Third person POV
Once we were all calm and in joyful mode, Regulus thought that that was his cue to leave. Elaisa had given him a few of the information he was seeking for his Lord, so he would be able to report something, after all. He kissed his little sister on the top of the head goodbye and made no noise, not wanting to wake up James' parents, he left the house and returned to Grimmauld Place. His face dropped once he faced his front door. What was he doing? He had left the only place where he was loved, the place where Elaisa was, to be in that pathetic excuse of a family that he hated and was hated in. But, he was doing it to protect Elaisa from the darkness in her. And he knew that the only way to save Elaisa's soul was to let Sirius remind her of the hidden light in her. He had to let her go.
When he was with her he felt safe and loved. But he noticed that his sister wasn't the same joyful, lovely, and kind little girl he remembered fondly. She had changed in a way he wouldn't believe that his sister could. She was drowned in the darkness, brainwashed from all these years alone with the De Vils, and in Durmstrang. Merlin, he hoped against hope that Sirius will manage to save her before it is too late. Thank God that his parents had decided last minute to not show up or all the three Blacks would be as good as dead by the end of the night. And that is something Regulus could not let happen. If one of them is meant to die, then he had to make sure it was he was the one. Because he loved his siblings and he could never forgive himself if something, anything happened to him on his watch.
Back to the Potters, the kids had returned to their separate rooms and tried to get some sleep before they had to start the day. Elaisa slept easily, exhausted from her nightmare, but longing for her brother's touch. Sirius was pacing in his room wondering 'How did Eli know about Mr Wilson? Not even I remembered that stupid bear's name! She said it was a memory but she couldn't have been there. No one else was. Was it? And why did she dance with him in the first place?' Remus had another way to deal with his questions. Back against his mattress, staring at his sealing. 'Why is Elaisa so fond of the Blacks? Sleeping in the same bed, being able to calm her down, not being afraid to face Sirius' mother, and knowing so many things about their childhood? Was she a legilimens or something? James on the other hand slept right away with a huge smile on his face, happy that finally, his newest best friend was happy.
The days passed by like every holiday at the Potters' household. Laughter, warmth, and love are everywhere and for everyone. Remus left for his home on New Year's Day after he had to stay awake all night talking and playing games with his friends.
The harmony and happiness broke when a few days before their return to Hogwarts, Elaisa got a letter that caused her face to drop and the whole atmosphere changed. "What is it?" Sirius asked seriously (please don't hate me) "It is my... first week back program" James seemed to understand and his eyes widened. He stretched his arm out and Elaisa handed him the letter. He started reading making sure that no one else could read it over his shoulder. His eyes wandered to the paper.
'Monday 10, 1977: Dueling Sirius Orion Black 6th Year
Wednesday 12, 1977: Poisoning James Fleamont Potter 6th Year
Friday 14, 1977: Torturing Remus John Lupin 6th Year
Sunday 16, 1977: Hexing Regulus Arcturus Black 5th Year
Good screams,
Headmaster Leadwolf'
As he was reading the colour was drained out of his face and made Mrs Potter worried. "Son, what is it?", but no one paid her any mind. "That is absolutely barbaric and disgusting" James claimed. "I know! It's different when it's happening between our students. We are trained for this. But when the Hogwarts part comes in, everything changes" Elaisa looked frustrated "What are you talking about?" Sirius dared to ask. "My tests" "Your...tests?" They nodded. Then it hit him. "Those your letter was about?" They nodded again. "They are taking place, this year, at Hogwarts?" He was obviously disgusted and nervous. "Not only at Hogwarts" "On Hogwarts students too" Sirius felt like he was gonna be sick, wondering how a fourteen-year-old girl was so ok with it. Mr and Mrs Potter were still clueless. "We need to tell McGonagall. Don't look at me like that! I am not going to do those things, to those students! The only way to stop that from happening is to tell someone. And I don't trust Dumbledore" The shock slowly left their faces and they nodded in agreement. Mr Potter tried to say something but Sirius beat him. "Wait, you know to whose students you'll have to..." "We have since the ride from Hogwarts," James said. "Sirius Black, James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Regulus Black" "And you didn't think to tell us?!" His eyes were bigger than an owl's. James looked at his hands, not daring to meet anyone's gaze but Elaisa's. Well, fuck! And now what?
On January 8th, 1977, the three kids were at platforms 9 and 3/4. They were to meet up with Remus and Peter too and talked. Elaisa didn't pay any mind to the conversation or to what Mr and Mrs Potter were saying. She was searching the crowd with her eyes and then she saw him. A boy with curly, short hair. Her brother. She eyed him worryingly. He was pale. Paler than the Black's pale. She knew that things would be... off for him from now on, being forced to fulfil their parents' wishes and all. But she never thought that that would affect his health.
But she shook it all off once she was dragged on the train by her best friend. They found their usual compartment, the marauders' usual compartment, and chatted. It was nice. Be all together and laughing like it was just them and the world. But the joy didn't last long. Halfway the way, the door slid open to reveal four Slytherin boys. All of them were quite tall. It was Malfoy, Snape, Mulsiber, and McNair, the marauders' sworn enemies. They put on quite a fight, picking mostly on Sirius and Elaisa who rested her head on her brother's lap.
