"A hero is created when that choice is made. The answer for each is always the same. Please, take my life instead"

-© D.A Helms

CHAPTER ONE – THE TRIP TO THE ZOO

The shadowy darkness of midnight was interrupted by the rows of street lamps. Their flickering light brightened the streets for those odd few who were left to drive home late and lit the side-walks for any person who fancies taking the dog out for a walk at twelve o'clock in the morning. Yet, Privet Drive wasn't the kind of place such an occurrence would be likely. The people lying comfortably in their soft mattresses inside their various houses (Ms. Number 7 snored, Mr. Number 3 was dreaming about the cats and thinking that he'd quite like a few more, Mrs. 10 was dreaming about Mr. Number 1, who was dreaming about Mr. Number 10, and Mr. Dursley of Number 4 was tossing and turning anxiously) lining the street of Privet Drive weren't the sort of people to do any 'abnormal' acts. They cared too much about their appearances.

Little did they know, however, one of the most abnormal people in the world would be showing up on their streets tonight and leaving behind two very precious packages.

Harry James and Hugo Charles Potter were twin boys who lived with their aunt, uncle, and cousin at Number 4, Privet Drive. They were both ten, soon to be eleven, and happened to live, not in a bedroom like most children their age, but in a cupboard underneath the staircase. This wasn't because there weren't enough rooms in their house or because they chose to live there as a sort of hide-out or something of the sort, but because their aunt and uncle didn't much care for them. In fact, they made it perfectly clear that they detested the two boys.

Perhaps it was the messy black hair that both boys shared. Perhaps it was because of their so-called 'drunk' father and 'freak' mother, whom they couldn't remember at all. Perhaps it was the lightning bolt scars on the boys' foreheads, supposedly from the car crash that killed their parents, which just made the twins more freakish in their relatives eyes. Perhaps it was because of all the strange things that seemed to happen to them, like a teacher's wig turning blue, Dudley's friend being attacked by a frog, or their hair growing back after a particularly ugly haircut from their aunt. Whatever it was, because of it the Potter boys seemed to spend most of their time cooking and cleaning for their aunt and uncle, and running from their cousin and his nasty friends.

Harry and Hugo could be called identical to the casual observer, but for someone who knew they well, it would be easy to tell them apart. While they had the same skinny limbs, pale skin, and awkward glasses that sat slightly tilted upon their noses, they had their differences. Hugo had always been a bit taller, not by a landslide, but only a subtle half an inch or so. Harry's nose was a bit crooked, from the time his cousin Dudley had broken it and his aunt and uncle had never cared to set it straight (Hugo had tried his best, but it was sort of difficult with all the blood squirting out). Hugo had a bright, open mouth smile, while Harry's was more shy and reserved. Hugo had grey/blue eyes that darkened when he was happy or sad, while his brother had bright emerald eyes. Though Hugo had never been chatty, he normally took up for his 'younger' (they didn't know the exact time of their births, so Hugo just proclaimed Harry was younger, despite the other boy's protesting) twin around new people or when their uncle's face turned purple.

Normal boys of the Harry and Hugo's age had plenty of friends; the twins had no one but each other. They were 'freaks' and 'weird-o's' among their peers and no one ever dared forget it. Once, a new girl had come to their class – a sweet, shy girl named Amy – and tried to befriend the twins, only to stop speaking to them the next day. Harry noticed she had a bad looking bruise on the side of her ankle. Dudley had kicked her during play time for trying to socialise with 'the freaks'. The twins mourned for the friendships they would never have, but it helped that they were never alone. Hugo had Harry and Harry had Hugo. They had to stick together.

Almost ten years had passed since Harry and Hugo Potter were left on Number Four's doorstep on that night. The house had changed little in that time, but on the mantelpiece was now filled with pictures of a large blonde boy riding his first bike, on his first carousel, at a museum in London, and so on. The pictures showed no sign that two other boys lived there as well, yet Harry and Hugo remained.

It was only around seven o'clock when the sharp pounding of their aunt's bony fingers echoed on their cupboard's door.

"Up! Get up! NOW!" she cried. Harry and Hugo could hear her unlocking the cupboard lock, then clicking off in her annoying red shoes to the kitchen.

"It's Saturday…" Hugo groaned, flailing around blindly for his glasses. "Why is she up so early?"

"Dudley's birthday, remember?" Harry said, pulling his head up from its resting place on his brother's lap and rubbing his eyes.

Hugo groaned.

"How could I have forgotten Diddykins' birthday?" he grumbled, finally coming up with his glasses and pushing them on.

A few minutes later, the Potter twins clambered out of their cupboard clothed in three sizes too big trousers and shirts that hung off their skinny frames like small tents and made their way into the kitchen, where Aunt Petunia instructed them sharply to "Cook breakfast and try not to burn anything". Harry stuck out his tongue behind Aunt Petunia's back and Hugo elbowed him sharply, giving him a 'not today' look.

