The Fools Who Dream

Prologue

The girl sat on the swings in the park, her legs crossed at the ankles, barely scraping the dirt ground that had been carved out by the years of children dragging their feet across it.. She leaned her head on the chains and sighed heavily, and a few tears came to her eyes.

So much for running away. She hadn't even gotten out of her own village, and had no idea where to go next, but didn't want to go back and face her parents or her brother.

"You've had everyone out looking for you."

She jumped at the sudden voice and looked up to see a boy with spiky black hair, glasses on his eyes identical to hers, his arms folded across his chest and a mean glare on his face.

"Go away." she muttered. "It's not like any of you want me home anyway."

"Yeah, for some reason, Mum does." he said irritably. "Can't see why. Come back now or you'll be in bigger trouble."

"I'm always in trouble."

He walked over and stood next to the swing she was on, towering intimidatingly over her and putting a firm hand on her shoulder.

"If you don't come home now, I'll drag you there myself by your ankles." he threatened. "You're going to Hogwarts tomorrow whether you like it or not."

"I don't want to be stuck with you!" she exclaimed, jumping up from the swing and backing away from him. "I... I hate you!"

"Tough." he snapped. "You don't have a choice."

His arm jerked out and he snatched her by the hand, tugging her backwards. She protested against him, tried to pull away, but he was three years older than her and much stronger. There was no getting away from him as he dragged her out of the park and into the road that ran through the village.

"Get away from me!" she cried, tears spilling out of her eyes, and she began smacking her hand down on his arm, desperate to get away.

"Why can't you ever do as you're told?" he fumed, coming to a stop and gripping her arm even tighter, so tight that it would probably leave a bruise by morning. "You're a child! You don't have a say in anything, so you have to come home, now!"

"It's not my home!" she protested. "You don't care about me! None of you want me there!"

"Well you won't be there any longer, because we're going to Hogwarts tomorrow morning, you stupid little cow." he snapped. "Now shut up and behave or you'll really regret it."

She gulped slightly and stopped squirming; she knew that the threat was real. It always was.

"That's better." he said, sighing in annoyance. "Are you going to come or am I going to carry you?"

A low mumble came out of her mouth, barely audible, and he cupped a hand to his ear mockingly.

"What was that?" he taunted. "You'll have to speak louder."

"I'll come." she mumbled, slightly louder this time.

"Good." he snapped, and he released his grip on her arm. She jerked her hand away and rubbed it as the circulation flowed back into it.

The two of them walked along the street in silence, and she made sure she was trailing about two metres behind her brother, trying to hide her tears, until they finally reached their house at the opposite end of the village. Outside, their mother, father, and her brother's friend were waiting, all of whom looked furious. Well, their mother had a slight worried glint in her eye, but it quickly disappeared, almost to the point that it might have been imagined. Their father was leaning on his cane, which was in front of him, his hair down around his shoulders, a steely looking on his face, mixed partially with anger and resentment as he looked at his daughter. As for her brother's friend, he pulled a stupid face at her brother and the two of them both smirked. The girl looked down to see that her brother's friend was in fact flipping her off without their parents noticing, but pretended herself not to notice.

"Well done James." said their mother, Euphemia, giving her son a proud smile. "Come along boys, let's go on in."

She didn't even look at her daughter. Instead, she planted a happy kiss on James' cheek and took him and his friend inside the house, leaving their stern father, Fleamont, and the girl outside.

Fleamont took a menacing step forward with his cane.

"Cynthia." he said.

His voice, as it always was, even when he was angry, was low and seemed calm and rational. It was the most terrifying voice of all, and his daughter knew it. She bit her lip slightly and avoided his eyes.

"If you weren't going to Hogwarts tomorrow, you would be in far more trouble." said Fleamont, and he tapped his cane on the ground with a click. "What – were – you – thinking?"

Cynthia glanced up and met his eyes, and saw the fierce anger behind them, waiting to explode at any moment.

"I – I wanted to leave." she said bravely. "None of you want me so I thought you'd all be happier if I wasn't here."

His eyes flashed furiously.

"Get inside." he said through gritted teeth. "Now."

She nodded quickly and scurried past him, through the front door of their large mansion and into the hall. Her eyes were quickly drawn to the kitchen, as she'd had nothing to eat since she ran away, almost six hours ago, and she'd missed dinner, but as she started to try and turn to get something to eat, she felt something blocking her way and looked behind her nervously to see Fleamont using his cane to block the door.

"You can go to bed without dinner." he said sharply. "Go. Upstairs. This instant."

Tears sprang to her eyes again, but she pushed them away and scampered up the stairs in front of her, right up to the top floor where her little tower room was located, away from everyone else in what felt like the world. Inside, she quickly closed the door behind her and fell down onto her bed. She began to cry into her pillow, great tears spilling out of her eyes and soaking the pillow, sobs wracking her body and making her shake uncontrollably.

There was a sudden loud crack and she jumped, looking up to see a little old house elf standing in front of her, a covered plate in her hands; it was so heavy that her ancient little twig-like arms were shaking, but she held it up to her proudly.

"Miss Cynthia, Nona has made you some foods for your dinner." said Nona, placing it on Cynthia's bed. "Miss had Nona very worried, oh yes, very, very worried, and Rivey as well."

"Sorry Nona." said Cynthia, sitting up and wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

"Nona has brought Miss a cheese sandwich." said Nona. "But Miss mustn't tell Mister Potter, or Mister Potter will be angry with Nona."

"I know." said Cynthia, smiling slightly. "Thank you Nona. You're too kind to me."

"Nona will always look after Miss Cynthia." said Nona, grinning up at her with her big green, tennis-ball eyes. "Nona will be missing Miss Cynthia when Miss Cynthia leaves for Hogwarts tomorrow."

"I'll come back soon." Cynthia promised.

"Nona must go back to Rivey and the kitchens now." said Nona. "Nona will come and take the plate when Miss Cynthia has finished."

"Thank you Nona." said Cynthia.

As the house elf left, she took a sandwich from the plate and bit down into it. A few more tears sprang into her eyes, but she pushed them away with her sleeve.

All she wanted was to be free from her family, and perhaps Hogwarts could give her that. There was no way she was brave enough to be put into Gryffindor, so maybe she'd be able to escape her brother and his friends in one of the other houses.

Maybe she could finally be free.