𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒯𝓌𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓎-𝒮𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓃
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A normal day. If anything, a perfect day. The weather was perfect, no wind and the temperature perfectly warm. Not hot… just a nice warmth. The sky was clear of a single cloud.
It was a good day… a good morning. Hell, it wasn't even that long after the sun went down when…
"Start packing a bag!"
That part was a blur. A small girl with long dark hair, and green eyes with a ring of cobalt blue at the pupil, ran into her bedroom. Grabbing a backpack, hurrying around as she grabbed this and that. Not clothes… or a brush… no only pictures… and papers.
A man rushed into the room the same dark hair and the same eyes. He held a folder, a binder, and some loose papers. Kneeling to the girl's level, he stuffed them into her bag, zipping it for her, placing it on her back. Grabbing her hand, he dragged her out of the bedroom, into the living room.
The windows had their curtains drawn together, blocking the view of whatever was outside, but the pair both had their eyes trained on the window. Muffled voices could be heard approaching. Dropping her hand, he rushed towards the fireplace, searching the mantle for something… banging a fist as he realized it wasn't there.
The girl stayed very still, shaking as her eyes remained trained on the window, "It should be in the kitchen."
Wasting no time rushing off, the man pointed to the fireplace, "Go sit in there and shut the grate."
The girl listened without even a moment of hesitation, pushing herself against the back wall of the fireplace as she slammed the grate. Watched through the holes as the man circled the kitchen. Watched as he all but leaped for a small bag discarded onto the fridge. Watching as he rushed back over to her…
But he was too late… the front door blew off its hinges with a bang.
The man freezing in place just a few feet away from where he needed to be, hand clutching the small bag, knuckles going white as he watched four figures enter the house…
Another blur of a moment. The girl couldn't make out faces, focusing on the man's figure as he spoke to the people before him. She could make out voices. But they were distant.
"Where is the girl."
"Take another step, and I blow you to pieces!"
"You can't take us all…."
"Give it up."
A blur…
The man makes a dive towards the fireplace, throwing a handful of powder in the fireplace, his eyes locking onto the girl's with a sad smile as a green, harmless fire erupted around her.
His last words, "I love you,"
The last thing that girl would hear was a shrill "Avada Kadavra!"
The last thing she saw was the life instantly vanishing from the man's face…
The last thing she would do was mutter a word beneath her breath, vanishing into the fire…
…
Waking with a start, Iris jolted up in the bed, wincing at the pain as she lifted a hand to her side. Searching her surroundings took a moment, her eyebrows knitting together as she tried to make sense of it.
She was in the Hospital Wing. That much was obvious. With the white curtain drawn all around her bed. The thin, scratchy bedding. Two chairs to the left of the bed were empty… but Iris hadn't been alone forever. Not if the fresh flowers on the nightstand or the poorly made card meant anything.
Wincing again, Iris laid herself back slowly, staring up at the ceiling.
Alone… not a pleasant state of existence when one wakes up in a hospital.
But it wouldn't last for long… the first face she sees… that of Albus Dumbledore. His twinkling blue eyes, taking a moment to appreciate the flowers, "Madame Pomfrey had to chase off your roommates last night. They made a noble effort to camp out with you."
Not even bothering to look his way, Iris cut straight to the point, "What happened?"
Dumbledore remained unfazed that twinkle still in his eyes, "Severus brought back Black, but he escaped later that same night. Both him and Buckbeak are gone. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are also all doing fine. They left the Hospital Wing just yesterday." He sat at the edge of her bed, "They almost brought you some sweets, but Mr. Nott deterred them from it. So—"
"How is Remus."
Smiling lightly and taking the cold interruptions with an astonishing level of patience, Dumbledore answered, "It was slipped to The Daily Prophet that he is a werewolf. He got ahead of the letters from parents and handed in his resignation yesterday… left to get some affairs in order before he picks you up from the station next week."
"And Pettigrew got away…."
Dumbledore remained silent at that one, allowing Iris to close her eyes and sigh to herself. And upon reopening them, she would finally turn to Dumbledore, "The servant will set out to rejoin his master… I should have told you about the prophecy… or at the very least killed the rat myself. But I saw Harry and Hermione using that time turner and just figured… they were fixing whatever would go wrong."
Dumbledore hummed, "Ones granted, power, knowledge. Ones placed into a position where they have to make tough choices… there is always the question of if their choice was the correct one. But if you had told me, the Minister, it would have been misconstrued… no one would have thought of Peter Pettigrew. And if you had killed him… the truth would have died as well."
