The empty house's steps creaked as the hooded figure walked up them. As the one cloaked in black stumbled, a 16-year-old girl ran up to help him. "Please, Father, let me help you. You are weak still."
The man gently pushed her away. She knew that he would not have been gentle had he not lost almost all of his strength. "Aliana, I have no need for your help. Let me be, girl." Ignoring her father's protests, Aliana half helped, half carried her father through the door and to the large armchair in the center of the room. The room was freezing, but Aliana waved her hand and a fire appeared in the fireplace. After a while, the room was warm from the eerie green flames.
Content that her father was comfortable, Aliana sat by his feet, stroking the large snake that had its head in her lap. She treated his large reptile as one might treat an oversized dog- with love and compassion, though not enough to allow it the opportunity to curl up in her lap. She looked up at her father with total devotion and awe, though no other human could. "Father, Nagini wants to go exploring. Will you let her?"
"You give the creature too much liberty. But very well." Aliana smiled and hissed down to the snake, which slithered away. "Now for why we are here, girl. The time has come for me to rise again. I know that Harry Potter still lives, but now that you are at your peak of wizardry power, you will be able to stop him and give me liberty. There is a problem, however… there was a girl born with him. Whether she is dead or not, I do not know. If she lives, she will be able to stop you. If she lives, she is the most powerful witch in history. Combined, the two will do great things. If she lives, my daughter, she will be at Hogwarts School. I am planning on sending you there as a transfer student. There, you will be able to find if she lives- and kill her if she does. She is the greatest threat to us. Even without her twin-"
"They're twins, Father? You never mentioned that! That means that she's my age! When do I leave?" Aliana's delight brought a twisted smile to the inhumane face.
"Good. You leave tomorrow."
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Back on Privet Drive…Harry Potter, in his room upstairs, sat up and grasped his forehead, gasping. The dream he just had… was it real or just something else? He shook his head. No, it couldn't have been just a dream. Every time Voldemort showed up in his dreams, it was a vision. And a sister? No way could his subconscious think that up. He wondered…
"She is very much alive, Mr. Potter." Dumbledore stepped out of the shadow into the moonlight. "I have unknowingly been harboring a legend's sister. Though," he chuckled. "I always knew that she was there. We talk quite often. She has been my eyes and ears in the school. I simply never knew her last name. May I sit down?"
Harry blinked then jumped to action. "Certainly, Professor." He smoothed out the bedspread and removed the books and stacks of parchment. Once his teacher sat, the seventeen-year-old sat back against his pillows, puzzled. "Professor, I never heard anything about a sister. I mean," a puzzled look flitting across his face, Harry grabbed his glasses and pushed them up onto his nose. "I'm the Boy Who Lived. Wouldn't people say something if I had a sister? Especially one who lived also?"
The old man chuckled. "Up until a few hours ago, even I did not know that she existed. Your parents hid her from even me. That took a lot. Only your godfather knew of her. He took her in and gave her to me just before the incident with Wormtail. He simply said, 'Her name is Heather. She's an orphan and I can think of no better place for her to be taken care of. She will do extraordinary things with her life.' And he was right." Dumbledore smiled slightly, remembering the imp. "Sirius informed me as of yesterday as to her relationship to you. You are to go back to school next week and act like you knew about her all along. She and one other girl will be sorted into houses, and it will be as if they had simply transferred here. This new girl, Aliana, will more than likely become friends with Heather. Watch her carefully. Your sister will be in grave danger if you don't. And I warn you- your sister will be close to the Head Boy. Maybe closer than she will be with you."
Harry blinked. His head was spinning. This was too much information for him to totally comprehend. A sister? Perhaps… maybe his parents knew about what would happen if she stayed. They tried to protect him and they were the ones who died and suffered. For a split second, it was not Voldemort that he hated. It was this "Heather", this girl who was so powerful, so special, that his father sacrificed himself for his mother and his mother for him when an evil man wanted a faceless and probably nameless girl out of the way. Then he wondered 'Why?' Why would he hate his sister for being born who she is? Why should he hate her for what a total mad man did? He realized that his Headmaster was talking again. "Excuse me, Professor Dumbledore, what did you say?"
The professor sighed. "The new girl that will be coming, Aliana, she's the daughter of Voldemort. Now, I don't know what her intentions are, so I'll have to ask you, Mr. Weasley, and Miss Granger to be a bit kinder to her than you normally would. Oh, I must ask Miss Weasley, shouldn't I?" his eyes sparkled as Harry blushed. "Like I said, your sister is my spy. She is the reason I know so much about what happens in the school." He chuckled. "Your father would be proud. She knows more secret passageways than him." He turned to Harry. "Did you know that she refused to help find Sirius? She was also the one who was guarding his room. She let you leave and I had to stop Professor Snape from killing her."
Dumbledore got up and straightened his robes. "It's time for me to leave. See you tomorrow at the feast." With that, Dumbledore apperated out of the room, leaving Harry to his own thoughts.
