The Forsaken Keeper

Chapter 1

1890
Sixteen years old.
Rosalind Fig could not believe she was turning sixteen. Her parents apparently were also struggling to believe it, as her mother kept running around the house the past week going on about her baby becoming all grown up.

She would catch her father staring, and when she questioned him he would just tell her he couldn't believe his little princess was so grown up and becoming the queen he knew she was. She'd always blush at the statement, as she felt she was never really anyone extraordinary.

In the past 11 years since becoming apart of the Fig family, not once did Rosalind ever show signs of magic. Her parents weren't ever able to find if she came from a muggle or wizarding family. They searched for years about her background, but with no name or information to go off of it became quiet futile.

At nine, Rosalind had told her parents that they didn't have to search. She had no memory before that day, and as such considered them her family and had no desire to search out her past. She had already been calling them Mum and Dad by then, so she was caught off guard when her mother rushed her into a group hug, crying over her calling them family. It's one of Rosalind's most fond memories.

They kept a secret between them how they found Rosalind. People believe her to be their biological child, and that she was simply a Squib. Luckily the Fig's held good standard of friends, and no one looked down on them for having a Squib as a daughter. Since they still had no idea who, or what, had attacked her and that camp that day, they did not want it to be known there was a survivor from that night, should them come to finish the job.

Rosalind got out of bed that morning, stretching in the high morning sky. She could smell bacon and some sort of sweet from her room. She smiled. Her mother had been planning all week their adventure of the day and it was no shock it started with her favorite meal.

As she finished getting dressed in a simple cotton dress, and throwing her loose blond curls up in a bun, her favorite companion, Barry, came out from under her bed, stuffing a golden locket into its pouch.

"You nasty little niffler give me back my locket!"

She started to chase him down the stairs when her father grabbed her shoulder.

"Merlin's beard Ro, why are you running at full speed so early in the morning?"

"Barry stole my locket again and I've ran out of other things to bargain with him for. Could you conjure me some more coins please?" Rosalind pleaded with her father, giving him the saddest puppy dog eyes she could.

He chuckled, and conjured a heavy sack full of fake gold coins.

"You should've let me know you ran out love, here, these should do the trick in getting your locket back. Maybe you should start hiding it so he stops stealing it from you." He goes to walk down the stairs before he turns back around, "Oh, and happy sixteenth birthday."

She laughed, "Thanks dad, I think at this point I'm just going to stop taking it off so he doesn't even have the chance to steal it."

"Alright kiddo, hurry up and meet us downstairs, I know your mother is very excited for everything she has planned." 

Rosalind quickly ran down the stairs and lured the little thief out with two shiny coins. Once she had her locket clasped around her neck, she made it into the kitchen with her parents.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOVE!" Her mother collided with her in a hug, squeezing her so tight she couldn't breathe.

"Thanks mom, I didn't realize my present this year was you squeezing the life out of me."

"Oh I'm sorry dear I'm just so excited for what I have planned! Go ahead and eat your breakfast and then we will get going. I made your favorite, french toast and bacon."

Rosalind smiled. Her mother made her favorite every day but she wasn't complaining. She quickly ate her food while her mother cleaned up the kitchen and her father sat reading the Daily Prophet while he drank his morning tea. The front page read Ashwinder Camps Found Throughout the Highlands.

"Oh dear, I can't believe they've gotten bold enough to migrate from the Forest into the hamlets. Hopefully they don't make it out here," Miriam sighed with a worried expression on her face.

Her father patted her hand, a common gesture of reassurance between the two. Rosalind watched her parents, loving how after all these years they still seemed to be so deeply in love. She could only hope to find a love of her own like that some day.

"Alright, head upstairs and get dressed for a hike. I think it's time you finally get to come see the research post."

Rosalind shot up from the table and squealed with excitement.

"Oh Merlin Mum really? You're finally letting me come to the research post?"

"Yes darling, your father and I decided you are old enough to venture out there. We know how much you've been wanting to go so we decided this was the perfect present. Now go get dressed, it's a bit of a hike."

Rosalind yelled her thank you's as she ran upstairs. She quickly changed from her light dress into something more adventurous. She put on her favorite dark brown leather pants, a light white long sleeve cotton top, and topped it with a dark blue corset. She was lacing up her brown leather boots when her father came in.

"I won't be able to go with you and your mother today. School starts up at Hogwarts in two weeks and the Headmaster asked I come to help sort things out. I'm sure you two will have a great time and you can tell me all about it at dinner. Love you kiddo." He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the head before heading out.

She headed downstairs to her mother, who was waiting for her with a picnic basket in hand.

"I decided we should apparate to the base of the mountain, and then hike our way up. Are you ready?"

Rosalind excitingly nodded her head. She grabbed her mothers arm and felt the pulling and pushing sensation of apparition. Most people seemed to hate it, but it was one of the only ways she got to experience magic with her own body, so she always welcomed the feeling.

As they landed on the base of the mountain, her mother started leading up towards a plateau in the distance. As they got closer, her mother held out her arm, stopping Rosalind in her tracks.

"Mum? Is everything alright?"

Her mother shushed her, and quickly cast a disillusionment charm on Rosalind.

"Stay back here. Something is off with the camp. I will be right back."

Rosalind started to protest but her mother went forward. She knew she wouldn't be much help in a fight with wizards, but she had gotten pretty good at self defense the muggle way, with her fists.

She watched as her mother approached the camp, praying to Merlin nothing was wrong. When suddenly, the camp was surrounded by both wizards and goblins.

Rosalind gasped, but quickly covered her mouth with her hand. She had never been so up close with dark wizards and certainly never seen goblins hanging around wizards. Her mother had her wand raised, ready to attack them.

A specific goblin stepped forth, he seemed meaner than the rest, covered in heavy armor. Staring at the armor gave Rosalind a headache but she couldn't figure out why. She brought her attention back to her mother, terrified of what was to come.

"You have something of mine that I need. And you are going to give it to me, unless you want today to be your last" the goblin's gravelly voice spat out.

"If you think I'd ever give you what you're looking for willingly, you're even more stupid than I would've imagined," her mother threw back. She kept making slight glances behind her. She didn't want to tip them off to Rosalind being there, but if the goblin killed her, then Rosalind would be left alone with them.

"Either way it doesn't matter, you would have died eventually by our hands. This was your choice."

Time froze for Rosalind. She saw the green beam of light heading towards her mother. Her mother looking back at her with an emotion of love and terror in her eyes. She mouthed "Run" to her, praying her daughter would make it out alive.

As the beam hit her mother, and as her mother hit the ground, everything went black for Rosalind. And all she heard was one bloodcurdling scream, that before she went fully unconscious, she realized it was coming from her.