AN: in this chapter that there is a new character that you meet, Belle Burnett, she is French and a demiwitch like Arabella but unlike Arabella she is a daughter of Aphrodite. Belle will appear again in he Grains and Shadows again but later most likely but I am not sure though. However Belle will appear in the shadow witch avenger soon enough. Plus, Severus and Albus appear in this chapter and this when Albus learns about Rachel Blackthrone, Emily's other name, but he will learn of who Rachel Blackthrone is either next chapter or the one after next chapter.
Emily's pov
It was late August, to her surprise, she found herself in France. She has been here a few times before but often and unlike those other times before that she was here to get a demigod and take the demigod to Camp Halfblood. This demigod was found by Project Demigod and Robert wanted to bring the demigod her till Aphrodite spoke in Emily's head asking her to take her daughter to Camp Halfblood instead. Emily said this to Robert, Robert seem disappointed but Robert said that it might be for the best anyway. Thankfully Aphrodite did tell them that when her daughter was eighteen that Emily could make the offer of letting her daughter join Project Demigod. That is how Emily found herself walking up a path made of dirt to where the demigod lived, after a few minutes of walking that Emily reached a gate.
When she was a few feet from the gate that she stopped, just within the site of the gate stood what looked like a mini castle. It was made out of white marble, there was some columns as well as some other designs that would make a child of Athena run around happily. There was silver and gold engravings fm what Emily could see, there was some pathways and from the few pathways that she could see that the paths were made out of marble. At the edge of the paths were flowers of different kinds and colors, there was one fountain that she could see and there was a purple liquid coming out from the mouth of a dove. The dove as in the hand of a woman, the most beautiful that was ever seen, as Emily watched the state that it seems the features of the woman change slightly. The only woman that could be was Aphrodite, Emily stood frozen looking at the manor and gate in front of her.
Emily only notice the gate enough to know that the gate was made out of the same marble, gold and silver as the manor was. Emily was about ready to go up to the gate when suddenly there was a crack, Emily jumped back and fall on the path. Standing just in front of the gate was the oddest thing she ever saw of which was saying something since she see a lot of oddness in the last almost eight years. A creature stood there with bat like ears that seem to be flapping, great blue eyes, and what looked like a servant dress that was made of a white blouse, black skirt and black socks. Emily stared at it, unsure of what to do or what to say to it, for some reason she doubted that this creature was the owner of this place. The creature spoke in a high pitch voice.
"Blinky is sorry for surprising miss." Emily stared at it, from high the voice was that Emily assumed that the creature was a female, though the clothes helped with that. Emily stood up,
"It's all right, I should have expected something like this to happen." Blinky looked up at her in surprise, Emily looked down at her before she looked at the manor and Hans back at Blinky. "Do you work here?"
"Blinky does, miss. Was miss sent by Aphrodite?"
"Well yes ... " Emily would have went on, before she could that Blinky took hey and and there was a crack. Emily was unsure of how to explain the feeling but it was not pleasant and thankfully it didn't take long. For as sudden as the feeling came that it went away. Emily found herself in the middle of a foyer or entrance hall of some kind, Emily felt Blinky let go of her hand. Emily notice a few other creatures like Blinky in the entrance hall and all of them were looking up at her in surprise. Emily was about ready to say something when there was a man's voice.
"Blinky, why are you here, I thought that you were in the gardens." Emily turned and notice a man stood there in top of a flight of stairs, he has black hair and blue eyes. He looked at Emily. "Who are you?" Emily spoke before Blinky could answer.
"I am going to assume that Blinky saw me when I was at the gate from the gardens. I am Rachel Blackthrone, daughter of Hades, Aphrodite sent me to take your daughter to Camp Halfblood." The man walked down the flight of stairs as he spoke.
"You know I thought that you would be coming later like after she starts at like say Hogwarts or Beauxbatons."
"Usually they start camp between ten to twelve years in age. There are only a few demigods that I can think of that started attending camp before those ages." The man stood at the end of the stairs when he reached the bottom and looked at her carefully, Emily was unsure of what to make of this. For this was the first time she ever enters a magical home but not her first time around some form the wizarding wold. But it has been some time since she last spoke to someone form the wizarding world, not counting Severus since he never talks about it or at least with Emily at any rate. The man turned to Blinky and the other two creatures.
