Authors Note: I do not own the fabulous Harry Potter Series, however much I wish I was J.K. Rowling! This is my first ever fanfic so please enjoy my story! (I'm nervous about whether people will like it)
Chapter 1- After The Funeral
I was sat under the old oak tree in the Hogwarts grounds, thinking. Just thinking, you know, wondering what it would be like if he knew. If he knew about me, would he think I was another COMPLETELY CRAZY fan of his, or maybe he would just think I'm deluded. I don't quite know which one I would prefer. But one things certain, Harry Potter is my brother, I know he is. And I am his twin sister, Rose Lily Potter. I've always known. But he hasn't.
I wouldn't even be thinking this if everything in my bloody life went the way I wanted it. If everything went how I wanted, Dumbledore would still be alive, so would my parents, for that matter. But there is one person I am craving the company of more than anything. But I can't bring myself to even say his name, never mind talk about him…… Its too painful, knowing that he is gone and will never come back. Knowing that none of them will ever come back.
I've just been to Dumbledore's funeral, thinking how my brother might be feeling. I've never spoken to my brother; Dumbledore never allowed me to because he wanted me to stay away from Harry(apparently he wouldn't be able to take it if he found out about me, or so Dumbledore thought.) I never used to mind, because at the time I would believe anything Dumbledore said. I thought that he would carry on living forever, keeping me away from my brother if I was tempted to even say 'Hello'….
But he never told me that I could never speak to my brother. He just told me that I was only allowed when the time is right. Who's to say that now wouldn't be the right time? Dumbledore isn't here to tell me to stop. Besides, I am sick and tired of doing as people tell me, sick and tired of being a good girl- I want a bit of a risk, I want to be daring.
I watched the grounds for a bit, musing over the idea that I could do what I wanted. My eyes fell on the white tomb that Dumbledore was laid to rest in and I couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of guilt at the thought of being reckless. But I had to get over that, it is my life after all, not Dumbledores, he can't watch over me anymore. Well, I can't see him watching over me, if he is. So I turned my head away from that direction, and looked over the Black Lake. I saw a figure standing next to the lake alone. A figure with bushy hair, very bushy hair actually. This type of hair could only belong to one person I know…. Hermione.
"Hermione."
"Hmmm?" She turned to look at me, and she recognised me straight away.
"Rose! When did you get here?" Her eyes widened," You know, if Harry sees you, he'll recognise you straight away, he has seen pictures of his mother you know."
It was true, I did look freakishly like my mother. We both looked at my dark red hair and Hermione looked at my brilliant green eyes.
"Oh my god, your eyes are even more of a giveaway!"
That I was confused at. "What's wrong with my eyes?" I asked, slightly offended.
"Its like looking into Harrys eyes," she said. "Not that you look like a boy though." she added, seeing the look on my face.
"Well anyway, I have no intention of leaving here. I'm going to talk to my brother. If you could maybe help me disguise myself, then maybe I could talk to him without getting found out… hmmm?"
She looked at me like I was mad.
"But Rose, you know you're not allowed- "
"That was on Dumbledores orders, but in case you didn't notice, Hermione, he's not around anymore, so I can do whatever I Iike now."
She bit her lip and looked at me. I was fully prepared for anything she might say to try and stop me, and my temper was rising even with the thought of her trying to stop me from talking to my own brother. My own brother.
"Well, alright, but we'll have to be quick, Ron and Harry will probably be looking for me. Now, I think-"
"What?" That, I was not expecting.
"I said, we better be quick."
"O-Okay," I stammered, unable to believe what I was hearing. Hermione, going against Dumbledores wishes to keep me away from my brother. That's almost as impossible as Hermione missing any homework. Honestly, I've only stopped round at her house over the last couple of summers, but that girl is obsessed with schooling.
"Now, did you want brown, blonde or pink hair?"
"W-w-what's wrong with my hair?" I asked, clutching my beautiful red hair in my hands- I loved it.
"Well, we might as well, and I'm also a bit worried, Harry might fancy you if we change everything else, I think he's got a bit of a thing for red-heads."
"What?"
"Well, he fancies Ginny, and they've just split up, so…."
This girl was afraid that my brother would fancy me?
"Okay, okay, I get the picture. Erm… I don't know… green hair maybe. That should put him right off me."
"Be serious, Rose."
"Okay, hmmm… Black hair please."
"Do you want me to make you look even more like him, Rose. Oh go on then."
And with that, she changed my hair black.
The rest was easy. My eyes were turned blue, and my nose lengthened a tad. Then the hard bit came. My name.
"How about Ophelia?"
I stared at her.
"We've already decided that my last name would be Wood, so I think I should have a name that doesn't draw attention to me, I don't want Voldemort to find out Harry's got a new friend."
"Okay…. What about …..Rachel? That's, not an unusual name, but its not boring either…."
I thought about this for a while, whilst Hermione was still guessing. Rachel Wood…..Rachel Wood. That could actually work.
"Amy, Katie, erm, Esme, erm, Tierney….."
"I like that."
"What- Tierney?"
"No, Rachel… Where did you get Tierney from anyway?"
