Three years ago I believed my younger brother was dead.
"The Chosen One," prophesied to survive the Unforgivable Killing curse as a child - one cast by none other than the darkest wizard of our time- and destroy him. A rumor that soared around during 1981 which attracted the attention of Lord Voldemort, leading to the death of the Potter family - my family.
What brought the demise to the core of wizard gossip was when I was the only one found at the scene. I could remember it as if it had happened yesterday... My father pushing me into the closet to hide me as I pleaded him to tell me what was wrong. Mother was crying, cradling my baby brother in her arms and trying to lock herself in the bedroom. I'd peeked from the spots through the closet door and sobbed into my hand, practically blinded by the repetitive green flashes and the piercing cries. I could do nothing about it. I'd woken in the arms of a man cloaked in black, his cheeks stained with tears and his eyes glistening with a dark sorrow, carrying me away from Godric's Hollow. The same man looked at me with remorse once I'd regained consciousness and uttered the words, "They're gone."
Words I had believed ever since.
Although the prophecy was deemed a hoax and a tragedy, although my brother had never been sighted and had become nothing but a forgotten tale, although the stranger and the trustworthy alike claimed him dead, my visions were clouded by one thing and one thing only - a young boy as thin as a stick with raven hair, round glasses, and piercing eyes colored like grass after a rainstorm. A young boy who was the spitting image of my father. These were things I couldn't tell my caretakers, the Weasley family, who had been entrusted with my care by the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore. These were things I couldn't share with the Headmaster himself, or with the man who rescued me that night. They were my mind's escape to a world where my brother was beside me.
The realization had struck during the summer of 1991 that hadn't it been for that tragedy, my brother would've been starting his first year at the magic school. I could picture an excited Harry dragging our parents through the brick wall between Platforms 9 and 10 in Kings Cross. I could picture him with his Gryffindor robes, chattering amongst housemates in the common room at night, riding the wind on his broomstick in his team jersey to give pride to his father. Was my mind purely torturing me by reminding me of what my brother, Harry Potter, could've become? Was it reminding me of a great loss to constrict me in the past and stop me from moving on with the present?
No matter the never ending pain it brought, I had been certain that he was gone.
There was absolutely no way that Harry Potter could've survived.
"Well someone's in a chirpy mood," An all-too-familiar voice cooed with a clap of their hands.
I cocked my head to the side, giving my attention to the girl boarding the carriage. Brilliantly long blonde hair that resembled threads of gold accompanied with sharp azure eyes and a smile that could rival - it could be no other than Rayne Allister.
"Rayne!" I exclaimed ecstatically, standing up and throwing myself into her warm embrace. Rayne giggled at the greeting and gave me a friendly squeeze in return.
"Agh, Rose, it feels so good to see you again! A few months stuck in the Muggle World and I missed you from day one! How dare you only write back twice?"
"Blame the Weasley barn owl," I huffed, crossing my arms as I pulled her into the seat next to me. The carriage began to roll down the gravel pathway towards the castle. "It's slower than Fred chatting up a girl."
"I know, that's why I always send my letters back with Midnight - tell me, what have I missed? Nothing interesting?"
"Absolutely nothing, the most eventful thing that's happened is beating Ron's ass in Quidditch-"
"Nice!" She praised, holding up her hand for a high-five which I gladly returned. "But save that practice for the field, we need to kick Slytherin ass this year, not Weasley ass."
The rest of the carriage ride was spent discussing the uneventful length of summer, and how thrilling it felt to be back at Hogwarts School. Despite her friend's beaming personality, it was hard for her shifting gazes to go unnoticed. She seemed anxious, and wary, something slightly concerning when it came to Rayne.
"Is there something wrong?" I asked, drumming my fingers on my lap as I, too, looked around to see if I caught sight of anything or anyone.
Her eyes widened and she shook her head, releasing a chuckle that was all-too-forced. "Huh? No, it's nothing... Just looking around... Rose, I have something to tell y-"
The carriage came to a halt in front of the large gates that led students into the vast courtyard. I looked up at the castle in grand awe, the cobblestone towers and labyrinthine halls were always a sight. "Huh? We have to get going, you can ask me later."
