John Franks paced back and forth the length of hallway just outside his bedroom. He could hear the Healer speaking, though he could not understand what he was saying on the other side of the thick, intricately carved door bearing his family crest. The crest of his ancestors dating back to the seventh century, a pair of twin axes behind a one-eyed helm on a round wooden shield.
The Franks were an old wizarding family, purebloods, descended from large Viking stock of the far north in Norway before they immigrated south into what was, at the time, The Great Roman Empire, later know as Germany. There they took up the last name Franks and thrived for the better part of five hundred years, before immigrating once more to the new world in the end of the sixteenth century. Now in the year 1981, the first generation of the Franks family would be born in the United Kingdom, in a small village just fifty miles north of London, England.
John paused in front of an old grandfather clock, that his own grandfather had won in a bet off a muggle in Brooklyn, the face told him that it was ten minutes to midnight. It had been nine hours since his darling wife, Scarlett, had gone into labor, and the Healer and midwife had been summoned from Saint Mungo's. Nine long hours he had been pacing that deserted hallway waiting for any news, it was a wonder that he hadn't worn a rut in the floor and fallen through to the first level.
"P-pardon me, S-sir." Came a high squeaky voice that snapped the disheveled man from his thoughts.
"Yes, Ginsy?" John replied turning to face his family's house elf. Ginsy was tiny by house elf standards, barely standing at two feet tall, while the average height of her species was around three feet; however, this never stopped her from working hard at her job. Adorned over her tiny frame was a crisp white pillow case that she had fashioned into a sort of dress.
"Ginsy brought you some tea, S-sir." Said the diminutive creature trotting towards him carrying a silver platter with a fine china tea set.
"That is much appreciated." John said squatting down to take the offered saucer off the tray. "Any trick-or-treaters tonight?" It was Halloween after all.
"A few, S-sir. Last one was a little over an hour ago."
"I'm surprised we had any at all with Voldemort and his death eaters still roaming free." John said as he idly sipped his tea, he preferred coffee but the warm liquid help calm his nerves. He watched as a Ginsy violently shivered at the name Voldemort, most people were too afraid to say his name, fear that it would bring his ire down upon them. That man, no that monster, for no man would ever commit the atrocities he had. Whose very name struck fear in the hearts of wizards and witches alike, even the fiercest magical creatures feared this creature.
It had been eleven long years since the wizarding war had started, and "He-who-should-not-be-named" had rose to power. Eleven terrible years of death and terror with no end in sight, but now, on the night of All Hallow Eve none of that mattered. A soft muffled cry caught the large man's attention, it was faint but there was no mistake of what he had heard it.
"Mr. Franks." The Healer called as he poked his head into the hallway. The tea cup and saucer slipped from his hands and shattered on the floor, unnoticed as he made his way over to the man in the white medical robes.
"What is it? Is everything alright, how is Scarlett?" John demanded, standing at six foot eight he towered over the medical professional.
"Your wife is fine, sir." The Healer said taking a subconscious step back and opening the door wider so resident patriarch could have a better look in the room. "She gave birth to a healthy boy just a few minutes ago.
John looked past the healer, lying in a large four poster bed was his darling wife, Scarlett Franks. She was a stunning woman with a fair, ivory skin. Her hair, although was dishevel, gleamed a golden blonde. And in her arms, wrapped in a purple blanket was his new child.
For a few moments he just stood there staring across room at the sight of his wife until a loud chime echoed through the hall as the grandfather clock struck midnight, effectively bringing him from his stupor. "May I go see?" He asked almost timidly.
Before the Healer had a chance to respond the midwife called out to him. "Healer Morntan, the second one is on the way."
"I'm coming, Margret." Morntan responded before returning his attention back to the man in front of him. "I'm sorry Mr. Franks but I need you to wait a bit longer." The Healer closed the door behind him and made his way back to deliver the second baby.
John stood stiffly in the hall, his face mere inches from the door in total shock. "Twins." The words, though a small whisper, escaped his mouth. "I'm having twins." He felt faint. Quickly drawing his wand, he summoned a large cushioned chair behind him and sat before he had a chance to fall to the ground.
"Is S-sir, alright?" Ginsy asked worriedly from where she was cleaning up the spilt tea and shattered china. John cradled his head in his hands as the shock began to ware off.
"I'm doing better than alright, Ginsy." A large grin crept across his face. "I'm going to have twins!" He said as he rose from his set and picked up the elf in a big hug. "Twins!" he called again.
Ten minutes later the door to his room opened and the Healer beckoned him in. His wife laid exhausted on the bed but held two small bundles in her arms. John walked swiftly to her side and gently picked up his closest child.
"That's the elder brother," Healer Morntan said as he began to clean himself up. "Born at 11:55 pm on October 31st, 1981. His little sister," he gestured to the little bundle that Scarlett was cradling in her arms, "Was born fifteen minutes later at 12:10 am on November 1st, 1981. Both babies are extremely healthy."
"Thank you Healer Morntan, Midwife Gadson." John looked between the two professionals from Saint Mungo's Hospital. "Thank you for bring these two blessings into this world." He said a tear escaped his eye.
"Have you two thought of any names yet?" Margert asked as she put equipment away. They had, although they hand not been expected twins, they had a name picked out incase the child was either a boy or a girl. Since they now had one of each, they didn't have to think of another.
"Yes", said Scarlett as she looked up at her husband. "Our daughter shall be named Charlotte after my mother, and our son will be named Jack." John sat on the bed and wrapped an arm around his wife as they shared their first moment as a family.
"How about a photo?" Morntan said as he pulled a large camera out from one of his large bags. "To commemorate the moment."
"I must look horrid right now." Scarlett protested as she looked to her husband.
"Nonsense darling, you look beautiful as always." John said as he placed a kiss on her forehead. He turned his attention back to the Healer. "If you would."
"Alright, smile." Said Morntan just before a bright flash.
Alright, this is the prologue chapter to a concept that popped into my head one night. This story will be following the lives of the Franks' twins and the challenges they face. They will have some contact with the main characters of the Harry Potter universe as they are only one year younger. This story will basically be running along parallel with the main canon, so if you have read the books then nothing will have changed. Their interactions will have no effect on the main plot of the books as they can best be described as background characters that never got names in the books. This will illustrate the events that happened at Hogwarts from the perspective of someone with an outside view.
That's not to say they won't have key roles in the main story, but all their actions will be behind the scenes. If you have ever seen Lion King 1 ½ this is the same basic concept, just in the Harry Potter universe. Anyway, please review, criticize, and make suggestions. It's always good to hear from readers.
