A/N: This is my first Harry Potter fic, and I'm going to be sticking pretty close to cannon, with the exception of my original character, Evelyn Rose Potter. Also I would like to address the fact that many of you might notice that the scene at the end of this chapter is practically all straight from the book, this is because I really wanted the scene but didn't really know how I should change it. Anywho…enjoy the show, and review, please review.
Disclaimer: I own nothing from the Harry Potter universe, but I will enjoy bending it to fulfill my own fiendish needs…muwahahaha!
Summary: Harry isn't an only child, in fact he has a twin sister, Evelyn, and they are separated the night Voldemort killed their parents. Now everyone in the wizarding world believes that Evelyn is dead, that is until she shows up at Hogwarts. This series will cover how they both come to grips with having a sibling they never knew about, and many adventures and hardships they face along the way.
Chapter 1: A Tragedy and a Savior
It was a cold, crisp all-hallows eve and the village had already become quiet with sleep when a dark and sinister presence appeared out of nowhere, his red, gleaming eyes scanning the area. He looked down a lane that led out of the village and saw his target. As a cruel smirk played across his face he strode down the lane towards the beautiful cottage at the end.
The couple that lived in the cottage, unaware of the evil slinking through the village, were preparing to go to bed. In the study James Potter was finishing off some papers that he needed to send out with the owl post in the morning. With a large stretch and yawn he stood from the large, paper strewn desk and headed to the stairs.
"Lils?" he called out as he made his way up the stairs.
"Shhh," she replied as she stuck her head out of the nursery's doorway. "I'm trying to get the twins back to sleep. Here, you can help me," she said as she handed over one of the two babies she had been rocking in her arms.
"Hey there little tyke, its sleepy time isn't it," James quietly said to his dozing baby son as he moved into the nursery gently rocking him. Lily followed him in and retook her seat in the rocking chair with her daughter still in her arms.
"I can't believe how big they are already, my beautiful little darlings," she said while gazing fondly at the little girl in her arms. She then looked up at James and he could see the shimmer of tears in her vibrant emerald eyes. "I can't believe we have to hide because that monster is after us. How long will we have to live like this James? How long before we don't have to fear for our children's safety?" she asked him quietly as the tears began to spill from her enchanting eyes and fell on to the sleeping baby in her arms.
"I don't know sweetheart," James answered as he knelt in front of her, and with his free hand he gently wiped the tears from her face. "Come on, let's put Harry and Evelyn down and head to bed," he said standing and leaning forward to kiss his beloved's forehead.
"Alright, I'll be there in just a bit," she told him as he set a sleeping Harry in the crib. "James," she said just before he left the nursery. When he turned to look at her she gave him a small smile and said, "I love you." He smiled back.
"I love you too Lils. I always…" He was interrupted by the loud bang and crashing sound that came from downstairs. James had flicked out his wand and turned his head to Lily. "It's him! Take the babies and go," he said firmly. Suddenly he left and went to buy some time for his wife and children.
"James!" Lily cried out as she stood and raced to the doorway. She could hear the shouting and see the flashes of curses coming from downstairs. Knowing the risk and sacrifice her James was making by dueling Voldemort, she rushed back in the room and to the crib. She was about to grab Harry and run when she heard the most dreaded curse, followed by a cruel laugh, and in her heart she felt the deep loss of her sweet James. As furious tears began to stream from her eyes she set little Evelyn down in the crib next to Harry, both of which were very much awake, but surprisingly not crying. They looked on as their mother wiped out her wand and whirled around to face the demon in the doorway.
"Step aside you silly girl," Voldemort commanded in a sneering tone.
"I will not let you harm my babies," Lily replied evenly as she stared fiercely back into the crimson eyes of a murderer. Voldemort let out another cruel laugh at Lily's defiance.
"Then you will die with them. Avada Kedavra!" he said, and the deadly green curse was hurtling towards Lily, but she didn't move aside. Instead she had closed her eyes and clasped her hand around the locket on her neck. 'For my darlings,' she thought, and just before the curse hit her there was a slight glow emanating from her hand, from the locket, which Voldemort didn't notice. The next moment Lily was lying on the ground dead, but there was no fear or pain on her face, and though the light in her loving eyes had gone out, she looked peaceful and serene.
