The Falling Stars: Dark Phoenix

Chapter (TBD)The Robed Stranger

May 15, 1977

Timothee Parte sat at the dinner table looking down at the two long broken halves of his walnut wand. The beautiful dark wood was now in two six inch pieces that ended in jagged edges where bits of red barbs of phoenix feather poked out. Part shock and part disbelief, he looked down at what he could only describe as a great disgrace.Cest nausabond, An elderly witch said as she paced back and forth in a nervous step. She shook her head continuously in utter frustration, causing her silver locks of hair to bounce from side to side. She turned to her grandson and said, Youre lucky you didnt end up in Azkaban! If youre mother, your father, your grandfather werent Aurors, I guarantee that is where you would have ended up tonight.Timothee ran a hand through his long black hair that had once been a dirty blonde. His dyed hair color created such a contrast to his skin that he looked pale and sickly. His brown and green eyes never looked away from the broken shards of his life.Rene Lafont stared at her grandson, looking for any kind of response but was given no such satisfaction, What do you have to say for yourself?Timothee looked up from the wand, his brown and green eyes locking with his grandmothers. He was still growing into his tall lanky teenage body and his shoulders drooped as he sat hunched over. He was tall for a fifteen year old with lots of growing still ahead. Timothee searched for the words, They they didnt let me speak.What is there to say? Rene asked, You used an unforgivable curse on a muggle!Its not what it looked like, Timothee protested.Youre an underage wizard Timothee, they knew what you had done the moment you had casted it. Your wand is tracked my child, how did you think you would get away with it?I wasnt trying to get away with anything, Timothee muttered.Rene pulled out a glass and casted, Aguamenti before she took a long sip. She placed the half empty glass onto the table before shaking her head in disbelief, Kicked out after his fourth year. Your parents would be ashamed to know what youve become.Timothee fired up from his chair and sent the halves of his wand across the kitchen with one great swipe. The wand shards clattered against the wooden cabinets before falling onto the white tiled floor. The green in his eyes lit up as he shouted, Well thank Merlin they are dead then, and stormed off upstairs towards his room.Rene leaned back against the kitchen counter as she wiped a tear away from the soft wrinkles on her face. Her gaze fell upon a moving picture of herself, Christiane, douard, Javert and a newborn Timothee. The photograph was of the day they had brought Timothee home from St Garicoits. They all looked so happy as they waved towards the camera and made their goofy faces. Those were better times, back when Timothee was just a baby and her family was still alive. No one knew what had happened that fateful night twelve years ago but her heart paid the price every day since.She had tried her best to raise her grandson but it seemed like the more effort she put in, the farther away he would pull from her. His grades at Pursang were just barely passing and she was constantly receiving disciplinary letters from the headmaster. Her biggest fear was that he would get kicked out of Wizarding School but never in her darkest nightmares did she see her grandson performing an unforgivable curse on a muggle.There was a war going on in the wizarding world. Wizards and witches were vanishing everyday as a Dark Lord fought to claim power. Had her grandson gotten caught up in this terrible conflict? She had hoped that staying in school would have sheltered Timothee from the horrors of the outside world.Did I fail you? Rene asked as she looked at the portrait. A tear slowly crawled down her tired cheek and rand down the line of her jaw before dripping down from her chin.With his black dyed hair and completely black wardrobe, Rene was starting to fear that her grandson had turned to the Dark Arts. He was disappearing each night and when she confronted him about it, he claimed that he was only going for a walk.If only you were still here, She whispered, as she looked at the tall prominent figure of her deceased husband, Javert. I need you more than ever.Timothee opened the door to his upstairs bedroom and slammed it shut as he walked in. With one giant leap he landed in his bed, causing the springs in his frame to groan and creek. Letting out a long exacerbated sigh as he undid the tie to his dress robes, he looked out the window at the twinkling city of Paris. He had spent many nights wandering the streets of the city, not sure what he was looking for. One such night he was walking passed, what he had been told was his old house, and saw a couple with an infant walking up the steps. They looked so happy together and he had wondered what it felt like to have parents.You really got into it this time Timothee, He whispered to himself. Timothee wished they would have let him speak at the Wizengamot trial, let him tell his side of the story, but everything was moving so fast. He didnt hate muggles like some of his classmates, in fact he had stood up for them at school, even to the point of confrontation.Timothee rolled