Chapter 4

Anime Gemelle


Carlisle and I entered the throne room at the same time. I noticed Volturi added soft benches and chairs. Since it wasn't a formal meeting, I thought they were trying to show us their hospitality. I sat down on one side of the long bench that stood in the middle. Since it was the only piece of furniture that stood far away from the others, Carlisle and I were expected to sit there, so everyone can look at us. I remembered the presentations that I had to do for school and suddenly felt uncomfortable. Everyone was staring at Carlisle and me.

"Please, begin, Isabella," Aro said.

"Bella." I corrected.

"Such a beautiful name and you want to change it to something so boring."

I looked at Carlisle for support. My story had some sad turns, and I needed him to be there for me. Carlisle would be hearing it fully for the first time too. I haven't shared everything; it was too hard on me to remember some of my past. Carlisle looked at me sympathetically and put his hand on mine, squeezing it reassuringly.

"I was born Isabella Marie Swan-Black to Renee Swan-Black and Sirius Black III on September 13th, 1977 in Islington, London. Both Swan and Black families are wizards, so it was no wonder I had magical powers. Both my parents were members of the Orden of the Phoenix, a special group of wizards who tried to get rid of Lord Voldemort. They fought with him and his followers, the Death Eaters. One of his followers killed my mother during one of those battles." I stopped for a second. My mother was the first-person Voldemort took from me. By taking her, he took away my childhood, the soft hands that brushed my hair, and the sweet voice that sang to me when I couldn't fall asleep.

"On October 31st, 1981 Lord Voldemort killed Lilly and James Potters, my father's best friends. They were betrayed by their close friend Peter Pettigrew. My dad wanted to go after him, but he couldn't leave me alone, I was too young at the time." Uncle James was the second person Voldemort took from me. By taking him, he took away the laughter, the joy, the loyal friend. Aunt Lilly was the third. I lost my godmother, the woman who stepped in and helped my father raise me, my mother figure, the kindest and smartest person I knew. I noticed Carlisle squeezing my hand again. I looked at him and smiled gratefully.

"As much as my dad wanted to foster Potter's child, Harry, it was impossible. However, we still checked on Harry every chance we got, my father even put me into a muggle school that Harry went to until I got a letter from Hogwarts. I didn't want to leave Harry behind, he was always teased by bigger boys in school because of his slenderness and oversized clothes." I smiled as the memories of my young brother, which I considered Harry to be, flooded my mind. He was, of course, not the same anymore, his face was more manly, he had a short stubble on his chin and upper lip, more seriousness in his eyes. "I knew he missed me when I left for Hogwarts, we used to always eat lunch together in the school cafeteria and play outside during the weekends and summers. I would even go to Mrs. Figg's house with Harry when Dursleys left him with her."

I took another breath. I was getting to the worst. The part about my past that I never shared with Carlisle because it was too painful. I pressed my hand into a fist, slightly touching the ring on my thumb that I never took, off with my pointy finger.

"At Hogwarts, I was sorted in Hufflepuff house and found friends from all over the UK. Still, during every holiday, when I came back to London, I would meet with Harry and tell him all about the new all-girls school that I was attending. That was a lie, of course." I smiled sadly. I wished I could tell Harry from the start, but not knowing was important for his safety.

"My dad and I were watching the Dursley's house very closely starting two weeks before Harry's birthday. We noticed owls flying next to the house, there were more and more of them every single day. When we saw Dursley move away, we followed them. I couldn't believe they would stop Harry from attending Hogwarts. Finally, when my dad and I were ready to save Harry from the Dursleys and kidnap him if we needed to, we noticed someone was already standing in the Lighthouse cabin. It was the groundskeeper of Hogwarts, Hagrid."

I remembered that day very vividly, the storm was intense, the waves were crashing into the rocks on which the lighthouse stood. I remembered it vividly after I saw Harry's drawing of a Birthday cake and realized it was after midnight already.