Voldemort didn't see this though because his focus was on the two toddlers in the crib looking right at him with the same vibrantly green eyes as their mother. He sneered at them as he took a step closer to the crib.
"So you are the one prophesized to be my downfall," he said looking at Harry, and sneering again he continued, "I think not…Avada Kedavra."
Voldemort laughed a high shrill laugh as he sent the spell towards baby Harry, but because he was so focused on Harry he didn't see that little Evelyn had let go of the rail, and as the spell flew at the crib she grabbed Harry, but being babies still and not very stable on their feet they began to fall backwards when the green spell hit. For a moment Voldemort was very pleased with himself, but that changed when the same green spell came shooting back at him from the crib. With a rushing sound, he was engulfed in the deadly light. He let out a terrible shrieking sound as his spirit was ripped from his body and his magic lashed out, destroying much of the house, and as his body hit the floor it instantly turned to ash.
In the magical backlash that was bringing down the house the crib had fallen over and knocked out Harry, but Evelyn had managed to fall with all of the bedding and as she sat up she started to cry in pain and fear of all that had happened. Since she was on the floor she started to crawl around the ruined crib to her mother's body (all the while screaming her little baby lungs out) where she tried to shake her awake
"Mama…Mama wake," she cried out as the house continued to collapse around her. Still bawling, she laid her head down on her mother's still chest, one hand coming to rest on the beautiful locket her mother always wore.
Peter Pettigrew had had a bad feeling when he told his master the Potter's location, so he went there himself to see what would happen. Standing outside the little garden gate and hiding in the shadows of a large Elm tree, he witnessed the flashes of green light that took the lives of his old school friends. It was after the third green flash that he was thrown to the ground from the powerful wave of raw magic that blasted from the house, shattering all of the windows and practically ripping the house in half.
He picked himself up as quickly as he could and began to frantically look around, expecting the aurors to show up at any moment. Deciding that he better flee the scene, he moved to leave when he heard it, a baby crying. He knew it had to be one of the twins, and after a moments hesitation he turned towards the house and rushed into the ruined entryway. He may have sold out his friends but he couldn't leave a helpless baby in the collapsing house.
After scurrying up the semi-stable staircase he finally made it to the nursery, which looked to him like a war zone, and saw the source of the noise. There lay little Evey, crying over her mother's dead body. She looked up at Peter as he moved into the room and her sobs stilled for a moment.
"'omtal, wake mama, 'omtal peas," she pleaded to him.
"I'm sorry sweetie, but I can't. Now you need to come with uncle Wormtail, alright?" he said as he began to scoop her up.
"No! Mama wake!" she cried out as lifted her up and she clung to the only thing she had a hold of, the locket, but the chain broke and Peter whisked her from the destroyed home. Once back outside he cast a quick glance around before apparating to a safe place in London.
A couple hours later…
As Hagrid arrived, he saw the destroyed cottage and almost collapsed at the sight. He had to find the Potter's and get them out of there, dead or alive, but with the state the house was in he dared to hope that anyone survived. On the first floor he found James's body in the living room with part of a beam across his legs. Hagrid lifted the beam like it was twig and scooped up his dead friend, quickly taking him outside and resting him on the ground. Dashing back in he carefully made his way up the stairs to search, that's when he found Lily in the nursery.
'But where're the babies' he thought, then catching sight of the over-turned crib he made his way over. There on the other side was baby Harry, out cold. Gently Hagrid picked him up and cradled him in one arm, noticing the lightening bolt shaped cut on his forehead.
"I'll get yeh out nice an' safe Harry," he said looking fondly down at the toddler in his arm. Looking again around the crib and under much of the debris surrounding it, Hagrid tried to find Evelyn, but when the house gave a great shudder he knew he didn't have anymore time. Swiftly picking up Lily's body he turned and cautiously made his way back out of the house. He hadn't gone more then two steps out of the front door (or what was left of it anyway) when the floor to the second story collapsed.
He laid Lily down next to James and draped a large blanket he snagged on the way out over the both of them. He looked back at the house, tears streaming from his beetle black eyes into his wild, bushy black beard, when he heard a familiar sound. Turning to look up the lane he saw a motorcycle approaching. As it got closer he saw that it was Sirius Black, James' best friend.
