Jade Angel

Chapter 1

It was a perfectly ordinary night when everything changed.

Erika Potter, the Girl-Who-Lived, had just gone to sleep when Vernon, dead drunk and more than a little incoherent, walked into her room quieter than she ever would have believed possible...and took a pillow to her face.

Erika woke up with a start. Fighting like a mad woman to get free of the smothering hands, but the last thing she would remember of that night was the sight of the clock on her dresser...it read ten minutes to midnight.

Erika didn't know where she was, only that for the first time in her life she felt...safe. Wanted. Loved.

"Oh my poor baby. How could he have left you there when we specifically stated not to do so under pain of death!" said a woman. She sounded very upset. Erika blinked. She had only heard that voice once, and it had been screaming at the time.

"When that bastard dies I am so going to make him suffer for leaving you with them," said another rather venomously. Again, she only vaguely recognized the voice.

Erika leaned back from the embrace and her eyes bulged.

"Mum? Dad?" she whispered in shock.

Lily was hugging her daughter rather tightly. Erika could feel the tears on her clothes.

"Hey sweetie. I'm so sorry we weren't able to protect you from all that. If only we'd chosen Sirius, or Remus..." said James Potter. He ruffled her hair affectionately.

"But...how is this possible?"

"That fat pig Vernon, may he rot in the pit for eternity, killed you," explained Lily.

"So that wasn't a dream. I really died?" said Erika. For someone who crossed over she was surprisingly calm.

"I'm afraid so sweetie. On the plus side, you'll never have to deal with a Malfoy again!" said James with false cheer.

"And we can finally see you perform instead of having to watch it second hand," said Lily.

Out of all the things Petunia had taught her daughter, she had been surprised then happy that her sister had at least bonded with Erika over ballet. Lily had never cared for it, but the mere fact that Petunia had taken Erika to lessons had made things just a little more tolerable than it could have been for her daughter.

It was one of the few things that could get Petunia's approval, and she had been quite disappointed when Erika had forgone the lessons in favor of magic.

Erika felt like she was finally home in the brief moment with her parents. James and Lily were absolutely furious with Dumbledore for his inability to keep her even remotely safe while she tried to learn magic...and when Erika expressed a desire to go muggle and abandon her schooling at Hogwarts altogether, she was surprised her father agreed that it would have been better for her.

Lily wanted her to retake dance lessons. There was no reason to let such talent go to waste, and Erika had the talent (and the flexibility) for it.

Erika wished it could be like this forever. She never wanted to go back to her life again...her life was full of nothing but pain, and this was the best she had ever felt.

But the universe was a cruel bitch who loved to screw with her.

Erika was forcefully taken from her parents, who looked very angry at the intrusion...before she saw a spark of fear in their eyes when they realized who it was.

She saw a glimpse of wings and realized it had to be an angel.

"I don't know how you managed to slip up here, but you're going back whether you like it or not! I am not allowing some slip of a human ruin my day just because you didn't like the prophecy!" said the angel annoyed.