Beyond Desolation

Chapter 1

Swiftly and with grace. That is how Elowyn's mother taught her to move through life. Being a witch in the muggle world meant you needed to move swiftly enough to blend in and be graceful enough to not attract any attention outside the ordinary. Elowyn was the epitome of a perfect daughter, doing everything asked of her and always moving swiftly and with grace. The one thing she never mastered, though, was the language of love.

Elowyn had a typical childhood, showing signs of magic at a young age and eventually being invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where she was sorted into Gryffindor, unlike her mother. She never knew her father, and her mother never talked about him. Elowyn did know that he was a Gryffindor, but she'd only learned this during her first year when she told her mother what house she was sorted into.

She'd loved her time at Hogwarts, finding peace in the separation from her mother. Being alone was hard for her, and Elowyn felt smothered every time she went home, no matter how long she would be there. This year was going to be different. She could feel it.

The Hogwarts Express screeched as it moved along the tracks, signaling the impending arrival to the castle. They weren't far now. It had been a solemn ride, with Elowyn choosing to sit in one of the many empty train cars. Now that the world knew Voldemort was back, the energy had shifted. What was, at first, confined fear was now unadulterated panic. Harry and Elowyn had always been close. They were like peas in a pod from the moment they met in first year. She was also close with Ron, Hermione, and the other Gryffindors, but for some reason, she and Harry just got on best.

It was difficult for Elowyn to see Harry going through all these horrors, especially with Dumbledore blindly throwing him into the madness. He was nearly killed at the Ministry, and did Albus care? Surely not.

Sighing, Elowyn stood up and began retrieving her items from the overhead storage. It'll be another year of who knows what with Voldemort and his death eaters looming over their world. At least there would be pumpkin pasties.

The door to her room slid open. She didn't have to turn around to know it was Harry. He had tried to talk to her when they boarded the train, but she was able to slip away through the crowd of students. Harry had been with Ron and Hermione at the Burrow, a place she had never been invited to. Even during her mother's two summers abroad, Ron never extended the invitation to her as he did Harry and Hermione. He hated her mother, and that disdain bled through to his feelings about her, even if he denied it. Elowyn's mother was a Slytherin, and according to Ron, all Slytherins are rotten and up to no good. It wasn't as if the other Weasleys hated her, but Molly wouldn't be one to push her children.

"How was your summer?" Harry asked.

His question was met with silence. Elowyn continued to struggle with her case atop the rails. Why did he have to come in now? She was perfectly fine brooding and contemplating her life alone. Somehow, the handle of her case had become lodged between the wall and one of the rails. She wasn't tall enough to un-wedge it but continued tugging in hopes that it would dislodge itself.

"Let me help you-" Harry moved from the doorway to Elowyn's side, reaching past her arms to pull the handle out manually and lifting the case from the railing.

"Here. All better. Are you going to tell me about your summer now?"

Elowyn placed the case onto the bench and huffed.

She knew Harry wasn't going to leave without some sort of conversation, and it would be a long walk to the castle if they missed the carriages. Before she could come up with a plan, Harry was speaking again.

"Look, if you don't want to talk right now, that's fine. I'm not sure what you're upset about, but I have to do something before the train arrives at Hogwarts. I guess I'll see you in the Great Hall."