eleutheromania | discontinued

01| FAREWELL TO SIMPLICITY

286 Lancaster Lane. This was Marina's house address, this was her home where had she lived in her whole life. A four-bedroom house, the perfect place for a five-person household: her parents, her sixteen-year-old sister Katarina, her eleven-year-old sister Carolina, and herself. An old craftsman's home with gray paint covering the wooden exterior, white pillars lining the entry, a front porch, and two double hanging windows one that harbored her own room.

This was your typical American family house and despite her family's strange life, the mediocre house concealed that. The house was what kept her grounded, she liked to think that after each crazy school year, she could go back to the little town of Manaplan, New Jersey, live in her completely normal house and forget about all of the craziness back in Scotland's hidden castle. 

As for as everyone knew, the Claire family had two daughters that studied abroad while their parents were always on business trips. A typical American family in a four-bedroom house. Nothing less and nothing more for anyone to suspect what wonders laid inside. 

The interior of the house had pictures with moving people, a similar clock to the Weasley's that showed where everyone was at, and from the family owl, Olive, flying around, to bewitched furniture that moved on its own. This was Marina's rock a perfect balance of simplicity but with the comfort of a few magical objects. The point being, that despite finding a home at Hogwarts this was her first home and she never imagined that it would be stripped away from her.

Marina stood in her living of what was once the heart of the house with turquoise couches and bright accents that brought brightness into their lives, was now gone. The white walls that were once covered with picture frames and various souvenirs of her parent's missions was now completely black. The floor covered in ashes, the aftermath of a fire, and she could barely recognize anything that once stood in the room. Her eyes filled with tears as she clutched her sister's hand. "What happened?" Carolina asked our parents who were in shock just as we were. 

"Must be the work of death eater's, no less." My father replied.

"There's been speculation of them and of You Know Who, but this couldn't possibly be them? For Merlin's sake, it's just speculation!" My mother had a point, but the past few years at Hogwarts had revolved around him, it would not be a surprise that his followers are lingering around now. 

My fingers slowly touching the walls and I bent down to find my framed Hogwarts acceptance letter. I could barely make anything out of it, but the gold frame stood out. Albus Dumbledore personally delivered this here, I remember my parents were so happy to see an old face. "Marina Claire you ought to be excited, Hogwarts is definitely ready for a new addition especially such a bright witch just like your parents." 

The next few moments after that my parents ran to look for a camera to take a picture of this milestone. "Tell me Marina, when were the first few moments that you sensed the magic within you?" My eleven-year-old mind then, only trailing back to the biggest encounters not overlooking the small ones.

"Erm well when I was six I was helping mom in the garden and her favorite yellow tulips had withered and I fixed them." I hated seeing plants die, I found it really sad for a living creature, even a plant to turn into something so ugly.

"Mhm, perhaps herbology might suit you, maybe studying magical creatures as well. Any encounters with animals?" And there was. 

"A few months ago while I was helping mom again with the garden, there was a garden snake. It told me how it loved that we always kept it clean for him. We talked for a while until I looked up to mom asking me who I was talking to. Is that normal? Witches talking to animals?" I had asked. 

"No not often, but there is nothing you should fea-" And Dumbledore's words were interrupted by my parents' entry with our camera ready to snap a picture of us both. This was the picture that stood beneath the acceptance letter. Only a peak of Dumbledore's beard was still visible along with his hand over my shoulder where the rest of my body was burned away from the fire. Those were simple times where I was still clueless of the troubles that laid ahead and for the most part I am still am because each day lays a new surprise and danger.

"Niklaus get in here!" My thoughts were cut short by my mother's piercing screams. We all ran towards the sound of her voice in the kitchen. The sight of what was on the floor made my body turn cold. The floor bared the death eater's mark in what looked like it was drawn with black ashes, this was clearly a warning and a threat towards my family. My parents played a big role in the fall of Voldemort the first time, and luckily they did not suffer the same consequences as the Potters and Longbottoms did. But, they were back with revenge in their mind no less. 

The sight of the sign immediately sent a  shiver down my spine and a burning sensation upon my head. I had experienced whispers and minor headaches like Harry, but this was pain like no other. The pain so unbearable it caused me to hurl down to my knees and all of my family hovering to my side.

"This is their work alright."