Freezing air fills my lungs as I take in sharp, deep breaths. I feel like I haven't breathed for years! A sheen of sweat covers every inch of my body, even my scalp, and when the air touches it, I shiver. My face is stained with tears and when the wind brushes across it, it stings. I try sitting up, but as the sheets are tangled around and I can't. I undo them and get out of bed. My feet touch the cold hardwood floor and I push all my weight onto them. Chills run up and down my spine, and once again, I'm frozen to the touch, despite my sweat. I look around for the source of the autumn air.
A window, next to Myra's bed, is wide open. I reach over and shut. I want to sleep, but I can't. Not here, anyway. I tip-toe across the room, to the door, and head to the boys' dorms, Myrtles' dead body in my mind the whole way, printed onto my eyelids, haunting me like the ghost she is. I peek around one door and see the sleeping figures of the first year boys. Colin Creevey has a camera sat on his bedside table. I slowly close the door and climb another set of stairs. I know this is the room I'm looking for. I quietly swing the door open, letting a streak of light in, and shuffle to the bed near the window. A mop of red hair is asleep on the pillow.
'Ron Weasley', I think. I creep to the bed next to it, knowing it will be my brothers'. I climb into bed with him.
"Hey, Ellie." He whispers and brushes a piece of hair out of my face. "Did you have a nightmare?"
I nod, burying my sweaty head into his chest. He pats my back and murmurs soothing words into my ears as I fall asleep once more, my stick-thin arms wrapped around his waist.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ellie, Ellie. Come on, you'll miss breakfast." Harry says. I yawn and rub my eyes. I sit up and take in my surroundings. I'm in a room full of boys. Ron is casually leaning against his headboard, Dean is looking for something in his trunk, Neville is searching for Trevor and Seamus is still in bed, sleeping.
"Seamus isn't awake." I protest. Seamus jumps up with a shocked face and rolls out of bed.
"TREVOR!" Neville yells and runs towards the bed, clasping his fingers around the toad.
"Now he is." Harry smirks. I roll my eyes and get out of the room, but not before stealing a chocolate frog from Harrys' bedside table. I make my way to my dorm and open the door.
"Ellie, where were you?" Ginny questions.
"I had I nightmare, so I slept with Harry." I strip and change into my uniform. After brushing my hair and leaving it free, I head to the Great Hall.
'Free, why does that ring a bell?' I think. The image of my dead body next to Myrtles' fills my head and my knees buckle.
"Ellie, are you alright?" Myra asks, concerned. I nod and wave her off.
'Pull yourself together, Voldemort's after your brother and you're scared of a diary? Come on Ellie, put yourself in Harry's shoes!'
I straighten up and hold my head high as I leave the common room and go to breakfast. I tell Ginny and Myra to go on as I stop to tie my shoelaces. When I stand up, I walk straight into someone's chest. I glance at who it is.
"Watch it." Draco flicks his eyes to his gang, Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy, and adds: "Potter!" on the end.
"Are you sure that's a Potter, looks more like Weasel," Pansy says. Goyle pushes me onto the hardened ground and Crabbe pulls his arm back to punch.
"Why is she wearing a uniform, isn't it Saturday?" Goyle asks.
"It is, she's just stupid." Pansy replies. Crabbe picks me up and drags me into an unused classroom nearby. He throws me onto the floor and my stomach drops. I have no sarcastic remarks for Malfoy now. No cheeriness or friendliness, just hatred. He's a Malfoy! His father works for Voldemort! How could I ever consider him a friend anyway?
"Aw! Look, she's crying! The little baby's crying." Malfoy sniggers. "Get out." I begin to stand. "Not you, Potter. Them!" Malfoy pushes me back down and jabs a thumb over his shoulder at his posse.
"What! Draco- " Pansy whines, but is cut off by Malfoy's glare.
"Go. I'll teach her what happen when you loiter in the corridor." He watches them as they leave and slam the door behind them. It rings throughout the room as I look around. I can feel Malfoy's eyes boring into me, but never glance at him. We must be in an old defence against the dark arts classroom, as there aren't many cauldrons but the old blackboard has a word written on it in faded chalk.
Riddikulas
"What's wrong?" He eventually breaks the silence. I look at him, confused. "No chat back, sarcastic remarks. Merlin, I think you're paler than a vampire!" He gets off the abandoned desk he was sat on and crouches to my level, on the floor, where he shoved me. He gently places the back of his hand against my forehead. I push his hands away and pull myself up using a nearby desk. I put my hand out.
"Friends?" I ask. He effortlessly stands and grasps my hand.
"Friends." He agrees.
"Y'know, you don't always have to call me Elizabeth. Most of my friends and family call me Ellie."
"Hmm.... I've never liked the name Ellie, it sounds like some kind of fairy princess name. You, to me, look more like a-" Draco's cut off by a rattling in a locked drawer behind me. I turn just as it flies open and a whitish mist seeps out, quickly shaping itself into a letter. I pick it up and scan my eyes over the words.
Dear Miss Potter,
I'm sorry to inform you that your mother and father have sadly passed away. They died bravely fighting You-Know-Who, who mercilessly murdered them. He was searching for the whereabouts of your brother and yourself. Their bodies have been buried in Godric's Hollow, and you have permission to visit them whenever you like. Henceforth, from here on out, you'll be living with your muggle aunt and her family. She's a relative of your mothers', her sister. Unfortunately, your godfather, Remus Lupin is unfit to raise you, as is you brothers.
Yours sincerely,
The Ministry of Magic.
I gasp, whirling round to show Draco.
"Look!" I barely whisper, thrusting the parchment towards him. He takes it, but the swirling white fog appears again, the letter disappearing to become a tall man with shoulder-length blonde hair, like Draco. Lucius Malfoy. "Let's get out of here."
He nods and we get out. The corridor is empty and I slam the door behind me.
"What was that?" I ask.
"A boggart, I think. There used to be one at home, I found it when I was really young, but I don't remember much of what happened," Draco replies.
"What were you going to say, y'know, before the boggart?"
"Umm....Well, IwasgoingtosayhowyoulookmorelikeaLizzie. To me." He rushes.
"What? Slower."
"I was going to say how you look more like a Lizzie to me."
"Okay, well, yeah umm, I guess. Well, I've never really thought about it."
"So, can I call you Lizzie?"
"Sure, call me Lizzie." A slince persues, soon broken by Draco.
"You never answered my question."
"What was it?"
"What's wrong?"
"I... I had a nightmare." My face falls as I remember it all in vivid detail. Ginny's teeth, the walls closing in, my blood, Mrytle's blood, everything. I start walking down the corridor, away from Draco, when the bell rings, signaling the end of lunch. "Merlin!" I curse, running for the Great Hall. I get there just as the bell stops, scanning the room for another redhead girl called Ginny, I come back empty-handed. I shrug and go to the Common room, heading to my dorm to change. I pull on a louse blouse and some trousers, leaving my black school shoes on. Picking up my bag, I head for the library. Ginny's there and we finish all our homework for Monday together.
YOU ARE READING
Elizabeth Lily Potter (A HP fan-fiction)(Book 1)
Fanfiction[DISCONTINUED FIND AT MY PERSONAL ACCOUNT, @LittleDoe123] What if Lily and James Potter live long enough to give birth and raise a girl, who goes to Hogwarts like her older brother Harry. What if that girl was born in December and is named Elizabeth...
