Summary: Imagine that Harry Potter hadn't been an only child, that he had a twin sister that hardly anyone knew about. What happens when Harry goes to his aunt and uncle's to live while his sister is adopted by a Scottish Auror? And what happens when Lord Voldemort finds out that the Potters' Secret Keeper left out the fact that they also had a daughter?
Seen through the eyes of Jessica Potter, Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy.
There will be spoliers that have to do with the final book/film Deathly Hallows and parts that will give away the plot to the final book.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, I just love it quite a lot and I am just trying to cope with the fact that it is now all over...
Author's note: Okay, so I thought I would publish the beginning of my Harry Potter fanfic to get some general feedback on it. Basically I started writing all this when the books first came out and I was about nine at the time, so as you can imagine the general story has changed a fair bit over the years, thank God! Anyway, so yeah, Let me know what you think, and we can go from there, because I am not really sure how this is going to go, your feedback will help me decide! I'm not sure if this idea has been done before either...
Oh, and there contains a scene from the finale book, so if you haven't read it/seen the film, don't say you haven't been warned.
Chapter One: A Home in Ruins
Albus Dumbledore stood in a disbelieving silence, looking at the rubble that, before that night, use to be quite a charming, quaint little house. As people everywhere rushed around him, he stayed very still, deep in an almost unbreakable chain of thought. He had done the right thing in leaving baby Harry with his muggle relatives, who, according to Minerva McGonagall, were 'the worst kind imaginable.' Dumbledore shook his head. That was the best place for him, he thought to himself. Now that his parents and his twin sister were gone, Dumbledore didn't want Harry growing up with the constant reminder of what had happened, he didn't want people to encourage the boy to seek revenge. No, he was far better off away from it all.
He gave a heavy sigh. No one was meant to know of Harry and his sister Jessica, but for a few close friends, but now the whole wizarding world knew Harry's name. They all praised him, Dumbledore had heard them himself, everyone was celebrating Lord Voldemort's downfall, and they all thought that Harry Potter would become one of the greatest wizards in the world. So much pressure, Dumbledore thought sadly.
"Albus," a familiar voice said, bringing the old wizard out of his deep thoughts.
Dumbledore looked up to see another wizard limping towards him on his wooden leg, his false glass eye swivelling around and round in its socket.
"Ah, Alastor," Dumbledore said quietly, "Have you found them yet, Hagrid didn't say?"
Alastor Moody nodded. "We found them." He said quietly, glancing back towards the house, where a sheet had been placed over two bodies on the ground. "Lily must have been upstairs with the boy, James downstairs trying to hold Voldemort off. It looks like Lily had been moved… Could have been Hagrid I suppose…"
Dumbledore nodded, knowing that it was possible that Hagrid could have moved her, but he assumed that it had not been him, that it had been someone else to move Lily. He also knew that Moody was thinking of somebody else too, Voldemort in fact, but Dumbledore knew that he didn't want think for a moment that Voldemort still survived after such terrible events. Dumbledore felt sure that the person who had moved her body would come around to see him before the night's end.
"And what of the little girl?" asked Dumbledore softly, not wanting his friend to be worrying about the possibility of the Dark Lord remaining alive.
"We haven't found her yet," Moody said heavily, "And I don't know if we will to be honest with you…"
Dumbledore sighed heavily. "How are Sirius and Remus?"
"They are both shaken, as you'd expect." He answered. "Especially Black, he left half-an-hour ago, but Lupin stayed here… said he won't leave until we find the girl."
"Where did Sirius go?" Dumbledore pressed.
"Dunno," Moody admitted, "but he sure was angry."
Dumbledore sighed again, this time feeling worry creep in and mix itself in with all the other emotions that were in his troubled heart. He had a fair inkling where Sirius Black would be headed; he just hoped that he was wrong.
He moved slowly towards a pale and upset Remus Lupin, who was seated on the ground beside the bodies of two of his best friends. He rose to his feet once he saw that Dumbledore was approaching him.
"Dumbledore," Lupin said once Dumbledore was closer to him. "Mad-Eye told me that you've taken Harry somewhere safe?"
"Yes, Remus," Dumbledore said gently. "Harry has gone to live with Lily's sister and her husband. I think that is where he will be safest."
"Safest from what?" asked Lupin. "Voldemort is dead."
"Just safe," Dumbledore said simply. "Has Peter been informed?"
