Fire Starter

Standard Disclaimer : This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Additional Disclaimer : : Some ideas/characters in this story are based on the Hellboy comics/movies. No money, copyright, or infringement is intended against Dark Horse comic.

Special Thanks to ... my beta, Rikithasta!!! You've been such a huge help to me!

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Rain poured down onto the dark London street. The night was unexpectedly cold for August, and people leaving the pubs huddled together to stay warm and dry. A red haired woman left The Greyhound Pub, quickly pulling up the hood on her trench coat. She hurried down the street, constantly looking over her shoulder. She felt as if someone was following her, but when she stopped to take stock of her surroundings, there was no one around but a few old men sitting on a bench. She picked up her pace, knowing that she had to reach her hotel room before someone found her. It was dangerous for her to have come to London alone, but she had no choice. She had to find Albus Dumbledore before it was too late.

She rounded a corner, entering a tree lined street full of Brownstone houses. Again, she felt a chill on the back of her neck, only this time when she turned around, there was a tall black haired man standing behind her against a streetlamp.

"I knew that one day you would return, Ella. I'm so happy to see you." The man walked closer to her, reaching for his wand. Ella did the same, knowing that this confrontation could get ugly fast.

"Xavier? Still torturing Muggles on the weekend?" Her wand was fully displayed now.

"You know that your father would be disappointed that you've stayed away for so long. And you couldn't have picked a better time to return. I'm sure the Dark Lord is aware of your presence by now. If you come with me, I can guarantee that very little harm will come to you." He took a few steps closer, to which Ella answered by taking another backwards.

"I knew that you would be in league with The Dark Arts. Just because your family is evil, doesn't mean that you have to follow their example." She turned quickly and crossed the street into a small park.

"I was sent to bring you to the Dark Lord, Ella. I will not return empty handed." Xavier aimed his wand and shouted 'Crucio' in her direction, but she managed to dodge behind a tree just in time. Even though she hadn't seen Xavier since she was ten years old, she knew he had always been reckless, and had no problem displaying magic in the middle of a Muggle street. Both of their families came from pure blood wizarding stock, only Ella's mother had chosen to turn her back on the family she married into. Her mother had left her father just before Ella turned eleven. He had grown hungry for power and had chosen the Dark Arts as a means to get what he wanted. Frightened for her and her child, Ella's mother had moved them to America to live with one of her aunts.

"You must be crazy, shouting Unforgivables in the middle of the street" She tightened the grasp on her wand and waited for him to cross the street. As he approached her, she waited for him to raise his wand again before she aimed to stun him. She missed, a wide grin growing on his face. They entered into a duel in the middle of the small park, both presenting excellent defense skills. Ella sighed, not wanting to do what she was about to, but knew that she had no other choice. She closed her eyes and held her hands out to her sides. Blue flames engulfed her entire body. She pointed her finger at Brighton and flames seemed to glide across the air in his direction. Her aim was exact; his arm had caught fire. He screamed as he looked at Ella in disbelief. Still, an evil smile managed to creep its way back to his lips

"You see, Ella, you will always use your power for evil. It's in you blood. I'll be seeing you." With an eerie laugh, Xavier disapparated into the night. Ella's body returned to normal, unscathed from the flames that she had produced. When she opened her eyes, she was staring right at two wizards who had their wands aimed at her chest.

"Drop your wand to the ground in front of you and kick it over to me. NOW!" Ella did as the man asked. She slowly backed up and showed her hands, to prove that she was not a threat. He motioned for her to sit on the bench behind her and she obeyed without hesitation. She knew that these men were either Death Eaters, or from the Ministry of Magic. Neither was good for her.

"Who are you? Who was that man you were dueling with?" The second man, whose voice was much calmer than the first, picked up her wand and placed it in his pocket.

"He's the son of one of my father's friends, but he's not one of mine."

"Why were you dueling with him? "

"He shot an Unforgivable at me. I was just trying to defend myself. And please, you can lower your wands. I'm unarmed you know." Both men looked at each other and back to Ella, not fully convinced that was she said was true.

"No chance of that. I saw what you did with the fire. You didn't use any kind of spell."

"No, I didn't. But that doesn't mean that I'm going to use it on you, now does it?" The man grunted, backing away from Ella but still holding his wand.

"You'll have to excuse him. He's been an Auror for most of his life, and he's always on the defense. But in times like these, no one can be too careful. Now, if you wouldn't mind telling us who you are? I noticed that you don't have a British accent."

"Right, I'm sorry. My name is Ellaprine Munich. I was born here, but my mother moved me to America when I was a small child. I'm here searching for Albus Dumbledore; I think that he can help me." Ella knew that she shouldn't be telling so much to these strangers, but after her encounter with Xavier, she felt that these two men were not a huge threat to her. That, and she was drained from the duel, as well as the few pints she had had at the pub.

"You need to see Dumbledore? What for? Out to collect a bounty, or make some connections at the Ministry? " The older man had walked back over now, his wand still held tightly in his hand.

"I need his help. What you saw me do back there with the fire. Well, I need his help and his protection from the Death Eaters and You Know Who." Ella was still waiting for one of the two men to tell her that they too were Death Eaters, but to her relief, they did not. She was also relieved that they weren't from the Ministry. The two men stood off the side and began to argue. The older man didn't seem to trust Ella at all. In fact, he was in favor of putting her in a full body bind until he could figure out what to do with her. The other man, however, agreed that they might not be able to trust her, but thought that they should at least hear her out, or take her into their own custody for the remainder of the night. After this, she couldn't understand too much of the conversation other than a few words such as 'Death Eater', 'Headquarters', and 'questioning.' Seeming to finally reach a compromise, the younger man turned back to face her.

"Now, Ella, I must apologize, but I'm going to have to hold onto your wand. After all, with what we witnessed, we still must be cautious. We're going to take you somewhere safe, but I must remind you that you are still under our watch." She did not like this idea at all, but figured that if she was being deceived, she could use her natural powers against them. She followed Remus across the street, with Moody following close behind her, his wand jabbing into her back.