Lyra Black

Prologue

The day that Lyra Black talked to her brother for the last time was the worst day of her life. Well, at the time, she thought that it was the best one. It was Christmas Eve, the one day of the year that everyone had some 'me time'. According to her mother, anyway.

But Lyra never spent her 'me time', with just herself. If you were a twin, yourself is only a half of you. That's what Lyra thought, anyway. Her parents didn't seem to agree. That night, she got the worst Christmas present ever.

Bundled onto a plane, a half-asleep Lyra didn't know what was happening. But when she arrived at France the next morning, without her brother, she knew that something was wrong. There was an ache in her heart and as she stumbled off the plane she was greeted by a French-speaking witch who introduced herself in thickly accented English as Madam Maxine.

Lyra knew instantly by her size, that Madam Maxine was half-giant, although she didn't comment on the fact and let her lead Lyra away.

That was the beginning of Lyra's new life. The life without her brother. Looking back now, Lyra wishes that she could have forced her younger self back to England, to save many years of heartache.

But it was not to be.

It was a year ago that Lyra first came to France and she still missed her brother more than ever. They mind spoke at least once every day, a perk of being a pure-blood wizard twin.

But now she was starting school and was excited, despite not having her brother here with her. Her heart still ached but it was masked by the nerves that she felt as she grasped a bow tightly and shot a silver arrow across the room.

This was the Beauxbatons sorting and as the arrow burst into sparks of green, the table sitting under the green banner clapped politely as she made her way over to the table to take a seat.

As more girls had their turn at shooting the bow, she turned to the girl beside her and asking her quickly in French what the house's name was. She had learnt French, Dutch and Spanish over the year that she had been staying with Madame Maxine and now put her knowledge to the test.

The girl replied, telling Lyra that this was Bellefuille, the house for bravery and love for family and friends. As an aside she also whispered that those in this house were usually hard-workers and smart, although they prefer hands-on activities.

Quickly relaying the information to her brother, she sat back and enjoyed the rest of the sorting only stopping listening when her brother told her his house, Gryffindor. She applauded him for not being in Slytherin, that the house that most of her family was in.

Lyra had thought that the worst day of her life was when she had left her brother, but when he stopped speaking to her she nearly had a mental breakdown. Apparently, he was running away from home, and for that she was proud of him, but when he cut off their connection and didn't answer her mind calls for weeks afterwards, she knew something was wrong.

But then she got the letter from him.

To Ly,

I did it to protect you. I love you. Goodbye.

Love, your brother.

A tear stain was on the page but after Lyra noticed it, she was unsure as to whose it was, hers, or her brothers.

That was definitely the worst day of her life.

Then arrived the day when she got a letter from her mother. It was three weeks after Lyra had gotten the letter from her brother and she had stopped hating him, for now.

Sitting in the library, Lyra had ripped the letter open in surprise, her parents never sent her letters.

Dear Lyra,

You have disgraced the noble name of Black many times during your life and you are an insignificant but annoying daughter. You are an unneeded addition to the family. However, your brother has left the household and you are permitted to return to England to attend Hogwarts. We have considered letting you stay at Hogwarts for the rest of your schooling years as too many moves would make us seem suspicious. Do not disappoint us again by not forcing your brother to come home.

From, Walburga Black.

Lyra couldn't help laughing as she read the letter. Disgraced 'the noble name of Black', of course. Insignificant and annoying, you 'betcha. However, she disagreed with her mother's statement of 'unneeded addition', Walburga was obviously needing her to make her brother come home.

Discarding the letter, she chuckled before realising that she would be seeing her brothers for the first time in five years.

[A/N In case you didn't realise, Sirius Black is Lyra's twin brother. She is currently fifteen and entering Hogwarts in the middle of her fifth year.]