"We haven't been able to get hold of him yet," Lupin explained. "That is where Sirius has gone, to try and find him. I tried to get him to wait until we found Jess, but you know him – he can never sit still…"
"Dumbledore," said another wizard walking towards them, his brown robes askew, his sandy-blond hair and his face and hands covered in dirt from crawling around in amongst the rubble.
"Ah, Theodore," Dumbledore said, looking to the kind-faced man. "Have you found anything?"
"No Albus, nothing." The wizard said with a Scottish accent, sounding tired. "I am so sorry, Remus." He added to Lupin, who had turned away to hide his silent tears.
"Wood," Moody yelled, "Have you searched over here yet?" he asked his fellow Auror.
Wood turned to face his head Auror, finding that he was standing on top of the collapsed end of the two story house.
"Not thoroughly, no." Wood answered. "I just gave it a quick once over. Look Mad-Eye, I was think that we should send the rest of the Aurors home; I can manage looking through the rest of the house. I think everyone wants to be at home with their families, especially those who knew the Potters well."
"Yes, I agree with Theodore." Dumbledore nodded.
"I'll go and tell the others to head off," Moody said before adding gruffly, "But I'm not going anywhere."
"I didn't think you would Alastor," Dumbledore said gently as Moody limped away.
Once Moody had told all the Aurors and the local witches and wizards of Godric's Hollow that they should leave, Dumbledore, Lupin, Moody and Wood began searching through the stone and the various bits of furniture and debris in what seemed to be a useless attempt to find the little girl's body. All of them had stopped hoping to find her alive; if she had of been with Harry, the blast from Voldemort's curse would have killed her, if she had of been in her own bedroom across the hall from Harry's she would have been killed because that part of the house collapsed and if she had of been seen by Voldemort, he probably would have killed her anyway…
"Remus," Wood suddenly asked. "Did the Potter's have a cat?"
"No, James never liked cats…" Lupin answered dully before adding somewhat nervously, "why?"
"Nothing I thought I just heard –"
"You thought you heard what?" Lupin asked urgently.
"SHHH!" hissed Moody suddenly, "I can hear something…"
Everyone strained their ears, struggling to hear anything in the cold October wind, but something that did sound a bit like a cat could be heard somewhere beneath the thick layers of stone and dust.
"Where's it coming from?" Moody asked while searching through the rubble with his magical eye.
"Over there!" Lupin cried, pointing in front of him.
Moody squinted before yelling, "She's under that pile of stone, protected by a red arm chair!"
The four of them rushed over to the spot that Moody had indicated and they all levitated bits of rubble away before finally lifting the red arm chair to reveal a distraught child sobbing.
Dumbledore wasted no time in picking her up, and as soon as she was safely wrapped in his warm arms she stopped crying. She looked up to the old wizard through her wide, bright blue eyes and reached out with her tiny little hands to tug playfully on his long, silver beard.
They all watched Jessica Potter in a tear-filled silence. All of them had expected to find her little body cold and lifeless, yet here she was, making herself giggle by tugging on Dumbledore's beard, oblivious to what had happened to her parents, oblivious to what evil had been in her house mere hours ago.
"How did she survive?" Wood asked quietly. "Surely the fall of the house should have killed her, like her father?"
"James's death was not a result of the house falling on him, Theodore," Dumbledore said quietly as he handed Jessica to Lupin, who sunk to the ground crying silently as he cradled her. "He was, like Lily, murdered by Lord Voldemort –"a small shudder came from Wood at the mention of Voldemort's name – "he must have upturned the armchair in an attempt to hide her from Voldemort, which seems to have worked quite efficiently."
"Do you think he knew about her too?" Wood asked.
"Very few people knew about either of them before tonight," Dumbledore answered quietly, as if to himself. He had been pondering that very same question.
"We were only here last week," Lupin cried as Jessica held onto one of his fingers, her eyes slowly beginning to close. "We were watching the twins ride around the lounge room on their little brooms that Sirius had gotten them for their birthday in July… How did this happen? How did he find out where they lived?"
"That's a good question," Wood agreed, looking to Dumbledore. "I thought that only a select few in the Ministry and in your Order of the Phoenix who actually knew their whereabouts. I mean, I didn't even know and I'm second-in-command at the Aurors office!"
"It wasn't because you weren't trusted by James and Lily, Theodore," Dumbledore started, "nor was it because you are not in the Order, it was just that I thought that it were best for their protection –"
"- the less people who knew the better," finished Wood, nodding. "I know, I understand, but didn't they have a secret keeper?"
