" Mrs. Potter repeated. This time more alert then before hand. Confusion rolling over her face as she stopped.
"Yes, mum, pink." I grew more worried by her puzzlement. "Did you make him turn pink, mum?" I said in a desperate tone, my eyes searching the kitchen for some sort of sun-activated pink horse dye.
"No, Honey, I did not turn Dreamer pink", Mrs. Potter replied in an undertone.
"Then what? How did it happen?" I nearly screamed it. I was near a nervous breakdown. Why was she being so bloody calm? My mother sighed before motioning for me to sit. I shook a bit, not knowing what to believe,
"Lani, there's something I need to tell you, something you should have been told a long time ago..."
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"I'm a--a WHAT?" Elana said in extreme surprise and terror. This HAD to be a joke, and it wasn't that funny either.
"You're a witch" Mrs. Potter replied in a steady voice. "And I also should tell you some other things"
"Like...?" Elana didn't know why she was getting so impatient with her mother, nor did she know why her tone of voice was so angry.
"Well..." she paused, and heaved a sigh. "First off, I'm not really your blood mother" Mrs. Potter said, and then clearly braced herself for the fireworks, but surprisingly they did not come.
"wha--" Elana couldn't bring herself to speak properly. All these years, she thought she lived with her mother and really-- who is this woman?
"Excuse me?" Elana found herself saying." then who--who are you?" there was a pause, a million questions surged through Elana's head. But before she could utter another word, Mrs. Potter began to speak...
Elana sat there in the kitchen for what seemed like hours, her mother sat there with her. Elana's mother spoke of how there was a prophecy made about her father before he was born; it said that he would be the only one who could defeat the most powerful dark wizard alive, Lord Voldemort. Mrs. Potter said how Voldemort had killed Harry's parents, Lily and James, and how he failed to kill Harry.
She said that Harry had successfully killed Voldemort when Elana was about three years old. She said that Elana's mother, Ginny Potter, had mysteriously disappeared when Elana was about 1 year old and how people called 'death eaters', or Voldemorts' followers had come to Harry when he was alone and a woman, named Bellatrix Lestrange had killed Harry when he was unarmed, seeking revenge for when Harry killed her leader.
"I had been your fathers' friend for some years." Mrs. Potter said a glazed look on her face. "A year after your mother disappeared, I started to stay with you and took care of you when your dad was on duty, which was an 'Auror duty' of course". She caught the confused look on my face. "Sort of a magical policeman" she explained. "Then, when you were about four, we got married and months after, he died". A single tear found its way down her face, but she wiped it quickly away. Elana didn't know what to say, not seeing such emotion take over her so harshly.
She concluded with saying that Elana did have some family. She had a little, ten-year-old brother and three cousins at her aunt and uncles house.
Elana was speechless; she was overwhelmed with shock that she was a witch, and sadness that she didn't have parents. Then, she finally found her voice to question what had been bugging her. "If I have a little brother, then why... why does he not live with me?"
Mrs. Potter looked uncomfortable. She shifted her weight to one side, and with out looking at Elana, she spoke. "You'll find out soon enough. You should know, but I'm not sure I'm the right person to tell you." she hastily changed the subject. "Now, why don't you open that letter?"
In all of the confusion Elana had totally forgotten about the letter she had received from the owl. She reached out on the table and picked up the letter, admiring the beautiful emerald lettering on the slightly yellowed envelope. She tore it open and read:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, first class, grand sorceresses, chief warlock, Supreme Mugwamp, international confederation of wizards)
Dear Miss Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress
"Wow" Elana exclaimed disbelievingly. "Me, a real witch ... this isn't a joke, right?"
"Nope, not a joke," Mrs. Potter replied with a small smile, then with out warning, handed two pictures to Elana. Although she had never seen them and forgotten them, she knew immediately who they were.
Her parents.
YAY! this is the edited version of the first chapter. Many thanks to my beta, Whispy
