Shadow of the Key | Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 1: Welcome Back

Beginning of 7th Year

Amelia's POV

"You're terrible at this," Valencia says, shaking her head in disappointment.

"It would help if you actually taught me how to play," Amelia retorts.

They sat on that living room rug near the dormant fireplace playing chess. It was a warm summer evening, the sun refusing to set over the horizon until the very late hours of the night. With the bit of sunlight shining through the big glass windows, the entire home became bathed in the purple and pink colors of the summer warmth.

Amelia had absolutely no idea how to play chess, but she knew how much Valencia enjoyed playing it. She had only watched her play it with their dad and it seemed like he couldn't even outsmart his own daughter when it came down to that.

"Well, you're trying to move your pawn directly forward which pawns can't do. They can only capture one square diagonally in front of them," Valencia explained with a pointed expression.

"So... if a piece is directly in front of the pawn I am unable to capture it?"

"Exactly."

Merlin, chess is so confusing.

"You really are a Ravenclaw huh?" Amelia muses, crossing her arms with a smirk.

"Don't have to be a Ravenclaw to understand chess, Amie," she winks.

Amelia picks up the pawn and prepares to make her move when the smell of sulfur invades her senses, bringing her hand to a halt mid-air.

She looks at her sister who looks just as confused as she is.

"You smell that too, right?" Amelia asks skeptically.

As Valencia begins to rise from her spot on the maroon-colored rug, the barreling of footsteps down the stairs causes both of them to turn and see their parents rushing down with concern etched in their faces.

"Girls, get outside please," their father commanded, dashing towards the kitchen.

Valencia and Amelia look at each other for a second, one in understand and one in confusion, before Valencia is running out the front door and leaving it ajar.

Amelia hesitates and turns towards her parents, taking careful steps towards them as their dad inspects behind the gas stove. "What's going on?"

Her mum turns around to her in bewilderment, wondering why she was still standing there. She raises her arms and grabs her shoulders in a concerned demeanor. "Sweetie, listen to your father. Go outside."

Anxiety began to stir in her gut, feeling like it was about to burst out of her at any second. Amelia can't help but be curious, she always was.

She peers over her mum's shoulder to see what her dad was doing inside the kitchen, still inspecting behind the stove with a questionable look on his face.

"Dad?"

He quickly shoots his head up, snapping towards her with a mix of anger and concern flashing in his eyes.

"Amelia, you need to-"

Before he can even get the full sentence out, a bright flash and a loud explosion sends her thrown through the glass window and out into the front yard, breaking through hedges that lined the entrance and slamming her back into one of the trees by the road.