The Story of The First Forest

Finding Truth and Home

Mrs. Isabelle called me to her office. It was Christmas break so most students were gone. Mr. John would be coming over for two weeks before going home. I walked in and sat across from Mrs. Isabelle. She smiled and held a small knife.

"Ready?" I nodded and sat across from her. "You'll take this potion first," she said handing me the potion. "I'll make a small incision and then dip my wand in the blood and cast the spell. Ready?" She asked. I nodded and downed the potion. It was nasty. She lightly cut my skin. My eyes watered and I wanted to pull away but I held firm determined to know. She dipped her wand and cast the spell. We looked up and gasped.

Kaitlyn Pandora Forest      17 years old, 3/27/73

Father-Sirius Orion Black (UK)

Mother-Arabella Selene Forest (D)

Sister-Lyra Arabella Black (12)

Brother-Taurus Regulus Black (12)

Sister-Estella Willow Black (10)

Uncles-Regulus Arcturus Black (D)  -John Caster Forest   -Griffin Cepheus Forest

Aunts-Isabella Eliana Forest

We stared at the words blankly. She looked at me than the words. I tilted my head.

"My father is Sirius Black? The well-known killer and betrayer of the Potters?" I asked. She nodded.

"Unless you have somebody else's blood running through your veins," we sit in silence as the bold words disappear.

"You're my aunt," it wasn't a question but she nodded. She stood, walked around her desk, and hugged me tightly. I cried into her shoulder. I had a family and it was here. She pulled away wiping her eyes.

"I will always be here for you, I wish I knew," she muttered. She placed a hand on my cheek and tilted her head.

"You weren't told?" I asked. She shook her head.

"They lost touch with us," she said, staring at me. "John will be so happy," she said. I smiled and laughed, remembering my uncle.

"I'm so happy," I laughed, tears spilling from my eyes. She hugged me again laughing softly.

"Me too," she muttered.

——————

I walked around the townhouse with Sage and Nora. The warm spring air circulated the room. The rental lady walked over, smiling.

"Well?" She asked.

"Can we have a minute?" Sage asked. She nodded and left. Sage turned to us smiling. "I love it, three rooms, two full bathrooms and a half. Also living room and full kitchen with appliances," Nora nodded looking around.

"Plus a balcony, lots of windows, and a laundry room downstairs," she said. I nodded.

"Plus a fireplace so I can floo here from school," I said. The townhouse was in North Carolina, not near where any of us grew up. But Nora and Sage coincidentally got jobs in the same area. They nodded and turned to me.

"Do you mind only having a half bath?" Nora asked. I shook my head.

"Of course not! I'll be here for what 5 months probably less if I visit England again," I muttered. It was a sore spot for us. Nora and Sage would be living with each other all year and I'd barely be around even in the off-season. Plus I found my family, this equation was more complicated than when it started.

"Right, well. The question then is do we try to buy or just rent," Sage said. I nodded.

"I think we should buy, your jobs are steady and there are other places here that you could shift to," I reasoned, they seemed to agree. The lady walked in.