Parental instincts kicked in. Both, husband and wife covered their blond child in their trembling arms. Hiding his face away, Daniel and Olivia Jones shoot Jacob's name in unison. What they didn't notice was the other child's expression. They saved one, and broke the other. The death eater grinned at the spectacle. It has been so long for him, to taste such power, to be a god for muggles. He wished his master was still alive, they could have this every day, this kind of entertainment. However, he had to restrain himself, to not get caught.
Mikhael cried in silence, he would die. They abandoned him. Of course, they chose the special one. What kind of disillusion did he expect. Would he be at his brother's place, if he was their only child. He doubted it. The lone twin felt tears running on his face. He accepted it, the response to his deep question. Intense pain ran through his whole body. Screaming in pain, Mikhael felt more hurt by his parents' choice than physically. The relief in their eyes, pierced his heart. They comforted themselves since their precious son wasn't hurt. This wasn't fair. Why should he, alone suffer. Magic, if only he had magic.
The child own misery diminished, when it was followed by his mother's unrecognizable high pitch voice and his father's guttural scream. They too were powerless. They too, didn't have magic. If he had magic, he could protect himself. If he had magic, he would be loved by his family. Mikhael felt a warmth flowing through all his body. Harming the flesh in the process, the flow also changed it. The masked man was jumping around them, throwing what Mikhael understood as Crucio. His father did his best to not touch the protected son, fearing that his pain could be transmitted at contact. Daniel showed who he wanted to be spare, protecting his son behind his back. The masked man anticipated the moment when he would kill the blond child, the face the parent would show.
" Trashes like you can't even protect their own child. Worthless, lesser than animals, you disgust me muggle... ", the black robe stopped when a second death eater apparated at the border of his magic dome. Strange, he had put a barrier to hide his action, concealing any magical signature, so who was coming. Pointing his wand, green light ready, the stranger almost fired curses, before acknowledging his comrade suit. He hesitated, he didn't send any invitations. Sharing his fun was impossible since the occasions were so scarce. If this was Snape or the Carrow, the black robe knew how to receive them, with a good cutting charm on their legs.
" Macnair, I told you already to cease your... Lobby. Your traces are so noticeable. Can't you just... forget it you don't have much time. The ministry is coming. Finish it fast. ", the newcomer sent green light to Jacob. The curse was intercepted before reaching its target by Daniel. The father wore a happy smile, contrasting with his ruffle hair and tired face. He did his best. He protected his child.
" Malfoy. ", the mad man raged at his loss. He would make him paid for it. " They are my PREYS. Those animals need to know their places. ", his breath weighing, the father's body exploded in gore. The mother stayed silent, covered in blood and flesh. " Don't you dare steal them from ME ! ", Macnair stood in front of Malfoy, continuing his Cruciatus Curse on the black-haired boy. Soon, soon, they would beg him for their own mercy. Snobbish like Malfoy couldn't understand. This was a restrict art to the only true knowledgeable. The like of Malfoy were barely true pure-blood, French immigrants.
" Don't give me order Macnair. Without my help, you would be in Azcaban as we talk. Now, finish your, activity fast. ", the second death eater cast a last glance at the family before running to the dome exit, apparating away. Finally alone, the remaining death eater prepared his speech in his head. What words could bring the best reactions from those muggles. The madman didn't have the time to say muggle when new figures appeared. Waving their wands against the ward and dome. It broke in seconds.
The group of four aurors advanced steadily. Two working on defense, summoning debris and shield while the others cast stunner and transfigured the surroundings to catch the criminal alive. Macnair's curse couldn't slow them forever. He was outnumbered and his mana reserve was near the bottom. Still, he didn't regret wasting his magic for his entertainment. Though, now, he needed to run away.
Unhappy, the death eater dodged a red spell. He felt rusty. He wanted to continue, but the aurors would have back up soon. He couldn't win this time. He would leave, but not before sending some last minutes gifts. In a single motion, he cast two overpowered piercing curses toward the black hair child. A dead muggle was a good muggle for him. For the mother and the second child, Macnair cast a medium explosive curse, the same he sent to the father. He couldn't waste more magic.
As his heart was pierced, the saddest twin saw his mother smile one last time before turning in pinkish smoke. This was his worst day, and probably his last one too. He regretted his weakness. He wanted to live.
When Mikhael woke up, he was at St Mungo's hospital according to the doctors. He nearly died back then. The aurors brought the twins as soon as possible when the death eater fled away. His heart had stopped pulsing, they thought he was a goner but the medical report stated his magic was active, healing his wounds. The whole medical specialists were under disbelief. This unique case of self-healing was never witnessed before. Even more shocking, it was a squib unconscious magic. Powerful wizard's magic couldn't replicate the same feat.
The black hair twin felt empty.
The excitement died quick. Yes, he survived. Yes, it was a miracle but in the end, he was just a squib, barely better than a muggle. His brother Jacob had some injuries which weren't hard to heal. Instead, the blond twin had a mental trauma and mind healer couldn't help much. They needed more time. It was a tragic story for the twins, they were orphans now. They had no family members alive, they were the last Jones.
After a few days in the hospital, a young widow named Joan, adopted Jacob because the blond nose resembled her deceased husband. Like her husband, her new son would depend on her. The widows checked with the goblin for any magical living or muggle living relative alive of her new child, they found none except for the squib brother.
Thanks to her previous work with goblins, she managed to arrange the inheritance and properties of the Jones family to fall on Jacob as the only successor. His magic-less brother was just placed in a new orphanage, 'Seven Oaks Provisional Home For Orphans' in the south of London. The woman didn't tolerate a squib in her family, the Ava family needed a proud heir, a real wizard.
