My name is Allison Lily Potter.

I'm 13 years old, I hate (most of) my only living relatives, and I have a twin brother.

Did I mention that I'm a witch?

Yes, we do exist. No, my skin is not green, nor do I have warts or cackle…well, not most of the time anyways.

"BOY! GIRL! Get down here!"

I sigh as I prop myself on my elbows and look across the room to where my brother, Harry, was sitting on the mattress. "What did you do?"

"Why would I have done something, Ally? Why could you have done something?"

"Because I know I haven't," I bite my lip worriedly as I push myself off the cot that was my bed and leave the room behind Harry and we both sprint down the stairs. If there's one thing we've learned over the past twelve years since our parents, Lily and James, died and we came here, it's this – when Uncle Vernon calls, you come. And you come quickly.

"Yes Uncle Vernon?" Harry asks levelly while I wait just behind his shoulder.

"Don't give me that cheek, boy! Now, I wanted to let you two freaks know that my sister, Marge, is coming over later tonight. Her train comes in at seven-"

I mentally groan; Aunt Marge was coming? She's one of the Muggles – non-magical people – that hates anything abnormal, much like her brother.

And Harry and I are the textbook definition of 'abnormal'.

"-and I want to go over a few things before she arrives. First, you won't dare mouth off to Marge."

"Okay," Harry nods.

"I will when she does," I mutter under my breath, but not without a fearful glance at Uncle Vernon.

"Second," he continues, apparently not hearing me, "there will be absolutely no…freakishness…while she is here, understand? You two had better behave yourselves!"

Harry nods obediently while I repeat my earlier statement, just a little louder.

"SHUT UP, YOU FREAKISH GIRL!" my Uncle bellows, and I take one step back as Harry shifts slightly to be in front of me.

"Vernon, calm down!" a shrill voice calls from the kitchen as Aunt Petunia rounds the corner, her thin, horse-like face cautious. For, one fleeting moment I think she's going to come to my rescue. "The neighbors might hear!"

Well, there went that hope.

Uncle Vernon glares at me for another moment before straightening up and looking very blustered. "Right, sorry dear. Anyways, you two have work to do! I don't want to see a spot or stain in this entire house!"

I stare at him for a second in shock before Aunt Petunia shrieks "Your Uncle told you to do something! Get on with it!"

I nod before shooting a quick look at my brother, who just gives me a weary shake of his head.

"Dudders, do you want to go to the train station?" Aunt Petunia asks sweetly.

"No," my cousin, Dudley Dursley says simply before returning to the huge piece of triple chocolate cake he was inhaling.

And they wonder why he looks like a baby whale.

Uncle Vernon just smiles and claps a fat hand on his son's equally fat shoulder and kisses his wife on the cheek before grabbing his coat and heading for the door. "Get to work, freaks!"

I sigh lightly as the front door closes.

Aunt Petunia just shoves a bucket of soapy water at me and gives Harry a sponge.

Five hours later, we have washed the kitchen, straightened all the bedrooms, scrubbed the bathrooms, and my hands were red and they stung, much like they would after a Stinging Hex.

I was back on my cot, reading a page in my charms book, absently twirling my wand – Ebony, twelve and a half inches, and dragon heartstring – between my fingers as I read about the Flame Freezing spell for an essay while I kept one ear on the door.

Harry was across from me on his bed, Potions textbook open and a scroll next to him, quill in hand as he made a two foot essay on the properties and uses of lacewing flies.

"Professor Snape's a git," he sighs.

"I know," I agree, looking up from Wedelin the Weird being burned over thirty times because, with the aid of the Flame Freezing spell, she liked it. "But I don't think that'll change."

He sighs and grits his teeth as he puts the quill back to the parchment.

I flip a page in the book just as a scratching sound catches my attention. I look up to see a white owl hovering impatiently outside the window, another unrecognizable owl behind her. "Hedwig!"

Harry opens the window and his owl comes fluttering in, perching on his shoulder and nipping at his ear. I didn't have an owl – I wanted one, but when Harry got Hedwig from Hagrid two years ago, I got a book on Ancient Mysteries.

It's a nice book, but it's not an owl.

Hedwig was carrying a copy of the most popular newspaper, the Daily Prophet, four letters, and two book-sized packages while the other owl – probably hired as help – carried another load of packages.

Harry grabs the letters first, taking two and handing two to me.

Dear Ally, the letter reads in a familiar neat scrawl,

Happy Birthday!

"Wait, it's our birthday?"

My twin gives me a shocked look. "I guess so."

"Well, then, happy birthday."

"You too."

