Magical Bonds

II. A tiny surprise

July 31, 1991

I take a deep breath, turning onto my side in the soft bed to find more space, only to end up finding a rather hard floor instead. Sleep vanishes in less than a second, leaving only a sore bottom from the fall. I open one eye and raise my hand to my face to shield myself from the sunlight. Merlin, I would have preferred a gentler awakening.

I sit up, scanning the room down to the smallest detail and raising an eyebrow when I realize that my mother isn't in bed. I jump to my feet, my heart pounding in my chest at the dark thought now crossing my mind. I hope she's okay... I would never forgive myself if I didn't help her when she needs me.

I snap my fingers, and the sheet arranges itself in an instant as I start searching through the closet for something to wear. I have no idea how warm it will be today, so I grab a pair of cream-colored pants and a blue t-shirt, slip them on, and sit in front of the mirror. My hair is a tangled mess of brown, and I think I spotted a tuft of dust at the ends of some strands. I huff in irritation at this lovely sight, then grab the brush and try to untangle it as best as I can.

I really didn't want to start the morning like this; it's awful to spend an hour getting my hair to behave. Maybe I should cut it shorter, so my daily struggle would finally disappear. I smile as I put the brush back, snapping my fingers once more before my brown locks now reach only to my shoulders.

I open one of the drawers, the golden gleam inside catching my attention. I pull out the small gold necklace, the name Lyra making my heart skip a beat for a second. My mother told me that I received it at birth from my aunt and uncle, some of the best people in this world. Every time I see it, I feel like I hear screams, as if in a dream.

I've been too afraid to ask my mother about that cursed night when we lost our family, preferring to keep it to myself until she's ready to talk about it. However, I can't explain the presence of those screams since I wasn't there when the two were killed.

James and Lily Potter, two good people and skilled wizards, were coldly murdered by Voldemort, the darkest wizard of our time. It's said that he tried to do the same to Harry, my cousin, but the curse backfired on him. Some say he's dead, others believe he will return to finish what he started. My mother tends to believe the latter, and so have I in recent years since I've learned part of the story.

I sigh softly, putting it around my neck. It's what I have left of them, and I plan to wear it proudly every day, hoping that my mother will have the courage to tell him she's his aunt... or to tell her friends that she's still alive. Growing up in Hogwarts Castle, the school for witches and wizards, I learned that no one outside of it knows that my mother is still alive. The outside world believes that the Vampire Queen committed suicide and that her daughter, whose father is unknown, is being raised by one of the vampire families in her kingdom.

Which is incorrect, but the rumor has spread anyway. I don't know what my mother's intention was when she asked Grandpa Albus to declare that in the Daily Prophet many years ago; I hope I'll find out one day. I sigh and decide to go look for her, a bit fearful that I'll find her in a deplorable state again.

My mother has some strange health problems that have made me very cautious around her. I've found her unconscious many times, sometimes even bleeding, which scared me terribly the first time. I didn't know what was happening to her, nor how her hair changed from black to brown without magic, or how the color drained from her cheeks daily, not to mention the chest pains. I gradually realized that she's sick and that the treatments she's taking are meant to keep her body strong.

Uncle Merek and Aunt Kaytelin told me that she's been like this since before I was born, from the time when she fought against Voldemort. I later deduced that these are the effects of some spells or rituals, but that didn't stop me from worrying. Or from admiring her.