"Harry was, of course, surprised to see me hugging the half-giant groundskeeper, but he believed us when we told him about magic and the three of us took him to the Diagon Alley. My dad and I took him in for a few days before we had to go to Hogwarts. Father told Harry everything he knew about his parents and about Voldemort. I still remember how much joy was in Harry's eyes when dad told him he was his godfather. We went to the King's Cross station together on September 1st and ran through the brick wall between platforms 9 and 10. I left Harry in the wagon for 1st year and joined my classmates. Years passed by while Harry and I were in Hogwarts, I found even more friends from different houses. Everything changed during my 6th year."

I didn't know if I would be able to tell Volturi and Carlisle the rest. I squeezed Carlisle's hand and closed my eyes for a second. I was afraid that if I say the next part of my story out loud, it will happen again, and I wouldn't be able to stop it from happening.

After a minute, I took a deep breath and opened my eyes again. Thinking about what happened made me feel miserable again. A feeling I was trying to overcome for nearly a decade now.

"It was the year of the Triwizard Tournament, and three people from each European magical school would be participating in it. There was only one student beside me who was old enough to participate from the 6th year, my boyfriend Cedric." My voice broke when I said his name. I haven't spoken it out loud or to myself since the last night of the tournament. "One of the Death Eaters who was pretending to be an Auror put Harry's name into the goblet as well. Both Cedric and Harry were chosen to be Hogwarts champions and they both were doing great till the very last task. They both went into the maze together, but only one of them came back alive. Harry brought Cedric's body back from the maze. He told everyone Voldemort was back and that he killed my Cedric." I was sobbing now. Cedric. My dear Cedric was the fourth person who Voldemort took from me. With him, he took my love, my passion, my whole entire heart.

"Bella…" Carlisle whispered and put his shoulder around me. "I am so sorry, child."

"I cried hysterically at Cedric's body, right next to his father. I remember my dad tearing my hands away from Cedric's body, I remember thinking that if I let go, he will never come back." I reached to touch the ring on my thumb again. It was his, he gave me it before he went into the maze. That was the only thing that I had after I went into the veil. "After the healers took him away, I cried even more at Harry's hospital bed. My father was there with me too. I promised myself that day that Voldemort will pay for everything that he did. For my mother, for Lilly and James, for Cedric. He will pay for all of them. That's why when Harry told me my father was taken by the Death Eaters, I went into the Ministry of Magic. I couldn't let him take away my dad too. It turned out, Voldemort never kidnapped him, it was a trick to get Harry to come to him. We were surrounded, there was a battle. My dad and I were fighting side by side, I was an adult already, by the wizarding standards. I have already passed my final exams and was ready to join the Order of the Phoenix. Both my father and I were pushed into the veil together in the Department of Mystery. The last thing he said was not you, not yet, please." My dad was number five. The fifth person I didn't get to have in my life anymore. With him, Voldemort took my soul, my family, my best friend. I took a breath before I continued. "I woke up in 1695, Carlisle had to turn me into a vampire after he got me out of the water. He taught me how to hunt animals and we have been traveling together ever since."

I looked up to the people sitting on the other side of the room. I noticed Jane and the three women, I saw sitting on the thrones behind Marcus, Caius, and Aro earlier today, looked like they were sobbing with me.

"Thank you for sharing your story. I mean it, Isa…Bella. You didn't have to tell us about Cedric or your family but you did, and we are grateful we were worth knowing about their demise." Aro spoke slowly. "If you would be alright with it, I propose we have a minute of silence for your loss."

I nodded silently, still not trusting myself to speak anymore. I was surprised I was even able to finish the story without crying out loud. His facial features were flowing through my mind during the minute of silence. His bronze messy hair that I was never able to control, his kind green eyes that always sparkled when he looked at me. If I closed my eyes, I was able to hear his voice in my head.


April 3rd, 1713.

Time flew by while we were in Volterra. After I told Volturi my story, the women started looking at me differently, even though I didn't understand why. If most of them tried to hide their glances, the pity looks coming from Didyme were basically screaming at me every time we were in the same room.

