Walking in the Shadow

Chapter One

If one were to look from a distance, Elliot Chase Wood would appear to be a poster girl for composure. The eleven-year-old's wavy, dark brown hair fell to her shoulders; her dark chocolate, almond shaped eyes radiated with a startling intensity; and her smooth pale skin was concealed by her black school robes. Her facial features were soft; her face was heart shaped, her nose pointed out into the air just a little, and her lips were neither too big nor too small.

But, upon closer inspection, one would see that the usually composed Elliot was indeed not composed.

"Stupid bloody trunk!" she screamed in frustration as she kicked at the offending object.

Kicking it obviously hadn't been such a great idea, for she was soon hopping madly around the room on one foot as she cradled the injured one in her hands.

The cause for distress had been the fact that she had rearranged the items in her school trunk almost ten times that morning, and the lid still wouldn't shut. Elliot dropped her foot, stalked over to the trunk, and flung out all of its contents.

"I hate this bloody thing. Why couldn't Mum buy me a new one instead of getting one for Oliver," she mumbled as she went about collecting the items and stowing them away.

True, Carleigh Wood had insisted on getting her son a new trunk, what with him being made Quidditch captain that year. So, Elliot got Oliver's old trunk, which was small and getting on her nerves.

"Papa!" she screamed, her voice ricocheting off of the walls of their small cottage out in the Muggle town of Essex.

Henri Wood came into his daughter's room, pulling on a Muggle jacket. "Yes, sweetums?"

His voice was booming and deep, though soothing at the same time, which was quite different from her mum's high-pitched twittering.

"I can't get my things to fit in this blo...I mean, this trunk," she said in her demure English accent.

"Language, sweetums, language," Henri reprimanded lightly as he managed to get the books, potion materials, clothing, and various other items to fit neatly into the trunk.

"Thanks, Papa," she smiled, showing off her dazzling, even white teeth.

"Aucun problème, ma fille," her father replied in French, his native tongue.

Elliot smiled in return and put her ten inch wand into the left pocket of her robes.

"Now, Elliot, you are not supposed to be wearing your robes! Put on your Muggle clothes immediately!" Carleigh fumed from the doorway. "Your brother never did this. You'll make us late!"

Elliot frowned and looked down at her shoes. They were shiny, black, new, and in the current style, which were Mary Janes.

"Yes, ma'am," Elliot said as her parents left her alone.

She changed into an ankle length pleated blue skirt, a black sweater, and kept her black Mary Janes on. She stuffed her robes into her trunk.

"Papa!" she yelled again.

Her father walked into the room and grabbed her trunk.

"Thank you, Papa," she said sweetly.

The pair hurried downstairs and out the front door. Elliot walked down the cobblestone path to the parked car, which was already started. Her mum was already sitting up in the front passenger seat, her older brother sitting in the back, directly behind their mum.

Oliver was a burly thirteen-year old, and captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He played Keeper. He was somewhat of a fanatic, though Elliot could never figure out why. They were hardly able to go to any Quidditch matches and neither of her parents were huge fans. Of course, Elliot was bit of a fanatic herself. She hoped that she would someday be able to play for her House team, whichever one she was sorted into, that is.

Elliot got into the light green station wagon and sat near the opposite window. "Hullo, Oliver."

She didn't get along with her brother much, since he always tried to get her into trouble. It wasn't enough for him that he was already their mum's favorite.

"Humph."

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, we aren't going to be late!" she said agitatedly.

Her brother only went to school for Quidditch, she was sure of it. Nothing else could compare, in Oliver's opinion.

Henri got into the car before Carleigh could start in on their youngest. "Everyone has seat belts on, no?" he asked, buckling his own.

After three responses of, "Yes," he began driving.

They arrived at King's Cross some twenty minutes later.

"You silly little girl, tie this in your hair! How many times must I tell you to keep your hair pulled back?" Carleigh screeched as she tossed a blue scarf back to her daughter.

"Yes, ma'am," Elliot replied.

She never called her mum, unless she was talking to other people. Elliot didn't exactly have any friends, Muggles or Wizards, because her mum had home schooled both her and Oliver until they entered Hogwarts.

She pulled her dark hair back and tied the scarf in a bow at the nape of her neck. Really, she looked like she lived in the sixties, more than the eighties.

"We only have ten minutes," Oliver moaned.

"Don't worry, darling," Carleigh said as she patted her son gently on the arm. "We have plenty of time. Elliot didn't make us that late."

Elliot frowned and held back the tears. She was always to blame when something went wrong. If Oliver lost something, it was her fault. If something bad happened, it was her fault. Elliot was almost certain that if Voldemort came back, it would be her fault as well.

"Come along, sweetums," Henri said as he placed an arm gently around Elliot's shoulders.

He was carrying the trunk over his shoulder with more ease than any other person.

