Fluttering their jet black wings, the crows soared to the skies, were they escaping or left to find another place to settle down for the night? Whether or not, they were free and the freedom they have can take them wherever they want to go with those wings.
A pair of golden eyes gazed up to the dim sky, clouds painted pinks and purples. Soon it was sundown and another summer day went by. The breeze was warm and yet soothing. There sat a raven-haired girl on the soft velvet grass of her garden, her hand stroking the delicate leaves of the Dittany plant in the basket alongside other ingredients for Potion making: Peppermint and Knotgrass.
Her eyes were closed and her lips slightly agape and she heaved in the summer air, filling her lungs with a cool, it tasted even slightly fresh, perhaps it was because of the peppermint nearby. The tranquil home of hers was something she craves, especially since the exciting events that occurred a few months ago. The sky was turning dark, and the sun glowed through the now peachy clouds, signalling the end of another day.
There was a hoot and the girl turned her head back, looking at the now brightly lit home peeking out from the windows. Standing with its claws on the window frame was a black Great Horned Owl, its feathers shiny and reflecting the light within the house and then a man peered from behind it, "Aine, dinner's almost done! Have you harvested the ingredients?"
"Yes, dad! I'm coming!" she shouts back, and stands up her hand clutching onto the basket of plants. Aine Estoileon was a 12-year-old girl, but she was no ordinary girl. She was a witch and so was her family, with magical blood coursing through her veins. Aine had started attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry last fall and soon she shall return to the beautifully structured school of hers in a few months.
Her experience of the first year at the school was indeed a package of surprise. Despite her first year, there were many unfortunate events that happened, sweeping the girl off her feet. The chamber of secrets was formally opened and many students were caught petrified under the powers of a beast within. That is no other than the humongous serpent, Basilisk. Furthermore, the heir itself is the wizard that many feared, given the nickname, he-who-must-not-be-named. The heir that purged the school with its chaos was Voldemort, or rather, his sixteen-year-old self named Tom Riddle. Aine was caught in all of these acts, and she was even captured and kidnapped into the chambers themselves. Having to fight a giant serpent and the fearful wizard in her first year has certainly left her with strong memories of it. Till now, it made her skin crawl and it wasn't just because she merely fought the Basilisk, or met with the fearsome wizard that the world is afraid of. But because of the truth buried deep inside her that no one but her knew of it.
And that was the fact that Aine Estoileon, could communicate to snakes. In other words, a Parselmouth. In the wizarding world, having the ability to talk to serpents wasn't a very common skill, nor is it 'good', because it was originated by the founder of one of the Hogwarts House, Slytherin. Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth, and even worse, Voldemort himself could talk to snakes too. However, there was also one more person Aine knew who spoke Parseltongue and it is none other than her friend who is older than her by a year old. It was the boy who lived-- Harry Potter.
Now, Harry wasn't just the boy who lived. He was someone whom Aine was fairly close to as not only he was a fellow Gryffindor, but someone Aine looked up to, although it seemed that trouble follows him everywhere. He even seemed like a brother figure to Aine that the girl never thought she'll have as she was the only child of Elliot Estoileon, her father who was also a well-known healer and a very gifted Potioneer. It seems that the trait itself has also been passed down to her as Aine was very much gifted in Potions just like her father.
The girl entered her home and closes the door, placing the basket of ingredients near the rack, she stroke her owl, "I'm back, Hestia".
"Did you get everything, sweetheart?" Her father asks, stirring the cauldron while preparing the dinner. He waves his wand and a pair of plates settled on the table with a clank and the pot of stew he's been cooking levitated to the wooden coaster. "Yes, dad. It's all here, they were very fresh too!" Aine replies, bringing the cutlery to the dinner table.
"Fantastic! I'll just chop some peppermint and add it into the mixture and we'll have dinner," Elliot says cheerily, proceeding to pick several leaves and chopping them into tiny bits before scrapping if off the board into the cauldron.
After several minutes, the father and daughter sat down and dug into their meal. "So, you'll be starting school in a month." The man started, picking on his carrot.
"Yup. It's been a lovely Summer holiday." Aine answered, remembering what she had done during her holiday. Aine had helped her father with his work, attending to his needs and being his assistant. She even cleaned her bedroom manually without magic because it was fun. Overall, the holiday was quite busy because she wanted to keep her mind busy so she doesn't think about the time where she unconsciously talked to snakes. It struck her that she should just pretend that it never happened, and forget the fact she had such a terrifying skill.
On the other hand, Aine had heard that the Weasley family was heading to Eygpt to meet Charlie Weasley -- one of the sons of Mr & Mrs Weasley. While Hermione was travelling to France with her parents. She had briefly met up with Luna a couple of weeks ago, and they had spent some time in each other's house, talking and fantasizing about creatures and plants. Aine knew Draco Malfoy was spending his holiday in Paris with his family, but she had never sent a letter to him. He, however, surprised Aine she received a letter with a single picture of the Eiffel Tower with the Sun glowing behind it, she hadn't known who it was at first. But at the back of the picture, was the initial 'D.M'. And there was only one person she knew who had the initials 'D' & 'M'. It was strange to receive something from her friend's enemy, especially since she knew about the rivalry between Draco and Harry.
Harry, on the other hand, had been completely cut off. Aine had sent a letter to him on his birthday, but he never sent one letter to her throughout the whole holiday. It was probably due to the fact that he was living with his aunt and uncle who refuses to be connected to the Wizarding world of any kind.