"Blinky, Jakly, Hinky, please attend the gardens." With a crack the three were gone, Emily looked where the three were before looking back at the man.
"What are those things?" The man tilted his head.
"I thought you were old enough to know what a house elf is." Emily stare at him confused. "You rally don't know what a house elf is?"
"No, you see, unlike your daughter, I was born a normal demigod or as normal as they can get at any rate. I wasn't born with a magical core, so when I become the crown princess of the underworld and heir that Hecate blessed me with her kind of magic. So that I can enter your world when I need to and if there is a demigod like you daughter that I could go and get them to take them to Camp." The man merely nodded.
"I am Thomas Burnett, by the way."
'Formora!' Emily spin her head back when she hard the voice behind her, but there was nothing.
"Are you all right?" Emily looked back at the man that said his name was Thomas.
"Fine. I just thought I heard something." Thomas looked doubtful but decided to let it slide though, he took her to the main living room while we went and got his daughter. Emily walked around the living room, there were moving paintings and all of them gave her odd looks. There were also moving pictures of the man Thomas and a little girl with black hair and hazel eyes that went from a new born baby to a nine year old girl. Even though she hasn't seen moving paintings and moving pictures that Emily was thinking of the voice she heard after Thomas told her what his name was. She never heard the name of Formora before, for some reason she had heard he name before. Emily tries to think of where and how she heard that name before as the accent of the voice and the voice itself. Before she could figure it out that Thomas brought out a nine year old girl with a suitcase, Emily looked at the girl. The little girl spoke in a French accent that was similar to her father's accent.
"I am Belle. You are Rachel Blackthrone?"
"I am, are you ready?"
"Yes, how we will get to the camp in the US?"
"Shadow Travel. It is a form I use to travel the earth when I need to get someplace quick." Emily knelt down and held her hands out to Belle, Belle put one of her hands in Emily's hands and they were engulf by shadows.
Albus Dumbledore's pov
Albus stood at the window in his office, in another year that Harry Potter and his twin sister would enter Hogwarts. Though there were not very many people out there that knew about Arabella Evans, the only ones left that were not dead, sent to St. Mungos or throw into prison was Severus Snape, Remus Lupin and himself. Ever since Arabella was born and than sending Harry to the Dursleys that he question himself on his actions. With Harry, he kept telling himself that it was for the greater good but there times when he did wonder if that was why he placed Harry at the Dursleys. However with Arabella, he knew it was for her best for he heard enough from Emily in the war back in the 1940s of her demigods live or the basic idea of it.
If Arabella stayed with her mortal family that he would be in danger all the time from the demigod wold. When he was informed that Arabella was a daughter of Hades at St. Mangos that he wished he would have learned more about the demigod and how they were trained. For Emily never brought up of where or how she was trained, Severus didn't know either as far as Albus knows. He wished that Emily was still around to be able to talk to of where to sent Arabella for Arabella's protection. Earlier this month that he had went to Emily's grave, he thought back to that day.
Albus was walking on the sidewalk, at the moment that it was nighttime. There was fireworks in the sky, it was the Fourth of July and it was a holiday for America but he also knows it was Emily's birthday. After a few minutes of walking that he reached the grave that was right next to a tree. The grave has the name of Emily Sarah Rogers Barnes, every year since the 1940s that he came here and every year without fail that there was red poppies wrapped around the tombstone. This year was no different, it seem so unfair that Emily died so young just like his younger sister while he went on living. Albus pulled out his elder wand before performing a wand movement and half of the red poppies changed to red roses. He put his wand back and looked at the grave one last time before looking at the tree next to the grave
What he didn't expect to see was a pair of blue eyes looking at him, it was just the eyes he could see and nothing else. The blue eyes were a mix of ocean blue and sky blue, making it impossible not to notice such bright blue eyes. All Albus could do as he looked at the pair of blue eyes was just stare at them, he felt frozen in place for he felt like he was being haunted by the past or even ghosts or fen cursed for what he has done. The eyes blink before they vanished, Albus pulled out his wand again and used the lumos charm, since it was dark enough by the tree that he couldn't see of who was standing there. To his utter surprise, there was no one standing there or anything else, Albus caster the counterpart before putting the wand back into his pocket. With a turn that he vanished from the spot, unknown to him that a set of eyes had been watching him leave.
