Hello faithful readers! I know that popularity is still growing with this story, but I appreciate the follows and favourite I've already received! Huge shout out to Shell8bee for being the first reviewer! I hope that this chapter fills your expectations! I love knowing that people actually enjoy my writing.

I'm just going to tell you all right now (at least those of you who read these messages) that I, your author muse de musique, started tearing up as I wrote this. Not going to lie.

Well I seriously hope that you enjoy this chapter as much as I do. I know that, as of right now, this beginning part is one of my favourite things I have written so far.

Don't forget to check out my other story "The Secret Keeper"!

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Chapter Two

Even in the summer, the spacious countryside of northern Russia had a bite in the cool evenings. A lone house stood surrounded by woods. Inside this very house was a family of wizards: a mother, a father and their son and daughter. Both the son and daughter were oblivious to the fear that their parents lived in. Of course the daughter would not understand; she was still trying to get a hold of her magic only being seven years of age. Her mother often gave her early lessons. She wanted her daughter to be prepared for the horrors that awaited her later in her years. She taught her the way of the Naturals, a group of witches and wizards who still practiced old magic. The mother showed both her son and daughter potions and curses that her Tribe enforced. She wanted to protect them, but the father was aware that they were coming for him. They had been searching for years, but he even knew that their secluded home out in the abandoned countryside of Russia would not hide him and his family forever. He could only refuse them for so long. He feared for his son, who was a student at Hogwarts. He feared that others would find his boy and repeat the same threats that he himself received since he was a first year.

It was stormy evening when they came.

Dmitri sat with his seven year old daughter on his lap, telling stories of great wizard battles to both of his children. His son, still fourteen years, was enchanted by his father's deep, melodic voice as he spun tales of magic and wonder. The colorful fire roared in the fireplace as the stories told of great wizards defeating dragons and saving young maidens. Yana smiled warmly at her imaginative husband as he waved his arms wildly, covering her daughter's eyes as she squealed with delight. It wasn't until the Winds began to whisper.

"They are coming."

Yana froze in horror as she stared at her two children, but there wasn't any time to waste.

"Dmitri. They are coming. The Winds say so," Yana said as tears threatened to fall from her sapphire eyes.

Pain flashed across her husband's face before he buried his face in his daughter's curly hair. He took a breath and whispered, "Hide. Now. Alexander, take your sister and hide, just where I told you," he could hear his son stiffen and his daughter's cry of anguish.

He lifted his sobbing daughter and carried her towards her mother's open arms. She clung tightly to Dmitri and begged him not to leave her. He felt his son wrap his arms around both him and his sister. Yana's broken sobs rang through the air as she blessed her two children with the power of the Spirits. She reached for her son and saw the tears spilling over onto his pale face. She pulled him into a tight embrace and held him there, hoping that if she stayed that way, nothing would ever happen to her or her family. She pulled away from her son and opened her arms to welcome her screaming daughter. Fear radiated off of her small frame. Yana held her baby tightly in her arms trying to sooth the pain that she tasted. She took off down the hall and to the hidden basement with her son following silently behind. She cried freely as she flew down the stairs of the basement. She set her sobbing daughter on a bed and tried to console her. She flung her arms around the broken little girl. The son knelt down next to his crying sister and mother. Yana pulled back and kissed both of her children on each of their foreheads and whispered, "I love you both so much. Please always remember that. And do not leave this place, no matter what you hear," and she pulled herself up from the stone floor. She walked towards the stairs, her heart breaking with each step as she heard her son holding back her daughter, who screamed and cried, begging her mother to come back. Before closing the enchanted door, she summoned a black box and set it on the top stair. She held back tears as she sealed the door, closing off the anguished cries of both her son and daughter.

Dmitri watched his children be sealed in the basement and called out, "I love you both! Please don't ever forget that!" His eyes swam with tears as he summoned his patronus, a roaring lion. He whispered a message and sent the patronus to Valentino. He watched gravely as the patronus bounded away to Italy where his dear friend lived. He would find his children when they were both gone.

Yana joined him in the deserted family room, wand drawn to the ready. Dmitri raised his wand, ready to face the followers that had hunted him for years. It would end here. He slowly took her hand in his as they stared at the wooden front door with hatred. They both knew that they would not survive. He gave his wife's delicate hand a tight squeeze as if to say 'I love you.'

A blinding white light came from the outside world.

The last thing Yana and Dmitri heard were the screams of their son and daughter.

