CHAPTER ONE
"when I was a child, I heard voices. some would sing and some would scream. you soon find you have few choices. i learned the voices died with me"
arsonist's lullabye - hozier
Varya sat on a cold seat in the Bucharest train station, obsidian eyes trained on the panel that read the time her train to London would arrive. Her hair, dark as the night, hung in a loose braid over her right shoulder, stopping above the middle of her ribcage. She was still wearing her uniform, ignoring the August heat. As strangers passed by, they stole quick glances at the ghostly girl that seemed to be in a trance. She had a mystic aura surrounding her as if her skin absorbed every ray of sunshine that hit her flesh. Her legs would not stop trembling, she did not know whether to blame it on excitement or anxiety over what was to come.
Looking at her right, she saw Dumbledore reading an old newspaper. She could see the headline and held back her disgust, seeing the support for the nazi party. She could not understand how the royal family had been so easily influenced by the parliament in supporting such things.
"The muggle world is surely at a difficult point in history," mumbled Dumbledore, folding the newspaper and setting it aside. He leaned forward and looked at the panel. Only ten minutes until they could leave. He had debated using the Floo Network, but he preferred to leave no magic trace, as he feared being followed. Albus could not let his guard down, not until he had brought the girl to Hogwarts.
"What is the school like?" he heard Varya mutter, her gaze still lost in thought.
"I believe you will enjoy it. It is quite opposite of yours, if I may say so. And Varya..." he said, gaining the girl's full attention. "I must warn you of something. We do not allow dark arts in our school. As a matter of fact, we only teach of its defense."
The girl tilted her head slightly and narrowed her eyes at him. "How can you defend yourself against something you do not understand?".
Albus raised an eyebrow at her demeanor, noticing her authoritative stance. Yes, he thought, she is more similar to him than I thought.
"And besides," she continued, getting up as she saw the train in the distance. "Did you not tell me that it is my knowledge of this subject that will draw Raidden to me?"
"Riddle," he corrected her, amusement taking over his features. "And yes, but you cannot practice it openly. Tom will find out about it himself, I am sure the mere name of your school will make him ponder."
He grabbed his bag and they walked towards the train, stepping on to the stairs and into one of the compartments. They sat down across from each other and Albus noticed the small bag the girl carried. The trip to Diagon Alley would be quite long.
"Tell me more about him," said Varya, curious to find more about her task. As far as she knew, he was an orphan that did not have anyone to care for him.
"Tom Riddle is quite brilliant, he is one of our top students and favored by students and teachers alike. He is charming, although it seems to be only a facade, as his true intent is much darker." Varya chewed on this piece of information, understanding the illusion that was Tom Riddle. "He will use his charisma to fool you, you must be aware of that."
"How can a boy fool some of the brightest minds in Hogwarts?" she deadpanned. Surely, he could not possess that much flair. Albus laughed at that, the girl would not stop surprising him with her honesty.
"Why would they doubt him when he appears to be perfect? It is a tactic, he is strategic. He camouflages himself as the perfect student and then nobody doubts him. Truly, I would have not thought him capable of such monstrosity had I not seen it with my own eyes."
The train sped up, dashing through the forests that surrounded the capital. Varya looked outside, counting the Strzygas that would look at her hungrily. Demonic creatures they were, full or wrath and bloodlust. Most would have seen it to be a vampire, but Varya had learned better than that. She knew of the weak magic that they harnessed, making it easy to lure victims into the depths of the woods. She once knew a teacher that fell prey to the demonic attraction. It happened during the middle of January, they didn't find his body until the snow had melted.
A small sigh left her lips. She had faced beasts her whole life, surely Hogwarts could not be worse than this? In Romania, the danger came in the form of a dysmorphic creature. In Scotland, it seemed to be a simple boy. At least for now.
"Is he powerful?" she asked, wondering if he was a threat.
"I believe that Riddle is one of the most powerful wizards I have taught, yes."
Silence fell upon them and Albus let the girl get lost in her thoughts again. Varya thought back to her family, to the pain that they had put her through. The fall of one of the most powerful witch bloodlines, they had said, and it was such a pity. Now, she was a traitor to both sides. To the wizarding world for her family's involvement and to Grindelwald for failing to step into her parent's positions.
She wondered if people at Hogwarts would accept her.
***
Diagon Alley was hidden from the muggle world behind a brick wall. Varya watched stoically as the bricks moved and made way for her to pass, but could not help and marvel at what stood after it. The street was alive, wizards of all ages chattering as they made their way in and out of shops. She followed Dumbledore, feeling the excitement hit her at full force. Is this what other wizards experienced?
She spun her head in all directions, trying to memorize every detail of it, and earned more confused glances from those around her. As they stopped in front of a shop that sold wands, her breath stopped. So this was it? She would finally own a wand.
Varya and Albus Dumbledore stepped inside, the bell on the door chiming as they made their way in. The smell of wood and ash filled her and brought tears of joy to her eyes, even if she did not let a single one fall.
"Ah, Albus! What a pleasure to see you again," a voice filled the room. Varya looked around and spotted a small man making his way from his desk, pushing a few boxes aside. He stopped in front of her and smiled. "And who is this? A costumer? Are you not a bit old?".
Varya's cheeks flushed, unsure of what to say, but Albus stepped in for her. "This is Varya, she was taught wandless magic. I have transferred her to Hogwarts and wish for her to have a wand. Could you help with that, Ollivander?".
Ollivander analyzed her, his eyes burning holes, then nodded enthusiastically. He grabbed a ladder from the side and made his way up one of the shelves, grabbing a few boxes. He muttered to himself, then moved to another shelf and grabbed even more. He then made his way to Varya and handed her one of them.
"Redwood and unicorn hair" he announced proudly as Varya took the box. "Quite flexible if you as me, especially for 10 inches."
Varya took it in her hand, ignoring the sweat that she felt from her nervousness. Unsure, she started waving it around, sending a powerful blast that Dumbledore barely avoids. Then, the wand simply exploded in her hand. Terror struck her features as she considered a new possibility: what if she cannot hold a wand? Ollivander did not seem worried, however, as he handed her another box.
"Dragon heartstring and larch wood, surely it will benefit you," he said. Varya took the next wand and, sure enough, it glowed calmly, announcing a match. Varya smiled, her face muscles tugging harshly at the unknown movement, as she felt her power connect to the wand. Her first wand.
Ollivander seemed pleased and Albus paid, earning a shy thank you from the girl. At the next stop, they gathered some clothes, and Varya looked at the dull, gray uniform. Albus assured her that once she would be sorted, it would have more color. Then, they reached the bookstore. Varya stepped in, happy to be around the comfort of books. She gazed upon the rows of textbooks, until her eyes caught a title.
Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them by Newt Scamander.
Her world stopped. Frozen in her spot, her breath quickened as she read the name over and over again, a sense of paranoia and dreadfulness filling her to the core. Newt Scamander, one of the people that fought against Grindelwald and her parents. In that moment, she accepted the reality of her situation. Back in Romania, up in the mountains, she was kept away from the public eye, guarded by harsh whispers and threats. Now, as she headed to Hogwarts, she had to face what she had been avoiding for years. And it was terrifying.
With a shaky hand, Varya picked up the book and stacked it with the rest of her textbooks, ignoring the pull at her heart. She wondered then where her loyalties stood, and if she could truly fight alongside those who killed her parents.
As she stepped outside, she looked up at the last sunset of August. Tomorrow, her journey would begin.