Black's Lost Daughter//A Harry Potter Love Story (Book One)

CHAPTER ONE - MEET THE GIRL

Ten and a half years ago, a horror happened. A young girl – barely six months old – was kidnapped, her mother dying only moments before. Since then, the girl was locked inside, not being allowed to leave the house in case someone recognised her. Her current residence was a large mansion, the home of an old wizarding family. The house women were friendly enough. They never tended to cause her any harm. It was the men she had to be afraid of; they were strong and exceptionally good at dark magic.

"Get to your room, girl. We'll be leaving soon," the girl's 'owner' growled, opening the door to the basement and practically throwing her down the steps. The girl's room was only about four square feet big, and she had just one item of furniture, a black, rusting, metal-framed bed. It was so small she had to curl up on the thin mattress with nothing but a pathetic excuse of a blanket keeping her warm. In the corner of the room sat a small collection of clothes, items she had owned for years, most too tight or too short. Picking up the first two items on the pile, she quickly took off her night-time clothes before slipping on a pair of jeans that ended halfway up her calf and a top that used to be white but was now a dirty grey colour. Sequined butterflies covered the shirt, although the creatures looking deformed as most of the sequins had fallen off.

For days, stories and rumours spread that a short trip to Diagon Alley would happen, and the girl would be going with them. Usually, she would have stayed at the house with a few guards watching her, ensuring she didn't escape, but today no one was available to look after her. Excitement bubbled through the small child as she thought about leaving the house for the first time in forever; however, she was extremely nervous and scared about what would happen. She had never heard of Diagon Alley, and knowing the people she was going with, she didn't have high hopes for the outcome of this trip.

The door slowly opened, creaking with effort. Bright light flooded the room blocked slightly as a tall figure walked down the steps until they reached the bottom and gently knelt in front of the petite child. The girl recognised the man immediately and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, clinging to him and slumping against his body when he raised his arms to return the hug. "Where have you been, Kota? You left me," the young girl accused, her teary grey eyes staring up into his dark blue ones when the child pulled out of the hug and fluttered her eyelashes at him, her lower lip forming a slight pout.

"I had something to do, but I'm back now," Dakota responded, his hand reaching up to move his dirty blond hair out of his eyes. Large muscles peeked out from the sleeves of his black shirt. Scars littered his arms, burn marks from when he used to work with dragons. A brown leather satchel hung limply at his side. "I need you to do me a favour and not ask me any questions. Get your box and bring it to me," Dakota ordered, authority slipping into his tone, causing the girl to jump up and rush towards her bed. She pulled out a medium-sized, light blue box from beneath the metal frame.

 A thick layer of dust coated the box, the sides dented and cracked, and the top concaved as if someone had accidentally stepped on it. The young girl opened the box, coughing harshly when the dust blew into her face. She slowly pulled the first few items out; a stack of old browned parchments with drawings on them. They depicted either the view from the windows or a child's imagination of the outside world.

"Put everything in the bag," Dakota spoke in a rush, throwing the pouch on the bed and looking behind him in paranoia. The girl gently placed the papers in the bag along with a few other items from the box. Dakota placed a hand on her arm, stopping her from packing and making her jump back away from him.

"I want to talk to you before you put the jewellery in." The girl nodded at Dakota's words and watched with curious eyes as Dakota pulled out her bracelet, made from five silver teardrops attached to a chain. He slowly clipped it onto her wrist, pulling the girl's sleeve over the bracelet, ensuring it wasn't visible. "This bracelet is important; when you get to Hogwarts, I want you to find out what it means," Dakota's voice was soft and quiet as he picked up a golden stag necklace and placed it around the girl's neck, slipping it under her collar also hidden from view.

The girl looked up at Dakota with one eyebrow raised, her way of asking a question. "This was a gift from your godfather. James made this when you were born; both of your parents were worried you wouldn't be able to handle the amount of magic that comes from being a Dumbledore and a Black, so he created something that would limit the amount of magic you can use."

The girl looked up at her friend with annoyance splayed across her face. "Don't give me that look. It's true. My brother was friends with James when they were at school; he used to tell me everything." Dakota stopped and glanced down at the child, smiling when she stared up at him with sadness filling her eyes. "Your father didn't kill him. I've explained this to you before. He's innocent, and it's your job to prove it. No pressure, of course."

Dakota packed the rest of the items into the bag, giving the girl one more hug before heading back up the steps. He was stopped in his tracks when a small hand grabbed his arm and pulled once out of fear. "I'm getting you out of here, sweetie," Dakota grabbed the girls arm and led her up the stairs and towards the front door.

"Do not forget the rules today, girl. Do not speak to or even look at anyone. I will know if you did, and the consequences will be dire," the master of the house hissed out once they were upstairs. She nodded slowly, gripping onto Kota's hand when the master pushed a piece of parchment towards the pair. "This is what you need to buy today, don't let me down." He then stalked away. His shoulders held high as he walked through the house with effortless grace.

The girl slowly walked towards the large, iron-cast doors and tentatively reached out a hand. "You can open them, you know. No one is gonna stop you," a small voice sounded from behind the girl. She jumped and spun around, her arms tensing as she did. "I didn't mean to scare you," a young boy spoke, a broad smile spreading across his dark-skinned face. The young boy slipped a letter into her hand and softly smiled when she glanced down at the aged parchment in wonder.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice quivering as she spoke. It was scratchy and raw from lack of use. Her entire body shook as she glanced over her shoulder, trying to make sure that nobody could hear her. The young boy motioned towards the letter, and the girl looked down. Trembling hands turned the envelope, words inked on the front in calligraphy. Her name was shortened and written on the letter with a black space left below. She glanced up at the young boy with confusion spread across her face. "If no one knows where I am, how did I get this letter?"

"Owl magic is hard to explain," Dakota interrupted the conversation. He stood next to the young girl, taking the letter from her and slipping it into his bag. "It's time to go."

The young girl hesitantly opened the door, wincing and cringing back when the sun shone into her eyes. She glanced around the large garden and smiled, a broad smile that reached her eyes for the first time in a long time. Dakota grabbed her hand, smiling sadly when she flinched away. She pulled her hand from his grasp and wrapped both arms around her midsection in protection. She calmed when she saw it was only Dakota, but her body remained rigid.

"We have to apparate to get there, sweetie," Dakota softly informed the young girl, gently grabbing her hand again as four men joined them outside before apparating away from the house. The group reappeared in the back room of the Leaky Cauldron. The leader tapped on the wall with his wand a few times, causing it to slowly break apart until nothing but a hole was left.

"Do this quickly, Dakota. Get rid of her and report straight back to us. Keep her safe," the leader spoke, nodding towards the young girl and offering her a weak smile. Dakota grabbed her arm and proceeded to tenderly drag her through the streets of Diagon Alley, stopping before a giant with a big bushy beard, a mane of thick unruly hair and black beetle eyes. A small boy was standing next to him, with round glasses covering bright green eyes and a mop of thick black hair which spread out in a thousand different directions.

Dakota let go of the young girl's arm and walked over to the giant, talking in hushed tones. As he spoke, the young girl moved towards the other child and glanced apprehensively at him. 

Dakota spoke rapidly before he took one last look at the young girl, shoving the bag into her hands before rushing off and blending in with the crowd. The giant turned to face the child, making her flinched as if she'd been struck, moving to hide behind the boy.

'AN EYE FOR AN EYE ONLY MAKES THE WHOLE WORLD BLIND.' – GANDHI