I sat on my bed and starred at the mess around me. I was in the process of packing for Hogwarts. It was nearly midnight and still was nowhere near to being done. Currently I was working on organizing my toiletries. Next would have to be pictures that I planned on hanging up in my room back at Hogwarts. My school supplies were all neatly packed in my trunk at least, thanks to Ian. However, clothes were scattered all around my room. Books were stacked in various piles around my open trunk along with knives, daggers and a sword that all needed polished. I sighed and nearly admitted defeat as I fell back onto my pile of pillows. I was super grateful to hear a disgusted gasp when my door creaked open. Linda then proceeded to walk straight to the pile of clothes I have been neglecting all day.

"How is it that you started packing at around two this afternoon and it is nearly midnight and you aren't even close to being finished?" Linda said as she neatly folded and separated all of my clothes.

"You and I both know, Lindy that I cannot stay on task to save my life."

"Thank God that your fighting skills are better than your attention span," she said with a sarcastic smile as she packed my clothes into my trunk. I got up from my bed to pack my makeup and toiletries and pictures into a pocket on the door of my trunk. I gave Lindy a huge smile as I sat down to polish my many weapons. We made little conversation as I polished and Linda packed everything away into my luggage.

By the time everything was neatly put away, it was almost two thirty in the morning. I climbed onto my bed and waited for Linda to put a new dressing on my still healing cut. She worked silently and persistently. She finished with a sigh and looked me straight in the eye, "Adrian, I want you to be safe this year. A lot has changed since last year. Voldemort is back and I don't want to lose you. I am only saying this to you because I am concerned about your safety. I do not know what Hogwarts will be like when you return this year, but I am telling you, do not hold back. I still want you to be successful in school, but do not be afraid to. . ." she drifted off.

"Be afraid to do what Lindy?" I inquired.

She looked at me with a pained expression, "Keep up with your studies as a Natural. And use your fighting skills when necessary. While at Hogwarts, none of us can protect you." She was hiding something from me. I could easily tell when she was lying. But I held my tongue and nodded solemnly. She leaned and hugged be tightly before she continued, "Now get some sleep. I pity Isobel and Astoria if they have to deal with a cranky Adrian."

I laughed, "I'm sure they've that many times throughout our years at Hogwarts."

Linda rolled her eyes, "That's not my point. Now sleep."

But when Linda shut the light off and left my room, I couldn't fall asleep. I tossed and turned much to my dismay, causing the dull ache in my head to grow to a roaring headache. I groaned as I pushed myself out of bed and walked over to my bathroom. I looked for the muggle painkillers and swallowed them dry without thinking about it. I slowly walked back to my bed, only to find myself tossing around again, drifting in and out of sleep.

I thought about the friends I would be returning to tomorrow. I thought of Isobel and her fiery attitude. Her thick Spanish accent when she spoke English was always entertaining to listen to. I remembered times where I would make fun of her accent, only to receive comments on my small Russian accent or constant use of Russian and/or Polish phrases when I ranted. She learned to fight from her father, who was from a noble family in Spain and grew up learning to fight with swords. She and I often sparred up in the Astronomy Tower late at night when neither of us could sleep or when one of us had a bad day. I thought about Astoria and her other worldly beauty. She was never afraid to stand up to Pansy Parkinson or even her own sister when it came to one of her friends. I admired her for that. She hated everything to do with the Death Eaters. She despised her own parents for being huge supporters. And then there was Blaire, who had an answer to what seemed like everything. She was insanely intelligent and had a witty remark anything. She was nearly put into Ravenclaw, but her well-known name placed her in Slytherin.

I was nearly asleep when my door cracked open and a whisper broke the silence, "Adrian? Are you asleep?"

I groaned as I looked at the dark figure in my doorway. "Damn you Julian."

"So I'll take that as a no."

I sighed, "What do you want Julian?"

He must have taken that as an invitation to enter my room. I was about to protest when he shut the door tightly and spun around wildly. I quickly lit a candle that sat next to my bed, setting off an eerie glow. Julian stood pressed against my door with a wild gleam in his eye. He sauntered over to my bed and pulled back the blankets eagerly. I stared at him in shock before I blushed madly as I pulled the sheet tightly around my body. Although I was in shorts and a tank top, I was not comfortable with him being so close, not like this anyway. He kicked off his shoes and slid next to me.

When he was comfortable, he looked and smiled hugely at me. I coughed and looked away. His breathe reeked of Firewhisky, "Good Lord! How much have you drunk tonight?" I questioned as I pushed myself further away from him.

"There was something I needed to tell you before you left for Hogwarts tomorrow."

He held my chin and looked into my sapphire eyes. It was too late when I realized what Julian was doing.

And then he was kissing me.