Tray Black: The OTHER Boy-Who-Lived

Lauralie Sparila and her husband, Logan Sparila, were sitting in front of their fireplace late one stormy April night. They heard a clap of thunder. But no, it couldn't have been thunder, could it? There was no lightning to be seen.

Lauralie shivered as she watched her two children playing together peacefully on the floor. "I'm going to see what made that noise," said Logan. As he walked out of the room, Lauralie heard the shatter of glass. She grabbed her children and ran upstairs.

"Mommy, what's going on? Where's Daddy?" asked the oldest of the two children. "I don't know sweetheart." "I'm scared," she said, her voice shaking. Then she heard Logan's voice.

"Lauralie, take the kids and run! Now! Get out of here!" There was a pause, then, "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!?!?!" And another voice, strangely high-pitched, said, "AVADA KEDAVRA!!!" There was the sound of a body hitting the floor. Lauralie gasped. "Logan!" she called, "Logan, answer me, please!!! This isn't funny!" When no answer came, she grabbed a broomstick out of the closet and handed it to her older child.

"Get away from here, and as fast as you can! Take your brother with you!" Her daughter got on the broomstick after opening the window. She flew out into the night. Just as she was turning around to go back for her brother, she heard a dull thud. "NOOOOOOOOO!!!" she screamed, "Mommy! MOMMY!!!" Her mother did not answer. She flew off into the night, sobbing.

~~*~~

Back in the house, the other child was crying as well. The baby boy, not even a year old, was crying for his mother and sister. The man who had killed his parents turned on the baby. "Now it's your turn," he said, an insane grin on his face. "AVEDA KEDAVRA!!!" he shouted.

But, amazingly, the boy didn't do anything but continue crying. There was a green flash, but it seemed to bounce back off the boy, and came around to kill its originator. The house exploded. It collapsed on top of the baby and his dead parents.

A woman dressed in peculiar clothing, namely, golden robes, came to the site a few hours later, looking for the boy. She found him. She brought him to her house. She raised him as her own son, for she was the child's godmother. Her name was Lena Chatran Black.

~~*~~

Tray Black was a normal boy. He went to Surrey Elementary School, and was as big a troublemaker as they come. His mother and father didn't disapprove of his antics, but nobody ever really liked him. He was a tall boy, with dirty-blonde hair, and stunningly silver eyes. He looked nothing like his parents.

It was the middle of October when it happened. He was in fifth grade. Tray was late for school, and was sure that he was going to have a detention to look forward to. He almost didn't notice the girl who was standing in the middle of the hall until he almost knocked hr over. He said a quick "Sorry" and ran to his locker.

Yes, he was definitely late. There was the late bell. 'Cripes, I'm in trouble,' he thought. He grabbed his books and ran down the hall to his class.

"Mr. Black, late again," said his teacher, Ms. McNeil. "Sorry, ma'am," he said, his head down, as though in shame. Ms. McNeil knew better. "Let's see, how about detention after school. Clean up the cafeteria. Does that sound fair class?" "Yes Ms. McNeil," they said in unison.

'This is not my day,' he thought sourly. Then there was a knock on the door. Ms. McNeil went to answer it, and tray stuck his tongue out at her when she wasn't looking.

"Mr. Black, let's add a lunch detention to that, shall we?" she said. 'How does she do that?!' thought Tray, now getting angry. Ms. McNeil spoke briefly with whoever was at the door, then turned back to the class.

"Students, this is Candace Lupin. She has just moved here from Edinburgh, and I hope you will all make her feel at home." Then turning to Candace, she said, "Just take a seat. There's a seat over there, next to Tray."

Tray looked at Ms. McNeil. Was this some new form of torture? Being made to sit next to a girl he had never met before? Oh, well, it's not like what he thought mattered to HER. She LOVED torturing him.