Squib - In the Noble House of Black

1971

Sorry about the short chapter, they will get longer as I get into the main story, I just have 3 chapters of some background.

June, 1971

For the past few years Maia had been hopping from home to home, only for each one to hand her back to the orphanage, or she would simply run away. But recently they stopped trying to get her a family. It was likely due to either no one wanting her, or her not wanting them. At least at the orphanage she had friends.

Maia made best friends with Iola Griffiths when she was first brought there. Iola was a Welsh girl and three years older than Maia. Iola was the first person to care for Maia, and so Maia began to see Iola as an older sister. All her life, Maia was the oldest sister, taking care of her brothers and being the responsible person. But no longer being the eldest sister took weight off her shoulders and she could relax a little more.

Iola's family left her at the Worcester orphanage when she was only 4, why they did or why they chose that orphanage, no one knows. Iola had gone through the same process of them trying to fit her with a family, but they gave up on her years ago. How Maia ended up in Worcester was because that's where her parents dropped her off, far from London, far from them.

And now the sun rose early on the June morning, but Maia, a usual early bird, was fast asleep in her cot. Over the last few years the older boys had decided to take advantage of her small and short and athletic build. The older boys taught her how to steal and not get caught. But if she did get caught, well she was a fast runner.

That's how she made other friends besides Iola at the orphanage. She stole. She figured out how to slip out of the orphanage after lights out, or when the kids we allowed out, the older boys gave her jobs.

But theft wasn't a very safe occupation. The few times she would get caught, it was pretty easy to run, but just in case, the older boys taught her how to fight. Everyday since the start of June, she would meet up with the older boys in the same gym area the orphanage had and they trained her.

Most people would think that it was weird having a small thirteen years old girl who was still under 5 feet and looked like she was 9, train with boys who were years older than her. Though Maia felt perfectly safe. Sure, they would put her in some dangerous spots, but they really did care for her well being. They acted as her older brothers.

Plus Maia held a grudge. Her family left her because didn't have any magic. And she was going to ruin them for that mistake. To do that she needed to learn to use all her muggle skills together to defend herself against magic.

So Maia woke up later in the day to go train with the boys. She was learning fast and could even throw a punch harder than some of the older boys.

At training the boys were surprised at how quickly she learned, mostly because they didn't know her true reason why she wanted to learn how to fight. Maia had thought about it, how to fight magic without it. The best she could do was poison, surprise attacks, or getting her brothers on her side. The last option would work the best but she hadn't seen them in years. Plus she remembered what her father said about how they wouldn't even remember her.

"Maia your getting lost in your thoughts again", Daniel the boy she was training with at the moment brought her back.

"Right, sorry", Maia focused again. She took one step forward as did Daniel and he stuck his arm out for a hit. Maia was quick, she dodged slightly and grabbed his arm and tripped him onto his back.

"Damn, nice one," Daniel congratulated her from the ground. He stood back up and they went a few more times.

Afterwards, Maia headed back to her room but was caught by Iola.

"Hey Maia"

"Hi", Maia said "What have you been up to today?"

"Oh you know the usual, doing my own business, it pissed Matron off so she gave a beating", Iola had been there for 12 years and still didn't know how to hold in her temper around Matron. But she made it up with the fact she was a literal genius. Somehow even with the little education they gave, Iola had top grades, and would even help tutor kids older than her. At 16 years old she was already planning on going to university the next year if she could get the money.

"Iola", Maia cupped her hand to her forehead "Somehow even with that genius brain of yours you can't get it in your head you have to show her respect."

"I've said it before, I don't respect others who don't respect me. I don't know what is keeping you from not respecting her."

"Hmm. Let me think, ohh! Perhaps the fact that she beats you every time. And if I ever do something, I don't get caught." Around Matron Maia tried to act like the perfect little girl, but Matron had no idea what she did at night, the items and drugs she stole and sold again with the help of the older kids.

"I just don't know how to do that", Iola responded. "Plus I only have to be here just under 2 more years or maybe next summer if I can go to university."

"I really hope you can get in. But I will miss you when you are gone", Maia stopped walking and looked up at Iola.

"Oh come on I'll still see you when I can. Now come here little sister", Iola wrapped her arms around Maia.

Little sister, Iola had no idea how much that meant to Maia.