The unicorn's body emerged out of the darkness, twisted and mangled beneath a tree. It's long, slender leg's pointed out in awful directions and, judging by the blood, it was very much dead. I gasped at the deathly sight, and it seemed as if an angel had been slaughtered before my very own eyes. Me and harry exchanged worried glances before creeping closer to the corpse.
Harry's foot took one stride before a hooded shape crawled across the threshold, like some sort of wildcat hunting it's prey. The creature halted by the side of the unicorn, before diving it's head in to the wound and drinking. Closing my lips tight, I avoided vomiting as I saw the sickening sight.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"
I looked over to the source of the scream, only to see Draco's horrified face twisted due to the sight he had witnessed. The coward soon turned and bolted as fast as he could away from the scene, Fang following him closely. The creature stood and walked closer to Harry, the silver liquid dripping from its mouth. I watched as Harry stood as still as a statue, a look of pure fear engulfing his features.
Slapping his lightning scar, he stumbled backwards, hissing in pain. The creature looked down at me, opening it's bloodied mouth,
"Elyssssia, I know you, and I will take you..." it hissed, another voice accentuating the 's' in my name.
The beating of hooves on the forest floor filled my ears, making the creature flee. I looked over to Harry; only to see him on his knee's rubbing his scar in petulant movements.
A centaur, similar to the one that I had seen talking to Hagrid earlier in our quest, entered the scene. His eyes immediately went to Harry, and her tended to him gently. His hair was a brilliant white-blond hair and equally white body.
"Are you all right?" questioned the centaur, lifting Harry to his feet.
"Yes- thank you- what was that?" he replied, patting down his dirty clothes.
The centaur turned to me slowly; his brilliant sapphire blue eye's meeting my own blue eyes. His whispered in to my ear,
"You spoke parsel tongue, young one."
The statement sounded more like a warning than anything else, and without a second thought I fled in the same direction that Draco had. The running was brilliant, and my leg's gratefully received the exercise. I realised that perhaps i didn't run enough, not when I spent my time cooped up within the library.
I found myself standing within some unknown part of the woods, the mangled pathway far out my reach. Shivering, I tried to think of what Hagrid had said about the forest, but I realised that I had been trapped in my own thoughts.
Looking around, every shadow seemed to shape shift into something sinister under the moonlight, every noise was a new threat and every rumble in the earth was a new beast coming to kill me.
Looking through the foliage of the trees, I saw no convenient opening in the tree's or trail of smoke leading to Hagrid’s hut, just thick trees surrounding me. My mind couldn’t help but focus on the centaur’s words instead of my predicament. A pair of violet eye's seemed to shine through the tree trunks, watching me curiously.
"Go away!" I shrieked, nervously ducking my head.
Parsel tongue, I had read of it in Hogwarts: A History. All I knew was that Salazar Slytherin was a parsel tongue, and that it was a unique ability to converse with snakes. A cold rush of blood surged through my head… it was a Slytherin trait.
What if, because of this one strange skill, I was to be placed in the house that I despised? Snape's bitter ramblings on Potter's awful personality had made me believe that he was rude, obnoxious and completely full of himself.
However, every encounter with him contradicted this. There was a brutal honesty to my Uncle, an inexorable honesty that was mostly correct about people.
I hated to say it, but I believed that Snape was wrong about the 'Potter Boy' sometimes; I believed that he had stopped talking about Harry and had focused on Snape's own arch nemesis, James Potter. Whilst Harry seemed friendly, I knew that it was no lie that James was a taunting bully.
Curling up tightly, I awaited my rescue. I watched the moon closely as it swum through the sky, indicated the hours that I had waited. Biting my lip and digging my nails in to my palms, I stood up nervously. The fear i felt for the forest had numbed my limbs, as well as my mind as I thought of a way to escape the wretched forest. The silver blood and the warning that I had received from the creature that took it revolved around my head absently, provoking a foreboding feeling within me.
Clenching my eyes together, I held out my palms and recited "Lumos Maxima" and watched as a bright, white light burst from my palms. The light cleared the shadows in my path and gave me some comfort, as I began the treacherous walk back to Hogwarts. I couldn't tell whether I would be praised or in trouble, but knowing my Uncle it would be severe scolding.
My feet travelled gently over the terrain, twigs snapping mercilessly and bugs escaping my wrath. I tried not to cry a little as I yearned for Leon's comfortable weight on my shoulder, Dumbledore was right, I did need company. In the distance, I saw a golden light bursting from a lantern. The lantern was familiar, and I wracked my brains to remember where I had seen it...
Hagrid's hut! Of course! It had been hanging from the door when I had walked down to my detention numerous hours ago. A part of me sighed at the thought that he wasn't searching for me, but the rest rejoiced for my escape from the forest. I felt silly for not leaving sooner, rather than waste my time thinking in the forest, but I could not change the past.
