Torn Between Three Me's

1 - The Night of Green Lights

*Young voice*

I don't have a lot of memories with my biological family. Most of what I know about them, I've been told by people that knew us when I was small. The only thing I remember a lot is my last night with them.

I was born during a war, a time of darkness in the Wizarding world. My parents were members of a group called the Order of the Phoenix and fought bad wizards called Death Eaters who followed a dark wizard by the name of Lord Voldemort. But all of the good wizards called him different names, like 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named,' or 'You-Know-Who.'

My parents and their friends fought to create a better world for me and the other young witches and wizards so we could grow up in a better world, without conflict. But that meant that I didn't see them much. One of the things I've been told about is that when my parents were in meetings or fighting with the rest of the Order members, a nice red headed lady with kids my age would look after me. Her brothers were fighting with my parents.

Once my baby brother was born, I wasn't allowed to see the red headed lady or her kids anymore. But I did see a lot more of my parents! We weren't allowed to leave home much, and mummy and daddy would whisper a lot and it made me scared. It made me feel better to talk to my baby brother and tell him not to be scared, even if he didn't understand what was going on.

On my brother's first birthday, our daddy's best friend sent him a toy broomstick, and me one too! We flied around on them all day and all night. They were so much fun! After we broke one of mummy's vases and scared our cat Hippogriff, we weren't allowed to play with them as much.

On Halloween that year, I asked mummy if I could go trick-or-treating, even in a costume that hid my face, and she said no. I was so sad and mad. But then she handed me a bag of jelly slugs and fizzing whizzbees with a smile on her face. "Don't tell daddy," she whispered, and I nodded happily.

That night before bed, mummy took me and my brother upstairs to the nursery where my brother slept so she could read us both a bedtime story like she did every night. The story was about an owl who got lost and couldn't find his way back to his family at his tree. We were almost at the middle of the book when I asked, 'mummy, what would happen if I got lost and couldn't find my family?'

Mummy smiled at me, flipping the book upside down on the bed so we didn't lose our place. She put her hand on my face. 'Little pixie, you're safe with me and daddy. You know we love you to bits, right?' I nodded and she tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. 'But...if you ever did find yourself lost and without any of us...' She put her hand on my chest. 'Follow your heart, darling, and it will guide you back to us. Love is stronger than you know.' I smiled at her but it quickly faded as we heard a crashing sound from downstairs.

'Lily, take the kids and go!' Daddy yelled. 'It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off...' There was another crashing sound and then a laugh and mummy and I both jumped. 

Mummy took my hands, with a smile on her face, and calm eyes. 'Go, hide, my darling. Quick like a bunny. Mumma loves you. Daddy loves you,' she said quietly. She kissed my forehead and then I ran away, into my room and pushed my closet door open. I sat down on the floor with a blanket around all of my body except my face, looking out the slits of the closet door.

'Avada Kedavra!' I heard a deep, hissing voice I didn't know. Green lights flashed throughout the house, in through the closet door slits. Then I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. I heard a door slam but seconds later, something crashed even louder and mummy screamed. 

'Please! Not my baby! Please no, take me, kill me instead,' mummy was crying. 

'Stand aside you silly girl. Stand aside now,' the hissy voice yelled. 

'Have mercy! Please! I'll do anything!' Mummy cried.

'Avada Kedavra!' The voice shouted. The green lights filled the house again and through my closet. Mummy screamed and then she stopped and it was quiet. I heard myself breathing and got scared, putting my hands over my mouth. I didn't hear anything else until a loud crashing sound and big bright green lights came from the nursery. Brighter than the other times.

I didn't hear anything else after that. No more footsteps, no more screams, no more cries, no more hissy voices, and there were no more green lights. The only sound came from outside, leaves flying and crunching in the wind. I was too scared to peek.

It felt like forever but finally there were new sounds coming from downstairs. The door opened and footsteps came up the stairs. I heard someone start to cry and I peaked out. From my bedroom door, I saw someone laying down on the ground, like they were having a nap, but their eyes were open. I went over and sat by them. It was daddy. I poked his arm, but he didn't move. I tried putting my hand on his face. 'Daddy,' I whispered. His eyes didn't blink.

I looked up as someone cried in the nursery. A deep voice. Someone was really sad. From where I was sitting I could see a man in black robes with long black hair almost like a girl. He was holding my mummy who looked like how my daddy looked. She wasn't moving either. I didn't know him, but I think he knew my mummy.

Finally, he wiped away his tears and saw me. He put mummy down gently and walked over to me. 'You must be Adrienne,' he said, sitting down with me. I nodded. 

He sniffled and then put out his hand to me. I backed up a little bit. I didn't know him. 'My name is Severus. Come, child. I'll bring you somewhere safe.' 

I looked at his hand and then at his face. 'You know mummy?' I asked quietly. 

He nodded sadly. 'Yes, child,' he said. 

After a couple seconds, I put my arms around his neck and he stood up, carrying me to the back garden, as I lay droopily in his arms. He was still sniffling.

There was a man outside our house. I didn't know him either. He was very old and had a pointed hat on and it looked like half his glasses were missing. 'Severus, what's happened inside? Lily? James?' The old man asked. Severus shook his head and the old man started to cry a little. 'And the boy?' I didn't see or hear Severus say anything back. 'I'll send Hagrid, then. I'll take Ad-' 

'No!' Severus said loudly, putting his hand on my back and stepping away from the old man a little. 'Please, let me deliver her.' He sniffed a little and started to cry. 'She looks like Lily.' 

The old man sighed. 'Very well then, Severus. You know where to bring her?' He asked. Severus nodded. 'They knew to expect her. And I sent an owl once I was suspicious.' Severus started to walk away. He picked up a broom as he put me down. 'Oh, and Severus.' We both turned to look at the old man. 'Remember what we discussed. It's vital that you don't discuss it and that they understand as well.' 

'Yes, Albus,' Severus nodded. He picked up his broom and sat on the back of it. Then he picked me up and sat me in front of him. 'Hold on tight,' he told me, and then he kicked off from the ground, flying into the sky. My house was below us, but it was broken now. It didn't look like it did earlier that day, like how I knew it. It got smaller and smaller as we flew away from it. 'We'll be there soon, child. Don't let go.' I nodded, but I didn't know where we were going.