I hope you like what I sent you! Have you read the paper lately? Ron and his family have gone to Egypt! Oh, there so lucky! I bet they're learning so much.

I'm in France at the moment, and I'm learning some too. I've actually rewritten my History of Magic essay to include some French magical history – and it went two rolls over what he asked. Do you think he'll mind?

We're going to be in London just before school, though, do you think you and Harry could come? Oh, I hope you can! If not, I'll see you September 1st aboard the train!

Love,

Hermione

P.S. - Percy's Head Boy. That's so exciting! I don't think Ron's pleased, though.

I laugh at the normalcy in her words – she doesn't want to see Egypt, just learn, learn, and do some more learning.

The next letter's a little more untidy and scattered, just like its author.

Dear Ally,

Happy Birthday! How's your summer been?

Mine's been amazing! Did you see the article? Dad won the Daily Prophet draw! Seven hundred galleons! Egypt's been cool – well, actually hot – and Bill's been taking us to old tombs. There's even one with a three headed skeleton in it! Maybe that's Fluffy's owner?

I let out a small laugh as I remember the three headed dog from first year.

Anyways, we'll be back in London for supplies before school. I'm getting a new wand and Mum and Dad promised Percy some new books. Hope you can meet us there!

See you soon,

Ron

P.S. – Percy's Head Boy, we just got the letter.

I laugh quietly as Harry sorts out the presents, handing two to me and starting on his first parcel.

I rip open the first package, which I learn is from Hermione, to reveal a small book, labeled Unusual Talents among Magical Sort, with a note explaining that it had a piece on Parseltounge, which both Harry and I possess, and may or may not be related to the cause of our parent's deaths.

October 31st, 1981 – long story short, Voldemort showed up, my parents died – Dad died for me, Mum for Harry – and Harry got a scar on his forehead and I got one on my temple.

Anyways, we found out last year that both of us can speak to snakes, but that's a story for another time entirely.

Ron gave me a book on Quidditch - the boy's convinced that I have a hidden talent for flying (since my brother's a natural) that I would discover if I only gave the sport a chance.

I have nothing against the sport, it's fans, or it's players, but I wanted to give myself a few years to get over the culture shock of suddenly finding out you've been lied to your entire life, magic does exist, and your parents were murdered, not the victims of a car crash.

I begin to stack my books under my bed, out of Aunt Petunia's view, as Harry reaches for the last two packages.

I peek over his shoulder as he pulls out the small slip of paper that was tucked under the string.

Dear Harry and Ally, it reads

Happy Birthday! You may need there over the next year.

Regards,

Hagrid.

Harry and I share a long, wary look before slowly turning our eyes to the two paper wrapped items. We knew Hagrid would never hurt us, of course, neither directly nor indirectly; but as much as I love the man, for he was my first friend in Magical England, he doesn't have a very good definition of what is safe and what's not.

I reach out a tentative hand, and the packages instantly go crazy, wriggling and snapping at my fingers. I fall backwards with an "Eep!"

Harry steadies me as we both hold our breath, waiting for Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia to come storming through the door.

They don't, so we quickly turn our attention back to the snarling and clearly agitated package. "What do you think it is?" I breathe hesitantly.

"It's from Hagrid, there's no telling what it is or how life-threatening," my brother reminds me, and I nod with a small shrug.

"Remind me to ask Charlie to send me a pair of dragon hide gloves, will you?"

Harry waves me off distractedly as he slowly creeps towards the package and swipes away most of the paper with one movement, the remnants being torn away by the book itself.

Because the book, appropriately named The Monster book of Monsters, was more beast than book. It snapped and bit using the opening of the book as a mouth.

"Why on earth would Hagrid think we would need this for school?" Harry asks incredulously as he scrambles backwards, the book skittering about on it's spine like some demented crab.

I just shrug and start looking for something to secure it with. My eyes land on one of Harry's – and therefore Dudley's – old belts, and I show it to my brother who nods and takes it from my hands.

We end up just straight forward tackling the books, wrapping the belt around the middles and stuffing them under our respective beds, leaving us on the floor panting.

And then the doorbell rings outside, followed by a bellowed "BOY! GIRL!"

Harry and I share an apprehensive look, already dreading the rest of our birthday night.

Aunt Marge was here.

Hey! I hoped you liked it.

This is my first Harry Potter fanfiction, because I normally right Avengers stories.

Yes, it is a Harry's-sister piece. But it has an interesting twist, I promise.

Please note that this does not mean I am abandoning my Avengers fandom, I just thought this would be a good idea and I need to expand anyways.

Please review, favorite, follow, and all that good stuff! Reviewers get a virtual monkey (^.^)