-June 2, 1985, Arendal Manor, Secluded Area in Scotland's countryside-
The old Arendal manor sat alone amongst the harsh Scottish wilderness, the only source of light for its inhabitants was the moon dimmed by thick fog. Its halls were dark and chilly on this Scottish summer night. Only a fool or the mentally insane would be awake at this time of night.
Elisia snored beneath her warm blankets, snuggling with the pink house-elf doll her mother made for her on her sixth birthday a few months before. This was blissful, she could stay here forever, but it would only last for another few seconds.
Elisia stirred slightly at the sound of the creaking of her bedroom door being opened. She strained an eye open and attempted to lift her head up to see who was at her door. Before she could get a good look, she heard grunting and felt the bed shift under a heavy weight to her right side. She huffed and whined under her breath, knowing who it was and prayed for them to leave as quickly as she came.
"Elisia, psst, wake up." Her older sister giggled softly, rousing Elisia with gentle shoves.
The platinum blonde, tired from a long day of playing in the Scottish wilderness, whined and rubbed her tired blue eyes. "Anne, please, I'm tired! Go back to sleep!"
"But I can't!" Anne laid on top of her. Elisia grunted as she was squished by her seven-year-old sister's weight. "Mum and Dad are in the study with Mad-Eye, and they're not exactly being quiet."
"That doesn't mean you can come to my room yea fat lump!" Elisia swiftly elbowed her side, prompting Anne to get off her, but her sister didn't budge.
"I'm not fat!" Anne nearly shouted back at her."If anything you're the fat one, you eat more chocolate than I do!"
Tired of being nearly suffocated, Elisia growled and shoved her off the bed. With a thud, Anne landed on her bum. Content again, Elisia snuggled back into her pillows, hoping that Anne would go away. But again Elisia's bed shifted under Anne's weight, and she felt her shoulder being shoved, harder this time. She forced her eyes shut, refusing to give in. Elisia heard her sister sigh when she couldn't get her back up. She then leaned in next to her ear.
"Mum and Mad-Eye are discussing Harry Potter," she whispered.
Now that got her full attention. The young girl's eyes popped open, and she perked up. She turned to her older sister's smug face, seeing a twinkle of mischief in her brown eyes. Elisia pouted, upset that she gave in.
The topic of Uncle James and Aunt Lily's son always got her interest, the tale of the boy who defeated Lord Voldemort when he was still in nappies sounded like a fairy tale to her. A story their mother told them frequently told them around bedtime, that probably didn't help Elisia's slight obsession with Harry Potter.
"What about our cousin?" Her voice became louder, and Anne's hand shot up and covered her mouth, and she placed her index finger over her mouth, prompting her to lower her voice.
"Are they talking about custody again?" she whispered, cuffing her own hand over her mouth.
Since Harry had been put in the custody of some Muggle relatives that her mother Judith loathed, she fought for his custody for as long as Elisia could remember. Anne and Elisia often went with their mother to the Ministry hearings, sitting next to her as she and Wizengamot shouted back at one another, claiming that since she was Harry's paternal aunt and of wizarding birth, she had a better claim over him than his maternal muggle aunt and uncle. Each time her mother felt she had finally won the case, only for that hope to be dashed when the Ministry sent a letter of rejection, often with a note on the bottom from the Headmaster of Hogwarts.
Anne gave her a Cheshire cat smile. "Oh, I don't know-"
"Anne!" she hissed and grabbed hold of her sister's collar and shook the grinning brunette, only to earn quiet laughter. "You can't just not tell me!"
"I mean, I could tell you everything I heard." She tapped her chin and raised her eyebrows, "If-"
Elisia released Anne and folded her arms. "If?"
She smiled and leaned next to her ear, letting out a whisper, "We have to build a snowman."
Elisia's eyes widened. "Anne I-I- Daddy would be angry if we did!"
Their father, who was a Muggle, had no problem with them using normal magic, as long as they did so under their mother's supervision. However, he hated what their mother called Elisia's special magic. So much so that he disciplined Elisia for even mentioning it. Her mother often brushed it off as him being just being overprotective of them, but even at her young age Elisia wasn't blind, she could tell what he thought of her and her powers by his voice and the way he looked at her. She could tell that he didn't like her. Maybe he hated her in fact.
