Prologue – Hidden Identities
On September 1, 1991, a cloaked figure stood in the shadows of a crowded train station. The sun, almost at the highest point in the sky, reflected off of a scarlet steam engine, casting dancing spots of light into the crowd. The figure, currently unnoticed by anyone, snapped her eyes to each of the faces, scanning them, and putting names to faces.
There was a slightly chubby boy with brown hair, being yelled at by his grandmother for misplacing his toad – Neville Longbottom, whose parents were tortured to insanity by rogue Death Eaters after Voldemort's defeat, leaving him to be raised by Augusta. There was Muggle-Born girl with brown bushy hair, who was talking excitedly with her parents – Hermione Granger. There was a boy with dreadlocks, who was surrounded by a crowd of people who were trying to get a look at his spider, a tarantula – Lee Jordon, best friend to Fred and George Weasley. Fred and George, identical twins, with flaming red hair, were the best pranksters since the Marauders. They were standing at the other end of the station loading their trunks onto the train with their mother, father, and three other siblings – Percy, Ron, and Ginny. Ron, the youngest Weasley son, was talking to a rather chubby boy with black hair and green eyes, a boy the entire wizarding world wanted to meet.
Ryan Potter.
The figure's lip sneered in distaste, at him and his family, underneath her hood. James Potter – messy black hair, hazel eyes, and father to the Boy-Who-Lived, and, according to the Ministry of Magic, one of their top Aurors. Who would have guessed that he would beat his own defenseless four-year-old girl? Lily Potter, James' wife, and mother of the Boy-Who-Lived, had auburn hair and the same eyes as her son. Who would have guessed that she had let it happen?
The family of three stood on Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters, sending their precious son off to Hogwarts for the first time, having their pictures taken by reporters who had no idea that Ryan Potter, defeater of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, once had a twin sister. The figure doubted that James and Lily even remembered that there was once a second Potter child. The only one who seemed to remember Raven Potter was a man with sandy-blonde hair streaked with premature grey, wearing slightly shabby robes – Remus Lupin. He was standing on his toes, peering over the other people's heads as if looking for someone. The black-cloaked figure smiled. It was nice of Moony. Even before Raven had run away, she was neglected, shunted aside in favor of her brother, by everyone but Remus. But if he were to find her – he wasn't – Remus wouldn't recognize the little Raven Potter; and even if he did, he was likely to go running with fear.
"E-excuse m-me?" a voice stuttered from the figure's right. Despite her first impulse to spin around and throw one of its knives in the direction of the voice, the figure turned around slowly. A station guard was staring at her from five feet away, eyes wide with barely restrained panic.
No, the figure corrected herself. He wasn't staring at the person, but the uniform - the solid black, hooded cloak, with the hood pulled over its head, so that the only thing visible was a pair of bright green eyes, flecked with amber; the collection of five different sized poisoned knives, sheathed for now, on its waist; the unstrung bow, carved from a black-wood tree, on its back, the quiver of thirty poison coated arrows slung on its shoulder; and most importantly, the silver symbol over its heart: a crossed knife and arrow, and a single drop of blood.
The figure had been the source of panic for several years now; she was how mothers got their children to drink their medicine, saying that the "Silent Shadow" would come and get them if they didn't. The name had stuck, and now whenever people saw a corpse with one of her arrows imbedded in the flesh, or found traces of her poison in a dead body's veins, people always assumed that it was her.
After a while, people from all different countries sought her out, asking her if she would take care of any 'problems' for them. If they had a good reason, she accepted, and if they didn't, they considered themselves lucky to be in her presence and still be alive. She didn't need a wand to kill, after all.
"Yes?" the figure asked the panicked guard, taking quiet pleasure in the fear of the man. It was quite understandable, of course.
"Sh-Shadow Y-Young?" he trembled. The girl nodded, for she was only a girl – eleven years old – now off to attend Hogwarts. Instead of the usual excitement of children her age, there was only a small feeling of contentment. There was also a hint of disgust; she wasn't fond of Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster. At Young's affirmative, the guard continued. "I-I've b-b-been asked b-by P-Professor D-Dumbledore t-to sh-show you t-to y-your c-compartment," the man stammered even worse than before.
"Of course," Shadow Young replied evenly. She had requested a private compartment – Dumbledore had accepted of course; she didn't feel like dealing with nosy children. "Lead the way."
Taking one last look at the family she had come to hate, Shadow Young grabbed her worn, black rucksack from the ground and followed the guard to the front of the train, taking satisfaction in the way that the crowd parted with fear before her. One particular person, however, didn't notice her, and Ryan Potter, talking enthusiastically to a now silent and wide-eyed Ron, backed into her with his arms flourishing, and consequently ended up on the floor.
"Hey!" Ryan yelled from the ground. "Just who do you think you– " He fell silent as he saw the green and amber eyes narrowed at him.
"I think," the Shadow said, smirking, "That I am Shadow Young. Remember me?" She knew that he did. They were both only seven at the time, but Young knew how to leave a lasting impression. "I do, and I see you still haven't learned any manners. Shame..." Smirking, she left the hushed onlookers behind, and followed the guard to the front of the train. Shadow Young waved an arm at him in dismissal, and he scurried away.
With one last look at the unusually quiet station, Raven Potter, now known only as Silent Shadow Selena Young, boarded the Hogwarts Express.