We Held Hands

08

Isis Black, A History

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Previously…

"I'm afraid not, Joshua. Isis is still in danger of committing and fulfilling the Prophecy. Let's not hope Lord Voldemort wouldn't sense Eris' awakening."

"Wait, don't tell me there's another Prophecy? And what does that bastard have to do with this, with her?" Harry said, his voice showing so much pain it felt odd to Draco to feel pity for him. He shrugged it away and walked towards the stairs straight to the Hospital Wing. Before he could turn the corner however, he heard Harry Potter shout.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE AND THAT GIRL IS THE SAME!"

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Approx. sixteen years ago…

"Here, take her! She's in danger, please! Take her! Give her to Eric! He'll take care of her, please!" The homeless man thrust what looked like a baby-girl covered with black and midnight blue bundle of clothes to a woman standing at the door of her house. The baby was sleeping but on the child's tiny, weak hands rested a necklace. The baby's frail fingers seemed vulnerable to strong hands that might want to take away the necklace, an ancient necklace. The lady standing in the doorway was so shocked she barely moved an inch when she saw an ominous birthmark at the child's neck.

"But, how did…?" The woman, Asian by the look of her façade, started to ask but was interrupted when someone from the within the house called her.

"Xandra, who is that? What's taking you so long?" A man, about his mid-twenties walk from what looked like a kitchen towards the open door. "Excuse me, sir, but what can we do for you?" He asked with a tint of French tongue in his dialect. He cast a frown upon the stranger before him and looked at the child the stranger was holding. His face softened when he looked at the child. So helpless, so innocent and so vulnerable.

"Please, please, I beg of you! Take her. Hide her. He's looking for her, please. He…. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named! He comes near! Him and his followers! Please, please. I beg of you!" The man, pale and weakened knelt in front of the shocked couple.

"H-how… Who told you about us?" The woman started again. She took hold of her companion's arm as if she couldn't quite grasp the reality because of what she had just heard.

"Grandmama, Eric. The Death Eaters they… The girl, she has to be protected.She gave the child the necklace and then… no one has ever taken that from the child's grasp. She… was almost captured. Grandmama, Eric… she…" The vagabond paused as if afraid to tell what he has to. He tried to regain his composure but failed miserably. He shoved the sleeping child towards the woman. She had no choice but to take her.

"How… how is Gran? What happened to… my family?" Eric, white as a ghost looked intently at the teary-eyed vagabond. "Who… are you? Do I know you, are you one of my…"

"Please, take her. Keep her safe. He would not know I have taken her here. Please… Here." The vagabond gave the couple a black envelope and judging by the gasp that the Eric emitted, the black envelope surged a strange and bounding spell. "Show that to her when… Her other side appears. Tell her it is up to her if she wants to know her destiny, she would have to open it and suffer the consequences… I… bid you farewell. Eric." The vagabond gasped and he tried so hard as to flick his wand to apparate but was incapable of doing so. He coughed up a couple of blood. Eric's face seemed to have jolted as he noticed a ring at the stranger's left hand. He knows that ring, which was his brother's.

"Oh my god… Eric. Please, let us help him… Bring him in. They might see us here!" Alexandra whispered urgently. "Eric?" She looked at her companion.

"We will have to take her as our own daughter, Xandra. She… she cannot will not have this in her possession. Not until the time comes. Come; let's bring him inside." Her husband's voice was devoid of all emotion that she clutched the child in her hands more tightly than necessary. The child's eyes squinted and she stretched oh-so delicately her frail limbs.

"Eric… what do you…" Alexandra asked but she did not ask furthermore. She watched as her husband took out a wooden stick and muttered a spell. Her eyes widened as the collapsed vagabond started to float and saw her husband navigating the body towards them and finally, stepping aside, the body entered their house.

"I think I need to explain something to you."

Five years later…

The Blacks were your typical peace loving, rich but humble Asian family living in the far side of Athens, Greece. Eric Black, a government lawyer, sees to it that they supply their only daughter with all the things their love can give to her. So far, Alexandra Lawrence-Black was home-schooling her daughter, Isis Black. She was so thrilled to have discovered that her daughter was far more precocious than other children she had ever seen. Little did their neighbors know that the couple is really from a magical world, with an exemption of the fact that both are Squibs.

