The Strangest Thing (Harry Potter Fan-Fiction) Marauder Era

II

II-

I am wonder, I am hope, I am thunder, I am the forever upward slope.

I am fear, I am pain, I am near, I am fairly sure that I'm insane...

A little girl sat next to me, humming quietly. The words I was hearing weren't coming from her. "Hello!" she said once she noticed I was awake.

I rubbed my eyes. "Hi," I said uncertainly.

The girl grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet, chattering all the while. "My name is Nikki, short for Nicole. I'm seven today! What's your name? How old are you? Why were you sleeping out here?"

I waited until she took a breath before answering her. "My name is Annie, short for Anastasia. I think I'm sixteen, but I'm not sure. I'm sleeping out here because I ran away."

She didn't hesitate to ask more questions. I couldn't help but laugh. "That's a pretty name. How do you not know how old you are? Who were you running away from?"

"I don't know how old I am because I forgot my birthday a while ago. I don't know how long I was in there, but I know I was ten when they kidnapped me." I was lying about the kidnapping part. My dad gave me to them, but Nikki didn't need to know that.

"Oh," was all she said.

Suddenly I had a few questions of my own. "What are you doing out here? Where are your parents?"

"I ran away, too."

I slipped my hand into Nikki's. "Why?"

She looked up at me, eyes shining with tears. "They were going to give me away."

We were silent for a while after that. "You can stay with me if you want to," I said finally. She tackled me in a hug, and we both landed in the grass. We laughed together for a moment before getting up again.

I knew exactly where we needed to go, but I had no idea how to get there. Until I did, I would have no problem getting us food. My new-found ability to get people to do what I wanted them to do would definitely come in handy.

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One thing that I've learned from living like that: morals don't help you survive. I didn't care about 'taking away someone's free will'. It was fine, and it only lasted as long as it took to get me what I wanted. I absolutely refused, however, to take more than we needed. Someone else could need it more than we did.

Nikki didn't have a problem with it either. Whatever it took, was what we would do. So we survived, had a place to sleep every night, had enough to eat, and were well on our way to our destination: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I wanted to go there mostly because that was the place my father didn't want me to go, but also because Nikki and I eventually realized that she, at least, was magical. I was magical as well, but I didn't know if I had the kind of magic that Narcissa and Nikki did, the coach-able kind.

Which brings us to the day we arrived at the gates. It was September 1st, and Nikki and I got on the train with the rest of the students. I hadn't known where to get Nikki school supplies, but I figured that we could get some once we arrived. Everyone else wore black robes, balancing heavy trunks and pet cages and carriers. We attracted odd looks as soon as we stepped through the barrier between platforms 9 and 10, but Nikki and I ignored them.

We sat together in a vacant compartment, but gradually others filled in the seats. I glared menacingly at anyone that sat too close. Nikki was burrowed into my side, and my arm was wrapped around her protectively. The others gave us a wide berth, or as wide as they could in a train compartment. When the boys left to change, the girls huddled even closer together as if to protect themselves from a chilly wind.

I like that analogy, I thought. Nikki and I are like a chilly wind.

Seven hours- seven boring, torturous hours- later, we arrived at Hogsmeade Station. Nikki and I got off along with a group of older students. It was almost as if there was a bubble around us, keeping everyone else out. I liked it that way.

The little girl beside me slipped her hand into mine. "I'm scared, Annie," she whispered.

I squeezed her hand. "I know," I said. "It's okay. You know I won't let anything bad happen to you."

Nikki knew, and she nodded.

I didn't know. There was only so much one can do with a voice, and that was all I had going for me.

"Firs' years! Firs' years, follow me!"

Nikki and I shared a look. Should we go? I nodded uncertainly.

The boat ride was amazing. Would you believe it, that we got one all to ourselves? Nikki gasped and laughed as we got our first glimpse of Hogwarts. It really was beautiful, the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. The school strongly resembled a castle, with grey stone walls and towers. There was a forest off to the side.

I smiled along with my companion, but I was more worried than I would let her see. What if we were thrown out? What if I had to leave Nikki behind? What if-?

What if there was a reason my dad didn't want me here, and that was because it wasn't safe? What had I dragged Nikki into?