"You'll be starting your second year soon huh?"
"Mmhm," she replies, chewing on the meat, sipping some juice afterwards.
"Which brings me to this," Elliot said, placing his fork down, he went to the shelf near the stairs and came back with a small little box with a gold ribbon on it. He sat back down and shifts the box towards his daughter. "It's your birthday today, Aine."
She looks down onto the tiny box and up to her father, she had completely forgotten about it because she had been so preoccupied hunting for the ingredients all day. "Thank you." she smiles, and her father reflected her smile.
"Can I open it?" Aine asks, and her father nodded, leaning forward as he watched the girl slowly pull the satin ribbon to unveil the gift. Her eyes widened at the sight of the metal chain with a single raw stone linked to it.
"Wow..." she gasped, gently picking it up and the warm light shone through the midnight blue stone, and it glowed. "Do you like it?" Her father asks, and she nods, a loss for words. "It's beautiful..."
"That's a magic crystal. When you were in Hogwarts, I visited a mine for ingredients and came across this little guy peeking out from the walls within the cave." Elliot explained, feeling very proud. It was a good thing he took the crystal with him because it reminded him of her. Small, petite, but the dark blue made it seem so strong, so filled with something he cannot fathom of. "What does it do?" Aine asks, and her father took it from her and took her wrist. Wrapping the bracelet around her, he continued, "It's a crystal that allows you to remember the person you miss. And while you're at Hogwarts, it must be lonely too. So I thought you'll have it so you could see me whenever you miss me" Elliot finishes with a smug look on his face, and Aine laughed, "It can even be transformed into a ring or necklace when you think of it."
"Really?" Aine beams, rotating her wrist to see the light through the gem. She stares at her present, and an image faded into her mind. She couldn't tell who it was because it had her back faced at Aine. Her heart twinged slightly but she shook it away, perhaps she had to practice more when thinking about the thing she misses most. "I hope you like it." Elliot smiles, and Aine's eyes soften, looking up to her father, "I love it. Thank you, dad. I'll take very good care of it."
"I'm sure you will."
That night as Aine slept, she had a dream. One that she had dreamt almost any other day, the same one repeating in her sleep. And this time, she too, had to go through seeing the same events again, and again. Pathetically, pitifully, and powerlessly.
Her limbs thrashed about as she laid, and although there was a cooling breeze blowing into the room, she was soaked in sweat and her sheets were soon drenched by hers. The scene played, and she knew what was going to happen, 'stop... no... Don't do it.'
Aine screamed, begging her not to go, not to leave. But no matter how much she screams, her words will never go through. It was hell, watching the person leaving and the last thing she saw was a crouching figure and many many smokey curtains over it.
And she woke, gasping for air as her now darkroom was lighted up with candles and her father kneeling on the floor, grasping her hand as he looks to her in concern, worries flashed through his eyes, "Dad..?" she blinks, wondering if this is just the continuation of her dream, but it wasn't, she was back now. "Oh, sweetheart..." he breathed, standing up and pulling her into a hug, patting her head as she calms down and relaxes, but her breathing was still ragged, and she clutches on his clothes, burying her head in her father's scent. "She was leaving... they wouldn't let her stay..." she told her father, her voice quivering.
Elliot knew he had known her nightmares and it was always the same ever since she left Hogwarts back. In her dream, there was always a woman, and there were people behind her who were grabbing her and pulling her into the dark. They never let her stay, no matter her screams, her pleas, and her cries. She was dragged to the darkness, and her cries of agony would echo the tunnels. It was unbearable for the girl and Elliot was always hurting as he watches how vulnerable his daughter had become. Aine's face was pale as the moon, and her golden eyes welled up with a pinkish tint around her eyes.
They stayed still, hugging until the girl was finally calm enough to speak, "There was a man..." she began, "He was locked, he was being tortured... His eyes were the same as that woman." she said, referring to the women she always sees in her nightmares. "Who was he?" Elliot asks quietly, still holding her.
She shook her head, Aine didn't know who he was, but he looked very familiar as if she knew him. But she didn't know who or why he was in such a cold place. "There was this gaunt man, he was on his knees, with chains tightened around his leg... He was screaming too, and there were many of these--" she stopped, and she felt a chill down her spine as she recalled what they look like.
"-- there were... There were these hooded figures," she rubbed her arms, ridding the goosebumps, "They were surrounding him and had their faces hidden under those cloaks. They were terrifying..."
"Oh... Aine." Elliot sighs, "It's okay... It's just a bad dream." he tries to reassure her, but his heart was beating, thumping so loudly that as if he had experienced the nightmare himself. Aine's brow furrowed as she tries to remember the dream, it felt so real.
But as soon as she tries to dig further into her memories, her head hurt and it felt like even her memories didn't want her to unveil the events. All she could ever remember was how the man's body was filled with mysterious symbols or perhaps even alphabets inked on his boney body that Aine can't decipher.
─── ⋆⋅☀⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☀⋅⋆ ───
The moment you've waiting for is here! The first chapter of Book 2 of UNRAVEL has finally been published! We shall delve into this magical world one more time and this time I'm sure many of you know what's going to happen! How will Aine's story be written? Read on for more!
Let me know how you feel about it and remember and do feel free to ask any questions! Do also upvote~ Love you lots! Stay safe :)
-Zeneria