The Gathering: The New Order of Merlin Book 1

21. A new project

 Last night, a disturbing dream had tormented Elsa: Mother showed up at Hogwarts to drag them away. They were powerless to stop her and none of the teachers dared to intervene.

Elsa did not want to leave Hogwarts. She loved learning magic, and she loved her new best friend. Luna Lovegood was full of warmth and kindness. It was never boring with her around. Out of nowhere, she'd break into a song or start dancing and give Elsa something to smile about. She couldn't imagine going back to her old life underground, where her only company, besides her brother, were hags and smelly goats. And her mother? A shiver went down her spine that had nothing to do with being cold. Mother had to be furious with them now. Elsa didn't dare imagine what punishment she would choose.

The possibility of Mother finding them loomed over her like a dark cloud and overshadowed every other thought. While she knew it had only been a dream this time, it wasn't a figment of her imagination. It was foolish to think that they were completely hidden in the castle. It was only a matter of time before Mother discovered them, and just like in the dream, no one would stop her.

Elsa picked up her Transfiguration textbook and paged through it absentmindedly. She had nearly told McGonagall the truth, but couldn't phrase it right.

Our mother is Dark Beira, The Spirit of Winter that rules over these lands in the cold months.

You're the offspring of a mythical being, are you? Don't be absurd, child, and tell me the truth.

Elsa laughed out loud, imagining that conversation. No, it was safer to let McGonagall believe they had no family at all. It was close enough to the truth.

She put the book away and went looking for Luna.

She found her in the common room sitting on the floor with her legs folded beneath her. Luna's long hair spilled around her arms and onto the coffee table. It was a darker shade blond than Mother's but beautiful in its own way. She was drawing the face of a pretty woman, who seemed to gaze back from the parchment. Elsa immediately felt an artistic bond with her.

"That's really beautiful, Luna. Who is this?"

"That's my mom," the girl said while continuing her drawing. "She died, so whenever I want to see her again, I just draw her."

Elsa wasn't sure what to say, so she put a hand on her shoulder and watched her draw stunning details of hair curling in beautiful locks.

"I was very sad for a long time," Luna said, "but at least I still have my dad. He makes everything better."

Would Elsa feel sad if her mother died? She had never considered the possibility. Her mother didn't age as normal people did.

"I never even met my dad," Elsa murmured.

"Do you want to?"

"I don't know who he is or how to find him."

"Have you tried magic?"

Elsa gaped at the girl who was still occupied with her craft, unaware of what she'd just proposed. Elsa had never thought to seek her father because Mother refused to tell her anything about him. But maybe when you had an impossible question, magic was the answer.

"Do you know of a spell that would help me find my father?"

Luna shrugged and looked up from her drawing with big dreamy eyes. "No, but we are in a magic school, aren't we?"

Elsa's head started swirling with ideas. What if their father could protect them from their mother? What if they could live with him instead of with McGonagall?

"Thank you, Luna," she called out, running out of the common room.

》《

Sneaky note. This message is a precaution since I've seen this theft happen to other writers. Believe it or not, some idiots think they can use other people's fanfic works and sell them on Amazon. They don't even bother deleting notes.

Hello, I am the author of this story. If you see this sneaky note anywhere other than wattpad dot com where I published it, please contact me - username Kamiccola - so I may address the plagiarism. Thank you for reading.