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At Hogwarts…
Within the hollow walls of the Great Hall, a lithe figure scoped out the seating of the tables. She couldn't sleep and with the headmaster gone, there was no one that she could safely awaken and talk to. The next day would bring about new discoveries. She would finally meet her brother. She would see the true nature of the school, not just what was viewed but what it could be like in the school.
Heather touched a knot on the wall that opened a door to the room that she was viewing. She stepped out and walked the length of table to where her brother- Harry Potter- normally sat with his friends. She knew who each of them were- Hermione Granger, brilliant witch, top of the class, new Head Girl, and Ron's girlfriend; Ronald "Ron" Weasley, a fine Quidditch chaser, brave and loyal like the rest of his family, and Harry's best friend; and Virginia "Ginny" Weasley, also a chaser and Harry's girlfriend.
She had a feeling that she would not sit here. She simply wasn't Griffindor material. A chill crept up her spine and she saw a flash of what would happen at the ceremony the next morning.
She walked up the steps to the stool and sat down. The hat talked to her for a few seconds then called out a name. The hall was silent as she made her way to a table. It was just not the Griffindor table. A strange girl that she had never seen smirked at her from her seat next to Harry. She was thin and pale, and there had never been such an evil glow emitting from just one person.
Heather snapped back to reality to find that she was sprawled on the ground. She was drenched in a cold sweat and her head was spinning. Groaning, she stood and waited for the room to sit still. 'What a great time for a premonition. Dumbledore is gone and there is no other professor that I feel safe enough with to go wake up.'
"This sucks," she declared to no one in particular.
"And what is the matter, Miss Heather?" The smooth, slick voice of Professor Snape pierced her thoughts. She smiled as she looked up. "Severus! What are you doing here? I thought that you would still be under cover." She frowned. "Why are you here?"
A rare, kind smile graced the serious man's face. "I was told to watch you and your brother. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named wanted me to." Heather's eyes widened. "Yes, my dear, he knows about you. Somehow…" he reached out and pulled her to him, rapping her in a embrace and display of unusual and normally unheard of emotion.
She smiled against the chest of one of the men that she had viewed as a father. He showed only her this side of him. Of course, it took him a year or so of babysitting duties when she was 5 to finally get that out of him. He and Dumbledore were the best things in her life. "So you know now? Then you also know that I'm joining the school tomorrow." She was nervous about what she had seen; yet she was also afraid of his reaction to it.
"Was that what your vision was about? I want to hear about it." he gestured to the bench next to them and the odd pair sat down.
Heather could only stare at her hands for a while. This would be hard telling the head of Slytherin house. "I fear not joining Griffindor. I know that the hat gives us where we are to be, but what happens if I am not with my brother? This is my last year with the assurance of him being near me and I can't stand the thought of him despising me. My one chance at finding a family will be shattered if I go to… another house."
She had just realized that she knew. She knew what would be screamed from that slit in an old worn hat.
She would be in Slytherin.
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Harry sighed. He had been standing at the entrance of Platform 9 ¾ for half an hour now. He was waiting for his best friends Hermione and Ron and his girlfriend Ginny. They were late and he did not want to arrive late for the first day of his last year. It's bad enough when you're already famous to walk in late. He thought, a twisted smile on his face. The irony in that thought was that he was not the only famous one. Just last year, Ron, Hermione, Draco, and Ginny help him defeat Voldemort. Along with a strange girl… Harry shook his head. Now was not the time to be thinking of a shadow that he had seen for the past 4 years. Especially a female one.
Suddenly, he was bowled over by a blur of red. He landed on his back, with Ginny Weasly on top of him, hugging him and nuzzling his neck. "Harry! I missed you so much! You didn't visit this year." Harry couldn't help himself from laughing.
"Sorry, Ginny. I just had a lot of training for quiddich. I promise to make up for it." This last sentence he whispered in her ear, then placed a kiss on her lips. Ginny blushed bright red and Harry noticed Ron and Hermione standing there with their stuff, grinning. Though they, too, were dating, they found it hilarious that they could get either one to blush with a comment about the other. Harry laughed, and then got up to help Ginny to her feet. "You guys ready to go?" he asked, hoping to get Ginny to stop blushing.
"Well, isn't this sweet? The female Weasel's face matches her hair. What, did she finally get a good look at her beloved Potter and realize that he's not as good looking as she thought?" The drawling voice came from that shadows that produced Draco Malfoy. He had bulked up a little over the summer and now no longer needed Crabbe and Goyle. His normal smirk was gracing his face. Before anyone of them could react, however, he went through the barrier and undoubtedly boarded the train.
Stunned, Harry looked at his friends and managed a weak grin. "Interesting. Well, he hasn't changed, now, has he?" That broke the tension and, laughing, they crossed the barrier.