During the past few years, I managed to master my gift. It took a lot of time and concentration. Felix and Demetri who volunteered to help went through agonizing pain, Jane's gift, about a dozen times a day until I was finally able to shield them. After that, my lessons were concentrated on making my shield bigger, trying to control its size and shape. I was drained after each practice, not physically, but emotionally and yet I kept going.

After the longest five years of training, I was able to not only put my shield around others but also to take it off of myself. I noticed I could identify people who were under my shield as well. Each vampire had different colors surrounding them. That talent came later, closer to my 4-year training anniversary. I joked with Carlisle that I got a bachelor's degree in shielding.

Carlisle spent as much time as he could in the Volturi library that had information collected from all parts of the world starting around 1250BC when the main three Volturi were born. Carlisle read everything, from myths and legends to modern medicine and fairy tale stories. So, even after I was done developing my shield, Carlisle and I stayed with the Volturi. We didn't need to go anywhere, and we felt comfortable in the castle, except for the feeding days, when the main floor smelled like human blood and death.

I found myself getting more familiar with members of the Volturi clan. Each one of them taught me something new every day. I noticed I was spending more and more time with Jane. If she wasn't teaching me how to fight, we would spend time walking around Volterra at night imagining what people in the houses were doing for a living. It was a fun game that we played, the citizens of Volterra were like our book characters, and we as authors created a life for them.

"Did you notice how Didyme is looking at me?" I asked Jane one night.

"Yes. I think everyone noticed it."

"Do you know what's it about?"

"I do."

"Come on Jane, do you always have to be like that? Do I have to plug the information out of you with tweezers?" I asked annoyed. The angel vampire looked at me with a smile.

"I'm just not sure you want to know the reason why Didyme looks at you with such sadness." Jane brushed my arm softly. "I like you, Bella, and it's a hard truth."

"I want to know," I assured her.

"Did you notice how Caius looks at Athenodora? Or Aro and Sulpicia? Marcus and Didyme?"

"Well, they are married to each other, they are in love."

"It's more than that for vampires. Each one of us has a soulmate, a person who completes us, without whom life doesn't make sense. Vampires don't have divorces, we don't need them, if we find our mate, it is for life. There is no one else, even if one vampire in the couple dies, it stays that way. When you told us about Cedric, Marcus was able to feel your relationship to him." She stopped walking and turned to look at me.

"He was my soulmate," I whispered and looked up. I imagined he was there now, watching over me.

"Yes, that's why Didyme looks at you that way. She can't imagine losing Marcus, she knows she wouldn't want to live in the world where he no longer exists. None of us want to lose you, but we understand you must feel horrible not being able to be with Cedric."

"I have things I need to do before I join him. People have to pay for what they took from me." I looked at Jane.

"I know and I'm not sure about the rest of us, but Bella, I will help you when the time comes. There is nothing that can bring him back, but trust me when I say that, revenge gives you drive and power." Jane replied.

"How do you know?"

"Alec and I weren't twins growing up, we were triplets. Our brother Jack...He didn't survive. I never told you how I became a vampire." Jane started walking again and I followed her. "All three of us had a forming gift-quality growing up. Our talents had not taken a focused shape at that point, but bad things tended to happen to people who were unkind to us or our family, and good luck followed those who were friendly. Eventually, the superstitious locals found us too frightening to endure. We were accused as witches and condemned to be burned at the stake." She smiled at me. "Aro was apprised of the situation by a nomad and hurried to the village, arriving just in time to interrupt mine and Alec's execution. Too late to do anything for Jack. We were transformed at the age of 13, we are the smallest and youngest vampires in appearance, as well as the most prized members of the guard due to our powerful gifts. Aro believes that because of the pain I experienced while burning at the stake and the anger I felt towards the villagers, my power took on a sharper form after my conversion into a vampire; I gained the supernatural talent of inflicting the same burning pain on others in the form of illusion. About a decade after Alec and I joined the coven, we displayed our powers for the first time in battle and annihilated the Romanian coven's army of over one hundred recruits. Since then, we've been known worldwide as the two most powerful vampires that ever existed and are considered the cornerstone of the Volturi's offensive abilities. But I didn't care about that. I didn't want praise or glory, I wanted to punish those who watched as Jack burned, who stood there and laughed as my brother screamed in pain, while he was burning alive. Alec and I got to kill every single one of them, I made sure all of them went through the same pain as Jack did. You should have seen how big the fire pit was, for a second there I was afraid it's going to burn the whole surrounding forest." She smiled. "Of course, my actions didn't bring Jack back to life, but it felt good. Watching people's faces as they realize if only, they were kinder, smarter, they wouldn't be burning right now."