Eric and Alexandra were friends since the day they met at an orphanage. Both of them were in a tender age of nine when Eric's own parents brought him to the orphanage while the authorities found Alexandra unconscious and abandoned at the Black Forest with nothing sort of identification other than her handkerchief with her name embroidered unto it. They both suffered criticism from other orphans and were told that they were so naughty that their parents left them for good. It was only years ago that Eric confessed to his wife that he was supposedly a cast away Squib just like her when his brother came for him from the orphanage they stayed. It was fortunate that Alexandra herself was taken to a loving foster family the same day Eric's brother took him.

His brother independently brought him up, he told his wife. It was the day when Eric found out that his parents abandoned him because they had never seen him conjured so much of at least any signs of magic. His brother had told him that he himself would teach Eric magic and would harness his abilities. It was than that Eric found out that he came from what they called a pureblooded French family. And his brother was right, Eric had some magic I him but it was only when he was in 4th year high school that he finally took control of this magic. By that time, his brother and Eric's parents had found out about this. They banished Eric and sent him to Greece. That was when he caught sight of his long-lost friend's black and wavy curls gently floating with the breeze. Eric Black and Alexandra Lawrence had met again.

To the time of their wedding they couldn't believe that they've gotten this far from being friends. They couldn't even believe they'd actually meet again, of all unlikely places, Greece. It was a memorable time, even though both of their families weren't there, they had friends to attend the wedding. Eric was a very happy groom walking hand in hand with his blooming bride, Alexandra. The couple was very happy until that same day, as night struck, something bad happened.

Eric's family was murdered. The final glimpse he had was of his brother, the one who cared for him, in his arms. He carried with him a child. Isis Black, his brother tells him.

Eric could still remember the night when he took off the hood off of the stranger's face and what came to his view was a terrible sight. He was right, the moment he saw the ring, it was one of the family heirloom, his brother had told him before. His brother was struck so many times his face was undistinguishable through all the open wounds. Try as he might, with little magic he had through all the years, he healed most of his beloved brother's wounds. All that his wife could do was hush the crying baby in her arms. Alexandra was so petrified by the state of her brother-in-law that she can't even muster the strength to speak. She just witnessed the death of Ethan Black.

"Take care of her for me, will you, Eric? Keep her, make her yours, your daughter. I don't think I can make it."

"But, Ethan… Is she… your daughter?"

"No. Grandmama… Grams, she took care of her. The only thing that she said about the child was…she refused to surrender the child to the Dark Lord."

"But… Ethan, what does the Dark Lord had to do with this child?"

"I… do not…"

"No, how foolish of me. Stay still. I cannot fully mend your wounds. Don't talk too much, okay?"

"No, Eric. This cannot wait. Keep her safe, will you? Grams, she saved the child. She saved the child in exchange of her own life. I saw it myself."

"I told you don't talk t-Who killed her?"

"Abraxas' father. Grams wouldn't let go of the child. I was so… foolish. I let her die, Eric! I… came home and I saw them all staring at me, their eyes haunted. I heard Grandma scream and the child's cry… I... Didn't run for their aid! If it wasn't for… If it wasn't for the necklace…"

"No, don't talk like that. It wasn't your fault."

"The necklace! Eric it… saved the child and me. When Grams… died, I ran towards her, they hexed me but I still run for the child! And then the last thing I remembered was that the child was clutching the necklace and it was guiding us towards your house. I found the envelope and the necklace… Gods, Eric, it talked to me! It said things to me that…"

"Okay, that's enough. Rest!"

"I…"

"Ethan? Ethan… no! Don't kid me! Open your eyes, damn it!"

Eric closed his eyes and shook away the sad memories. He didn't want those to interfere him today. He watched from inside his house. He smiled to himself. Today was Isis' birthday. His daughter. He watched his wife and daughter as they waited for him. They were at the house's backyard garden. It was such a delight that his daughter had unwittingly found the hidden present for her, the baby kitten.

"Mommy! Look! Can I keep him? Please?" A five years old toddler looked hopefully to her mother's eyes. The little girl was wearing her favorite green dress and was jumping up and down holding carefully a baby kitten. Which was supposedly the gift her parents were just about to give her. Eric chuckled to himself, too intelligent for her own good, Isis. "Mommy… Please? Will daddy be mad if I keep him? I want to keep him."