Besides stuffing their faces with food from the passing cart, the train ride was completely uneventful. Even with all of the carriages out, the quartet barely managed to find an empty carriage and clamor in. Harry sat back and began to study his friends as they chattered. Ron was more muscular and his cherub face had matured and lost its baby like qualities. Hermione's hair was no longer bushy, but sleek and long. She had also matured and now had womanly curves. And Ginny… she too had developed womanly qualities. From her tiny waist to her slightly larger hips and her round, firm… Harry had to bit his lip to stop from blushing or jumping Ginny now. 'Later,' he thought. 'Not in the carriage on the way to the school.'
They reached the castle and filed into the great hall. Harry and company sat under the bright colors of Griffindor house. Waiting for the Sorting to start was a strain on everyone. Obviously, the entire hall was hungry. Once they were seated, the room became silent. Professor Dumbledore smiled and stood up. He cleared his throat and began.
"We have a few new things this year. First of which is our new Head Boy and Girl- Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy. Please, you two, stand up." The students were unsure about what to do. They wanted to applaud for Hermione but they did not want to clap for Malfoy. Finally, they just started clapping, since everyone knew it was just for Hermione- except the Slytherins. Harry leaned over to Ron, whispering, "I knew that git was smart, but not that smart. Wonder who he seduced to get the position?" Laughing, they waited for the applause to die down.
Dumbledore smiled and continued. "We also have two older new students. They will be Sorted into proper houses and working with the seventh years. Professor Snape," he called to the teacher at the doors. "Bring them in." As Snape went to complete the task, the headmaster continued. "They are Aliana Rasputin, and Heather Potter. I expect cordiality from all of you. Ah, here they are."
As the entire assembly turned to look at the black haired girls who were walking into the hall with the professor, Ron whispered to Harry, "Did he say 'Potter'?"
"Yeah," he whispered back. "Didn't tell you, did I? Last night, Dumbledore stopped by my house. She's my sister."
"No way! Dumbledore would have told you earlier if she was… right?"
"Apparently, he just found out. And the other one, she's-"
Hermione elbowed the two of them. "Just listen, ok? I want to hear the Sorting. Sharing a room with a female Potter will be interesting." She turned around and looked back to the platform, pointedly ignoring the two boys who were ogling the girls. This was after she "accidentally" elbowed Ron in the ribs.
A twinkle in his eyes, Professor Dumbledore called for the sorting hat.
Professor McGonagall brought the ragged old hat and the stool up to the raised platform. Setting the two down, the hat on top of the stool, the Deputy Headmistress took her seat next to Dumbledore. The seam in the hat opened and he looked intently at the two girls watching him, then over the rest of the audience.
"Well, well… if it isn't our new transfer students. We haven't had any of those since the founders were here. So, you want to be put into houses, hmm?" The strange hat chuckled to itself. "You can find out the most about yourself simply by where I put you. Do you have the right idea? Now, you girl, yes, you, the one closest to me, come sit. Put me on your head."
Aliana sat down on the stool and put that black hat on her head. All was quiet while the creepy thing whispered to her. Suddenly, he yelled out "Griffindor!" That table burst into cheers and whistles while she ran to her place at the table. Heather bit her lip as she saw Ron move over enough for her to sit between him and Hermione. She took a deep breath and sat down for her turn.
As she sat and put that hat on her head, whispers flew all over the hall. Was she really Harry Potter's sister? Well, they did look alike. And she had a scar across her forehead, though only a shadow compared to Harry's. She was beautiful, but unlike her twin, there was ice in her eyes. Her face was blank and she simply waited for what she already knew.
"Hmm…" said that hat. "You will be great. You've already shown that. You're comfortable with hiding in the shadows and backstabbing. You seem perfect for Griffindor." Her heart and spirit lifted. "There's one problem with that though."
'Oh, great,' she thought. 'There go my hopes. I hate being right.'
"It's not that you aren't brave or loyal. You just don't care. You have no true feelings. They all disappeared… when? Ah… when you grew up. When you turned 13, I believe. You realized that you could never be happy. So that's why you belong in SLYTHERIN!!!"
The tables were stunned. The Amazing Harry Potter's sister was a Slytherin? Then that table cheered. They had another addition to their house, which would be a sore spot with those Griffindors.
Heather made her way down, trying to keep herself from shaking. The first seat open was the one she chose. Unfortunately, she found herself seated next to Draco Malfoy.
She gave him a cold look, hoping that he knew that she did not want to hear a word from him. The sorting was all a blur as she just kept watching what she could have.
She kept watching her brother.
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Author's note—Sorry to all of the readers which read and liked the first draft of Love and Lies. I'm sorry, but I couldn't stand that shoddy way I wrote that. I'll promise to get the rest out a lot faster. Adios!
To join the mailing group for this story, please send an email to Blackdragon@gundamwing.org or add your email and say so in the review that I know all of you will write. *Starts cleaning her M-16* Isn't that right, everyone?
Draco—Save us from this madness, please, and give her a bloody review!