ALULA (VOL.1)

2- newspapers & letters

newspapers & letters

{1993}

The Delacour House / France

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Alula Black traced the spiral of the staircase's handrail. A year had passed since her letter from Flamel. She sat on the bottom step waiting for The Daily Prophet- the wizarding newspaper of the UK. Albus had recommended that she read it because she disliked reading so much French. He had sent two letters since Flamel returned to Devon and Alula had found them quite amusing. As she waited, bored in the midday sun that peeked through the windows, she heard Madame and Monsieur Delacour arguing in the drawing-room, they hardly ever fought. She got up and moved closer to the closed door, she was curious, that's all. As the words became clearer, she listened.

"We should tell her Apolline," Monsieur Delacour softly told his wife. Tell who and what?

"She already knows about him," Madame Delacour replied, concerned. "If she knows that this has happened... she... I do not know. I don't want her to get hurt. We've taken her in, protected her."

"But he is her father."

Alula. They were talking about Alula and her father. Why were they concerned about her father. He was locked up in Azkaban. He couldn't get out or get to her.

Someone moved closer to the other side of the door, so Alula sprinted back to the stairs where she sat minutes ago. As she caught her breath, Gabbie came running down (even though her mother hated it) to meet her along with Fleur. At the same time, the two Delacour parents met them at the bottom of the stairs. Madame Delacour looked upset or scared, Alula could not tell. She was going to ask, but Fleur had already started to ask.

"Mama, are you okay?"

"Yes, yes. I am fine," Alula was not convinced by what Madame Delacour had said and she could tell that Fleur was not either. "Actually, Alula. Please can I speak to you for a moment?"

"Of course, Ma," Alula had always called Madame Delacour 'Ma', never in public though. Madame Delacour began to lead Alula to the drawing-room, but a newspaper had just been posted through the letterbox. "Hold on a second. That must be my Daily Prophet."

Alula skipped excitedly to the front door, it was a large white-painted door. Upon the mat on the floor lay a newspaper with 'The Daily Prophet' written in black on the white paper. She quickly picked it up, missing the two letters that had also been posted. Unfolding the paper, she almost dropped it out of both shock and fear as she read the article and saw the moving picture. The headline read: 'Escape from Azkaban!'.