The words hung in the air. Iris humming to herself, a far away look coming over her eyes, "A proper queen would have dealt with it all so differently…." Iris shook away her thoughts, moving on the conversation, "Pettigrew said he knew who… killed my father. Would that have any basis? From what I know, he would have been cut off entirely, and there were never any real suspects."
Dumbledore nodded, to who, to what, was uncertain, "Perhaps he could have an idea based on threats from before the end of the war, after all, leaders, kings, queens," he stood smiling towards the girl, "We live life with many targets on our backs."
And then he was gone… replaced by Madame Pomfrey's care.
"Your people are extraordinary. Any normal person would have died from your injuries. But you should be up and walking in no time. I am keeping you here on bedrest until tomorrow…."
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Iris just returned her gaze to the ceiling, zoning out the ramblings.
~~~~~~
Later that day, for lunch, Iris would be joined by her roommates and Jane Yaxley. Quietly gossiping between themselves as they attempted to avoid the wrath of Pomfrey. Every now and again, they laughed just a tad bit too loudly and would all cringe back, silencing into quiet giggles as they waited to see if the strict lady would react.
But the five teens passed along lunch without any incidents. And thankfully for Iris, without any prying into exactly how she ended up there.
It wasn't long after finishing up their lunch that a new figure made an appearance… Harry Potter.
Iris was mid-laugh when she noticed him, caught the way he looked at her. The questions undoubtedly on his mind. Her laugh faded off, her friends taking notice of the silence rather quickly… sharing places between themselves and the two teens who clearly had something to discuss.
The girls took off, smiling politely at Harry on their way off.
Iris motioned for Harry to take a seat as she straightened herself up. Smiling to the boy, she broke the ice, "I assume Granger mentioned something."
Harry cringed back, not wanting to throw his friend into the girl's wrath yet again, "I also just saw you… turn into a wolf. Hermione just mentioned that it wasn't because you are an animagus." He hesitated, "And she mentioned that you are…."
"A queen?"
Harry nodded sheepishly, but he looked to Iris, watching as she looked about, searching for the correct way to explain. Searching for where to start. When she did, she met Harry's green eyes with her own, her smile a lot more forced, "You were the first of those who don't know I wanted to tell anyways… I can't keep this secret from people I am supposed to call friends.
She took a breath and started in the most irrelevant spot, "Technically, I am a queen. The moment my father… well, the line passed onto me. Officially I wouldn't be crowned until I am 16… still, the lines between technically and officially are… thin."
Iris looked away, picking at her bed covers as she nodded to herself, "Blackwell's have been royalty for generations… we have a sort of absolute power over every shifter that exists. So much power… so much that I make a command and everyone in the room feels it, shifter or not. It comes with the name… the blood… but when I became queen that night… I felt the weight that fell on me.
"I was eleven. And I had the world placed on my shoulders… I was eleven. When my father… died," she flinched at the word, "and when I was given the most intense of responsibility… eleven."
Her eyes closed as she thought back, "At first that night, I ran out of promise to my father to get to safety, then out of fear. But eventually, I did calm down… and I almost went back… I did, but then I just thought about what going back really meant.
Iris swallowed hard, "It meant being a queen. And I wasn't supposed to be, not like that. I was supposed to spend years at school. And making friends. And maybe spending some years traveling the world. I wasn't supposed to be a queen until I was 50, and my father was old and… I never wanted to be queen… I just wanted to be normal."
Iris took in a breath, pausing as she returned her eyes back to Harry, "So I ran. People assumed I had died, which was the news fed to the rest of the world. But no one would know for certain until five years have passed if I had died. The line would have to switch to my cousin. It would be indirect… and that reformation of the royal line takes time… whatever magic deems us royalty has to correct itself. No one will know I am still kicking until the line doesn't switch in a little over a year.
"So I had a few more years to stall, be a kid. When Dumbledore sent me a letter inviting me to Hogwarts, I was wary… but he assured me that he would guarantee my secrecy. And anyone younger than 30 wouldn't know, wouldn't recognize me. So I came here."
Iris faded off there. The brief run-over of her situation was just that. Brief, still full of holes and so many questions one could ask. But it gave a new perspective of the girl. It answered things Harry had once wanted to fight out of her.
Harry would sit on the words for a moment. Taking it all in, something Iris would patiently wait for. And eventually, Harry would come out with a question of his own, "You have family?"
Her weak smile peaked back up, "Technically. My father had a brother and sister… both are estranged for their own reasons. I have never met them or either of my cousins. So technically family." She added, "And before you ask, my father divorced my mother when I was six. She was always distant with me… never saw her again."
Harry's shoulders sagged, once more taking a moment. Looked at the stone beneath his feet. Another question popped into his mind as he looked back up, "So can you hear and smell better…."