"Now, Isis. I'm sure you have nice intentions for the little kitty but can you really take care of him? You barely take care of the dolls daddy had bought for you just last month. And now look at poor Kelly, you dress her up and leave her at the living room floor." The mother of the raven-haired girl caressed her daughter's soft black curls fondly. She smiled at her daughter with eyes showing so much loved and beckoned her to sit next to her in the wooden swing. Eric reminded himself that he should not have spoiled their daughter too much. But thought otherwise, he can't really control his wife's mollycoddle. "Alright. Come here, let me take a closer look at him."

"Yes! Is that a yes, mommy? Is that a yes? I can keep him, right? Say it!" The girl scuttled playfully towards her mother with the kitten in her arms. The girl giggled as her mother was tickling her before bringing her up next to her unto the wooden swing. Gentle breeze passed them and flower petals and fallen leaves seemed to float to the air as mother and daughter both stared to the twilight sky. They were waiting for him of the house to return.

By the look of the girl, Isis was so happy that her father would be home earlier than usual. She missed her father every time she woke up in the morning. The only time she can ever see her father was on weekends and evenings, when they all eat dinner together. Eric decided that it was time to go to them. He walked back towards the door of the terrace and downstairs he went, still hearing the conversation of his family.

Back at the garden:

"Mommy, what are we having for dinner?" Isis asked as she closed her eyes and carelessly smoothing out the fur of the baby kitten.

"Hmmm… Your favorite! Do you not know what today is, Isis?" Her mother said, afraid that she might've given away too much of the surprise she and her husband have prepared for their child. "Now hush, let us think of an appropriate name for this kitten."

"How about… Tom? Because he's a cat!" Isis giggled. "No… I guess not, that's too common! I want something different, mommy. Can you name her for me please?" Isis held the cat towards her mother as if inviting her to touch her new pet.

"Hmmm… Let me think." Alexandra took the kitten from her daughter and placed the baby kitten to her lap. How about naming it to a Greek God, Isis?" The mother suggested. The baby kitten kept on going back and forth, practicing its teeny limbs. "Do you like Ares?"

"Mom! The kitten's not bad! Ares is the God of War! How can such a cute kitten be compared to him? I would not name him Ares! How about Hermes? Hermes sounds cute!" Isis said.

"Now, who are you naming Hermes?" A male voice asked from behind them. Eric smiled to his family.

"Daddy!" Isis squealed and jumped off of the wooden swing. She came running towards her father. "Daddy, daddy! You're home! Welcome home, daddy!" Isis' dad lifted her up to his arms. Isis never minded that his father's clothes was soiled by her slippers, she raised her arms and hug her father, taking in as much as her small arms can hug. She gave her father kiss on the cheek and a hug. She was extremely delighted when she saw her father smile and chuckle.

"It's nice of you to finally turn up, Eric." Isis' mother stood up scooping the baby kitten to her arms. "Isis was just naming this kitten. Could you give it a name?"

"Xandra… Hermes is too formal for a kitten. What came to your head that you want a baby kitten such a name?" Eric addressed his wife, and smiled fondly at the lovely woman before him. Xandra came to her family and gave the baby kitten back to her daughter.

"What would you have suggested, Eric? I daresay Lucas is far more appealing, eh?" She replied. "Anyways, I'm so glad you boss gave you an early leave."

"Why did your bossy boss make you leave early from work, daddy? Did something happen?" Isis asked. She had her left hand occupied by a baby kitten and her right arm around her father's neck.

"How about we go inside and I give you something? Okay?" Eric said. "Do you know what day it is, Isis?" He turned around and followed his wife, who was on her way back towards their house.

"What, what?" Isis asked enthusiastically.

"I know."

Eric and Xandra turned around. Isis felt his father's hold to her tightened. "What daddy, what?" Eric and Xandra's eyes widened with fear as they registered the person standing before them. A Death Eater.

"Bonjour, Monsieur, Madame. Might I greet this rather fascinating young lady a happy birthday?"

"What brought you here, Death Eater?" Eric asked courageously. Even though he lived the life of a muggle, him and his family, he was still updated with the Wizarding World. The last thing he heard was that a boy had defeated the Dark Lord. And that was the day of his brother's… his family's funeral.

