Elemental

Bellatrix Lestrange

"Oh, look what we have here," someone announces sadistically. I can't see her yet, but she sounds like a Muggle witch—the ones that you put up for Halloween and make that awful cackling sound. "Right on time!"

She steps closer and it's all I can do to keep from screaming aloud. Bellatrix Lestrange. Oh, gods. She looks more than half insane—probably from Azkaban. The things she's done—I've never been this close to someone capable of murder, torture. I've never even been face-to-face with You-Know-Who, not that I would ever want to be. I'm not certain which is worse.

"Now, let's see," she continues. "Who will be the first to come up? How about...Mia!" she exclaims, as if she's a kindergarten teacher picking a student to answer a simple question. That's it: she's completely deranged.

I shouldn't be surprised. It's me he wants. But I'm scared. I can't help it.

"Come on, show yourself!"

I step forward. "All right then. I'm not afraid of you."

She cackles again. "We'll see about that!"

She rolls up her sleeve and touches a spot on her left arm. Then she pulls out her wand and pulls me up the stairs by magic. Just in case I tried to resist, I guess. The others look on in terror, except for the blond-haired girl, who stares at the wall as if she's thinking of something, perhaps a plan. I'm okay, I try to tell them. Only with my facial expression, of course; I don't want to risk telepathic communication with strangers. In this world, some people would do anything to save themselves or the ones they love.

Lestrange ties me to a chair by magic and takes my wand. I see two other faces: One is Draco Malfoy, the other is a guy who looks a little bit rat-like.

I'm shaking. Physically shaking. I've been in danger before, sure. I've met monsters, I've met Dementors. But never have I been so truly alone. I've never been so afraid.

Still--I've got a few tricks up my sleeve. When no one is looking, I think, Diffindo, and the ropes break. No one has noticed yet. But I still don't know how to get out.

Before I have time to even think of a plan, this...creature...appears in front of me! He's around two feet high and looks almost human, but not quite, like an alien. He grabs my hand without saying a word, and before I can protest, he's taken me into the Hogwarts library. It's just like Apparation, but without the suffocation. Then he disappears, only to reappear seconds later with Beth, Tiana, and Juli.

"What—how—thank you!" Beth stutters.

But he's faded out.

"That was a House-Elf," says Tiana, amazed.

"But how could he take us here? You can't get into Hogwarts by Apparating!" I whisper in shock.

"Elf's magic is different from wizard's magic," Beth explains. "If his master told him to take us to Hogwarts, then nothing else matters except for doing that."

"SHH!" Madam Pince, who has just entered the room, whisper-shouts. "You'd better get to dinner soon or you'll miss it."

I check my watch. She's right. It's only been a few hours—it feels so much more and so much less time has passed at the same time. I shrug. "Let's go then," I decide, my twisting stomach backing up my decision.

"I can't thank you enough," says Juliana as we walk. "You saved my life. But..." she pauses, hesitant.

"Let me guess," I say, "you want to know why you were kidnapped."

"Well, yeah," she says uncomfortably, "if that's okay."

"It's fine," I assure her, "but I'll tell you in our dormitory. I don't want anyone overhearing."

So after dinner I tell her.

"I'm an Element," I begin, sitting upright on the bed directly across from her. "An Element is a person who has a certain power, but it's completely focused on one thing—for example, I'm a telepathic Element. No two Elements have the same power."

"Is that why he affects you so much?" Juli asks. "Why he wants you?" I know she means You-Know-Who.

"Yes and no. He wants our power," I explain. "Even a skilled Legilimens can't do what I can do. And the other Elements—well, there was one girl, Amber. Elements are wizards and demigods as well. But we're normal people, otherwise.

"Amber was the Life Element. I know the name doesn't make much sense once you learn what we are, but I always assumed it was lost in translation. Every Element is different, has a different power. But anyway. Amber. She went to Beauxbatons, that all-girls French school. I knew her well, although we never met in person. Amber could control when people lived and died. If she wanted someone to die or live, the Fates—you know who those are, right?" I clarify.

"Yes."

"Good. One less thing for me to explain. The Fates would alter the thread per what Amber wanted. No, that's the wrong word. What she needed. What she truly believed. She tried to hide her ability, but she was just too powerful. You-Know-Who found her. He kidnapped her, tried to make her do what he wanted her to do, so he and his Death Eaters would live forever and Harry Potter would die. But Amber wouldn't. He knew she wasn't going to help him--they say she didn't respond to a single curse, can you believe it?--so...he killed her." My throat chokes up as I say the last bit, and it comes out as a strained whisper.

"But why does he want you?" Juliana continues. Quickly, she adds, "Sorry. Am I prying too much?"

"You're okay," I assure her. "I'm the only one around here that he knows about. And the only one I know about."

"But then, how do you know if you're an Element?"

"You just do. You're born with the knowledge that you're an Element. I met Amber at Camp Half-Blood, the demigod camp in New York, when she was..." I trail off, trying to remember. "It was years ago, I forget why she was there. But she was my first friend," I confess. "Before I met her, I was shy and reserved, and I was scared. I was eight or so, and I'd just discovered I was a witch. My mom had just claimed me, too, although we kind of already knew because of Beth. But anyway, I didn't let myself have friends. I was worried that people would judge me, being both. Beth was teased a lot. She had a few friends, but no real ones. I knew people talked about her behind her back, but she never let on. She and Amber were friends, too. Amber's closer to her age. When Amber died..." I shook my head gently. "I read about it in the paper: French teen found dead in Beauxbatons dorm, Killing Curse suspected." I quote the headline, knowing I'll never forget. The tears start to roll down my face. "She'd just gone back to school. I...I guess there was a spy or something. I don't know!" I'm practically sobbing now.

"I'm sorry," Juliana whispers, walking over and putting an arm around me. I sob into her shoulder, probably staining her shirt. If she's uncomfortable, though, she doesn't let on. After a moment or two of silence, she decides, "We should go to bed."

Drying my tears, I agree. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I feel better than I have in a long, long time.

Of course, though I don't know it yet, the January snow outside isn't the only thing that will fade by March.

Hey guys!

Short note today, as I don't have much to write here.

So I guess I'm just saying hi.

Bye now!

~Sasha