"Albus." Albus turned from the window to face Severus. "You wanted to see me?"
"Yes, do you know how Arabella is doing?"
"She is doing well. Some of the dead have been teaching her different things of history and other things. Aunt Rachel has been the overlooking her training of being a demigod with some help of the dead heroes."
"Aunt Rachel?"
"Oh yeah, I forget to bring up the fact when you asked to come and get Arabella when she was born that she has an older sister named Rachel Blackthrone." Albus walked away from the window.
"How come you never said his before?"
"Well, Rachel made it plain that she prefers not to have too many people knowing about her. Besides when you told me about Arabella that I didn't think much of it, for all I know is St she was doing her underworld duties or she was getting demigods to a safe place or baby sitting."
"Baby sitting? As the demigods?" Severus shrugged.
"She never really said what she meant by at, when I asked her about it that she burst Ito laughter. Though I always found it odd that she wears a leather catsuit when she baby sitting."
"Catsuit?"
"A jumpsuit, it basically form fitting that goes from the neck to the feet and all in one piece."
"Do you think you can bring her at some point?"
"From what my grandfather told me that he was planning on asking Rachel to come here once a year for a week to make sure that Arabella is keeping with her training and help her improve and give her some things to do to improve her powers over the year. So do you mind if that is possible."
"All right, let me know as soon as she steps foot in the castle."
"I will." Severus turned to leave, but a thought crossed his mind.
"Severus." Severus turned to look at him. "What do you man underwood duties?"
"It's a busy place, it seems no matter wha that grandfather can never get enough help. That is a small reason of why he made Rachel the princess and heir of the underworld. However Arabella is considered just as much of a Princess as Rachel is but unlike with Rachel that she would never be able to inherited the underworld if Grandfather fades."
"Why else would he make her the heir and princess?"
"The only other reason grandfather ever told me was that he wanted someone he can trust to do his duty and take care of the kingdom if he should fade. One that holds the same values that he does or the important ones like fair play, hard work and honor their oaths. There are other values that I see in her, like patience and loyalty, as well as being a leader. To put her personality best, that she is both a Hufflepuff and Gyffindor at heart." Severus paused for a few moments. "Is that all?" Albus stood there thinking.
"Yes, that will be all." Severus walked out of the office so that Albus as alone in thoughts wondering of who exactly was Rachel Blackthrone.
Emily's pov
Emily was in front of her grave on her birthday as well and she would grew the red poppies around her tombstone as well. She was wearing a black hoodie, black pants and black shoes, she wore the clothes to blend into the night and to hid the fact that she was in he ith appearance. Earlier that day, she was at the cabin spending the day with Phil and for the day, Emily stay in her birth appearance, she didn't want to change to her other appearance when she came here, so she just changed her clothes. This was normal for her to do each year since the war, other than locations of World War II that this was the only connection she has to Steve, Bucky and Lauren. She knows Steve and Bucky have graves but she has no idea of where they were or if they even been moved. She knows Lauren doesn't have a grave, so it was her grave was the only one that she knew where it was. It was nighttime, of which was rather late for her being here, red poppies grew around the tombstone.
Just as the poppies finished growing that she heard someone walking towards where she was and she quickly went under the shadows do the tree next to her grave. Even though there was little light left that Emily could see perfectly in the darkness, after a few moments she could see a man walking towards her grave. Emily watched him carefully, he was in bright blue robes with moons on it, the last time she see robes like that was when she was fighting along side the Wizards. His hair and beard were silver and his beard seem to be shining like a spirit or ghost would be and his hair and beard were so long that the beard and hair could be tucked into his belt, on his nose were half moon glasses. She didn't quite see his eyes, but as he pulled his wand out that she had the oddest feeling that she knows this man. The man pointed his hand at the poppies and half of the poppies turned into roses, than he put his wand away before looking at the grave one last time.
