Prologue- Her Brother From Another Mother
By Appleeater123
Prologue
St. Mungo's- January 11, 1981
Wind cackled and howled in the background. Muggles said that the gods were furious as the ground shook and trees burned out husks that had been struck by lightning withered and fell to the ground. In the midst of this melee was a small hospital by the name of St. Mungo's where in the southern most room on the third floor a baby was taking it's first breath of air after an extremely difficult birth.
"We'll call her Elizabeth Lillian Potter." A redheaded woman told her husband as she cradled her newborn child in her arms, "A beautiful name for a beautiful girl."
Her black haired bespectacled husband agreed with her as he took his sleeping daughter from his wife. "She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen Lily. My daughter…"
Suddenly the healers rushed forward as the man dropped into a dead faint. They barely managed to catch the baby girl before she hit the floor. It seemed that the father, James Potter, had momentarily gone into shock, which had then caused him to faint.
He would later try to claim that he had merely fallen over, but no one believed him.
The baby opened her gorgeous green eyes for the first time and started to scream. The healer quickly rocked her and made comforting noises so as to calm the wailing child but that only seemed to make the situation worse. For the next week the baby cried almost continually until magical testing turned up the problem.
….
St. Mungo's- January 18, 1981
"She has a twin."
"What are you talking about Healer McKinley I birthed my daughter and I can tell you for sure that no other child came out of my womb at the same time!" Mrs. Lily Evans-Potter was going spare over her daughter's constant tantrums.
"That is not exactly what I meant Mrs. Potter, if you will only allow me to explain." The healer tried again to explain only to be cut off.
"Explain, EXPLAIN, what do you mean explain! I know plenty well what twins are Sir. I think you would do well to remember yourself!"
"What I mean is that she is classified as a Norse twin which roughly means that she has a twin from another mother. The basics of it are that your daughter and another child are a form of magical twin that are born into different families, normally families that are already close to one another, that share a higher than average magical twin bond. They will also probably share certain features and magical traits from each other's family. Law considers Norse twins as a part of the other twin's family. In extreme cases if one twin dies and the family has no other direct heirs the remaining twin will inherit. It depends on the twins of course, how strong the bond is, but I suspect the bond will be very strong if Elizabeth is having this type of reaction to separation from her twin."
Lily's face was white after the explanation. "Where, where do we find this twin?"
Healer McKinley sighed, "That's the hard part Mrs. Potter. The twins will have been born at the same time so we will have to go through all of the records in Europe of children born at that same moment, however it is possible that the twin will not be in Europe at all and then we will need to search other continents for him or her."
Lily nodded determinedly "Start right away, I'll inform James of this development. In the mean time do you have any way of calming my daughter down?"
"Unfortunately we do not…"
….
Padfoot's Flat- January 26, 1981
Sirius Black lay passed out on the sofa in the middle of his apartment when there was a knock on the door. The knocking grew in strength and soon it sounded as if the door was being battered down.
Moaning Sirius groggily opened his eyes and tried to focus on his surroundings. He groaned as the knocking continued.
"I'm coming! I'm coming! Hold your horses, don't break my door down!" He shouted irately.
Flinging the door wide he stared at the person on the other side. Sirius rubbed his eyes and muttered to himself.
"I'm never touching the Fire Whiskey again."
"Hello brother." The person on the other side of the door sounded faintly amused that Sirius thought he was a hallucination. But really how did Regulus expect his brother to respond when he showed up on his doorstep carrying a baby.
"How are you this fine morning, I'm rather cold. It would be pleasant if you invited me in. I don't want Anthony to catch a cold from being outside." Regulus stated as if he had talked to Sirius only yesterday when in actuality it had been over five years since either brother had spoken to the other one. Sirius hadn't even attended his brother's wedding to Clarisse Zabini, and Regulus hadn't invited him. Studying his brother's features Sirius noticed that his face looked long and haggard, lines creased his face and made him seem older than Sirius, when in actuality he was younger.
Warily Sirius stood to the side to silently let Regulus through.
"What do you want?" Mumbled Sirius with his arms crossed. "You interrupted my nap."