Rayne's face fell in regret and concern but she quickly replaced the emotion as she relished in the sight of her school. Within minutes we were walking alongside the antsy swarm of bustling students pushing there way inside to the Great Hall. I sighed out in relief at the sight of the floating candles, the enchanted ceiling imitating the starry night sky, and the four tables aligned with House banners billowing above them. It felt like being back home.
As I headed for the Gryffindor table and continued taking in the scenery, I noticed eyes flickering toward me, and then away. People murmured under their breaths and whispered to one another, although I wasn't sure what of. Was there a pesky rumor going around? Was it just my name and face, which always seemed to target the center of attention when least wanted?
"Oi, Rosalie!"
I caught sight of the twins waving me and the blonde over to the Gryffindor table, pushing Lee Jordan and an unfamiliar second year over to grant us spots.
"Boys, where were you?" I spat playfully, giving their shoulders a shove as I sat down on the wooden bench. "You left me all alone on the train with some first years!"
"We're terribly sorry, flower," Fred teased along, giving a dramatic bow of his head. "We also ran into an ickly little first year outside the platform who needed help, and mum was so sympathetic she held us back. I think the poor boy was a Muggleborn, knew nothing about magic. Isn't it saddening, Georgey?"
George nodded in agreement, pretending to sniffle and wipe away a tear from under his eyes.
"Perfect acting skills. Remind me to hex you both later."
Rayne howled with laughter at her comment, eyeing me with surprise. "Merlin's beard, Rose! You've grown feistier over break, haven't you?"
"I'm telling you, it's the match she had with Ron."
"I've never seen a little kid so egotistically hurt!"
We sniggered at the banter, but were shortly interrupted by the Transfiguration master, Professor McGonagall, leading in a shuffling bunch of first years. All were mushed in an indistinguishable crowd, marching forward in a bundle of anxious nerves. One by one, kids stepped up in alphabetical order while the Sorting Hat chanted House names back and forth.
"Gryffindor!"
"Hufflepuff!"
"Ravenclaw!"
"Slytherin!"
Students in tables whistled and cheered in greeting each time a new member was inducted. Enchanted robes and ties would convert to the house colors as the smaller kids ran to their new housemates.
I picked at my food with my fork, my mind dozing off as the ceremony seemed to drag on. I managed to catch a few familiar names: A Longbottom was sorted into Gryffindor, a Malfoy and a Greengrass were sorted into Slytherin (no surprise there). The less familiar the people got, the closer I was to falling asleep, my shoulders slumping down in defeat. Attention was rarely given in the ceremonies, anyways.
It was then that a name echoed out, seeming to bounce off the walls of the castle, causing complete and utter silence. Rayne immediately snapped her head up and cursed under her breath. The twins gasped, faces falling as they, too, turned their gaze to the child stepping onto the platform. The whole Hall tensed up and looked towards me, the mutters now a blur in my ears. My heart seemed to freeze, my body paralyzed and threatening to break, my breath caught in my throat in a sharp halt. The name repeated over and over in my mind in the span of those short seconds as I tried to convince myself of every possibility of my thoughts being wrong. This was another, not him. There was no way...
But when I looked up to the stool, to the boy with a Hat being lowered onto his head, the fork in my hand slipped from my fingers and onto the fine china with a loud clanging sound. Everything fell into complete silence, as all eyes, even the rainforest green ones through round-rimmed glasses, stared.
With no other words, with a nervous system threatening to shut down, I placed my hands against the cold mahogany, stood up, and walked away with the two words carved into my brain.
"Harry Potter."
"...How could you even fathom to speak such words? For a brilliant wizard as you are, can you even understand what is running through that girl's mind at this very moment? To hear her supposedly dead brother's name called out in the middle of a Hall to people who believed him gone?"
