Broken Wings / tom riddle

Chapter 1 - The Fae Elm

Briar picked up the dying moth that was struggling on the windowsill, with a blow it's wings repaired and it took flight into the night.

Briar wished her wings could be repaired the same, sadly they had been damaged when her parents transferred their magic to her the night they died. A faerie without working wings, pathetic, she thought to herself. At least it could help her hide her true identity. Something that she needed throughout her time at the orphanage.

Briar was now 17, after the fae population had died out, she was left with no friends and more significantly, no family. She'd been at the orphanage 11 years now but that did not mean it felt anymore like home.

Briar had tried her best to conceal her magic, though as she aged it became harder to control. Children at the orphanage were noticing and so were the staff, she could tell she frightened them, and though as a child it made her sad, as she aged she found herself liking it in an almost sinister way.

However, her recent outburst sure had left questions for the matron of the orphanage. Mrs. Jane had forbidden Briar to leave the orphanage to read on the field with the rest of the students.

"Young adults should be working, not gallivanting off with the fairies!" Mrs. Jane had told Briar firmly, the irony in her words made her fight to keep a straight face. Then, ever so quickly Mrs. Jane began struggling and breathing heavily, she collapsed to the ground and appeared to be suffering a heart attack. Briar thought quickly and counteracted her magic, but with every passing day it was becoming harder to control, and judging by the look on the matron's face, she did not believe this was simply a coincidence.

So it came as no surprise when in the dead of night, just after the moth took flight she heard a knock at her door.

"Mrs. Jane would like to see you."

Briar slipped on a black silk night robe, gifted to her from the handsome baker down the street. She always did seem to catch the attention of men, for her beauty was enchanting.

She had soft red hair that curled ever so slightly, and skin so pale it could rival that of Snow White's. Her lips were naturally pink, and her cheeks always seemed to carry a soft blush tone to them, but then there were her eyes. Just as her last name described, emeralds. They sparkled like large green toned jewels found only in fantasy stories and her doe eyes made her appear innocent and vulnerable.

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The tiles on the orphanage floor were cold underneath Briar's feet, she knocked twice on the matron's door.

"Enter." Briar was taken back when she entered the room and a tall man with a soft smile stood dominantly next to Mrs. Jane. "Briar, as I'm sure you're aware you have been demonstrating strange abilities. I brought this matter up with the church, and if it was up to me, I'd have you locked away for sorcery, but they suggested something else. Meet Albus Dumbledore, teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

The man stepped forward and held out a hand to Briar, but she did not shake it.

"I'm not a witch." She spoke clearly and kept a blank expression on her face as her eyes met his, she would not be going anywhere with a wizard, they after all they were the reason everyone she ever had known, was dead.

"Mrs. Jane has told me some things about you, and I know it's scary Briar but I'm here to help you. At Hogwarts we teach students how to control their magic and use their abilities to aid them," Albus spoke in a relaxed tone.

Briar pondered on his words, yes it would be nice to control her magic, but she certainly was not a witch. "I know you haven't had any magical schooling, Briar, but if you come with me, we can tailor a program for you that will suit your abili-" the man tried to speak.