Regulus didn't answer as he settled in a chair with the baby on his lap. He avoided meeting his older brothers eyes for a minute or two until he finally lifted his gaze from the black haired baby on his lap.
"This is Anthony Nathaniel Black." Regulus' voice trembled as he said the words, "Your nephew."
Sirius stared at him wide-eyed He felt barriers between him and his brother breaking, it wasn't possible. "N-Nephew?"
"Yes, I, well I need to ask a favor Sirius."
"What?"
"The world is a dangerous place now, and being a father really puts things in perspective. I, well, Anthony growing up happy is my first priority, Sirius, and Clarisse died in childbirth, he has no mother soon he will be an orphan. I did something the Dark Lord will not like. The price of betrayal is death. I-I-I need you to look out for my son Sirius, please." Tears had started to fall down Regulus Black's face and splashed onto the forehead of his son.
"I could never forgive myself if he was hurt. Please, Sirius."
Sirius stared into his brother's eyes for ten long minutes. "I'm not the person you want to raise your child Reg." He finally said, "I'm no father."
Regulus brushed his hand across young Anthony's cheek. "You are exactly the person I want to raise my child Sirius. I don't want Anthony to follow in my footsteps, my footsteps are those of a coward's, I want him to follow in yours."
"I don't know what to say Reggy, I guess, I guess I can."
"Thank you, you don't know how much this means to me Sirius."
"So what do I need to know?"
"Anthony was born on January 11. We have to give him calming potion hourly because if we don't he kicks and screams constantly."
Regulus went to take a breath, but Sirius was gaping at him and Regulus frowned, "What?"
"Reg, have you ever heard of Norse twins? I think I just found the perfect people to take care of your kid."
"What the fuck are you talking about Sirius? Norse What? I want you to take care of him."
"Norse twins are twins born into different families, but they still have the twin bond that magical twins have. By law both twins are members of the other twin's family. Lily and James Potter just gave birth to a daughter, on January 11, all of the testing leads us to believe that she has a Norse twin out there, but until they are put together the healers say that she will continue on with her tantrums, constantly. If Anthony really is her twin, then the Potters would take care of him, after all he would be considered family."
"Dear Merlin, Sirius, this is fantastic…"
….
Godric's Hollow- January 26, 1981
"She stopped screaming." James' voice trembled as he stated the fact, "Oh thank Merlin, Morgan, and Morgana."
"It's amazing James! Who would have guessed the odds that the twin was in England. Of course we'll take care of little Anthony. Sirius, tell your brother that he'll be okay." Lily looked slightly giddy with excitement.
Sirius smiled at his best friends, but didn't say anything. He felt something in the pit of his stomach that he couldn't identify. His eyes widened as he realized what he was feeling. He was jealous. Jealous that James had this perfect family and that he, Sirius, wasn't a part of it. Shaking his head he tried to let the thoughts go, they were traitorous thoughts that Sirius never wanted to deal with. He focused back on what Lily was saying.
"… and you'll have to stay here, after all he is your nephew Sirius. That is of course if you want to, but we have more than enough space, and you spend half your time here anyway…" Lily trailed off and looked at Sirius expectantly.
He stared at her, "ok?"
She beamed at him in response.
…
St. Mungo's- July 31, 1984
"YOU'LL NEVER TOUCH ME AGAIN JAMES! ONCE I GET OUT OF HERE I'M GOING TO CASTRATE YOU, DO YOU HERE ME!" Lily screamed and clenched her husband's hand as her second child was born.
"Umm Lily?"
"WHAT DO YOU WANT YOU STUPID MOTHER FUCKER!"
"Could you let go of my hand? You've broken all the bones in my hand."
"One last push Mrs. Potter we're almost done. Ah there, let me just wash him off and then you can hold him. Is that okay Mrs. Potter?" The healer was a little hassled; it had been another difficult birth for the Potter family. James looked like he was about to cry because of his wife's shouts of divorce and dismemberment. Carefully the healer placed the man's sleeping son in his arms after he had freed up his hand from his wife's grip. Meanwhile Mrs. Potter had fallen asleep. Mr. Potter went into the hall to find his children and show them their new brother. It had been agreed upon before hand that the new baby, since it was a boy, would be named Harry James Potter.