Sirius had barely stopped when he hoped of the bike and was gazing horrified at the ruins of his friends' home. Taking notice of Hagrid he ran up to the large man.
"A-a-are th-they?" Sirius stuttered.
"'fraid so," Hagrid answered, tears still streaming from his eyes.
"And the twins?" asked Sirius with much apprehension in his voice.
"Harry's fine, got him right here," Hagrid said gesturing to the babe in his arms, "but I…I couldn't find Evey," he finished and began to sob again. Sirius turned in horror to look back at the collapsing house. After a moment he made to rush into the rubble, but Hagrid grabbed his arm.
"'S no good. They was in the nursery, but she weren't there. If she was still in the house she'd be buried under all that rubble from the collapse," Hagrid said sadly. With a large sigh Sirius dropped his head, then slowly he turned back to Hagrid.
"Let me have Harry, Hagrid," he said reaching towards the baby boy in Hagrid's arms.
"Sorry Sirius, gotta bring him with me, Dumbledore's orders," replied Hagrid as he turned slightly from Sirius's reaching arms. With another sigh Sirius dropped his arms.
"Here, take my bike," he offered.
"Yeh sure?" asked Hagrid
"Yeah, I won't be needing it anymore," he said as he handed over the keys to the large man. After a moment of gazing fondly at his godson, taking in the tuft of jet-black hair, his little hands, and his sweet face, Sirius turned swiftly from Hagrid and apparated to his flat in London. He had a traitorous rat to find.
The next night, Surrey…
Minerva McGonagall had spent all day watching the inhabitants of Number 4 Privet drive (of course they didn't know she was watching them as she was in her tabby cat animagus form) and she found them to be absolutely the worst Muggles she had ever seen. Why Albus was coming here of all places she had no idea, but had to find out if the rumors she'd heard were true, if You-Know-Who was really gone.
Looking down the road she saw the wizard she had been waiting for, Albus Dumbledore, appear out of nowhere. She watched as he used a Put-Outer to extinguish the street lamps, then strolled down the rode to the garden wall of number four and sat down next to her. Without looking at her he started speaking to her.
"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."
He turned to smile at her, and where only a moment ago there had been a tabby now sat a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses and had her black hair drawn into a tight bun.
"How did you know it was me?" she asked.
"My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly," he replied smilingly.
"You'd be stiff too if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," she tersely replied.
"All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here," he said jovially, while Minerva sniffed angrily.
"Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no, even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news," she said as she jerked her head towards the Dursley's darkened living room. "I heard it. Flocks of owls…shooting stars…Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent, I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense."
"You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years."
"I know that," she said irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumors," she finished and threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore, hoping he might have something to tell her, but he didn't and she continued. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really has gone, Dumbledore?" she questioned as she peered at him intently.
"It certainly seems so," he said. "We have much to be thankful for."
"Yes, but even if You-Know-Who has gone…"
"Professor, certainly a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name, Voldemort," Dumbledore said and took no notice as she flinched at the name as he had been peering up at the stars. "All this You-Know-Who business gets so confusing."
Professor McGonagall looked at him slightly exasperated before she said, "The owls are nothing next to the rumors that are flying around. You know what everyone's saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?" At this she fixed him with a piercing stare, Dumbledore, however, did not answer. "What they're saying," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters. The rumor is that Lily and James Potter are…are…that they're…dead."
At this Albus bowed his head and Minerva gasped.
"Lily and James…I can't believe it…I didn't want to believe it…Oh Albus…what about their daughter…is it true…is she gone too," she said as she struggled to face such a hard truth.
"Yes," he said heavily as he patted her shoulder comfortingly.
Her voice trembling now, she continued. "That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry. But…he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke, and that's why he's gone."
Dumbledore only nodded glumly.
"It's…it's true?" she faltered. "After all he's done…all the people he's killed…he couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding…of all the things to stop him…but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?"
"We can only guess," said Dumbledore and with a great sniff he looked down at his strange pocket watch. "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"
"Yes," she replied as she dabbed at her eyes with a lace handkerchief. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places?"