"Papa, why is Mum always blaming things on me?" Elliot asked as they entered the bustling train station.

"Your mama is not always blaming things on you, sweetums."

Elliot just sighed. It was so hard having a father who only spoke broken English at best.

"Circe, help me," Carleigh mumbled as they stood before the barrier. "Molly Weasley and her brood will take up the whole time."

Elliot looked in front of her to see a plump, kind looking witch giving instructions to her children.

Each had flaming red hair, just like their mother. Elliot started to count, and came up with five children! Her mum would never have that much patience. Why, she couldn't stand having Elliot around, and she hardly ventured out of her room.

"Now, listen here, Fred, George," Molly admonished. "Listen to Percy. And I tell you, if I get one owl from Dumbledore, I'll flog you until next year."

"Yes Mum," the boys said together.

Elliot looked at them and realized that they looked exactly identical, and about her age.

"Alright, hurry through the platform," Molly said, making motions with her arms. "Have a good year. Send me an owl as soon as you get there, Percy."

"Yes, Mother," the older boy replied.

The three boys disappeared through the barrier.

"Come along, Ron, Ginny. Your father should be here soon."

After Molly Weasley had steered her children away from the barrier, Carleigh directed her children through it. Of course, Elliot's parents came through the platform with her and Oliver.

"Now, have a good time, Oliver, darling," the blonde haired woman said to her oldest.

It was amazing how Elliot looked almost identical to her mother, and yet the woman seemed not to be able to stand her. Oliver mostly resembled their father, except he had the fair hair of their mum, while Elliot had dark hair like her papa.

"Of course," Oliver replied before getting on the train.

"And you," Carleigh rounded on Elliot. "I don't want to find out that you have caused any trouble. The first time you get detention, I swear I'll pull you out of Hogwarts without a second thought."

Elliot held her head down. "Yes, ma'am."

"Come, sweetums," Henri said, leading her to the scarlet train. "Oliver! Come help Ellie."

Oliver came to the entrance of the train and resentfully helped Elliot carry the trunk to a compartment, where he promptly left her.

"At least he helped," she mumbled sarcastically as she sat down in a seat.

The scarlet train began moving at exactly eleven o'clock. Elliot decided to begin reading from her Charms book to pass the time.

"Hullo," a boy with dreadlocks said as he opened the door to her compartment and came in. "My name's Lee Jordan."

He extended his hand out, and Elliot put her book down to take it. "Elliot Wood."

"Nice to meet you. Related to Oliver?"

"Yeah," Elliot said, knowing that was going to be the first question everyone would ask.

"Oi, Lee, what are you doing?"

One of the red headed boys from earlier came into the compartment.

"Meeting another first-year," the boy replied. "Elliot Wood, my friend, Fred Weasley."

"I'm George."

"I mean George."

"What are you going on about, Fred?"

The other boy came into the compartment.

Lee scratched his head. "Um...Anyway, one of them's Fred and the other's George."

"Pleased to meet you," she replied, just as confused as Lee.

The twins were identical, from their height, their build, and their faces. They had freckles in the exact same places and were even wearing the exact same clothes.

"This is Elliot Wood," Lee said to the one who entered last. "She's Oliver's little sister."

"You mean that bloke who's in the same year as Perce?" Fred--or was it George?--said as he sat down.

"Yeah. He's the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team," Lee added as he sat beside of the redhead.

The other redhead sat beside of Elliot, well, rather on her Charms book.

"Sorry," he said as he picked it up and handed it to her.

"It's alright," she replied as she stowed it back in her trunk.

"Do you play Quidditch?"

"Um...a little. Oliver sometimes lets me borrow his broom," Elliot replied, still confused of which twin was which.

" I'm George," the one beside of her said. "That's Fred."

" What'd you do that for?" Fred asked, in a seemingly hurt voice.

"Just ignore him," George said exasperatedly. "He's been a prat the whole day."

Fred stuck his tongue out. "What position do you play?"

"I like Keeper. But Oliver said the only way I'd be able to make the team was if I were a Chaser. Something about how girls aren't meant to be Keepers," Elliot said as she fidgeted with her skirt.

"Well--"

"Sweets, dears?"

A witch opened the compartment door and motioned to her cart.

"I haven't--"

"Come on. You can pay me back later," Lee said as he bounded from the compartment and out to the hall.

Fred followed suite.

"It's nothing to worry about," George said. "I mean, Quidditch. Our older brother, Charlie, was Seeker for Gryffindor. He was captain before Oliver."

"Hmm," Elliot said.

"Want anything from the cart?"

"What? Oh, no," Elliot said quickly. "My mum didn't give me any money. She never has actually."

"My treat. Fred normally spends all of his allowance, but I like to save mine."

"I couldn't possibly do that," Elliot said, blushing. "I haven't any means to pay you back."

"Don't worry about it," George said, extending a hand. "Come on, before Fred buys the whole cart out."