…..
Three-year-old Elizabeth Potter clutched her father's hand as he led her into the room with her younger brother. Anthony was on father's other side, and she could feel his nervousness. Uncle Sirius was holding the door open as they passed through and she smiled at him excitedly.
Daddy led her to a crib and picked up the twins so that they could see over the edge. Eliza reached down swiftly to poke her new brother in the face, but her uncle Padfoot quickly blocked her fingers. She pouted at him as Ant laughed into father's shoulder. "But he's sleeping, maybe if he woke up he wouldn't be so boring!"
Uncle Padfoot gave a bark of laughter and tousled her thick black hair causing her to wrinkle her nose and squint her eyes.
"Hey no fair, I can't reach your hair Uncle Padfoof!"
"Squirt you have to be careful with your brother, he's breakable."
"Peoples aren't breakable! You're so silly Uncle Padfoof!"
"Babies are to breakable!"
"Are Not!"
"Are Too!"
"Are Not!"
"Are Too!"
"Are Not!"
"Are Too!"
"Are Not!"
"Are Too!"
"Are Not!"
"Are Too!"
"Are Not!"
"Are Too!"
"Are Too!"
"Are Not!"
"I Win Uncle Padfoof you a'geed with me!"
"Liza shut up you're irritating Harry" Anthony glared at his sister, "you too Uncle Padfoo."
Moments later Harry James Potter opened his eyes and yawned. His little fists rose above his head as he stretched. Eliza looked amazed as she watched her brother's eyes. "Daddy, He has the same eyes as me and Mummy!" She was fascinated by this phenomenon. When Daddy had told her she would be getting a new brother soon she had expected that her new brother would be like having another Anthony around, but he was smaller and had her eyes, so strange.
"Daddy where do babies come from?"
…..
Godric's Hollow- October 29, 1985
"The Evil Snake Face sends a stunner and a cutting hex at the slimy potions master knocking him to the ground, boom! I win Anthony!" The almost five year old Elizabeth Potter took a victory lap around the room as her newly transfigured action figure, courtesy of uncle Padfoot, took out her brother's action figure of the Incredibly slimy Potions master Snape.
Anthony pouted from his space on the floor, "you cheated Eliza, I know you did!"
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Calm down you two you're going to wake Harry up, and then you'll have to find a way to put him to sleep again." Lily called from the kitchen.
Eliza looked traumatized at the thought of bothering Harry while Anthony merely looked ashamed. Lily smiled to herself, the only way Eliza felt ashamed of her actions was when she thought she had done something bad that Harry wouldn't like. Lily thought it was so cute that her daughter cared about her brother so much. To tell someone the truth, Eliza was so loud and Harry was so quite that Lily might've worried about Harry sinking into the background if Eliza didn't pay such keen attention to him. Lily suddenly heard a cry from upstairs and sighed, a four year old could only ever be so careful.
Just as she put down the newspaper to go take care of Harry, Elizabeth and Anthony ran into the room and hugged her legs preventing her from moving. She looked down, the twins looked sorry and they both looked like they might cry at any second.
"We didn't mean to wake up Harry Mummy." Anthony whispered.
Eliza's face was very dramatic; every single emotion she felt was plastered across it. Her features sometimes looked very comical when expressing a big emotion because her features were naturally expressive. Lily thought that Eliza would make a wonderful actress when she got older. At the moment her lips were trembling and her eyebrows drawn together firmly in the middle. She sighed and quietly lifted both of them onto her hips.
"Lets just go make sure he's okay, then maybe I'll take you to outside to fly Eliza, while you climb a tree Anthony."
Their faces changed instantaneously. Eliza beamed at her while Anthony grumbled under his breath. He hated flying and he wasn't too fond of Eliza flying for the mere fact that when she was flying he didn't have some one to play with.
As he was grumbling his black hair started to turn blue. Eliza stared at him and then poked his cheek and smiled, "Turn my hair blue too!" she ordered him.