"I have come for her." The Death Eater indicating his right hand towards Isis, making his mark visible. The man was wearing what looked like the usual black robes and mask of a Death Eater but wore a sleeveless underneath. It was most unlikely to Eric but he couldn't careless.

"You cannot take her! Leave my daughter alone!" Eric said. He shielded his wife and Isis from the Death Eater. But still he knew, he was helpless. How they had finally found them, he doesn't know but it was now up to whomever is controlling their lives of what would happen to them.

"She is not your daughter, so give her to me." The Death Eater said forcefully and Eric now saw him drawing out his wand.

"Daddy, what did he say? Am I really not your daughter? I think he's lying." Isis said, she was tugging her daddy's trousers and looking with those chocolate brown eyes. "He can't be right, can he, daddy? He's lying right?"

"Of course, sweetie, now go with your mother inside the house, daddy will take care of this." Eric said fondly, reassuring Isis' curiosity. He knew that what Isis never knew wouldn't harm her. Really.

"Don't lie to the kid. She has got a Prophecy to fulfill. The Dark Lord has been waiting for her. Now surrender and we need not have any corpses lying around this rather beautiful garden." The Death Eater had his wand out now and it was pointing dangerously straight to Eric's chest.

"No, you would have to come through me first before you lay a finger to my daughter." Eric said, too courageous for his own good. "Step aside Xandra, take Isis with you."

"B-but Eric…" Xandra started, clutching Isis firmly beside her.

"Mommy, what is happening? Mommy?" Isis asked, her innocent eyes giving away the fact that though Isis is a precocious child, she is but an innocent youth.

"Well, we'll have to deal with you now, eh? Lying to an innocent girl. Crucio!" The Death Eater's curse surged instantly through Eric's body and it was pain beyond pain. Eric couldn't help himself. Try as he might to prevent from screaming, he bit his lower lip and he knew that blood was pouring out. He couldn't help it, he didn't want little Isis to be scared but he screamed.

"Mommy! What is the man doing to daddy? Mommy, please help him!" Isis said, pointing her hands towards her father who was in so much agony. Isis sobbed and she clutched the baby kitten towards her, hugging it so tightly for she was afraid of what may happen to her family. "Mommy, please do something?"

"I cannot sweetums… I…" Xandra's voice trembled and it failed her and her daughter of the reassurance that everything will be better.

"A-Alexandra… Go! Get o-out of here!" Isis saw her father gasped for air as the Death Eater intensified the Curse. "Isis… take care of her, okay?"

"You can't get away from me, young lady for if you do, you won't see him again." The Death Eater warned.

"No… daddy. Don't go, daddy…" Isis cried. She sobbed liked she'd never cried before. Her daddy came home early for her. She wasn't about to miss that. She won't let that man do anything to her daddy. "Leave daddy alone, you liar!"

Isis… Isis… The man is hurting your father Isis. He's hurting our father. We must stop him. A voice at the back of the girl's mind spoke to her. You wish to stop her, right? Let me appear for you, I will help him, Isis. We will both stop the bad guy.

"How? How can we stop him? I don't want to see daddy like that!" Isis cried. Xandra looked sideways to her daughter. She looked shocked as she saw Isis talking to herself. Or was she talking to the baby kitten?

"Sweetums… Let's go. Daddy will take care of this." Xandra tried to scoop up Isis to her arms but found Isis heavy to lift. "Isis…"

"No, mommy. I'm staying. She said we could stop this man. We can save daddy!" Isis looked straight to her mother's eyes and Xandra gasped. Instead of warm chocolate brown eyes staring back at her, it was cold and menacing red. Is this Isis?

"Mommy, he's killing daddy! Mommy! Let me go, I'll stop him!" Isis said. She was sobbing and at the same time trying to shook away her mother's grip on her.

"No, sweetums… Isis. Stay-" But Xandra, Isis' mother, has never finished what she was about to say for blue light seemed to have sipped out of Isis' body and at the mere touch of the light seemed to have made Xandra collapse.

Mommy will have to sleep for a while. She doesn't want to see this.

"But, why? We were going to rescue daddy, aren't we?" Isis asked to herself.

