Now I was back at my house because my parents had great news. The twins, Jordyn and Taylor, had turned eleven in July and had received letters from Hogwarts! Cory and I were shocked. We had never thought that the twins were witches! The girls were very excited because they were now going to be with us all the time. This didn't please us as much as it did them but that was normal.
"Will we like our classes?" Taylor asked as we all packed our trunks.
"Some of them," I replied.
"Cory, are you coming too?" Jordyn asked. Cory nodded.
"But you weren't at school all that time after you left, were you?" she asked.
"My aren't we curious today?" I muttered. Cory elbowed me in the ribs.
"No I wasn't," he replied.
"Well who taught you magic?" Jordyn asked. Cory and I glanced at each other. We hadn't told anyone in our family who had been keeping Cory since he was eleven because we didn't want to upset them. The truth was it was Lord Voldemort, the most evil wizard in the world. The girls looked at us expectantly.
"Um...a friend of our biological parents," Cory muttered. I bit my lower lip. While Cory had stayed at the Malfoy manor with me he had told me something that Voldemort had told him. Our parents were Death Eaters, Voldemort's followers. That's why he had taken Cory when he was eleven. He had planned to take me as well but Dumbledore had gotten in his way. He spelled our whole house so that no Death Eater or anyone being controlled by Voldemort could get near it. Of course this was all after Cory had left. Cory had told me something else as well. Voldemort had killed our parents because they had disobeyed one of his orders. That's why we had been adopted. We finished packing our things and took them down to the fireplace in the living room where mom, dad, and Bryson were waiting. Bryson looked a little depressed about being the only muggle kid in the family.
"Cheer up Bry," I said. "We'll be home soon." We hugged them all goodbye and one by one used Floo Powder to go to Hogwarts.
When we reached the school Professor Dumbledore greeted us warmly.
"Schyler, Cory! My how nice it is to see you two again!" he said. He turned to the twins and smiled. "And these must be your sisters! How very nice to meet you girls." The twins smiled at him.
"How old are you?" Jordyn asked. I smacked her on the back of the head.
"You know better!" I hissed.
"Now Schyler it's quite all right," Dumbledore said. "I'm quite old. Too old to remember my age." He chuckled and led us to the Great Hall. Cory and I went to sit the other Gryffindors, while the girls went to line up with the other first years.
"Hi guys!" I said sliding into the seat next to Harry. "Have you met my brother"
"The one who watched the Cruciatus Curse being used on you and didn't help you?" Harry asked. "No, haven't had the pleasure of knocking his teeth out, sorry"
"Okay, well this is him," I replied as Cory sat next to me. "This is my older brother Cory and you won't be knocking his teeth out. He was under the Imperious Curse." Harry looked doubtful.
"Really, he was!" I said. Harry shrugged.
"Cory, meet my friends," I said. "Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger." I pointed to each one in turn.
"I've heard loads about all of you," Cory replied. Then the Sorting began. Taylor and Jordyn were both put in Gryffindor so I introduced them to Harry and the others.
After dinner Draco met me outside of the Great Hall.
"I missed you," he said as he kissed my cheek.
"I was only away for two days," I replied feeling my cheeks get hot.
"Yeah, two very long days," Draco said. The others made little "oooo's" and kissing noises. I glared at them.
"Oh shut up," I snapped. They laughed. I rolled my eyes and hugged Draco.
"C'mon," Cory said. "We have to get going."
"I'll see you tomorrow," I whispered to Draco. I kissed his cheek and went up to the Common Room with the others. I showed the girls where their dorm room was and then went with Hermione to ours.
"I'm so glad to be back," she sighed as we pulled our pajamas out of our trunks.
"Yeah," I replied. "Me too." I climbed onto my bed and pulled the deep red velvet hangings around the bedso that none of the other girls could see me. I slipped out of my clothes and winced. I looked down at the large black and blue bruise on my right side. I touched it lightly and winced in pain again. Then I put on my pajamas, put my clothes in my trunk, and fell asleep.