"I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now," he said.
"You don't mean…you can't mean the people who live here?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. "Dumbledore, you can't. I've been watching them all day. They're the worst sort of Muggles imaginable, they're nothing like us. And their son, I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry Potter come and live here, you can't be serious!"
"It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter," he finished by pulling out an envelope of aged looking parchment with the Dursley's names on it.
"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly as she sat back down on the wall. "You really think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous, a legend, I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future. There will be books written about Harry, and every child in our world will know his name!"
"Exactly," replied Dumbledore, as he looked very seriously over his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! He'll be much better off growing up away from all of that until he is ready to take it."
"Yes, you're right, of course. But how is he getting here?" she questioned as she eyed his cloak, expecting he might have Harry hidden away in it.
"Hagrid is bringing him."
Minerva's eyes snapped back up to Albus's face. "You think it wise to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?" she questioned.
"I would trust Hagrid with my life, Minerva," he replied calmly.
"I'm not saying that his heart isn't in the right place, but he can sometimes be a bit careless," Minerva said grudgingly. "He does tend to…what was that?"
They both turned to look up the street as they heard a low rumbling, but there was no sign of any headlights. When it swelled to a roar they looked up to see a giant flying motorcycle coming to land in front of them. Sitting astride the large bike was the man Albus had been waiting for, Rubeus Hagrid. As the giant of a man dismounted from the bike, Albus and Minerva stood from the wall and walked over to him.
"Hagrid, at last," said Albus, sounding relieved. "Where did you get the motorcycle?"
"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," answered Hagrid. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me."
"Ah, I trust there were no problems?" asked Albus.
"No, sir…I managed to get him out before the house collapsed…but little Evey, sir, I couldn't find her," he said with a great sob and Dumbledore reached out and patted him on the arm. "Still I managed to clear Lily an' James out before the Muggles started swarmin' it, and little Harry fell back to sleep as we was flyin' over Bristol."
As both professors peered into the bundle of blankets in Hagrid's arms they could just the baby boy, fast asleep, and under the tuft of his dark hair was the curiously shaped cut, like a lightening bolt.
"Is that where…?" Minerva whispered.
"Yes," answered Albus. "He'll have that scar the rest of his life."
"Isn't there something you could do about it, Albus?"
"Even if there was, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy, in fact I have on just above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground. Well, give him here, Hagrid. We'd better get this over with," said Dumbledore preparing to take the bundle from Hagrid.
"Could I…could I say good-bye to him, sir?" Hagrid asked with a great sniff. Then he bent his great, shaggy head and gave Harry what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss on the head, and as he handed Harry over to Dumbledore he gave another great sob. Through his tears he said, "I c-c-can't stand it…Lily, James, and Evey, all dead…an' poor Harry off to live with Muggles…"
"Yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip and quiet down before you wake all the Muggles, or we'll be found," Minerva whispered gently as she patted his arm gingerly. Albus had already stepped over the low garden wall and stooped down at the front doorstep, and rest Harry gently before it. He then took the envelope he had shown to Professor McGonagall and tucked it inside Harry's blankets. When that was done he went back to join the other two, and for a few moments they just stood there, all wondering what the future would bring for the little boy.
"Well, that's that," said Albus without his usual twinkle in his eyes. "Best not linger. We may as well join in the celebrations."
"Yeah, I'll just be takin' Sirius his bike back. G'night, Professors," Hagrid said and turned away from the house, remounted the bike, kicked on the engine, and with a roar, flew off into the night.
"I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore with a nod, and he too turned from the house and strode back down the street. When he reached the corner he pulled out the silver Put-Outer, and with a click, balls of light sped back to theirs lamps, returning the orange glow to Privet Drive. He looked back down the street in time to see a tabby cat as it slipped around the other corner, and he could just make out the bundle of blankets on the step on number four.
"Good luck, Harry," he murmured, and with a swish of his cloak he was gone.
A/N: So here's the first chapter. Let me know what you think so I can send more out your way. Also, any suggestions for a better story title are welcome, as I am willing to acknowledge that mine is...eh...not so great. So, send me a review with your thoughts and comments.