I silently thanked Snape from behind the office door I eavesdropped from.
"Severus, I do understand. But you knew the risks of telling her earlier - it is best she's learned of the truth now. The anger will pass - if anyone needs to gain an understanding of the severity of the consequences of her knowing prior to today, it must be her," Dumbledore calmly defended, diminishing the importance of the situation.
Before one of them could say a thing more, my hands pushed against the doors and revealed my presence. Snape and Dumbledore watched with great uncertainty and surprise as I slammed my hands down against Dumbledore's desk with fury. Betrayal and outrage bubbled inside me and shot through every nerve in my body like electricity.
"What the hell is wrong with you two? How could you not have the decency to tell me that my brother is still alive? Not just me, the whole goddamn Wizarding World! After being asked countless times about that night, you denied every single mention of there ever being a sight of Harry!" I yelled at the Headmaster, angry tears streaming down my cheeks in rapid rushes.
Snape reached for the back of my robes to tug me away from the desk. I snatched away from his grip and spun on my heel to face him.
"And you," I began, waving a judgemental finger at Snape. "I trusted you! You carried me away that night, you told me he was dead just like my parents! You told me that although the Curse rebounded on Voldemort, the hit was strong enough to kill him! What is wrong with you people?"
The two Professors ogled me as if I had just set the castle ablaze along with every student in it. An uncomfortably thick silence filled the air with tension before Dumbledore exhaled and wisely decided on speaking up. "Rosalie, you must listen to us. You not knowing was for your own good."
"For my own damn good? Right, I know my brother is alive - you may as well ship me off to Azkaban! Better yet, sign me right up for the Dementor's Kiss," I sarcastically snapped. "How could not knowing this be possibly for my own good? Even just... knowing he was alive, even if I didn't see him until today. That would've been good enough for me..."
"Some things cannot be known, Rosalie."
Snape turned away from Dumbledore to face me, his eyes hardening into a stern and intense glare. "You will promise us something right now if you plan to leave this room. Potter is not to know about your blood relation yet - do not confront him."
"His name is Harry," I hissed defensively. "And why can't I, Professor? What's stopping me from storming out of here right now and finding him?"
"Because, he can't know yet."
"That's not a good enough reason," I retorted. There was no way I was expected to continue on my time in Hogwarts with my brother inhabiting the same space as me, not knowing who I am. He deserved to know about me, to know that he has someone remaining from his family ready to watch over him and care for him. He was alone for all I knew. Who had he stayed with? How had he made it?
"Trust us," Dumbledore pleaded in a hushed whisper.
"After this?" I breathed out, exhausted of all anger as I wiped under my eyes. "How can I?" I wasn't sure my answer was final. A part of me knew no matter what I said, a piece of me could not conform with letting go of the confidence in the two men.
Snape fell silent at my proclamation. I could only hope his lack of words meant he knew I was right.
"I'm sorry, Rosalie. I truly am. If you want to forget about your trust in us, do so as you please. But trust this one final thing. Don't let him know of you yet. Soon, we will make sure everything is explained to him," Dumbledore assured. "But now is not the right time to do so."
I sighed, nodding my head. "Fine, I won't say a word. But don't take it lightly - mark this when I say it, if he doesn't know by winter break, I'm telling him myself."
"Oh look, if it isn't the disgusting little lions out of their den," a shrill voice cried.
I scowled at the sight of an approaching Bella Moreno, third year Slytherin witch with ebony black hair, long nails, and a wicked smile. Beside her stood a chubby, rosy-cheeked boy with a sneer by the name of Crabbe, a taller yet pudgier child named Goyle, and a snarling platinum blonde that could be none other than a Malfoy.
"What the hell do you want, Moreno?" I spat in irritance at their presence.
"Well, we just wanted to congratulate you with the hell of luck you had this match - But I wouldn't keep that victory in mind, Slytherin will win next time," Crabbe boasted.
"You wish," Harry mumbled, clutching his broomstick tightly.