Iris bit back her smile, a breath of air leaving her nose, "Actually, yes. Better hearing, better sense of smell, stronger, faster… really just better in every way. The mind-reading thing is because of the Blackwell blood, though. Only five bloodlines still carry gifts."
"So cool to be a Blackwell then."
Iris laughed sharply to herself, "Trust me, Blackwell's have just as many curses to balance it all out." She smiled lazily, "And besides, the whole mind-reading thing is rather dull when you already have magic and when Legilimency exists… less special. I always felt as if I was robbed of a real gift."
The mood seemed to lighten from there. Conversation shifted as the two moved on… Iris making her distaste for her "gift" known to Harry.
~~~~~~
The next day Iris was permitted to leave the Hospital Wing early in the morning. The pain was gone as she bounded out of the room, ready to feel the sun on her skin again.
And she was met with an almost pleasant surprise as she ran out the door… Theodore Nott. Making his way by the Hospital Wing on his way to breakfast.
And note it was almost a pleasant surprise because Iris had a bone to pick with the boy, "Nott, wait up."
He stopped instantly as he turned to her, eyebrows raising as he waited for the girl, "You are alive."
Scoffing, she joined at his side, the pair continuing to walk, "Yes, and I nearly died, and you didn't visit even once from what I hear."
The boy shrugged, "I don't like hospitals."
Iris hummed, "Fair enough, there was never any reason to worry anyways,” she smirked to herself, bumping her shoulder into the boy. "Only a Blackwell can kill a Blackwell after all."
Theodore nodded, glancing her way as his lips twitched, “Another one of those family delusions? Same energy of the when thirteen dine—”
Iris pushed him lightly to the side, her cheeks puffing in annoyance, “At least our thousands of years of history never amounted to hating all muggles. I’ll happily stick to our prophecies and silly sayings.”
~~~~~~
The final week before the end of school flew by. Filled with gossip and rumors surrounded what had taken place on June 6th. Iris stayed apart from it all, instead rather focused on catching up with her roommates and Jane.
They took surprisingly well to the whole queen and can turn into a wolf news. Sally-Ann, in particular, asked if Iris could one day hook her up with some rich noble. Besides that, not one of them missed a beat. Continued on just treating Iris as they always had. Just one of the girls… normal. Just continued to plan for a meet-up sometime during the approaching summer holiday.
Normal. All Iris really wanted.
The train ride back flew by just as fast as that final week. She and Theodore locked away in their own compartment. Just as silent as the one they shared many months ago… but more familiar… more comfortable.
Theodore flying through pages of War and Peace, Iris sketching in her notebook.
It was a peaceful and uneventful trip all the way into the station.
There was a small wave of uncertainty on both ends once they had actually pulled in. The two grabbing their things in silence before, tentatively meeting each other’s eyes. Saying goodbye was just strange…
So Iris kept it simple, giving Theodore a lopsided grin before beginning to make her leave, “See you around, Theo.”
She was out the door and already fading into the crowd before he could even respond, but that didn’t stop him from shouting back, “Already dreading it!”
And he would never admit to the smile that fell upon his lips.
…
The platform was still just as oddly normal as the last time Iris had seen it. Just bricks, a train, and people. Ordinary-looking people.
Iris looked around the station, watching as families reunited. Some with yells and smiles, others with a comfortable calm about them. Mothers and fathers hugged their first years as they excitedly rambled on about all the joys of Hogwarts. Siblings pushed each other around.
Iris scanned the crowds, searching for her own person to be reunited with. And luckily, he was fairly easy to spot. Sporting run-down clothes, and scars across his face, he was tall and lanky. He seemed nervous, the creases on his forehead and shifting his weight.
Pushing through the crowds to Remus, she stopped a step away, frozen as if uncertain how exactly she was supposed to greet him, "Sorry about any new scars, Moony."
Remus blinked, the creases on his forehead growing deeper, "I am—"
Iris shook her head abruptly, giving the man a quick smile, "Don't, you had no control over anything that happened that night." She nodded her head, "Let's just go."
Smiling weakly at the girl before him and finding himself once more in awe of how much alike she is to an old friend, he nodded, "Might not be up to your standards. Sure you really want to live with me?"
Iris gave one last quick nod, "No question."
And so the two left. Iris closing up her year on a positive note. Living the life of normalcy that she always wanted. New friends, no more secrets with those that matter most, and hell, even plans over the summer.
And most importantly, no longer alone.
A positive note… if only the story of Iris Blackwell could have ended there… On a high, before everything began falling apart. Before everything went to shit...
If only...