A PERPLEXED RIDDLE – CHAPTER 01

DECEMBER 25, 1941

Today was supposed to be another happy Christmas.

Today, I was supposed to wake up, walk downstairs, eat breakfast with my mother, open up the presents underneath the merry tree, and sip hot chocolate in front of the fireplace while reading a book that my mother would've gotten me like she does every year.

But none of that happened.

Instead, I woke up to screaming sirens and thunderous noises.

I sat up and stared out my window in shock and disbelief. Outside, an air raid was happening, and I had just awoken from sleep. A low, continuous drone was heard coming from outside—the airplanes.

"Violet!" My mother's shrill voice carried in from outside my room. Gripped with fear, I grabbed my wand and dashed downstairs to where she was waiting at the foot of the staircase, fright evident in her eyes. She grabbed my wrist and pulled me outside to the shelter, magically vanishing obstacles that were blocking our paths. All around me I could hear deafening noises. I watched as my mother casted another spell, my hand itching to cast one myself.

I was absolutely frustrated. Because of the Ministry of Magic, I couldn't perform any magic at all—not even to save my own bloody arse.

Suddenly, I heard a loud noise overhead and looked up to see a German airplane, releasing something ghastly onto us.

Holy mother of god.

"Duck!"

I panicked and dived into a bone-chilling snow bank. I felt like we were all going to explode into oblivion. "Mother!" I cried, blindly searching for my mom.

Faintly, I could hear her shout out, "Protego duo!" and a bright blue bubble encased me. I looked past it to see my mother mouthing something to me, tears falling down her pale cheeks.

"I love you."

"No!" I screamed desperately.

A split second later, the bomb crashed into the ground and exploded, creating a terrifying earthquake like no other. It seized the ground roughly, and it was like every fiber of my being was being tossed about, like a salad.

Being me, I blacked out.

-x-x-

It was a long time before I regained conscious again.

My eyes opened, which took a lot of energy, and groaned in pain. My body ached all over, like it was badly bruised after a long day. Slowly, I took in the remains of my "home." Debris littered across the white snow, ruining the beautiful simplicity of it. Wisps of smoke were still present, making me hack a few coughs. My hand twitched, tightening itself around a familiar feeling wand—mine.

The coldness settled over me like a blanket, and I shivered, for I was wearing only an oversized shirt, a dark purple coat, and my pajama pants. Without warning, my mind finally registered what had happened before I passed out.

Air raid.

Bomb.

Mother.

Dead.

Gone.

Alone.

I felt numb, emotionally and physically. My mother was dead; gone. I was now a pitiful orphan with nowhere to go.

An hour later (at least, I think it was an hour later later), I stood up, finally moving for the first time. My teeth were chattering, my arms automatically wrapping themselves around my body. I gripped my wand tightly and looked around for my mother. Then, an optimistic thought came to me.

My mother was an exceptionally talented witch. Surely she would have casted a powerful charm upon herself too!

I perked up a little at the thought. Hey, she was probably here somewhere!

A thin sliver of hope was all that was left in me.

"Mother!" I shouted, cupping my hands together to amplify my voice. "Mother!" I brushed away the remaining snow and stomped around the remains of what used to be my home, searching wildly for my mom. The tip of my foot hit something, and I looked down to see the charred remains of my mother's holy wand, a little bit of unicorn tail core sticking out. My stomach hollowed into an endless pit of despair. I felt sickened to my core.

No.

"MOTHER!" It came out as a scream. Before I knew it, my eyes were brimming with water, and I was sobbing piteously into my lap. I had lost the only person in my life that truly mattered to me. I was now truly alone in this world.

I was scared, lost, empty, and forgotten.

-x-x-

Another hour passed, and I willed myself to stand up and move on. I had to find food and shelter. Mother would have not liked to see me like this. My stomach grumbled, and I clutched at it, as if I could stop the hunger.

So I began wandering around. That's what I am now—a wanderer. I was devastatingly cold, the harsh winter winds nipping at my exposed flesh. I was hungry, my stomach growling like a bear. And worst of all, I was homeless.

At last, after walking in the snow for god knows how long, I came upon a tall, gloomy building. I had to squint to read the sign. In dark, rusty letters it read:

WOOL'S ORPHANAGE

An orphanage, how ironic.

I pushed open the gate rather weakly, and stumbled forward, hugging the purple coat closer to me. I placed my wand inside the hidden pocket I had sewed on a year ago, hoping that the muggles inside won't dare to inspect my coat.

I was almost to the front door by now, but my legs were threatening to give out. I was feeling the effects of severe fatigue.

Just a few more steps, Vi, I encouraged myself. Just a few more and you're home free. Surely they wouldn't turn away a starved, freezing, half-dead orphaned girl, would they?

I scampered up the stairs before collapsing onto the hard wooden porch. Gathering strength, I knocked (or rather pounded) at the door, breathing heavily as if in labor.

My heart leapt for joy as the door creaked open. "Who is it?" asked a rather cool, male voice. I looked up into a pair of startling, distinctive blue eyes, opening my mouth as if to answer. But before I could say anything, my body shook violently on its own accords, and I pitched forward into the mysterious stranger's arms, welcoming the cool darkness as it overcame me.

A/N: So... Who do you think the mysterious stranger is? (Not that it's that mysterious, aha.) Tell me what you think! :D Two reviews and I promise the next chapter will be up! R&R please?