"Oh, just someone I know. So, Rachel, huh?"
"Yep, 'Hello, my name is Rachel, Rachel Wood.'"
Hermione looked at me, then played along with my kind of role play.
"Why hello there Rachel," she said, waving her arms about in an important (but hilarious) manner.
We were laughing for a while, when I heard a voice behind me.
"Hi, Hermione. And- who's this?"
I turned around to see a red-haired, freckly, and tall boy, looking from me to Hermione- This must be Ron then. I'd heard a lot from Hermione about her two best friends at school, and I'd always got the impression that she had had a bit of a soft spot for Ron. I couldn't see why, he wasn't exactly good-looking.
Maybe it's his personality, I thought.
Standing next to Ron was another boy, around sixteen. I knew exactly who this was. He was shorter than Ron, with a shock of black hair. Underneath his hair he was deathly pale, and he wore round glasses. Behind these glasses, I saw a pair of shocking green eyes, my eyes, I thought. I could see what Hermione meant now, it's freaky. The boy was my brother. He was Harry. I raked his forehead, and found confirmation of this- he had a lightning-shaped scar just visible through his fringe. He was definitely Harry.
Hermione was looking at me, as though wishing me to introduce myself, but I was too busy taking in the appearance of my brother, the one who I have always been dying to meet. She cleared her throat, and this was enough to make me snap out of it. I must have been staring at him.
He probably thinks I fancy him, I thought. How wrong is he?
I decided to reply, holding out my hand and shaking both Ron and Harrys hands.
"My name is Ro- I mean- Rachel Wood, pleased to meet you. You must be Ron and Harry, am I right?"
Both boys looked shocked that I knew their names, so I explained, well, mostly.
"I am a very good friend of Hermione's, and I live in the same muggle village as she does when she is home from Hogwarts."
Ron looked at me.
"So, does that mean that you're a muggle, then?"
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Honestly Ron, when are you going to read Hogwarts: A History? Muggles can't even see Hogwarts. And do you even think that the ministry would allow Ro-Rachel to even set foot here?"
Ron opened his mouth to retaliate but I quickly stopped the argument by laughing and saying,
"I'm a witch, Ron. I just didn't go to Hogwarts, I was home schooled."
This was kind of true, if you class being taught by Dumbledore as being home schooled.
Ron and Harry nodded and Hermione broke the silence by saying,
"Well, Rachel was home schooled up until two months ago…. When her parents died."
I glared at her, alarmed and how she could even mention anything about a death that happened two months ago. She knew full well that I don't like to talk about him…. Hang on, did she say my parents died two months ago? My parents died almost sixteen years ago, what is she playing at?
But before I could enquire about it (inconspicuously, of course) a deafening BANG interrupted my thoughts.
Uh-oh. Damn. Damn, damn, damn. I forgot to mention, Voldemort knows about me. Rose Potter. Harrys twin sister. He wants to kill me almost as much as he wants to kill my brother. He found out when I was 11, that's why I wasn't allowed to go to Hogwarts. He must of found out (or guessed) that I would be here, I don't think he would have thought that I would miss Dumbledores funeral for a minute. Well, he was right. The place was flooded with Death Eaters and Hermione, Harry, Ron and I were frozen amidst the screaming crowd of people, swarming towards the gates to find a safe place to apparate- or just run.
But my legs were frozen in place as I realised what would happen if the Death Eaters saw me. I'd be dead straight away. Or I'd be dragged off and tortured. Whichever way, it couldn't end well. For me anyway. Another pang hit me when I realised that Harry was with me and my only thought was don't take my brother. I wanted to save him. I didn't matter anymore.
Another deafening BANG disturbed my thoughts once more and I jumped straight into action, realising I was in disguise, the Death Eaters wouldn't recognise me.
I screamed, "Quick, run! We can dissapparate when we get outside of the school gates. Go. Now!"
And with that, the other three followed my orders. We hurtled towards the gates, me in front leading the way. I weaved and pushed through the frantic crowd, almost getting crushed along the way. I was dragging Hermione through, as she was doing to Ron and Harry. As I crossed the gates, I realised that there was no crowd in front of me- the path was empty. Everyone had disappeared. I heard a loud CRACK behind me and I whirled around- there was no-one there. Hermione, Ron and Harry had dissaparated. Without me.
OH MY GOD
"COME BACK!!!!!!!!!!" I screamed into thin air.
I could not believe they left me, when the Death Eaters are after me as well. I could understand Harry and Ron leaving- I was a stranger to them. But Hermione? I thought I was one of her best friends. Ugh, I guess I thought wrong.
I came to a gradual stop, frantically thinking of where to dissapparate to- where can I go? I could hear bangs and distant screams of terror, issuing from back towards the castle- how many people were going to get hurt? Because of Voldemort. It was all because of him. All because of him that I no longer feel safe anywhere, I no longer feel safe with anyone.
Suddenly it popped into my head- I should go back. Back to the last place I can remember feeling safe. The Woods' Household.
So... what did you think? The story gets better- I promise! This was just a rubbishy little intro. Please Read and Review- I would love to hear what anyone else thinks!