"No, I think Crabbe's right, actually. There's a reason we've gone undefeated all these years," Malfoy remarked, his cold eyes sizing up his opponents. "This was just luck."
"Oh would you look at that? Moreno joined Malfoy's little first year gang. This is incredible - just when I thought she couldn't get any lower," I mocked.
Ron and Hermione stood speechless, while Harry huffed in annoyance, fixed on the arrogant snobs before him.
"Please, this is Draco Malfoy after all, Lucius Malfoy's son," Bella scoffed matter-of-factly. "You wish you were prestigious enough to speak with him."
"Oh right! A Malfoy - my bad, I forgot. You can add that to the list," I spat, hatred forming in the pit of my stomach. Ron snorted and tried to conceal it, but his ears went deep scarlet as Malfoy shot him a glare.
"Think it's funny, Weasley? It's not as if you're in a place to say that. Go cry to your mum, Potter. Oh wait, she's dead!" Malfoy recalled, cackling with evil glee.
The rest of the Slytherin gang chortled along at the clever comment. Harry's eyes softened sympathetically as I gulped, my eyes closing as I thought of every possible way to murder someone. No, stay calm, Rosalie, just walk away.
"You're crossing the line, Malfoy," Harry cautioned, attempting to come to the rescue.
"Digging at dead parents?" I sighed, shaking my head in disappointment. "That's a low blow. It shows how little respect you have despite your self-given grandeur."
"This is too emotional," Moreno continued, ignoring the words shared by the older female. "Two Potters sympathizing about their parents' death! Someone get me a tissue, this is going to get real emotional."
"I warned you the beginning of the year, Potter," Malfoy recalled. "But you've gone and befriended the wrong sort anyways. Perhaps it did do us good to not be friends."
Harry took one brave step forward, inching threateningly closer to the Slytherin. "Shut up, Malfoy."
"Look at you! How brave and courageous. Gonna defend your older sister?"
And at that moment I was launching myself at Malfoy.
A sharp yank on the back of my robes prevented me from swinging at him as I stumbled backwards. Ron's tug managed to stop me, but my eyes were blazing with a black fire. An intrigued crowd was already watching the argument unravel to its climax.
"You bastard!" I growled.
"Sister..?" The raven-haired boy questioned, his voice lowering in confusion.
"Thought it was a coincidence you two had the same last name, didn't you, Potter? Clearly you're not so smart now, are you? I see why the Sorting Hat didn't put you in Ravenclaw," the blonde poked, as if he hadn't said enough.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione snarled.
"You don't know what you're saying, Malfoy. Leave us alone," Hermione finished.
Draco smirked triumphantly and with that, him and his friends were swaggering down the hall, congratulating each other and laughing to themselves. How was it Slytherins always ended up with the last word? How could they ruin it all with a snap of their fingers for their enjoyment and pride?
My mind was blanked out as realization crashed that Harry was looking up at me expectantly, as if searching for an answer to Malfoy's words. What was I supposed to do? Was it safe for him to know? Should I run? Should I stay? Make up a lie?
That son of a Death Eater would pay.
In that moment of internal war, I did the only rational thing I could conclude to - the same thing I had done for the past three years being at Hogwarts when I was troubled.
My legs took off in a brisk sprinting motion, leaving the gaping trio behind. I sped down the halls and towards the dungeons, refusing to slow down despite loss of breath as I made toward the pinpointed destination known as the Potions classroom. I needed Snape and Dumbledore. Not only were they the only two adults at Hogwarts I could fully confide in, but this situation required their immediate action. It was all thanks to a bunch of first year snakes.
I burst open the door of the classroom to spot Professor Snape sitting in his desk, quill scratching on parchment as an older boy crouched on the floor, grumbling as he scrubbed away at the grime on the stone. Upon my unexpected arrival, his dull eyes snapped up to mine.
"Potter, what brings you here uninvited?" He drawled with blatant disinterest, reluctantly setting down his pen to listen.
"It's urgent," I implored. "I need you to come with me to see Headmaster Dumbledore."