"He would have never betrayed them to Voldemort!" Lupin snapped angrily and Jessica woke with a start and began to cry again. "Shh," Lupin cooed soothingly and Jessica fell back asleep.
"Remus, that isn't what I meant," Wood said apologetically. "That's why I was wondering how their location was discovered; Sirius Black and James Potter were almost inseparable and together made quite the troublesome pair if my time as Head Boy serves me correctly. I know he would never betray them."
Lupin nodded, mumbling "sorry" for jumping to the wrong conclusion, still rocking Jessica softly.
"Where are you going to take her?" Lupin asked Dumbledore after a long pause. "Are you going to take her to Lily's sisters too?"
"No," Dumbledore said after a thoughtful pause. "I think they need to be separated to keep them both safe. It would seem that people still have no idea about her and if that is the case, maybe we should keep it like that."
Lupin laughed hollowly. "I would offer to take her, but that would be stupid, considering my little problem."
Dumbledore patted him gently on the shoulder before another long, thoughtful silence followed.
"I will take her," Wood said slowly.
Everyone looked to him.
"You know the risks, Theodore," Dumbledore said slowly, looking over the top of his half-moon spectacles. "If Voldemort's followers ever find out who she is, who she is related to, they may wish to seek some kind of revenge. You and your wife and son could be at great risk."
"I know," Wood said honestly, "and I accept this in order to protect her."
"What about Black?" Moody asked.
Lupin gave a small laugh. "Sirius has a hard enough time looking after himself let alone a child as well. Although, I can't help but think that a bit of extra responsibility might be good for him, he is after all very fond of them both."
"I think Sirius will have enough on his mind at the moment without having to worry and care for a child as well. Maybe, in the future, both Harry and Jessica may be able to live with him." Dumbledore pondered quietly. "Will Susan be okay with this Theodore?"
Wood nodded. "Sue has been house bound for several months due to illness, so our hopes for another child have been put on hold. But perhaps this timing may work to our advantage. Sue will be more than happy to take her in and raise her as our own."
"Good," Dumbledore said softly. "I will come and put my own protective enchantments on your home for extra protection, just in case." He paused, watching Jessica sleep soundly in Lupin's arms. He wished he could have left her with him. "When she is older, I will be the one to tell her the truth. Until that day, however, let her grow up thinking that she is your daughter that will lower the chances of people finding out who she really is."
Wood nodded and everyone fell into silence again as Lupin stood slowly and gently (with the slightest hint of reluctance) handed Jessica to Wood.
"Look after her," he said emotionally, his eyes on her tiny little face.
"You have my word," Wood said honestly and Lupin took one last look at Jessica before turning away. "You are always welcome, Remus,"
Lupin glanced back to him, tears in his eyes.
"To come and visit her, you and Black." Wood finished, rocking the small child in his arms slightly. An old habit.
"Thank you," Lupin managed to say before he took a few steps away and Disapparated from his friends destroyed home.
"Come, we must get the two of you home, Theodore." Dumbledore said sadly, not wanting to think how much pain Lupin was in right now, motioning Wood and Moody forward to do the same as Lupin.
As Wood and Moody disappeared, Dumbledore flicked his wand and the two lifeless bodies disappeared from under the sheet, before he too, departed Godric's Hollow.
- O -
Dumbledore sunk wearily into the tall-backed chair behind his desk in his study at Hogwarts, his home; all the portraits on the high walls of Hogwarts' previous Headmasters and Headmistresses all asked the same question.
"Is he gone?"
"Yes," Dumbledore said heavily and all the portraits gasped and soon began vanishing from their frames. It was then that Dumbledore covered his face with his hands, the first time he had let himself show his true emotions all night.
Yes, he had let tears fall from his bright blue eyes, but that was nothing – nothing – to what he really felt on the inside. Yet another family destroyed because of Lord Voldemort, a family that he had come to care about very much; James and Lily killed to save their young children from an inexact prophecy that could have meant, until that night, another boy…
His door burst open and Dumbledore looked up from his old hands, his phoenix squawking in alarm as a distraught looking Severus Snape strode in, his face pale and his eyes shining with tears.
"I thought… you were… going to keep her s-safe!" he said, his breath coming in great, devastated gasps.
"She and James put their faith in the wrong person," Dumbledore said slowly having recovered now from his earlier moment of weakness. "Rather like you, Severus. Weren't you hoping that Lord Voldemort would spare her?"