"Come here, girl. Come here. The Dark Lord Voldemort is waiting for your arrival. He said you and him will rule and he will take you as his apprentice. Wouldn't you like that?" The Death Eater said. "You know, I wasn't lying. It's true. This man isn't your father. Your father died ages ago, didn't you know?" The man continued to further intensify the curse and Isis could see her father no longer screaming but twitching uncontrollably with so much pain.

"Leave daddy alone! Leave him go away! Go away! Be GONE!" Isis said, she stamped her feet and unaware, she had thrown unceremoniously the baby kitten she was hugging a while ago. "Leave and never come back! BE GONE!"

"What do you-ahck!" And the Death Eater was no more but a pile of ashes as he was burned to death.

"Daddy?" Isis sobbed. "Daddy, wake up for me. Daddy…" She said soothingly. "Hermes, help me wake daddy up Hermes. Kitty where are you? Hermes... Where's mommy? Where's everyone?"

Isis looked around through her blurry eyes. What she saw, she will never forget. She reduced the man who attacked her father to ashes. Her daddy lay sprawled with blood. Her mommy collapsed with hints of blue sparks. And so was her kitten, Hermes. She doesn't know what to do, where to go. She wanted to call out for help but she found out she couldn't anymore.

She looked down unto her hands and she cried out. She saw blue sparks and blood in those tiny frail hands. What has she have done?

Don't worry Isis. Whoever hurts you, hurts me. And I won't let them hurt us. You have to remember that.

"Who are you? What did you made me do?" Isis muttered through her sobs as she cradled the lifeless but warm baby kitten unto her hands. She wanted to heal the kitten but she can't. Why can't she? She knew she has some kind of a power but… Why can't she heal? She looked at her father and she went to him, still clutching the kitty at her left hands.

"Daddy, heal for me please…" Isis pleaded. She placed her glowing right hand to her father's heart but she can't heal him. Isis sobbed harder and ran for her mother.

"Mommy! Mommy! Daddy, what happened to daddy!" Isis dropped her kitty, Hermes next to her mother and nudged her mother to wake. She hoped her mother would wake, and her mother did.

"Wha-Isis… Sweetums, what happened?" Xandra asked her daughter. She looked around and found out that the Death Eater was nowhere to be sighted. "Where's the bad guy?"

"He's there, mummy. Mummy, is daddy gonna be okay? Look at Hermes mommy, is he gonna be okay too? Like you?" Isis held up her hands, which she used to pick the kitty up again. She showed it to her mother and Xandra froze. The kitten was surely dead.

Xandra finally gasped and asked her daughter again. "Isis, what happened and where is the bad guy?"

"Mommy… I cried out and then suddenly the bad guy burst to flames, it was so bright mommy. I guess the flames stopped daddy from twitching. He wasn't in pain anymore. And when I tried to find where the bad guy is, all I found was that pile there, what is it mommy? Black powder, mommy?" Isis pointed her right hand where there once stood the Death Eater just mere seconds ago.

It was then that Xandra realized, that Isis, her daughter, had killed a man.

Isis… I am Eris, you and me are the same. And together, they can't do anything against us. We will once again bring back the generations of Aereia. And everything will be back to normal. Is that good to you?

"Mommy… There's someone inside my head mommy… Make her stop talking. She's frightening me…" Isis sobbed again. "Is daddy gonna be okay? Is Hermes gonna be okay? Mommy…."

The young girl cried her heart out through her fifth birthday.

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"Mommy!" Isis woke with a start. It all came rushing back to her.

The killing, her daddy's scream, her mommy's frightened look, Hermes… Her kitten. She lost him that day. She looked around and found herself in the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts. She closed her eyes and let her hands hide away her shamed face. She was amazed that after all these times; she hadn't realized that it was the real thing that happened to him. She didn't have that nightmare like Daddy said. It was real and that was how she spent her fifth birthday.

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Author's Note: This fanfic is inspired to my latest dream that has pushed me to the front of the computer screen and made me type it with enthusiasm…

Author's Note 2: Hmmm… okay eh? A rather lengthy history of Isis Black. There's more of that where it came from so hopefully, before it's release, the writer of this fic would at least receive some reviews eh?

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! So it might shut those plot bunnies for other fanfictions in my mind. OH AND PLEASE READ MY OTHER FANFICS! -

E-mail me if you want to ask some questions regarding this fanfiction or any other fanfiction of mine. Oh, and PLEASE, PLEASE REVEW!