The Early Life

Hailey Potter didn't have any recollection of life before the Dursley's. Of course, she had been orphaned as an infant, so none could blame her. She couldn't ever remember her mother singing to her, or her father tossing her playfully into the sky. All she remembered was her aunt demanding that chores be done, and her uncle threatening to beat sense into her. However, her young mind liked to daydream that her mother was queen of a fairy coven, and that a rival had stolen her baby and abandoned it in the mortal world, and that her mother was still looking for her.

Ridley Potter, her older sister, knew better. Being only a year older, she shouldn't have been able to remember the night a strange man barged into her house and killed her parents, but she could. It was the only memory she had of her pre-Dursley life. She remembered father trying to fight him, her mother shielding Hailey with her body, and Hailey somehow saving both of their lives.

The one thing she remembered with clarity was that the man hadn't noticed Hailey was behind her mother at first. Slowly, the man had advanced toward Ridley. Then, Hailey began screaming, and the man turned around and attacked her.

Because of this strange memory, Ridley knew that while her parents hadn't died in a car crash, they weren't coming back for them. She couldn't have loved her parents more if they had still been alive and caring for them.

Also, she felt it was her responsibility to protect Hailey, since Hailey had saved her life. So when Vernon in a drunken rage demanded Hailey go to see him, Ridley went instead.

Once, the four children were taken into custody by the CPS. Ridley and Dudley were seven, Hailey was six, and Jenna, the youngest cousin, was four.

Ridley comforted Hailey as she cried. "I'm so scared," she whispered.

"I know," Ridley whispered back. "Me too. But it will all be okay."

Jenna kept poking Dudley. "Duddy, let's go home!" she exclaimed.

"Not just yet, Jenna," he said, his voice shaking.

An agent asked to speak with Ridley privately. Ridley followed her into a room. The agent stopped in front of the vending machine and asked if she could get her anything. Shyly, Ridley pointed to a Twix. The agent happily obliged.

"Ridley Potter," the agent said, after they had sat down. "I need you to answer me honestly. My name is Reagan, and I want to help you, okay?"

Ridley nodded as she scarfed down her Twix. "Thank you for the candy, Reagan," she said.

"Your welcome, dear."

Throughout the questions, Ridley smoothly lied her way through. She knew that if she told Reagan the truth, they would all be taken away. Ridley couldn't risk losing Hailey, the only reason she had fought to stay alive. And, no matter how much she hated Dudley, she refused to be the reason he was ripped away from his parents. Then, there was Jenna. She had done nothing to deserve what would happen if Ridley told. So, Ridley didn't.

The only thing that saved her from being beaten half to death was that she had fought so hard to prove Vernon and Petunia's innocence.

Years later, Hailey asked, "Why did you do it?"

Ridley made a locking motion by her lips. "Mustn't tell," she said.

"But, she could have saved you," Hailey argued.

"The consequences far outweighed the benefits," Ridley said simply.

"You need to tell someone soon," Hailey said. "Otherwise, you'll just keep getting hurt. If you don't tell, I will."

Ridley grabbed Hailey's arm as she turned to leave. "Don't tell," she said. Her voice was cold and devoid of all emotion. "Never, ever tell. The only thing worse than being a liar, a thief, or a little freak is being a teller."

"I won't leave you," Ridley insisted just days after Hagrid's visit.

"You can, and you will," Hailey said just as firmly.

So, Ridley boarded the magical train. She was so scared for her sister, until she got a letter saying that she had run away and would not be returning till summer. Ridley demanded to know where she was, but Hailey responded only by saying, "Mustn't tell."

Ridley later found out that Hailey had been holed up in Diagon Alley, surviving off of their parent's money.

When the both of them returned to the Dursley's, Ridley told Hailey everything she learned about Voldemort. "No wonder everyone seemed to know me in Diagon Alley," Hailey commented.

Ridley and Hailey never had it easy. Ridley's first year, she had a crazed professor try to kidnap her and take her hostage so that he may drag Hailey out because Voldemort told him too. Ridley only escaped because she had destroyed the sorceror's stone in a huge blast that paralyzed Quirell and expelled Voldemort from his head.

The next year, Hailey discovered that she was a parselmouth. Tom Riddle set a basilisk loose on the school and kidnapped Ginny, Hailey's best friend. Hailey, Ridley, and Ron found the Chamber of Secrets, but got separated from Hailey, who proceeded to kill the Basilisk, destroy Tom and the diary, and save Ginny.

A year later, convicted murderer Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban. After stalking the sisters for almost a year, he finally revealed himself and attempted to kill Ron's rat, Peter Pettigrew. Ridley and Hailey were thrilled to learn that not only was Sirius Black innocent, but he was there godfather, and he was going to take them away. Unfortunately, Peter escaped, and Sirius's name could not be cleared. Hermoine, Ridley, and Hailey used a time-turner to save him.

Hailey's third year, her name was put into the Goblet of Fire, and she was entered into the Tri-Wizard tournament. On the last challenge, she and Cedric grabbed the trophy together, transporting them to a graveyard where Pettigrew was waiting. He killed Cedric and took Hailey's blood to give life to Voldemort. Hailey barely made it back to the portkey. Back at school, Moody was discovered to be a disguised Death Eater who planned the whole thing.

But the next year, the Potters had an unexpected savior.