Rather than entering his hut, I continued to walk up to the school, leaving behind me the thick forest and it's frightening inhabitants. I couldn't shake form my mind the look that the centaur had given me when had had told me of my parsel tongue.
It seemed to be a mixture of disgust and admiration.
Keeping my head low, I entered one of the many dark hallways of Hogwarts. I was extremely early in the morning, I could tell. I dreaded the thought of Peeves finding me now, I could only imagine the racket he would make whilst taunting me.
Instead of hearing his ridiculous "whooshing" and general disturbances, I heard footsteps. Footsteps?
Only one person prowled Hogwarts at this time of day: Filch.
His footsteps were sounding from a nearby hallway, several feet away from me. Slap. Slap. Slap. They drew closer and closer evoking fear throughout my body. Looking around I saw no convenient passageways, just a small statue and rows upon rows of portraits and paintings.
"Psst!"
I swung my body around, wildly searching for the source of the noise. It sounded again, quieter this time as Filch neared. I searched, bewildered, until I saw a mop of flaming red hair burst from beside the statue. Running silently over, I saw a small hole beside the statue, a hole in which George Weasley's head was poking out of.
Signalling for me to crawl in, I just about dove in after his head disappeared. My fists slammed hard in to George's cheek as I slid inside, face first. He sucked in a quick breath and resisted crying out in pain. Squinting my eyes in embarrassment, I lay my hand over his mouth as Filch's steps finally entered the hallway.
I could only see the very tip of his old, brown shoes as he paused in the hallway. A loud sniff came from his direction, and I realised that he was smelling the air. I could almost imagine his hooked nose searching for traces of disobedient students.
Suppressing a laugh, I waited for him to move on. Further up the hallway, a loud yowl from Mrs. Norris sounded and Filch began to walk hastily towards the noise. I heard him murmur something along the lines of "Damned Peeves..." before he vacated the hallway completely.
"You're lucky you're pretty." grumbled George as he rubbed his jaw.
"Shut up, George!" chuckled Fred from further down the tunnel.
"I'm so so sorry!" I gasped, my hands covering my face nervously.
"What's your name again?" murmured George, acting as if his sore jaw was fatal.
"Uhm... Ellie?" I said, making it sound accidentally like a question rather than an answer.
"Right!" he replied, as if the answer was obvious.
"And what house are you in, Ellie?" called Fred from further down the tunnel.
"None! I'm a year too young!" I yelled, my voice a little too loud.
"Then why are you at Hogwarts?" questioned George.
I felt slightly confused as the conversation switched between the brothers, so I attempted to make them in to one.
"I live with mu Uncle... Professor Snape." I mumbled, loud enough for them to hear.
No gasps met my announcement, much to my surprise.
"How'd that greasy snake manage to get his hands on you?" burst out George, chuckling nervously afterward.
"My parents died... He's all that I have left." I said quietly, looking down on to my hands.
"Oh..." replied George, laying his hand reassuringly on to my own hand.
Taking my hand form his, I exited the tunnel. The awkward air that filled the gaps between us was irreversible, I so I decided to leave.
"Thanks for that... I better go to bed." I mumbled, walking back to the teacher's wing.
My only comfort was that Leon would be there to greet me when I returned. I was so stupid, why couldn't I say that I was staying with good old Uncle Snape while Mum and Dad were on holidays in Peru? Great, so I scared away one of my only chances to get a couple of friends.
Trudging through the teacher’s wing, I opened the heavy, wooden door to my Uncle's quarters and slipped in to my room silently. The year was drawing to an end, and soon i would have to actually make friends at Hogwarts. Drawing my knees under my chin and wrapping my arms around them, I burrowed my head into my own knees.
I had nearly perfected wandless magic, but soon I would be able to use my very own wand. Leon's warm, scruffy fur rubbed up against my legs as he settled down beside me. Smiling, I stroked his spine softly as I pondered on my first year at Hogwarts.
I had learnt to read at the age of 3, and I have lived at Hogwarts since I was a small child, maybe even since I was an infant. Very few people knew the hallways and walls of this school like I did, yet it seemed as thought I would be entering a new school next year.
Sleep swept over me as I untangled myself and lay down in the old bed. Pulling my thin blanket over myself, I allowed my self to sleep.
~
“Elysia. Why, may I ask, have you suddenly found that you might stay out as long as you please at night,” drawled Snape as I shuffled out of my bedroom.
"You gave me detention with Hagrid, remember?" I retorted, frowning at him.
"Hagrid says you didn't return from the forest with him." he muttered, his voice doubting.
"Yeah, that would be because some freaky centaur came up to me and said I spoke parsel-" I began, before halting at my own stupidity.
"Spoke what?" he hissed through clenched teeth.
"Parseltongue" I groaned, waiting on his upcoming rage.