"I'm sorry about your brother," I spoke quietly.

"Time heals," she started, I laughed at the words, not believing them. "It does, Bella. The pain never goes away, but it becomes smaller, and in a few hundred years, I hope you will feel it too."

"You know what makes sense now?" I asked her and saw her looking at me. "I used to feel bad because I felt like Cedric's death was worse than anyone else's. Even my father's. I felt bad because when he went through that veil, I was not even half as miserable as I was when I saw Harry carrying Cedric's body. Knowing he was my mate helps me, at least with that. I don't feel guilty for loving him more than my father."

"What was he like? Cedric?" Jane asked. "You never talk about him."

"It's hard," I confessed. "It's hard to talk about him in the past tense. I guess I still believe that I'll be able to change his fate, save him somehow."

"Maybe you will."

"He wouldn't want that," I replied. "Cedric always believed things happen for a reason, that everything that is supposed to happen, will happen whether we want it or not. He was smart and kind, he brightened up the room wherever he was. Everyone loved him, I know I did since I first saw him. He was nice to everyone and always let people feel welcome."

"A popular guy?" Jane smiled at me.

"Oh, he was. Captain of the Hufflepuff quidditch team, all girls wanted to be with him." I smiled.

"But he chose you."

"Since the first year. We were in the same year, shared the same courses. But it all started when we sat together in our first Potions class. He made me feel smart and beautiful, always pulled out my chairs for me. So many girls fancied him, but he only had his eyes for me. We shared a kiss in our second year and were together ever since. As we grew older, I started wondering why he was with me. He could have any girl he wanted, someone who won't trip with every step, someone who enjoyed sports as much as he did. I even asked him why he would rather spend all of his evenings in the common room with me on his lap reading rather than playing with his friends, he would reply that I was his safety bubble, the only one who could see the real him."

"That is very sweet." Jane smiled.

"You haven't found your mate yet?" I asked, feeling like I already knew the answer.

"No, I doubt I ever will. I'm afraid I was turned in too young of an age." Jane spoke with sadness in her voice.

"Edward and I fell in love at 12, don't put a cross on finding your true love. It's definitely worth waiting for." I spoke and noticed a hopeful smile appearing on Jane's face.

"Maybe you're right."

January 13th, 1720

After two decades with Volturi, Carlisle and I chose to go our own way, there were so many things in this world that I wanted to see and experience, and the Volterra castle was becoming too usual and obedient. I knew everything about it, all the turns and hallways, all the books on its shelves, and all paintings on its walls. Aro wasn't eager to let us go, he found a friend in Carlisle, someone who was as eager to learn about new things as he was.

I didn't want to say goodbye to Jane, whom I grew fond of throughout the years. She was like a sister I never had. No matter how close I got to Jane, her brother Alec was still a closed book to me. He was sort of a hermit, always kept to himself, the only person he talked to on a regular was Jane. The difference between the twins was astronomical, and their gifts were just confirming that. Quiet Alec with his sensory deprivation and fiery Jane with her pain illusions. What a pair.

I packed everything Carlisle and I had into my enchanted bag and we said our goodbyes early in the morning. Before leaving I wrote a quick note to Jane feeling a little devilish.

"Have fun lighting up all the torches. All the love, Bella."

Carlisle shook his head as I led him to the staircase that we used when we first came into the castle. As soon as we made it to the long corridor, I laughed and started running, all the torches went out behind me until the whole corridor went into the darkness.


This chapter is small, but I hope it will help some people get to know Bella a little more. Personally, I got interested in writing a prequel to the story about Bella before she goes through the veil.

Please review!