Orphans of 'Seven Oaks Provisional Home For Orphans' or SOPHFO, ranged from five to seventeen years old for the oldest. With his six years of existence, Mikhael wasn't at the top food chain. Here, there wasn't anyone he knew. All wore rags and dusty old clothes. He missed his mother's voice, especially at bedtime, when she narrated the tale of the little red hood. Olivia used to sit on Jacob's bed, since he and his brother shared the same room, Mikhael could listen to the story. It was his most, close to be, maternal's attention he wanted from her. Here, the matron demanded them to sleep at ten pm, or she would take the uncooperative and quickly kick him outside for the night.
Since he was alone now, Mikhael couldn't pray god for his parent love, not anymore. It never worked anyway. God was either dead or never existed. The new orphan didn't know what to do. The only good news for him, was, to never see his brother again. He wished Jacob never existed. Because of him, the madman appeared at the park. The old man said it, years ago. His freakishness could be sensed by other freaks. If his brother was normal, Olivia and Daniel should be still alive. That was Jacob's fault.
Mikhael knew, deep inside, that he was just weak.
Sleeping like a log, the black hair child missed breakfast. The matron, Miss Sarah Martin shut her door when he asked for his meal. He could only depend on himself. His stomach ached. The other kids were playing in the garden or wandering the street for the oldest. Including him, the orphan numbered less than two dozen of mouths to feed. Not discouraged, the newcomer tried his luck with the nearest child who was playing with some gray stones on the dirt. Hearing Mikhael question, the unknown orphan laughed hard.
The six years old orphan became the laughingstock. None shared a bit of bread with him, they pointed him with their finger, whispering behind his back as the new stupid kid. They knew the rules here. Food was not to be share. Mikhael gritted his teeth, he could only blame himself. Since the kitchen was closed and the matron didn't want to feed him anything until dinner, he had to wait. There were only two meals a day. Breakfast with a piece of old bread and soup for dinner. At least, they had a roof and a bed as she said.
The only thing to do, was wasting time between morning till the end of the day when there was no school day. The exception was especially this Sunday. Once a month, they had to wash themselves for the visits. They had to be present the whole day, waiting for parents to come. Then, they lined up like good goodies and hoped to be chosen. Sadly for Mikhael, the only time he was approved, the man and his wife in their fifty renounced because of the scar he bore at the heart. Saying they didn't want a child who could die anytime, they left for another orphan.
Weeks passed with spring and its new lives. Mikhael recognized it. The warm sensation flooding his body. The same he appreciated this time, without the pain when he was hurt by the madman. He became a freak. His freakishness grew bigger every day. He felt it. The cold wasn't a problem anymore. His body regulated his temperature to never catch a cold. Still, he couldn't make things float or change color like his brother.
God didn't exist, but something else gave him magic.
A cute dog with its brown fur made Mikhael third orphan years less lonely. The other orphans didn't like him. Never he was invited to play with them. They were jealous. Though the lack of nutrition in his meals, the nine years old orphan grew up healthy unlike many. He was special. His clothes stayed clean even when he walked in the forest or after some older kids accidentally slip some soup on his pants. Of course, the soup accidentally turned too hot when the same kids tried to drink it.
" I give you some bread and now, you follow me everywhere ? ", Mikhael rubbed the dog head. " You are so small, how did you survive ? ", the animal barked and waved its tail before circling around its new master. The duo, spent the day in the forest searching for fruits and nuts. It was a lot more fun with the company of the stupid dog. Sprinting after the bird, wasting any chance to catch them. " I'm sorry but I can't bring you with me. Miss Martin doesn't allow any pets in the orphanage. She said that with beast among our rank, we will just follow their behavior and stop being correct human. ", the orphan petted his new friend. He wished he could bring the dog with him, but the other kids. They weren't trustworthy. They left him alone most of the time, however, sometimes he had to fight to make them recall to not bother him. Those starving children, just needed a small window of inattention and then Mikhael would lose his dog.
" I'm really sorry but it's not safe there. Even with me around. They will just eat you, I think. ", he laughed a bit. Marc Roger, the orphanage's brute would do it. He was such an animal, picking on the smaller kid. Mikhael, even if he didn't like the other orphan, never stole food. Olivia taught him well.
The black eyes orphan knew how hard it was to go a day with an empty stomach. It went especially harder if this was for days. Hunger could transform them. A dead rat carcass didn't stop Marc from eating it. The boy fell ill, but didn't regret it. If Marc could eat rotten flesh, a small cute dog would be just his luxurious dessert.
Mikhael had to convince the animal more than an hour before going back. As he sat at the dinner table with the other orphan, Sarah brought the usual soup. At around fifty years old, this woman never filled the bowl of any youngster or weaker children more than the other kids. The only way to get more was by helping her with special tasks. The benefactor got a spoon worth of more soup. Yet, she could restrict the dinner for any fault she thought. If Marc didn't close the door when entering last, he wouldn't get soup. If the young Richard cry today, no soup either. If older kids tried to coerce her, she had help from outside to educate those unfortunates.
" No soup for you tonight, Mikhael. ", the matron filled the bowl of his next fellow. Why, what has he done ? There was nothing the orphan could remember being faulty. He tidied his bed, he did his work on the garden wood barrier for the weekly task. The only 'valid' reason he thought was when just played with the dog, but how could she know it.
" There Marc, a bit more for you. ", she smiled at him.
It was him. He knew it. He must have told her. This bastard would pay for it. Mikhael empty stomach protested. It wasn't even a quarter full with the fruit he found in the forest. He stood up, staring one last time at Marc Roger before exiting. There was no reason for him to stay if he didn't have dinner. He had to prepare.
This night, something would burn.