Chapter 123

It was four in the morning when crying, no, when screaming was heard in the Hopkins house, screaming unlike anything Adria had heard when she sat suddenly in her bed, brining Sirius from his slumber who followed Adria's lead, his arms reaching out to her as though something was going to harm her.

At first Adria thought it was Jude, and as usual would Alfie - reluctantly - get out of bed to help the boy rest, but then the unthinkable happen. Adria couldn't say that her heart didn't almost fall out of her chest when her door barged open and soon was the light on revealing Lia, wide eyed and panting as she stumbled over her words.

"I...I-I don't know what happened, I don't know what's wrong!" she stuttered, gasping as she gestured to Alina's room. Adria jumped up, mimicking the look on Lia's face as she followed her, stumbling hurriedly through the door to Alina's room who was on the bed drenched in sweat and frantic sobs screaming from her lips.

"No, how could you? how could you do that to her?!" she screamed, her eyes somewhere else as where her mind, she was shaking furiously, as was her head as she reached out for something, but she couldn't seem to clutch what she wanted.

Lia pushed herself out of the way when Adria ran to her, gripping Alina' shoulders tightly, she shrieked, "Allie, Allie listen to me!"

"Wha- Adria?" Alina choked out, her eyes wide as she looked at her sister in front of her.

Adria moved to cup Alina's face in her hand, a heart-breaking sight it was to see the sweat mixing with her tears and her eyes filled with pain, "oh baby girl," Adria whispered, sitting on Alina's bed and pulling her into her embrace, breathing heavily as she done so.

Lia was unsure what to do, she had a terrifying experience waking up to the sobs and screams of the girl who lay next to her, she had to admit for a second she thought Alina was dying, and that very thought was enough to make her jump up to help her.

"Ad-Addy," Alina choked out, shaking her head furiously, "I'm so scared, it was like it was happening again!" she whispered, gripping onto the now damp jumper that Adria wore.

"It's okay, Allie, it's okay," Adria whispered, "nothing's happening, mum's safe up in heaven, don't worry."

"I-I wasn't dreaming of mum," Alina whispered after a few moments of silence where she looked up to face Adria.

Adria's eyes fell to hers, searching for something other than pain but she couldn't seem to find it, "you have to tell me what happened, Allie, or I can't help you."

"I know," Alina muttered softly, "I suppose it's time to tell you how I can see the thestrals."

Adria's heart caught in her throat as she looked down at her baby sister, hiding pain behind her wide smile she hadn't realised how much her baby had been through, "let's get some hot chocolate first."

-

The sound of a beautiful stream in the distance was heard through the mountains where the girls played, laughing wildly as they grabbed onto each other, ignoring the sounds of their parents close as they continued through the wooded forest, bright eyed as they took in the woodland creatures that grazed in the tall grass, unaware of the two young girls close to them.

Alina Hopkins and Lou Bell giggled happily, hand in hand as they ventured further into the woods, taking in the area surrounding them with fascination clouding them. The picnic that their family was on in an attempt to rid themselves the pain of their first daughter leaving for school was going well so far but the two friends decided to explore the area atop of the mountain that both families had climbed.

Both families where unknowingly in similar situations, whilst the Hopkins family where sad over losing their daughter to the school that would teach her everything, so where the Bell's whose son had gotten a letter too for the school, now currently situated in the house Ravenclaw, but all he had told of his family was that it was the smart house.

Both families seeking comfort in each other, sworn to secrecy that they weren't about to break. Mr Bell was a friend of Douglas through work, having many trips to Scotland to discuss current issues in the job they both had, it was bound that the two become friends.

So, on a last trip before summer ended, the Bell's took a quick trip to Scotland where they were taken in by Judy and Douglas in any attempts to rid their sadness.

Alina and Lou clicked almost instantly, they were very similar, in more ways than one. Both girls, aged the same just like their older siblings who had to leave, where girly as ever, but loved to get their hands dirty.

So, it was no surprise when they skipped with their arms linked both sporting the frilly dresses that their mothers had bought previous to their outing.

But unknown to both of the young girls, they were being watched.

"I wish I could have a deer," Lou pouted, her head tilted ever so slightly as she watched Alina's glance in her direction, nodding in agreement.

"As I do," Alina giggled, "can I tell you a secret, Lou?"

"Of course, Allie, we're best friends now, aren't we?" Lou chirped, clapping her hands together whilst Alina nodded enthusiastically, guiding Lou over to a patch of clear grass that showed an opening in the trees above her.

"Yes!" Alina grinned, "my sister is off to a big school in England I'll only get to see her at Christmas and summer," her grin suddenly wavered, finally turning into a frown at the thought.

"Mine too," Lou frowned, "my brother, he's my best friend but he had to leave, mum didn't tell me much, just said he had to learn something else that I couldn't."

"That's what my mum said too," Alina gasped, "I'm sure Addy will tell me though, she tells me everything."

"Yes, I'm sure Milo will tell me too when he's home!" Lou giggled, referring to her big brother whom she loved with all of her heart.