It was when the man looked up that Emily panicked for many reasons, the first one that he clearly saw her eyes. Blue eyes were always easy to see no matter if it was day or night, it was the surprise look on his face that told her that he at least saw her eyes. But what made Emily panic was the fact she was looking back at sparkling blue eyes, she had seen men with blue eyes but she remembers which blue eyes belong to who. His blue eyes were not the sprightly sky blue of Bucky nor were the blues, that see to mix of ocean blue and sky blue, of her brother. But the sparkling blue eyes that she had seen before only ever belong to one man alone and that man, at the time she meet him, could pass off as her father. After the last time she saw him that she thought she would never seen him again and that she thought he was long dead by for a couple of decades at least.
Emily blinked her eyes and snapped her fingers slightly, she could feel the change over come her. She opened her eyes before she lowered herself and managed to back up into the wall as the man pulled out his wand and his wand tip lit up only to reveal that no one stand of where Emily was a minute ago. The wand tip's light disappear and he put it in his pocket before he turned and vanished from the spot. Emily sitting where she was looking at the spot where the man vanished, one name came to mind, one name came to he tongue as she spoke to the night air that was filled with fireworks above her celebrating the Fourth of July. "Albus!"
Emily jerked awake, it was November, so it has been about four to five months since she saw Albus at her grave. She knows it was Albus, the only other one it could be was Aberforth, Though she knew Albus better since they were paired together to fight he wizards and demigods in the places they raided. Lauren knew Aberforth better though, that was why Emily figured it was Albus as oppose to Aberforth for Albus seem to have wore brighter colors than his brother. But Emily was confused of why Albus cam and transformed some of the poppies into roses, when she went to get the poppies the day after her birthday that she noticed the change and always wonder who did that, she knew it was no child of Demeter or Persephone. For there was no other child of Demeter when the changing of the poppies to roses started on her first birthday after the war and her fake death. She knows that if it was Persephone that was doing it for Persephone would have told her or would have come with Emily.
After the last time she was there that it become clear of who it was that did and how they did it, but the question was why. Emily shook her head to drag herself out of her thoughts, sure it was most likely Albus but unless if she meets Albus face to face than she wouldn't worry of why he goes to he grave. Emily got out of her bed in the cabin and went into the bathroom and splash water her face, once she dried her face off that she looked into the mirror. Looking into the mirror she saw a woman that seen and done too much, she looked no more than twenty two but she could see hints of a long life. It was the way she was holding herself, her improved built, but mostly it was mostly her eyes that showed the signs of change and years. Back in the war, she knew she held herself in a such a way that said, don't think I am a woman that I can't fight. But now, she seem to be holding herself a mix between that of a royal and a warrior, that she knows how to act and behave at a party but in one movement that she could cut off someone's head.
In the war, Emily had the build of an athlete but now her build was more of a nimble athlete and a warrior. The gleam of a trickster was gone and only showed itself at rare times, the joy and happiness was replaced by loss and sadness. There some misery there as well, but the gleam of madness was present in her eyes, and the only time that gleam was not there was when she was in her birth appearance. Not for the first time in the last few decades that she wondered when and if her brother was found and he sees her that he would know who she was. There times when she felt sure that he wouldn't know her when he would see her, she always seem to break down after that. Her birth father was the only person who could calm her down after she breaks down, she couldn't count he many times she broke down and went to hr birth father for comfort that she really needed. Not that Hades didn't care for her, she knows Hades did and she know what kind of man he was, that he is honorable and kept his promises to the best of his abilities.
Better than any other God or goddess ever did, Emily seen boy sides of Hades, the dark side of which was he side that everyone else in Olympus seems to fear. Than there was caring side of him, the one that Emily, Persephone and Arabella sees, in all the time Emily had been in the underworld or spent time with Hades that he would try to make them happy, content and loved. At first, Emily was scared of him and a bit weary of him till she got to know that side to him, funny enough that side of Hades reminded Emily of how Steve was like around women. More is around Persephone than Emily or Arabella, at least from the little bit she had seen over the years. Emily knows it sounded funny to compare Hades and Steve in that way but it was perfectly true. Despite the soft side of Hades, that in some ways, even now, that Hades was still unsure of how to be a father. While her birth father had six years do learning on to be a father, Howard, Maria and her father were about the only spirits that she stays in touch that she knew from her time in the 1920s to the 1940s. Emily grasp the edge of the sink and tried control herself enough so that she wouldn't break down. After a few minutes that Emily felt it past before she relax, she left the bathroom to fix breakfast before seeing Hestia to see if there was anything she needed to do that day.