She shivered at the memory of when she had created small snowflakes and snowmen in the parlor, ruining the expensive carpeted floor as Anne had watched. Their father had tried beating her bum with a rod for it, causing Anne to intervene, only to end up with the rod striking Anne's ribs, bruising her severely. Reacting purely on instinct, Elisia had frozen his feet to the ground, only angering him further. He'd shouted obscenities at her and even suggested that she wasn't his daughter. Her mother had stopped him when he'd gotten free and gone after her. Elisia did not want the events of that day to repeat themselves.
"Oh c'mon, Eli, he'll never know." Anne sat cross-legged, grabbing her hands and rocking back and forth. Anne's use of her loathed nickname did not greaten her chances. "He's too busy with Mummy and Mad-Eye."
She shivered. "I-I don't know Anne. You know what happened last time we played, he-"
"But he apologized soon after didn't he?" she interrupted. "Besides, if he does anything, Mummy will hide us like she always does until he cools off."
That was true. After her father's temper broke, he did apologize. However, he was usually forced to by their mother with a wand to his back, and the apology never sounded genuine. He only did it to please their mother not because he wanted to. She assumed his opinion was he could do whatever he wanted because he viewed himself as the sole provider for the family just because he was an actor. Two types of excuses followed after his apologies. Stating that was how his father had raised him or that he was trying to toughen them up for the real world.
"Yes, but h-he always hurts me more-," she argued, which was true, and her sister knew it. When Anne did something wrong, their father always concluded that Elisia had done it and went immediately to grab his cane.
"C'mon, Eli, I'll protect you." Anne gave her puppy dog eyes. "Pleaseeeeeeee?"
Elisia sighed. She always tried to fight her sister's begging, but she couldn't say no to that face. "A-alright"
"Yippie!" She yelled and flung her arms into the air, right before Elisia's hand came to her mouth and covered it so she wouldn't alert the adults down the hall. More so not to alert him.
Anne wiggled her eyebrows, then a wet sensation ran over Elisia's cold palm, her sister's tongue. With a hushed squeal, she wiped her hand on Anne's nightgown and swatted her forearm, as Anne chuckled with delight.
"That was gross!" she growled lowly. Anne pushed her hand away and chuckled to herself.
"Sorry, you walked into that one. I'll try and keep it down." She crossed her heart with her index finger and jumped off the bed. "C'mon let's hurry before they stop talking."
Elisia shivered before Anne grabbed her hand and hauled her out of bed. Elisia stopped and slipped into her slippers. Both girls peeked out to check if the hallway was clear. Elisia turned to the right; she could barely hear her mother yelling something about what the Minister for Magic could do with his wand. She looked behind her at her comfy bed one last time before Anne grabbed her hand again and dragged her along. She wiggled out of Anne's grip and followed closely behind her, picking up the hem of her dressing gown.
"C'mon, c'mon, hurry!" Anne nearly shouted at her.
Elisia shushed her sister as they ran by tall, elegant windows and paintings of relatives that were snoring in deep sleep, for if they woke them, their mother would make them do extra chores or worst punishment of all, no sweets for a month, on top of her father's usual punishment.
They passed by the large memorial painting of Uncle James and Aunt Lily. They made it to their large foyer and ran down the manor's purple carpeted grand staircase and turned a swift left to the ballroom, Anne pushed the large French doors opening so hard Elisia was surprised it didn't make any sound.
Anne could barely contain her excitement and slammed shut the large french doors. She then grabbed Elisia's hand and dragged her to the center of the ballroom, almost giggling uncontrollably as she did so.
"Um, I thought we were going outside?" She looked around at the ballroom, decorated with the Scottish tapestry and the purple Tartan of the Arendal clan that had collected dust over the years. "Are you sure-"
"C'mon, it's perfectly fine. Besides, it's dark out, and there are wolves out there!"
Elisia raised an eyebrow. "There are no wolves in Scotland."
"Oh yeah?" Anne placed her hands on her hips. "How do you know?"
"Because the book: Scottish Wildlife says so," Elisia stated matter of fact.
"Well-," Anne began and tapped her chin. "Wait- wasn't that my birthday present?"
"You weren't reading it anytime soon," Elisia shrugged. "Mummy gave it to me, better someone reads it before it starts collecting dust."
