Harry Potter: The Last Heiress of The White Family

After class, Eira made her way toward the Ombrelune Garden, her footsteps quiet against the soft grass path. The sun hung low in the sky, casting golden light through the tall trees, and the air was fragrant with lavender and damp stone. As she neared the entrance to the Ombrelune Hall, she paused—somewhere nearby, there was the faint sound of crying. Small, muffled sobs, barely audible over the gentle bubbling of the nearby pond.

Her brow furrowed. Concerned that someone may have fallen in to the pond or hurt themselves, she followed the sound until she reached the pond's edge. There, beneath the drooping branches of a silver willow, she found a small girl with long black hair, seated on the stone rim of the pond. She was facing the water, her shoulders trembling, her soft cries laced with anguish.

"Mommy… please take me home," the girl whispered through tears. "I miss you… They look at me like I'm a monster…"

The words struck Eira like a dart to the chest. She hesitated, heart aching. Perhaps someone had bullied the child. It wouldn't have been the first time children found cruelty easier than kindness. Eira clenched her fists, recalling moments from her past life—how her mother would always comfort her when she was down, making silly faces or whispering small jokes even while hiding her own pain. That memory gave her courage.

She stepped forward gently and sat down beside the crying girl.

The girl looked up, startled. Her eyes—deep black and rimmed red from crying—locked onto Eira with wary suspicion. "What are you here for?" she asked bitterly. "Did you come to laugh at me too? Because I only have one hand? Because I dropped my teacup in class today while trying to hold it with just my right?"

Eira's breath caught. Her gaze fell to the girl's left arm—there was nothing there. Just an empty sleeve, neatly folded and pinned to her uniform. The sight of it, paired with the girl's pain, hit Eira with a terrible weight. She felt something inside her quietly fracture. The sight struck her like a blow to the chest. Such a beautiful little girl, carrying such an unfair burden…

Still, she smiled softly. "Of course not. I came here to see the pond… but instead I found a little black swan, looking terribly sad. I got worried."

The girl blinked, confused. She glanced back at the pond. "I don't see any swan. Where is it?"

Eira smiled. "Well, I think the black swan is a bit shy. She doesn't want to be seen right now."

A moment of silence passed between them. The wind rustled the leaves, and the last sunlight danced across the surface of the pond.

"What's your name?" Eira asked gently.

The girl kept her eyes on the water. "My mother named me Anastasia," she whispered. "She said she loved me… so she gave me a beautiful name."

Eira's smile grew. "Anastasia… That's a lovely name. So, Anastasia, why were you crying here all alone?"

But the girl didn't respond immediately. After a pause, she muttered something under her breath.

"I'm sorry?" Eira leaned in.

Anastasia looked up and said more clearly, "You didn't tell me your name."

Eira giggled . "Oops! I forgot, didn't I?" She tapped her temple playfully. "My name is Eira White. You can call me Eira."

The girl nodded faintly, then murmured, "I was crying because… I miss my mom. She told me I'd make lots of friends here. But everyone just makes fun of me because I don't have a hand. When I tried to talk to the other girls, they called me names. They said I must be a half-wizard because of not having a hand. It hurts a lot ."

Tears welled in her eyes again, and this time, they came in a flood. She buried her face into her sleeve and sobbed.

Eira didn't hesitate. She reached over and gently embraced her, letting the girl cry against her shoulder. Stroking her soft black hair, she whispered, "There, there… It's okay. You don't have to cry. And you certainly don't have to listen to those bullies. People say cruel things when they don't understand."

"I didn't choose to be born like this!" Anastasia cried. "I didn't ask for it! But they act like it's my fault. Like I'm some sort of broken doll , like I'm some weird creature.… I hate it. I hate the way they look at me…"

Her voice cracked, and she clung tightly to Eira.

She clung to Eira tightly, burying her face in her chest. Eira held her close, her own eyes welling up with tears. She felt her heart twist painfully. It was unbearable—seeing such an innocent child, with nothing but the hope to be treated like everyone else, crushed under the cruelty of a world that didn't understand. What Anastasia had said echoed in her mind, each word a shard of sorrow cutting deep

They stayed like that for a while, sitting in silence beneath the willow tree, the pond reflecting the orange sky above them. Eventually, Anastasia calmed. She pulled away slightly and looked down, cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"Sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to cry like that in front of you. It's just… everything felt so heavy. And you were nice."

Eira smiled gently. "You don't need to apologize for crying. Everyone needs to cry sometimes. I cry when I miss my mom too. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

Anastasia tilted her head. "Where is your mother? Does she write to you?"

Eira looked out across the water. "She's… far away. So no, she doesn't write. But I know she's okay. I like to believe that."

Anastasia nodded slowly. "It's okay. Maybe one day you'll see her again. My mom says… someday, Grandma will come and take us somewhere very beautiful."

Eira smiled. "That sounds lovely."

She stood up and offered her hand. "Come on, it's time for dinner. If we wait too long, those chubby girls from first row will eat everything, and we'll go hungry."

Anastasia let out a tiny giggle—the first one yet. She took Eira's hand and stood.

As they walked toward the hall together, Anastasia hesitated and asked, "Um… Eira? Are we… are we friends now?"

Eira looked at her and smiled brightly. "Of course we are. And if anyone bullies you again, just tell me. Your big sister will take care of them for you."

Anastasia beamed. "Thank you, Eira… You can call me Ana. My mom does. And since you're my first friend, I want you to."

Eira gave her hand a light squeeze. "Then Ana it is."

Side by side, they walked back toward the Ombrelune Hall, the last of the sun casting long shadows behind them as the stars began to bloom in the indigo sky.