away from the window and found himself staring into the happy smiles of his parents as they held him in his arms. Sitting up in bed, he took the picture from his nightstand and longingly held it in his hands. He had spent countless hours staring at the picture of his parents, memorizing every movement and every detail. The way they looked at him and the way they had looked at each other with such love. Unbuttoning his collar, he pulled out a long silver chain that had two gold rings dangling from the end. One ring had a blue diamond accented with white stones while its twin had a red diamond accented with the same. Timothee read the engraved names inside, Christiane Rene Parte. douard Serge Parte.There was a slight tugging at the foot of his bed, and Timothee looked up to see a weathered old stuffed brown bear climbing up. Ursa, Timothee greeted as the stuffed bear walked towards him and gave him a hug with his soft plush arms. He had grown up with the bear and while the magical charms of other bears had faded, turning them into nothing more than stuffed toys, Ursa seemed to keep going on. It was almost as if he knew that he was still needed.I really messed up today, Timothee admitted.The stuffed bear took a seat and looked up at the teen with his eyebrows raised. He had lost the ability to talk years ago but his eyes seemed to still convey his feelings.Timothee heard a muffled knock at the downstairs front door and listened while his grandmother went to answer it.She doesnt listen to me, Timothee said, She is just like all the others. All they want to do is talk, not one of them actually wants to listen to me. Its like they dont care what I have to say.Ursa tilted his head to one side as he changed his expression and pointed to his large round stuffed ear. White bits of cotton seemed to protrude from the corner where the seam to his ear had ripped.I know you listen to me, Timothee replied, But sometimes I wish I dont know what I wish He realized as he looked back out the window, watching the yellow glowing lights of the city. There was a white streak in the sky as a falling star fell. It was bright, beautiful and brilliant, but very short lived.Timothee! His grandmother called from downstairs.What? He called back through the closed door.Could you come down here please?Timothee looked back at Ursa, Lets go see what she wants.Walking down the stairs, with the bear in tow, Timothee saw his grandmother standing to the side of the door with a hooded figure behind her, the strangers face was hidden by shadow. The robed stranger was only an inch or two taller than his grandmother, with black gloves covering their hands. In the strangers right hand was a midnight black wand with gold engraving running up and down the length of the shaft. Rene Lafonts eyes had a glossy glazed look to them as if she was completely relaxed.Grandma? Timothee said wearily.The black hooded figure took a step passed the elderly woman and hissed, Where is it?Where is what? Timothee asked.The robed figure lifted her wand and pointed it towards Rene before shouting, Crucio!The old woman fell to her knees as she let out a horrifying cry of pain and anguish. Her body violently thrashed and jerked as she tried to shake off some invisible vicious attack.Grandma! Timothee yelled as he rushed down the remaining steps. He reached into his back pocket but was reminded of the fate of his wand. He ran to her side as he tried to console the pain sodden woman. Stop it! He yelled at the robed figure.The robed stranger released the unforgivable curse and Rene collapsed in Timothees arms. Where is the stone boy?What stone?!? Timothee cried as he held his weakened grandmother in his arms. Tears began to flow down his face as he held her close.Just over his shoulder, Timothee heard a loud crack! come from the hall behind him. He was familiar with the sound of apparition and knew that someone had appeared in the room.Get away from my family! The high keyed voice of an elf called.Timothees head snapped back to see a small ex house-elf in black Aurors robes, wearing a bowler cap with his ears tucked underneath. A blue shield with the gold fleur-de-leis was embroidered over his heart.Vert! Timothee shouted.The robed figure hissed and reached for Timothee with their black gloved hand. There was a bright blue light, a powerful gust of wind over Timothees shoulder and the robed figure was blown out of the door. The dark intruder was thrown with such a tremendous amount of force that they had crashed into the living room window of the house across the street.Vert ran over to Timothee and Rene and placed a small hand on Timothees shoulder. His big green eyes studied the unconscious grandmother as she rested in her grandsons arms, We need to get her to St. Garicoits!Vert looked up and saw the black robed figure stand inside the shattered window of the house across the streets. The hood of the stranger was blown back, revealing a woman wearing a black masquerade mask. The mask resembled the head of the phoenix with black flames flickering around the edges instead of feathers.The lights of the upstairs of every home on the street started to turn on as muggles rushed to their windows to see what had happened. Hold on! Vert said, and with a loud crack they were gone.