The table was half-buried underneath Dudley's presents – it looked like he had gotten the racing bike, second television, and new computer he had wanted. Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to his cousins, as Dudley was quite fat and hated exercise, unless of course it involved punching. His punching bag of choice was either Hugo or Harry (preferably both), but he often couldn't catch them. The Potter twins didn't look it, but they were quite fast.

Harry could remember one time a few years ago when he and his twin had come down with a nasty cold and his Aunt Petunia had shoved them out to the sweltering heat (which felt quite warmer than the worn blanket they shared in their cupboards, especially due to the fact they were unusually cold due to fevers), ordering them to attend to the garden. Almost immediately after their Aunt had closed the door (and locked it) their cousin and his 'gang' of dunderheads arrived, smirking viciously as they eyed the twins' weak state. Hugo and Harry had looked at each other anxiously and moved closer together, Harry shrinking slightly under the stares. Hugo, through his dizziness, glared at the group of idiots in front of them. Dudley just smirked, waving his huge arm in a sign of 'let's get them!' making the twins eyes grow wide. Their instincts kicked in and the shock of adrenalin bursting their individual veins, as they immediately took off as fast as they could, grasping each other's hands. Even with their clammy foreheads, sore throats, and dizziness, they managed to outrun their cousin's attempts to grab them. They preferred their Aunt's reaction to the fact they never actually attended to the garden than have bruises and cuts along with runny noses.

The smell of eggs and bangers joined the sound of the toaster popping and the crackle of bacon in the small kitchen of Number Four, snapping Harry out of his flashback. Hugo had just laid down the plates and Harry the butter, syrup (which Dudley liked to drown his bacon in), and forks when Uncle Vernon and Dudley stumbled in, stretching and yawning.

As Hugo served his uncle some bacon, Vernon barked, "Comb your hair!" as he did about once a week. It didn't matter how much the twins' hair was cut or brushed through; it just grew all over the place. No matter how many times their aunt grew so frustrated that she just cut it all off, leaving it uneven and very unappealing, it always grew back to the same length almost immediatley. It annoyed their uncle to no end.

Dudley was about as opposite as one could get from his cousins in appearances. He had a large face, almost no neck (like his father), small, watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair. Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a cherub, but privately Harry and Hugo said he looked like a pig in a wig. It was a secret joke between them and often times they thought they would faint from lack of oxygen when their Aunt would speak the word 'cherub' and their gazes would cross. Hugo and Harry had much practice at keeping their laughter silent and unnoticed.

As the twins set the eggs and toast on the table (which was difficult, because there wasn't much room), Dudley finally finished counting his presents.

"Thirty-six," he proclaimed, looking at his mother and father with a face like a kicked puppy (or a kicked be-wigged pig, if you prefer). "That's two less than last year!"

"Diddykins, dear, you've forgotten to count Aunt Marge's present. It's under that big one there, see?"

"All right, thirty-seven then." said Dudley, beginning to go red in the face. Harry and Hugo shared a glance, and then began shovelling food into their mouths as fast as they could, lest their cousin have a tantrum and flip the table over…again.

Aunt Petunia obviously shared this worry, because she said quickly, "And of course we'll buy you two new presents while we're at the zoo, popkin. How's that darling?"

Harry wrinkled his nose at his aunt's sickly sweet tone, and Hugo coughed to cover a laugh.

Dudley thought for a moment, obviously trying to count it out. Then he said slowly, "So I'd have thirty…thirty…um…"

"Thirty-nine, Sweetums." supplied Aunt Petunia, lovingly caressing her son's blond head.

"Oh." Dudley said, sitting down heavily and grabbing the closest present. "All right then."

Uncle Vernon chuckled heartily. "Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. 'Atta boy, Dudley!" he ruffled Dudley's hair. Hugo and Harry shared eye-rolls.

Then the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while the twins and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap a VCR, a remote control airplane, the racing bike, a video camera, and sixteen new computer games. The twins stared slightly longingly at the presents. They didn't want to be spoiled and turned into someone like their cousin, mean and greedy and nasty, but the twins had never really received anything for their birthday, expect from each other (which normally wasn't much, for they had no money). It would have been nice to get just one present, even something like a new pair of socks or a small lolly. Usually from the Dursleys the twins could expect things like coat hangers, one of Dudley's old pairs of underpants, or a chipped tea cup, if they remembered the twin's birthday at all.

Dudley was just ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back, looking angry and worried.

"Bad news, Vernon; Mrs. Figg's broken her leg. She can't take them." She jabbed her bony finger at the twins.

While Dudley's mouth fell open in horror, the twins shared identical looks of excitement. Every year Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia took Dudley and a friend on a special outing on his birthday, but every year Harry and Hugo were left behind at Mrs. Figg's home, where they were forced to look at pictures of cats all day. They dreamed of going to the zoo and seeing all the creatures there or going on rides at an amusement park or seeing their first film and each year they were left drowning in their disappointment as they were once again left behind. Yet, Mrs. Figg let them eat slightly stale chocolate cake and watch the telly sometimes...when she misplaced her cat photos.

