Hidden In The Shadows Part 1- Harry Potter Story

Restricted Wanderings

Estella stood waiting outside of the dungeons, shivering a bit from the cold. "Harry, where are you?" she muttered.

"Here." Harry's voice echoed from her right.

Estella jumped and slapped at the air. "Harry James Potter, don't frighten me like that!"

"Sorry. Sorry," Harry lifted the cloak with apologetic green eyes. "You ready?"

Estella grinned. "Let's go."

The two made their way down the corridors of Hogwarts, hardly daring to breathe. The castle was shrouded in darkness apart from the occasional torch or ghost. Estella's breath caught as she opened the gate to the restricted section and it let out a squeak. "Let's make this fast."

Harry grinned. "Nervous Penny?"

"No," Estella lied through her teeth.

She was examining a few books when Harry opened a rather dark looking one. It let out a blood curdling scream that echoed throughout the library. He slammed it shut as footsteps were heard.

"Under the cloak," the boy hissed.

Estella ducked under the fabric and the two ran quickly through a dark hallway, careful not to trip. They blindly sprinted through one doorway after a next until the library disappeared far behind them. Finally, Harry stopped in a small, dimly lit chamber.

"I think we're safe now," the boy panted.

"One's never safe," Estella repeated the mantra from her childhood wryly as she caught her breath. She turned and observed the room they were standing in when Harry gasped.

"Penny! It's.. its mm-my parents."

Estella whipped around to see Harry gazing in a large mirror. The boy seemed glued to the spot, his eyes glimmering as he hungrily devoured the scene before him. Estella stepped forward hesitantly.

Harry's head whipped up. "Right.. err.. stand right here," he gestured

Estella followed his steps and gasped. Instead of Lily and James Potter she saw herself. Her true self, just a few years older. She looked exactly like Bellatrix, except that while she was darned in black, she was bathed in a bright light. On one side of Estella stood Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who were older versions of themselves. They looked concerned as the mirror Estella grabbed on to Harry's hand tightly. Her other hand was enveloped by her mother. Bellatrix Lestrange stood grinning at her daughter in the shadows, and beside her stood the Malfoys.

"Do you see them?"

Harry's question jolted Estella from the scene and she turned away. "No Harry I'm sorry," she quickly added as the boy's shoulders dropped "I see something else."

Harry looked at her curiously. "What do you see?"

Estella took one last glance at the mirror. "Light and darkness, but it's hard to tell which is which."

Harry gave her an odd look, but didn't comment. "I wonder why we see different things," he stepped up beside the redhead.

Estella thought quietly. "Maybe it's because the mirror shows us what we lost, or could have?" She looked at her hands to avoid the temptation of seeing her mirror self again."Or what we desire."

Harry was silent a moment before he turned. "I wonder what Ron sees."

Estella snorted. "Probably food," she raised an eyebrow.

Harry grinned slightly. "Quite possible."

The two made their way back to the dungeons, but this time each was quiet, reflecting on their own thoughts and what they had seen. Estella bade Harry a quiet goodbye before she returned to the girl's dormitory and pulled out the letter her mother had sent for Christmas.

Dear Penny,

I have enchanted this letter so it could only be read by your eyes, but one can never be too careful. I wish you a very merry Christmas and hope you enjoy your holidays. I heard that you have been making friends with Harry Potter. I want you to have friends as you know, but you must also be wise, you know the risks you are taking. That boy is the reason for the fall of the Dark Lord and believe me when I say he will also be the reason for his return, even if he does not mean for it to happen. It is inevitable. And when that happens you must also be ready to face the choices you must make. That is why I also advise you to stay away from muggleborns and Weasleys, don't even get too close to Draco. You don't know what paths lie before you and you may just make it more difficult for yourself to walk them.

Best Regards

Your Mother

Estrella folded up the letter with a sigh and replaced it in the trunk at the foot of her four poster bed. She collapsed on her pillow and images from the mirror, along with lines of her mother's letter, flashed in her mind. Where did her loyalties lie?