31st October 1981 Godrics Hollow.
Tom Riddle murdered James Potter and Lily Potter.
Sirius Black was sent to Azkaban.
Peter Pettigrew was proclaimed dead.
Remus Lupin was left alone.
Harry James Potter was taken to live with his aunt.
Lyra Lily Lupi...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
☾ ✩ ☽
27th August 1985
As she was still only a young child, Lyra didn't remember much of her life before the orphanage. All she knew was that her name was Lyra Lily Lupin-Black. She turns five years old on the 2nd December. She knew how to say 'Hello, I love you' in French and the only thing she had left from her life before was a small stag toy that she kept under her pillow. She had thick hazel locks that went just past her shoulders. Grey eyes, unlike any of the other children she knew and was quite short for her age. She wasn't normal. Strange things happened around her. Every month matron would drag her down to the cellar, a misty white clouding her eyes as her wrist gripped a crying Lyra's, and leave her there. The next morning she would wake up with a new scar that painted her delicate skin without a single memory of the previous night. Whenever she asked matron about it she claimed to know nothing of what Lyra was talking about and demanded that she stop lying.
As she grew, her face became more defined shaped by her sharp, aristocratic features, despite the remaining roundness of a child's face. The childlike glint in her eyes, full of mischief, had faded over time, suffocated by the misery that always seemed to drown the orphanage. As a result of her strict surroundings, she always made herself look as presentable as she could and held herself with poise, determined to never show what this life was doing to her. The only thing that never changed was her kind heart and gentle soul, always putting others before herself.
She was about to start her second year of primary school. She didn't have many friends. Despite almost being five she loved to read. The orphanage wasn't one of the most loving places for a child to grow up in, and not only due to its urban surroundings. The matron, although being extremely harsh and strict, left the older children to look after the younger ones, never noticing how the younger ones were often mistreated, particularly Lyra. Or maybe she did notice, but chose not to do anything.
The building itself was rather dark and lifeless for what it was supposed to be. Four others girls shared a room with Lyra, all of whom were older, the eldest being eleven. Boys were kept on the other side of the old house for religious purposes as the main doner was an extreme catholic. The elder girls were in the rooms either side of Lyra's, constantly reminding them shut up followed by some sort of threat.
Throughout her time there, Lyra hadn't made any close friends as she was far younger than most of the others. However, she knew that wasn't the real reason. Everyday the children tormented her because of her scars. Saying she was a freak, she was different, she wasn't normal like the rest of them.
Up until a couple of months ago a young woman, called Josie, worked part time there to pay for her college tuition. Lyra had known her for as long as she could remember and soon came to think of her as an older sister. Together, they would read the books that Josie would bring in for the small girl, in the kitchen while waiting for the food to cook. As Josie's parents were both teachers, she mainly brought in classics, however that never bothered Lyra. Those tales were the only comfort the child could find, safe and hidden away from reality.