"But you can't read!" Anne huffs at her.
"I can read most words!" Elisia furrowed her brow at her."Mummy taught me! We're going outside to play, and that's final!"
Anne pouted at her and gave her the usual puppy dog eyes. Elisia crossed her arms and did her best to stay strong. If they played in the ballroom, their father would be furious with her. However, when Anne's lower lip began to quiver, Elisia caved and sighed in defeat.
"But Eli, there's got to be werewolves out there," Anne gave a wide grin and grabbed Elisia's hand, pulling her towards her.
"Now, stop arguing, and c'mon, the ballroom will be fine! Just do the magic!" she commanded through giggles. "Do the Magic!"
Elisia sighed and motioned for her to come closer with her index finger and leaned down so that their foreheads were touching slightly. She smirked and twirled her hands around each other in a circular motion, causing blue light and tiny white snowflakes to form between them. Anne's mouth slowly dropped, and she stared in awe at the beautiful sight as the light from the white and blue magic danced across her vision. Of course, Anne could do some normal wizarding magic without any training, as expected with any witch her age. But no other magic on Earth could compare to Elisia's, more powerful and unique than all other magic, their mother had claimed, but more unpredictable also.
"Amazing..." Anne sighed, squishing her plump cheeks together.
"Are you ready?" Elisia asked with a chuckle at her sister's behavior.
Anne didn't take her eyes off the mass multitude of ice and snow as she furiously nodded her head. "Was that even a question? Of course, I am!"
With a smile, Elisia threw the mass towards the ceiling, causing it to explode like fireworks. The chandeliers rattled slightly but froze into place seconds after her magic hit them. Anne jumped and ran around as the snow fell down upon them, laughing uncontrollably. Elisia smiled at her older sister and her over the top antics.
"This is awesome!" she squealed in a higher pitch, running multiple circles around Elisia, not showing a care in the world that the air in the ballroom was slowly chilling to below freezing temperatures.
"I learned to do this when daddy was away, watch!" Elisia instructed. Anne stopped and watched Elisia stomp her right foot onto the ballroom floor. Ice raced away from the heel of her blue slipper, eventually covering the entire ballroom with a thin layer. Anne chuckled as the ice spread under her slippers, causing her to slide back a little. With the iced floor and the small flakes falling from the ceiling, snow began to form into clumps on the ballroom floor.
With all that snow piling up, the pair wasted no time in building individual snow forts. To make their playing fair, Elisia and Anne helped each other before starting a full out war. Elisia could summon snowballs and rapidly fire them at her older sister. However, Anne was quick at forming them as well, and her aim was slightly better than Elisia's. This continued for a while before both grew tired of war and abandoned their forts for a truce to make snow angels instead. Both giggled when they leaped back into the soft snow, moving their arms and legs at a rapid speed. After a few minutes, both carefully stood to look at their creations.
"Mine's better," Anne beamed at her snowy creation, with her hands on her hips.
"Oh, really?" Elisia chuckled, Anne turned her head to her sister's snow angel, and Elisia giggled when she gasped. Her snow angel comprised of three angels, holding hands, with no sign in the snow that Elisia had gotten up and walked away. Anne pouted and then kicked a clump of snow on top of it, crossing her arms.
"Hey!" Elisia cried."That hurt!"
Anne beamed in triumph. "Now, mine's better!"
Elisia playfully glared at her and formed a large snowball, the size of a cantaloupe, and gave her a wolfish grin. With a squeak, Anne made a run for it, trying to keep her balance on her sister's ice, taking several peeks behind her. Elisia gilded towards her with the ease of a professional ice skater. Anne let out another high pitched squeal as the snow hit her hard, causing her to fly forward into another snow pile. She brought her arms around herself and shivered, shaking off the snow. Elisia laughed and pointed at Anne in her fuming state. Anne formed a snowball and aimed right at her open mouth. Elisia gasped and coughed as the snow became lodged a little in her throat.
"Hah!" Anne cried with her fists raised. "Justice!"
Elisia rolled her eyes and skated in her slippers over to a large snow pile. Anne joined right behind, stumbling over her feet. They began rolling giant snowballs to build a snowman together. It wasn't a typical muggle snowman; instead of three large snowballs stacked neatly, they built a large bottom, a smaller chest, and a large head. Elisia went to an open window and broke two twigs off a low hanging tree. Anne left the ballroom through a side door and came back quickly with a bulb-shaped carrot nose and loose buttons.
