the one who howled across the darkness

chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Family affair.
The wind howled across the darkened landscape as a storm gathered over Little
Whinging. Harriet Potter huddled beneath the stairs of number four, Privet
Drive, clutching a threadbare blanket to her shivering form. The Dursleys were
celebrating Dudley's birthday with a lavish party upstairs, while Harriet
remained locked away, her existence acknowledged only by the flicker of a bulb
above her head.
However, that night, something felt very different. The air seemed charged with
an otherworldly energy, crackling like distant thunder. Harriet felt it in her
bones—a tingling sensation that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on
end. She closed her eyes, trying to will herself to sleep, but the sense of unease
was too strong.
Suddenly, a soft voice broke the silence, almost a whisper carried by the wind.
"Harriet," it called, gentle yet commanding.
Startled, Harriet sat up, searching the shadows for the source. But the voice
seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once. It resonated with a
familiarity she couldn't quite place, stirring something deep within her—a
feeling she had known long before she'd ever set foot on Privet Drive, a
memory long lost.
"Who's there?" she asked, her voice barely audible.
There was no immediate reply, but the presence lingered, wrapping around her
like a protective glow. Harriet blinked, and for a brief moment, she saw a figure
bathed in radiant light—a silhouette that exuded warmth and strength. It was an
ethereal being with wings that stretched wide, shimmering like molten gold.

"Do not be afraid, little sister," the figure spoke, its voice soothing. "We have
come to take you home."
Home. The word resonated through Harriet's mind, a promise of safety and
belonging that seemed too good to be true. Her heart quickened, a flutter of
hope mingling with disbelief. She had never truly belonged there, never felt at
home with the Dursleys. But the thought of being taken away by this
otherworldly figure filled her with both anticipation and fear.
Before she could respond, a swirl of energy enveloped her, lifting her gently
from the ground. The walls of the cupboard melted away, replaced by a brilliant
cascade of light. Harriet found herself soaring upward, weightless and free, the
sensation akin to flying.
As the world below faded into insignificance, she caught a glimpse of two more
figures joining the first, each radiating a power that was both comforting and
awe-inspiring. These beings exuded an unmistakable aura of authority, and
Harriet instinctively knew they were unlike anything she had ever encountered
before.
The lead figure spoke again, its voice tinged with both urgency and reassurance.
"Fear not, Harriet. We are your family."
Family. The word struck a chord within her, unlocking a flood of memories that
had long been buried beneath the surface of her consciousness. Faces flashed
before her mind's eye—visions of a loving mother with eyes like hers, and a
father with a gentle smile. And beyond them, two brothers, Michael and
Gabriel, whose presence filled her with a sense of belonging she had never
known.
The realization came slowly but surely, as if pieces of a puzzle were finally
falling into place after so many years in disarrange. These were not ordinar

beings; they were archangels, her brothers, sent to watch over her and protect
her from the shadows that threatened to consume her world.
Harriet's voice trembled in disbelief. "Michael... Gabriel... I remember."
The lead figure, Michael, nodded, his eyes filled with warmth and pride. "Yes,
Harriet. You are one of us, and yet, unlike any other, a child of both celestial
and mortal descent. We have waited for this moment, when you would awaken
to your true nature."
The sensation of flight continued, the celestial light embracing Harriet as they
ascended higher and higher, leaving behind the mundane world that had been
her prison for so long. It was as if the heavens themselves were opening up to
welcome her home.
As they soared through the skies, Gabriel's voice joined the chorus of
reassurance. "Your time on Earth was not in vain, Harriet. It has prepared you
for the challenges that lie ahead. You are destined for greatness."
Harriet felt a surge of strength and clarity, as if the very essence of the celestial
realm was infusing her with its power. She understood now that her journey was
only beginning. The months at Hogwarts had felt much lighter than those at the
Dursleys, however, it had never been home, not truly, no matter how much she
had wished for it.
The world below became a distant memory, and Harriet embraced the promise
of a new beginning. She was no longer a prisoner in the cupboard under the
stairs. She was Harriet Potter, a child of the stars, destined to walk the path of
light and shadow.
And with her newfound family by her side, she was ready to face whatever the
future held.