"Potter," he snapped. "Can you not see with your own two eyes I'm currently busied with detention? What could be so demanding you need to barge in and interrupt for?"
"He knows."
I treaded slowly past the Fat Lady portrait, scanning the Gryffindor common room until I targeted who I needed to talk to sitting on the ruby red cushions by the fireplace. I stepped in front of him, snapping him out of his trance. "Harry, we need to talk."
He gave a slow nod. Ron and Hermione exchanged long gazes before departing and leaving us in solitude. I took a seat next to my brother and stared at the flickering flames for a lingering moment, creating a long tranquility.
"I thought it was all some crude banter, the nickname... but everyone looked so surprised after he spoke, and you tried to attack him, then left... What did Malfoy mean?" Harry asked, deciding to split the strain. "What did he mean when he called you my older sister?"
"He meant exactly what he said," I managed through a shaky breath, refusing to make eye contact. My posture remained stiff at his side.
"That's impossible. I'm an only child, I've never had siblings-"
I laughed to myself, bringing him back to a silence of anticipation. "Of course, you can't remember me. You weren't even a year old."
"But... No one ever mentioned you," he further pressed. "I was dropped at the doorstep of my aunt and uncle, alone."
"I didn't get the choice to go with you that night. Dad... He..." I gulped away a forming lump in my throat. "He hid me away to protect me. He locked me inside of a closet - a man made it that night to the scene, he found me and he took me away. He left me in custody of a trusted wizard family - the Weasleys. He told me... He told me you were dead. And so did everyone else."
He struggled to find the right words to fit the story, allowing me time to continue.
"I bet you were convinced your whole life you were an only child. I didn't have that advantage. I remembered you, and that night as if I was reliving it. I knew very well I had a younger brother by the name of Harry James Potter. I was told, that the night Voldemort came to our home, my brother was killed." A tear forced its way out of my eye at the memory. I sniffed and blinked it away in failing attempts to maintain my composure. "I spent my whole childhood believing what they'd told me. No one thought you were alive - but the people around me knew the truth, and never once told me. I was being tortured by visions of you, by nightmares and dreams..."
"Rosalie..."
"That night of the Sorting, when I heard them say your name, I refused to believe it was you. Every muscle in my body refused to work, it felt like my world just flipped upside down. When I saw you walk up to the stool, you looked so much like dad. I don't know what came over me, but I stood up and I ran. Dumbledore told me I couldn't tell you, that I had to wait for the time to be right. I tried to stay away from you, just seeing you walk down the halls stung. I was terrified. But Hermione disagreed with what I was doing - she introduced me, and maybe it was the right thing to do, seeing as I got to know you. But Malfoy just had to come and ruin it."
At this point, my head had fallen in between my knees as I trembled in feeble attempts to control my sobs. I peeked with anticipated rejection at Harry, however, he no longer appeared baffled. Concern and sadness was etched on creases in his forehead, through the glimmer in his eyes. Did he believe me?
"'Your blood is running through the House of Gryffindor - find it,'" Harry recited under his breath. "That's what the Sorting Hat told me when I begged for mercy from Slytherin... I thought it was talking about my parents..."
My stomach dropped to the pit of my stomach, my face hidden in my arms as I sobbed. Slim, short arms wrapped around my torso, and in that moment, my lips cracked a smile of relief. I turned towards him and enveloped him around my arms in a spur of joy, feeling all the chains tying me down to the Earth coming undone. His body trembled ever so slightly, but his wide beam could be felt against my shoulder.
... It was then that I felt a looming presence over my frail body.
I pulled away from Harry's hold and looked up, eyes blowing wide with fright at the sight of a snake emerging from the fireplace with an atrocious creature beside it, its blood-red eyes directly targeting me. A wand raised, digging into the side of my temple. I reached beside me in defense, only to feel nothing but velvet.
Harry wasn't next to me.
The common room was empty.
An ear-splitting cry wrangled out of my throat as pain overtook my body.
Then suddenly, everything was green.