They quickly applied the buttons and carrot onto the snowman. A house-elf snowman. Elisia sat cross-legged as Anne moved the snowman about by its twig arms.
"Hello, Abner is a Snow Elf, and Abner likes warm hugs!" Anne said in a high pitch, mimicking a male house-elf's voice.
Elisia giggled and clapped her hands together before hugging the house-elf snowman tightly, "I love you, Abner!"
"Death Eaters have entered the manor." Anne suddenly let go of Abner and said in a grave voice, "We must protect Abner!"
Elisia grabbed a spare twig and stood at attention. "Auror Arendal ready for battle, ma'am!"
Anne raised an eyebrow at her. "Auror Arendal? Never heard of you. Which Dark Wizards have you locked up?"
She thought for a second."I helped lock up Grindelwald, ma'am!"
Anne laughed slightly and protested, "You weren't born yet when he wreaked havoc!"
"I was too!" She put her hands on her hips. "With Dumbledore we-"
Anne began laughing, and Elisia felt her face heat up. "I'm older than I look, you big meanie!"
"Very well then Auror, you can prove your talents." She eyed to the left and to the right. "For here they come!"
With a shout they started to point their faux wands around, making whooshing sounds and shouting fake spells. They leaned back to back and slid in a circular motion on the ice. Elisia, acting like she dodged a curse, shoulder-rolled into a pile of snow. She watched Anne lose her footing and fall on her bum, making her giggle.
"Auror Arendal!" she chastised in her grave voice. "The Death Eaters have a clear shot of Abner!"
"Abner!" Elisia screamed. She ran and leaped in front of him, acting like she got hit with some terrible curse before she landed safely in another snow pile. With grunt and cry, she laid still.
Anne ran over and slid on her knees to her side. "Elisia, nooooo!"
She fake cried over Elisia's body, and Elisia took the opportunity to pack snow in her right hand without Anne noticing and flung it at her face. Anne jolted back with a yelp and quickly brushed the cold snow from her face and out her mouth. She spat on the ground and groaned.
"Revenge!" Elisia giggled before getting up and running.
"Oh, you are sooo dead," she growled.
Elisia shrieked as Anne piled a large amount of snow in her arms and started to run as if her life depended on it. Out of instinct, Elisia shot a frosty beam under Anne's feet, creating a small snow pile. Anne tripped and gasped, falling into it. Elisia stopped when she didn't come out and tiptoed nearer. She screamed when Anne jumped out and flung snow at her. Anne took a handful and shoved it down Elisia's nightgown, she cried and started swinging at her.
"Oh c'mon don't be a sissy, the cold never you anyway!" She laughed before jumping in the air. Elisia shot her hands out and created another snow pile under her as she giggled.
"Keep doing that," she laughed. "I wanna touch the ceiling!"
Then she jumped, laughing as Elisia happily followed her order and created another snow pile to catch her. And another. Again. And again. Until they grew even taller and stronger than the previous snow piles.
"Hang on," Elisia smiled as she jumped again.
"Catch me!" Anne cried as the snow piles grew dangerously close to the ceiling. Elisia frowned, she couldn't keep up with Anne if she kept jumping the second after the snow met her feet.
"Wait!" Elisia cried. "Anne-"
Anne wasn't paying attention to her urgent pleas, continuing to go as fast as she possibly could. Elisia kept calling for her to stop, but she stuck out her tongue at her. Elisia cried frantically at her again, pleading for her to stop.
"Slow down!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "I can't keep-"
"Elisia, what are you doing!?" The angry highlander voice of her father boomed from her right side. She turned, beside her father stood her mother with her hand over her mouth, also gasping at the state of the frozen ballroom.
She gasped in terror, and her heart sank down into her stomach, fear splashed over her face. She was so startled by her father's presence that she forgot about her sister, who hadn't heard their father and was still jumping. He started walking towards Elisia with clenched fists. Frightened, she took a step back as Anne let out a woot, and she gasped when she realized she hadn't created another pillar for her to jump upon. She turned quickly and felt a sensation she'd never felt before: slipping on her own ice.