"It's a lovely day today," Alina giggled, leaning her head-on Lou's shoulder, "I'd think this would be a place that princesses found their princes!"

"Alina, do you think that princesses could find princesses?" Lou asked quietly, turning to Alina who frowned, suddenly thinking of something she had never thought of before, "because I don't want a prince."

"I don't know, Lou," Alina shrugged, "if you don't want a prince then that's okay, but I'd have to ask Adria!"

"Why?"

"Because she knows everything, silly!" Alina giggled, throwing her arm around Lou's shoulder, "you would love Adria, she plays princesses with me all the time, and loves to read to me."

"I wish to meet her, maybe when we're older we will get to go to that school too," Lou sighed, her hands running through the daises that situated around them, "I'd like that very much."

"Me too, Lou, we would be best friends forever," Alina mumbled, "we already are!"

"Forever and ever?" asked Lou, her wide, doe like eyes widening in excitement at the thought.

"Well of course," Alina nodded enthusiastically, "you're my best friend forever now, isn't that great?!"

"It really is!" Lou squealed, throwing her arms around Alina tightly.

But it was at that moment did Alina notice the man, a tall man with jet black hair slightly falling over his face and a jacket covering his clothes, but that didn't make Alina feel wary, but the fact that he was staring right at her.

"Lou, I think we need to go," Alina whispered quietly to the girl holding onto her, frowning as fear crept up her spine, her parents had always told her to be cautious of strangers, to never approach them, but she didn't know she would ever have to use that advice.

"Why, Allie, what's wrong?" asked the eight year old, tilting her head slightly until her head turned to look at what Alina was, all the same fear creeping up her spine as she nodded.

But as they picked themselves up, gripping onto each others hands was when the man spoke, "Hello there," gripping their attention mixed with fear, "now what are you two lovely girls doing in the forest, alone, on this day?"

"W-we aren't alone," Alina whispered, tightening her grip on Lou.

"Well I don't see anyone else here, silly girl!" the man let out a hearty laugh, "you could always come with me?"

"No thank you," Lou squeaked, furiously shaking her head, "we have to go."

They both turned, about to run when the sharp pain felt in each of their heads when the man yanked their hair pulling them to a stumbling halt, "it wasn't a suggestion," he growled, pulling them along ignoring their protests.

Alina gasped, shaking her head no whilst tears spilled from each of their eyes, she couldn't just leave with this man, he was a stranger, he was hurting her. She looked around, her hands almost reached the ground as she tried to claw herself out of his grip and when her hand spotted a boulder did she grab it, reaching up she forcefully whacked the man's arm with the boulder in her hand.

She was free.

She was screaming as loud as she could in any attempts to alert her family, her hand gripping Lou's as she pulled her forcefully from the man's grip, her eyes wide as she looked in the face of her best friend forever.

"Allie you have to go, you have to get out of here," Lou sobbed, searching for a rock all the same whilst the man ignored their protests but Alina shook her head.

"No, I can't, I won't leave you Lou, I can't leave you!" Alina shrieked frantically, a groan of frustration leaving her lips as she pulled roughly on each of Lou's arms.

"Stop it, kid," the man growled, clutching his injured arm close to him, "or so help me god, I'll kill you."

"A-Allie, p-please," Lou whispered, "y-you need to go."

"No, I can't," Alina whispered, she looked around, her eyes spotting another rock, a larger one than before, and releasing one hand from Lou did she pick it up, throwing it with all the anger and frustration that she had at the man.

He fell to the ground, groaning with pain.

He let go, barely conscious.

They were both free.

Lou gasped as she fell into Alina's arms, her head ridden with pain as they stumbled away, but Lou stopped when her leg felt pain shooting up it from where the man had been dragging her.

She shouldn't have stopped, he was rendered unconscious after he had pulled the trigger.

"No!" Alina screamed, "how could you? how could you do that to her?!"

The blood covered Alina's arms as her sobs filled the forest, feeling the wait of her lifeless friend overcome her she didn't know what to do, she felt sick, she felt weak, pathetic that she couldn't help the girl she had instantly clicked with, the one she loved with all of her heart.

Her best friend forever.

Her screams made the birds flee from their trees.

And all that was heard in relation to the Hopkins and the Bell was the eerie sound of the gun shot that killed Lou Bell.

It didn't take long for them to come running, the parents of the two stumbling into the forest at the sound, hoping, praying that it was a hunter looking for a rabbit or a deer, but what they saw, the sight that Alina had to witness was unbearable.

"H-He tried to take us," Alina sobbed, shaking her head furiously, "h-he grabbed us, I got free, Lou told me to run, to get away, but I-I couldn't leave her, I couldn't, I threw a rock at him, and we were free but he had a gun, he shot her!"

The Bell's hadn't returned to Scotland after that day.

Alina had never forgotten about Lou.

Alina Faith Hopkins had found a way to see the thestrals.

(Found in the pocket of her killer, a photograph of Lou Bell climbing along a tree branch in the Scottish mountain forest, 1971)