Instead, I was met with a tranquil face, which bore a hint of surprise. He paused, thinking deeply, as if I wasn't there at all. His voice was slow when he spoke next,
"It is as I thought then."
He turned swiftly and left me alone in the empty living room. I wasn't going to act surprised, I was completely used to my Uncle walking away from me abruptly. There was no using in caring about his odd ways, so I just continued on with my day.
Leon obediently followed my heels closely as I walked through the halls of Hogwarts, looking for new nooks and crannies, a satisfying task indeed.
Feed me, idiot.
Looking affectionately down on to my cranky companion, I nodded and headed for the kitchens. Dreading the elves usual reaction to Leon, I treated as light as a feather as I crept along the hallway leading to the small kitchen doors.
Looking eagerly around, I turned to Leon's tiny red body and whispered,
"Don't you dare follow me, unless you want to be on tonight’s menu!"
Leon stopped in his tracks and hid behind a convenient suit of armour, allowing me to walk forward alone. Nearing the door, I felt a fleshy object collide with my side. Falling to the ground, I saw that somebody had hit me whilst walking from the adjacent hallway.
"S-s-s-sorry, m-my fault c-c-completely..." stuttered an anxious voice, belonging to a teacher dressed in purple and a particularly odd-looking turban.
"Don't worry about it, Professor." I replied, trying desperately to bypass him and snatch away some food for Leon.
However, he stood in my path with an annoying grimace on his face. His mouth moved as he chattered on, but I ignored his speech as i tried to edge around him.
"Your S-s-Snape’s niece, c-c-correct?" questioned the friendly teacher, his eyes expectantly looking to me.
"Yes, sir." I groaned, wishing for the conversation to end.
"Elysia... R-r-riddle?" he stammered, his eyes widening.
My interest peaked at his shock.
"Yes... Do you know of it?" I questioned, finding myself suddenly the eager one.
"Certainly not!" he spat, before turning and rushing down the hallway to carry out his errand.
Shrugging internally, I rushed in to the kitchen to be greeted by a swarm of house-elves, their wide, murky eyes staring at her questioningly. They had become used to her visits, even anticipating them now, and they held before them a beef and vegetable stew; Leon's favourite.
"Thank you guys!" I yelped, feeling a touch emotional at their kindness.
Walking outside, I placed the heart bowl down for Leon to feast on. His mouth relished every bite, as though it would be his last. I didn't understand his love for this particular dish, every day it seemed as though it was the first time he'd tried it.
Running my fingers through his rough fur, I gave him a few swift pats as he gulped down the last of his meal. The elves were positively indignant whenever she brought the bowl to them, so she let it lay there for them to clean up later.
"Excuse me!" called out a voice from a distance.
Looking up, I saw none other than Hermione Granger walking towards me, looking furious. Her frizzy brown hair flew around her, accentuating her brown eyes.
"Uh... Yeah?" I replied, her face now inches from mine.
"Every day, you leave that bowl for the poor elves to clean up!" she screeched, positively seething with outrage.
"You don't understand..." I stammered, shocked by her confrontation.
"Elves have rights too!" she shouted, before her face smoothed with realisation.
"They like to clean?" I said, my voice shaking.
"Hermione! Blimey, what are you doing?" gasped the voice of her friend, Ronald, as he caught up to her.
"N-nothing..." she replied, her cheeks blushing.
"You must be Elysia! Neville won't shut up about you." smiled Ron, his hand reaching out to shake mine.
I caught the slightest hint of anger in Hermione's eyes as I shook his hand, grinning stupidly at the thought of Neville talking about me.
"Fred and George have been talking about you too... You must make quite the impression." he continued, not waiting for a response.
Looking closely at his flaming red hair and freckles, I realised that they were no doubt brothers. Of course! Weasley. I hadn't thought of that.
"Yeah..." I murmured, looking at my feet.
"Okay guys, once your done mortifying Snape's niece," piped up a voice, Harry Potter.
I caught on to the warning tone in his voice as he uttered Snape's name, no doubt a signal to stop talking to the spy. Had he heard the centaur that day? Did he know my secret?
"Snapes? Oh, blimey... We have to go, anyway..." gaped Ron, not disguising the guppy look in his face at all.
The trio walked away, Hermione glancing at Ron constantly. I tried to bite back my disappointment as Harry Potter, the Boy who Lived, showed his dislike for me. I imagined that this was how Snape had felt all those years ago when James had done the same thing to him.
Come on, Elle, don't worry about them.
Smiling down at Leon, I nodded and walked away, eager once again to search the hallways.
~
Sorry that that chapter took forever :l Bit of Fanfiction block? Hahaha,
Ill be more constant next time guys.
Sorry for changing the title heaps too, but I’m happy with this one.
Seeya :D
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UNEDITED.