Concentrating hard Anthony grabbed his twin's hand and forced his magic through the connection they shared, slowly her hair turned light blue and then gradually darkened into a navy color. Anthony was a metamorphagous and even though Eliza wasn't he could change her appearance through their twin bond. Mrs. Potter laughed delightedly, she never tired of seeing the wonder that is magic at work.
Carefully she entered her youngest son's room and set her older children on the rug. Plucking her son from his blanket she rocked and sang to him until he quieted down.
"Mommy Harry hurt himself!" Eliza's head of thick, unruly black hair and almond shaped green eyes just barely peeked over the crib to stare down at her younger brother. Her finger was pointing at her brother's leg were Lily just now noticed a scratch. Frowning in concentration Eliza's mother gently caressed her son's leg. "I wonder how that happened," she murmured to herself.
Anthony reached over the edge of the crib and touched the scratch with the tip of his finger. There was a blue flash and the scratch disappeared. Lily smiled at him and appreciated the fact that he was a natural healer. A long time ago a healer at St. Mungo's had told the Potter parents that Norse twins often had many natural magical gifts because of the fact that they were closely linked to double the amount of magical families as normal children. They had begun to understand what this meant when everyone realized that both Elizabeth and Anthony were parselmouths, and that Eliza controlled her accidental magic to the point that many people said that the real term for it would be better off as wandless magic, because it hadn't been accidental for a long time, and Anthony was a natural healer and metamorphogous. The healer said that it wasn't particularly unusual for people in the twin's situation to have that many magical abilities and talents; he suspected that as they grew older the twins could possibly have their abilities change.
Lily just hoped that by the time they were older the war would be over. Anthony beamed up at her once Harry's leg was completely healed. Her eyes crinkled when she smiled down at him, "thank you so much Anthony, darling, that was a real help. You two head on outside and I'll bring out some sandwiches."
Godrics Hollow- January 11, 1985
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday dear Anthony and Elizabeth
Happy birthday to you
"Quick blow out the candles!"
As fast as possible all of the children sitting near the cake attempted to blow out the candles. The adults quickly snapped photos of puffed cheeks and squinted eyes. Today was Anthony and Elizabeth's fifth birthday. All of their friends were over and Harry was cradled in his father's arms.
Fred and George Weasley as well as Angelique Mathews and Cedric Diggory sat around the twins.
Angelique grinned at Eliza and stated; *"Now fat we're five we can ges besser brooms!"
Eliza grinned back. "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth."
Godrics Hollow- January 12, 1985
"MOOOMMMYYYYY ELIZABETH IS DIEING!" Anthony ran full tilt into the kitchen. His face was frantic with worry as he frantically looked about for his mother. Eliza staggered in after him with her hands held before her and a look of excruciating pain on her face. She was wailing and tears fell freely down her cheeks.
Black lines seemed to flow up her arms from under her shirt and her hands had turned completely black with magic. Her legs also had the strange black markings flowing down them.
Suddenly her wailing increased and before anyone could reach her she collapsed.
Mr. and Mrs. Potter sprinted across the room towards her and six-month old Harry cried loudly from his place in the chair. Mr. Potter barely managed to catch her before her head hit the ground. Immediately Mrs. Potter tossed floo powder into the fireplace and Mr. Potter hurriedly stepped through with his unconscious daughter clutched in his arms. Mrs. Potter grabbed Anthony and Harry and followed them through to St. Mungo's.
When Anthony arrived he noticed that Eliza was being rushed by one of the healers through a set of doors. When he tried to follow his mother clutched at his arm and refused to let him go farther.
"Let the healers see her without having you around underfoot Anthony."
The entire family minus Elizabeth spent hours waiting for Elizabeth in the hospital waiting room. Finally a healer entered the room and beckoned Mr. and Mrs. Potter over to him. He was a good looking chap for an old guy without any grey in his hair at all. He considered them for a moment before speaking.
"Your daughter is a very special girl Mr. and Mrs. Potter. Her 'condition' if you wish to call it that is…
P.S- I wish to reassure you all that under no circumstances will Elizabeth or Anthony be Marry Sues. Harry, Elizabeth, and Anthony will be above average, but then again so was Dumbledore and Tom Riddle, but they will never get anything without working for it.
P.P.S-Feedback is always appreciated
