Book 1 in the Screams Trilogy
Calliope Doge doesn't speak. This is a fact that the entirety of Hogwarts knows full well.
She doesn't answer the questions that teachers ask in lessons, she doesn't speak to people over dinner in the great hall and sh...
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"Calliope!" Elphias rushed forwards and enveloped his granddaughter in a hug almost the moment that she stepped off of the Hogwarts Express. Calliope grinned and hugged him back, holding him tightly around the middle.
"I'm so glad that you're alright!" Elphias said, when the two finally broke apart, "you have no idea how worried I was about you!"
Calliope grinned at him, giving his hand (which she was still holding in her's) a squeeze of reassurance.
"Let's get home shall we?" Elphias said.
********
Since waking up from her petrification, Calliope had felt a strange sense of freedom. Seeing her father- having his reassurance- had given her a redemption for the blame she had placed upon herself in the wake of her father's death.
The words that he said to her played over and over in her head 'If you try to ignore or reject it, it will eat you up and could hurt people.' The last thing that's Calliope ever wanted to do was hurt anyone, in fact she couldn't bare it if she hurt any more people who she loved.
So she had tried to speak again, and to her surprise, it made her feel even more free. She still didn't say much, as she had long ago learned that there was no need for words to communicate most things.
Elphias was beyond shocked when he asked the girl if she would like some pasta for dinner, and instead of merely nodding she clearly said, "yes please." But he attempted not to make a big deal out of the situation, for which Calliope was thankful. Her grandfather was one of the few who understood Calliope's strange circumstances. Of course no one could fully understand it, but as much as anyone could, Elphias understood.
But her banshee traits still troubled the young girl. She didn't know how to control the overwhelming need she felt to scream, and she could not interpret the whispers, which left her feeling scared at any sign of them. Calliope wanted, more than anything, to understand these unique abilities, how they worked and how she could use them to help people. But there was no one to help her, as she was the first of her kind and her wizarding friends and family understood her abilities no more than she did.
Calliope found herself lying on her bed staring at the ceiling (which had some glow in the dark stars stuck to it- a muggle decoration that Calliope had found herself fascinated with as a young child) a large amount that summer.
It was these times, lying there with nothing but her thoughts, that Calliope's mind wondered to her mother for the first time in her life. She always knew that she must have a mother- as everyone did. And from a young age, her father had told her exactly what her mother was- a banshee- but that was all she ever knew. Isaac wouldn't tell his daughter the name of her mother, how he met her or even what she looked like. The woman had always remained a mystery.
Calliope had not found herself dwelling on this fact too often, but since waking up in the hospital wing, the imaginary mother that she had created for herself had filled her mind. Her mother would be able to explain-to understand Calliope's abilities. She would be able to help Calliope make sense of everything, and allow her to control the overwhelming need to scream, so that she didn't hurt anyone.
The image of her mother was a beautiful one. In the girls mind, her mother resembled her, with the same flowing dark hair and dark eyes, yet the woman was more slender and elegant than Calliope could ever hope to be, she held herself with grace and purpose, yet there was something about her that clearly shouted 'Not human!', perhaps it was her otherworldly beauty, or maybe it was the way she held herself, but there was no doubt that this woman was something else.
The girl found herself wondering if she had any other family who were banshees. Perhaps she had brothers or sisters, maybe grandparents. Calliope didn't know much about banshees, or if they valued family the same way that humans did.
A few weeks of the summer dwindled by in this manner. Elphias want sure what to make of it. His granddaughter was now speaking, but she had become a shut in.
My birthday is next week! I will finally be able to drive! What is the driving age in your country? Remember to vote, comment and be amazing! ~Em xx