"Anne!" she yelled, shooting out ice from her hands, hoping by some means to save her from falling before she landed hard on her bum. The ice beam made contact with Anne's forehead, launching her backwards in the air into another snow pile. Anne grunted as she rolled down the snow pile onto the hard iced floor. Elisia waited for her to stand or do something to let her know she was fine, but she only lay there silently and unmoving.
"NO!" her mother shrieked.
"Anne!" Elisia cried in terror. She quickly scurried to her feet and rushed to her sister's motionless body. She felt a presence behind her and someone's hand grasped at her shoulder, but she didn't care, she evaded it. All she cared about right now was Anne.
When she began to kneel, she was grabbed harshly and thrown abruptly to the side by her father, as he knelt and examined her sister. Her mother ran and helped her to her feet and scolded her husband. Elisia got behind her mother, cowering in fear when her father turned to look at her with an angry glare.
"What have you done!" he yelled at her, standing on his feet.
"I'm sorry- I-I was trying to help-Please-I'm sorry-Daddy-Please!" she sobbed and closed her eyes, knowing what would come next. For her father was about to punish her severely.
Her mother tried hiding her behind her long dress, both hands raised in front of her. "Albert, darling, please calm down it was clearly-"
Her father stormed over, fists up and ready. Elisia stared up in horror as her mother was shoved to the side onto the iced floor. Her father grabbed her roughly on the shoulders with his large hands, squeezing her so much she thought her shoulders would break in his meaty hands. She kept sobbing, and her fearful state caused spikes of ice to jut out from the floor.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" He released her and raised his fist. Elisia shrieked and covered her face, dropping to the ground sobbing.
"Petrificus Totalus!" A strong-willed and young Scottish man's voice filled her ears. She peeked up at her father, whose arms and legs snapped together. With a hiss from his lips, he fell backwards onto the ice, cracking it on impact. She blinked and turned to the ballroom entrance, where Mad-Eye Moody stood, wand drawn.
"I believe your wife told you to calm down, Albert." Mad-Eye limped over. "I suggest you listen to her before you do something you might regret."
Her father growled, "Stay out of this Alastor. Under my roof I-"
"Silencio!" Her mother pointed her blackthorn wand at her father. "Albert, that's enough!"
Her father growled and tried to move or speak under the influence of the spells. After several failed attempts, he went still. Mad-Eye glared at him as he limped over to her sister. Elisia got up as well, cautiously walking around her immobile and mute father, whose eyes followed, his eyebrows furrowed at her.
Her mother cradled Anne in her arms, rocking her back and forth. Mad-Eye got on a knee and examined her head. Elisia peeked over. A white streak danced across her raven hair from root to tip. Her mother gasped, and Mad-Eye cursed to himself. He stretched the section of white hair and put his wand to it, and an orange light left his wand and made contact with the hair. The orange light bounced back and hit the wall.
"Alastor," her mother whispered. "What- Oh, Merlin! She's turning ice cold!"
Mad-Eye's eye shot up and focused on Elisia. "Judith, you need to calm her down."
Words easier said than done. Elisia didn't know why she needed to be calmed down, her sister was hurt. This only prompted her to panic more; ice spiked from the ground and the walls, turning reddish in colour. Her father started fighting against the spells again when the spikes got dangerously close to him.
"Darling, shush, deep breaths like we practiced." Her mother wrapped an arm around her waist and brought her in close before gasping and cringing away in pain. Elisia looked down at her mother's forearm and dress; it was covered in a light frost. The ice around her started to crack.
"No-no-no, sweetheart, mummy's fine."Her mother gave a nervous chuckle. "Just a little surprised. Deep breaths and happy thoughts, dear."
Elisia did as she was told and took deep breaths, thinking the happiest thoughts she could think of: Christmas, Easter, Birthdays, etc. The ice retreated from the walls and floor slowly but surely. Mad-Eye propped himself upwards with his walking stick.
"Well?" her mother asked.
Mad-Eye rubbed his chin. "The magic has seeped into her consciousness, every heating spell and anti-curse isn't working."
Elisia had no idea what any of those words meant, only that they couldn't be good ones. Would her sister stay like this forever? Would she die? So many questions swirled around in her head, and the adults weren't giving her any answers, and she feigned on another panic attack.