Then another boy passed by and once he noticed who was in the compartment, he dragged his housemates out. "Are you completely crazy? Picking in the Durmstrang princess? What do you think will happen once she tells her friends, huh?" Their faces went white as a sheet. They looked terrified. Yes, they knew quite a lot of nasty hexes but that didn't mean they could take down a Durmstrang student. They murmured some apologies and left. The boy was left looking at Elaisa. "Are you alright, Iza?" She didn't bother to answer. She left Sirius' lap and locked her hands around Regulus' neck in a hug. He hugged her back just as tightly. "I am perfect, now that you are here" she mumbled at the crook of his neck. They both smiled. He kissed the top of her head goodbye, broke the hug, and disappeared into the corridor.
Elaisa returned to her latest seat and dropped her head back to Sirius' lap with a smile on her lips. A real smile that made Remus melt at the sight, like ice cream on a very hot day. Sirius started playing with her hair. That's something new. She looked up and her smile dropped into a frown once she met his expression. She stood up. "What's wrong?" No answer. "Sirius, talk to me!" He sighed. "I just don't understand what you see in him" The atmosphere changed again. "What are you talking about?" She was going defensive. "He is just a stupid, evil, toe-rag, mini Death Eater" His words were full of venom but his voice was hiding concern, fear, and worry. "So?" She raised an eyebrow. "So? Elaisa, if you haven't noticed, if it has escaped your attention, he is an evil Slytherin" "You and I were supposed to be ones too" "That will do anything to please our parents and make them proud" "You used to seek that too" "And soon or later he will be an official Death Eater" "So am I!" The temperature dropped in an instant from the heaviness of the last statement. "What?" he breathed. Elaisa couldn't possibly want to be a Death Eater, could she? She sighed and run a hand threw her hair. "It's not a choice I have to make. It has been decided for us since our birth. We were born for this, literately. There is no way out. I am a De Vil and a Durmstrang student. Regulus knows that too. The sooner you realize it, the best for all of us. You should try and act more like him" and with that, she left the compartment, anger boiling in her veins. Yes, she knew that Sirius had a point, she agreed more than she would like to admit with the book he had given her and yes, she had doubts about the Dark Lord herself, but there wasn't an escape from him, was there?
Sirius was left dumbfounded just like the rest of the Marauders. Deep down they already knew that Elaisa was lost in the dark, but hearing her talking about it so casually made their chest ache. She was a fourteen-year-old little girl who had already accepted the fact that she should be evil, so much so that she didn't care about it anymore. They had to help her find the light again. But how? What could they possibly do to change her mind? There was a hell of a lot of walls around Elaisa's mind and heart that they had to take down.
They didn't know if what was good or bad happened, but shortly after their return to Hogwarts, something terrible happened. No, it wasn't the evil tests the Durmstarng students had to take. No. That problem was solved mere minutes after their arrival with the marauders going straight to McGonagall. She was furious. To be honest, there were several levels of anger in their statement. The fact that the students were forced into the darkness was one thing. But the fact that they would take place on Hogwarts' ground and that her students will have to participate in the most cruel way was another. All that anger was relished in an instant to Leadwolf. No one had ever seen McGonagall that furious. Ever. Of course, Elaisa got detention from Leadwolf but it wasn't anything near extreme as the ones she faced in Bulgaria.
No. Something worse happened. Mary McDonald's older brother had been found dead at the hands of some unknown Death Eater. The whole Gryffindor house was mourning the loss. Only some seventh year remembered Alex being Head Boy in their first year, but the common room was still tensed, upset and sounds of crying and whimpering were coming from everywhere.
That triggered something in Elaisa. She liked McDonald. They weren't in the same year but she was good friends with James and Remus. She was a very good, kind, and sweet girl. Elaisa could only assume that her brother was just as nice with no obvious reason to deserve what he has gotten. All this was the Dark Lord's work. Alex wasn't a threat to him. He was a good son, and a good brother, and was keeping a safe distance from politics, so his family was safe. His death was good for only one thing. Pain. Pain to Alex, dying knowing that Mary will have no one from now on. Pain to Mary from the loss of her own and only brother. Pain to Alex's friends from his death. Pain to Mary's friends, coming from her pain. It was a cycle of good-for-nothing pain, all coming directly from Voldermort.
That was the last straw. Everything seemed to click in Elaisa's mind. No justice, no logic, no defence, just the psychotic want to cause unlimited pain to every single human being. That night, Elaisa left the common room unnoticed by the rest of the Gryffindors. She runs to make the adrenaline and the other hormones leave her body. She screamed at the very top of her lungs until it was physically impossible for her to scream anymore, anger, sadness, and anxiety escaping her dry mouth. Her muscles had become sore, her throat was harsh and in pain, and she found it difficult to breathe, as her lungs could never find enough oxygen in them. But she didn't care. She didn't care 'cause thanks to a man she had been taught to admire, another human would never breathe again.
That night Voldermort lost himself one of his most loyal and promising followers. That night one of the most powerful witches swore eternity services to the light. All because of a little mistake from Tom, and it was bound to make many others.
That night, a part of Elaisa, that was never truly hers, was gone. From now on she was weak, confused, vulnerable, and lost in her own light. She needed someone to hold her and lead her way. She knew that, that someone could only be the marauders.