Snape leant on the wall beside the three small steps that lead up to the level that Dumbledore sat on, his breathing sharp as he tried to fight back tears unsuccessfully. The woman he had loved practically his whole life was dead and the man whom he had devoted his life to was to blame, although the fault also was with him. If he hadn't of told Voldemort about that prophecy, Lily would still be alive.
"The boy survived," Snape heard Dumbledore say, but he hardly cared. Lily was gone.
"Her son lives," Dumbledore continued. "He has her eyes, precisely her eyes. You remember the shape and colour of Lily Evans' eyes, I am sure?"
"DON'T!" yelled Snape furiously; he couldn't bear him talking about her, he couldn't bear the thought of her being gone. "Gone… dead…"
"Is this remorse, Severus?"
"I wish…" Snape managed to whisper. "I wish I were dead…"
"And what use would that be to anyone?" Dumbledore snapped harshly. "If you loved Lily Evans, if you truly loved her, then your way forward is clear."
Snape slid down the stone wall, letting his heartbreak feed his tears. It took a very long time for what Dumbledore had said to him to work its way through Snape's mind and finally sink in and when it finally did, he looked up to Dumbledore.
"What – What do you mean?" he asked slowly.
"You know why and how she died," Dumbledore said calmly. "Make sure it was not in vain. Help me protect Lily's son."
"He does not need protection," Snape said, feeling frustrated now. "The Dark Lord has gone –"
"- the Dark Lord will return and Harry Potter will be in terrible danger when he does." Dumbledore told Snape sternly.
Snape remained silent for a very long time before eventually he gave Dumbledore a curt nod. "Very well… very well, but never – never tell, Dumbledore. This must be between us! Swear it! I cannot bear… especially Potter's son… I want your word!" Snape said furiously, looking up to Dumbledore.
"My word, Severus, that I shall not reveal the best of your?" sighed Dumbledore, looking down to Snape's determined, if distraught, face. "If you insist…"
Another long silence followed. Snape looked away from Dumbledore, letting all the pain, fear and heartbreak associated with losing Lily, with seeing her cold, lifeless body.
He had gone to the house and he had rushed in through the hole in the wall in the lounge room. He had seen James Potter lying amongst the rubble, his pale eyes open and staring, large bits of the house having fallen on top of him. Snape had rushed to the staircase, jumping up three at a time and running to the end of the hallway, the side of the house to his left not there anymore. He turned into the last room and fell back into the wall, crying out as if someone had just stabbed him in the heart.
Lily had been on the ground in front of the boy's cot, her beautiful green eyes wide and staring just as her husband's had been downstairs. He had managed to crawl over to her and pull her cold, limp body into his arms, sobbing and he just held her, rocking back and forth with her son crying behind him… she was gone… Devastation flooded every inch of his body and his heart had felt as though it had stopped beating the moment he had seen her, for it was all his doing… all his fault… Surely he couldn't live in a world that Lily was not in; surely he would die in that very moment so he could be with her again…
"You went there, didn't you?" Dumbledore whispered and Snape refused to answer him, not that he could, he had suddenly lost his voice. "You found her beside Harry, meaning you probably stepped right over James." He said coldly.
"Stop –"Snape choked.
"You saw them all," he continued, ignoring Snape's plea. "All of the Potters bar one."
"There is no one else!" Snape cried.
"Have you not heard the rumours, Severus?" Dumbledore asked sadly. "Or did you just think that James could never give his life to protect someone else unless there was some prank involved because he was too selfish to do such a selfless act?"
"Please," Snape pleaded, not knowing how much more he could take.
"Aside from giving Lily the chance to flee with Harry, he saved another's life in that house."
"She was just a rumour, she never actually existed!" Snape said loudly, looking back to Dumbledore angrily.
"The over turned arm chair beside James' body hid Lily's daughter, you would have walked right past her, waiting in the cold and the dark to be found by someone…"
Guilt, tremendous guilt seemed to flood Snape's body and he wasn't overly sure why. He hadn't known about her, and he didn't think Voldemort had either and he was certain, giving the fact that she was Harry Potter's twin that she would look nothing like Lily; the boy hadn't…
"You would be surprised, Severus, by how different they are to one another," Dumbledore said as if able to read his mind. "And I think time will be the one to prove that…"
Snape doubted very much that this un-named child would ever be like her mother now that that her mother was gone. Lily wasn't there to teach her how to see the best in people, to make someone the happiest they have ever been, the happiest they ever could be…
"We shall see…" Dumbledore whispered to himself, knowing – or rather – hoping that Harry and Jessica would be, in the end, okay…