"So-So." Her mother grasped onto her sister tightly and let out a little cry. "She's stuck like this?!"
"Without the proper help, yes." Mad-Eye limped around her and towards Elisia. "It just so happens I've heard of a group that can save little Anne."
"You have? Where are they?!" Her mother stood, grasping her oldest child firmly to her bosom. "We must leave at once!"
"Calm down, Judith." Mad-Eye picked Elisia up with his free hand. "Relieve your husband."
With a wave of her mother's wand, her father was released from his magical bond. Elisia gasped and grasped onto Mad-Eye's coat when her father growled lowly, his eyes set dead upon her. He stood with his fists clenched, and a vein popped out of his forehead, so much so that she thought it was going to burst. He took a step forward, and Mad-Eye put his staff in front of him, halting him.
"Keep your temper under control," Mad-Eye warned. "Or you will find yourself cursed again."
Her father scoffed and glared at his wife. "Give me my daughter."
Her mother turned Anne slightly away from him, shaking her head. Her father's expression softened, and he lowered his arms. He opened his mouth and mouthed something before turning away. Elisia could swear he was trying to say sorry. Mad-Eye gave a scoff and turned back to her mother.
"Did you set up the Floo system?" he questioned.
"Yes, just last week- Why, where is the group you've heard about?" Her mother came forward, wrapping her sister in the outer layer of her skirt for warmth.
"The Forbidden Forest." He began walking away, Elisia looked back and witnessed confusion and anger race over her mother's face in seconds."They've been under Dumbledore's protect-"
"Hogwarts?!" Her mother caught up and turned to her father. "Albert, do please stop sulking and follow, please!"
Her father's face lit up at that invitation. "Dear, I'm so- I didn't- I was-"
"Albert," her mother cut him off. "Do shut your mouth, we'll discuss this later. The Forbidden Forest?!"
Her father took a step behind her mother, Mad-Eye glared at him and growled something under his breath and scoffed at her parents one last time. He sat her down and patted the top of her head.
"Stay in front of me and near me at all times lass." He winked at her with his one good eye.
"Alastor, the Forbidden Forest?!" Her mother pressed on. "As in that Forest?!"
"I didn't stutter did I?" Mad-Eye turned back to her. "Of course I'll have to notify Dumbledore that we're coming and-"
Her father stepped forward, Mad-Eye's eye focused on him. "I'm afraid your husband can't come."
Her father looked as if Mad-Eye had insulted his own mother. He got in Mad-Eye's face and shoved his index finger into the other man's chest, poking his broad shoulder harshly. Elisia took a step back, the last time her father had done this to him, Mad-Eye had launched him across the room.
"WHAT?!" her father blurted."Wherever my daughter goes, I go!"
Elisia watched Mad-Eye set his jaw and close his fist tight. "Fine, we don't have the time for this. I'll have to do a few special favours for the Ministry just to justify a Muggle walking on the school grounds."
Anne then groaned loudly and shivered, convulsing against her mother's chest as if she was in great pain. Elisia looked up at Mad-Eye again, and for the first time in her life, she actually saw fear on his face. The hardened Auror, who wasn't afraid of dark wizards or witches, was afraid of a child dying. Her mother and father doted over Anne and brought her in close. Her father looked up and glared at Elisia for a split second before returning to Anne.
Elisia tried her best to stay calm, it felt as if her world was crashing down around her. She snuggled into Mad-Eye's trench coat and stared at her older sister's rigid body, not fully comprehending what was happening. Her mother looked up from Anne and gave her a smile, Elisia could see it wasn't one of her genuine ones, it looked as if her mother was in pain.
"We're wasting precious time- Expecto Patronum!" With a wave of his wand, a light silvery wisp left the tip and formed into a bulldog. "Albus, the Arendals are in need of assistance from your new residents in the Forest. We'll already be in your office when you receive this message. This is urgent."
With another sharp wave, the bulldog Patronus trotted around in a circle before it ran across the ballroom and out the window into the starry summer night. Elisia watched it in awe, amazed at the Patronus as it seemed to run across the stars. Mad-Eye smiled down at her and took her little pale hand in his free one, ushering her alongside him.
"Now come, we've wasted enough time!" They started to sprint through the southern wing purposefully, not stopping until they reached the study and its large fireplace.