"Now what?" said Aunt Petunia, glaring at the boys as if it was their fault. Harry and Hugo knew they ought to be sorry that Mrs. Figg had hurt herself, but it was hard when they knew that it would be a whole year before they'd have to look at pictures of Tibbles, Snowy, Mr. Paws, and Tufty again.

"We could phone Marge," suggested Uncle Vernon half-heartedly.

"Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boys."

The Dursleys loved to talk about the twins as if they weren't there, or perhaps as if they were too stupid to understand them. In reality, Harry and Hugo were quite bright (compared to Dudley they were bloody geniuses, but who wasn't next to him?).

"What about what's-her-name – your friend…Yvonne?"

"On vacation."

"You could just leave us here." suggested Harry hopefully. Even though they'd love to go to the zoo, they wouldn't protest to the idea of being left to their own devices. In fact, they'd be able to watch what they wanted on television and maybe try out Dudley's computer.

Aunt Petunia looked like she had swallowed something sour as she snapped, "And come back to the house in ruins?"

"We wouldn't blow up the house," protested Hugo, but the Dursleys were back to ignoring them.

"I suppose we could take them to the zoo and leave them in the car…" said Aunt Petunia slowly.

"The car's new; they're not sitting in it alone."

Dudley had finally had too much, and began to cry, loudly and falsely.

"Dinky Duddydums, don't cry! Mummy won't let them spoil your special day!" Aunt Petunia cried, flinging her arms around him.

"I…don't….want…them…to…c-c-c-come!" Dudley wailed between 'sobs'. "They…always…spoil…e-e-everything!" He shot his cousins a nasty grin from under his mum's arms. The twins stuck their tongues out at him.

Just then the doorbell rang and a moment later Dudley's best friend Piers Polkiss walked in with his mother. Dudley stopped crying at once.

Half an hour later, Harry and Hugo, who couldn't believe their luck, were sitting in the back of the Dursley's car on the way to the zoo for the first time. Their aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with them, but Uncle Vernon had taken the boys aside before they left…

"I'm warning you two," he'd said, leaning close. "I'm warning you boys…any funny business, anything at all – and you'll be in the cupboard until Christmas."

"We won't do anything," said Harry.

"Honest, we won't." added Hugo.

But Uncle Vernon didn't believe them. No one ever did. The problem was that strange things always happened to the twins and it was just no good trying to convince the Dursleys that they didn't make them happen.

Today, however, nothing was going to go wrong. Harry and Hugo exchanged meaningful glances, a silent promise to make sure they didn't ruin this for themselves. Even though they believed all those other strange events couldn't possibly be connected to them as the Dursleys claimed, they were honestly going to try their best to make sure this day moved along smoothly. It wasn't often they get to leave the neighbourhood and never once had they been given the opportunity to go to the zoo! It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be able to spend time in a place that wasn't school, their cupboard, or Mrs. Figg's cabbage-smelling room.

While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things, like people at work, the twins, the council, the twins, the bank, and the twins. Today, however, it was motorcycles.

"…roaring along like maniacs, the bloody hoodlums," he said as a motorcycle overtook them.

"I had a dream about a motorcycle," Hugo said suddenly.

"I had a dream about one too!" Harry exclaimed. "It was flying!"

"Yeah!"

Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front of them. He turned around in his seat to yell at the twins, his face like a gigantic beat with a moustache, "MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!"

Dudley and Piers sniggered.

"We know they don't," said Harry. "They were just dreams."

But they both wished they had kept quiet. The Dursleys hated when the boys talked about anything unusual, even if it was just on telly or from a dream. They seemed to think that this would give the boys ideas.

It was sunny out and the zoo was crowded with families, which hurt something in the twins' chests and they shuffled closer to each other, wanting to grab hands but knowing that it would only lead to punching or more ridicule from their cousin and his friend. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large ice creams at the entrance, and then were forced to buy Harry and Hugo cheap lemon ice pops when the woman selling the treats had noticed them.

It was the best morning the two Potter boys had had in a long time. They ate in the zoo restaurant, and when Dudley had a tantrum because his Knickerbocker Glory didn't have enough ice cream on top, Uncle Vernon bought him another, and Harry and Hugo were allowed to finish the first together.

When the twins talked about this day in the future, they realised that they should have known it was far too good to last.

They went to the reptile house after lunch. The cool inside was a welcome break from the summer heat and the twins gapped at the rows and rows of tanks containing different reptiles. Some were awake and some were curled in sleep and other's were just lazing about, sunning themselves or just staring blankly. Dudley and Piers soon located the largest snake, but it was asleep. Yet, being the rude boys they were, they wouldn't just leave it to rest in peace.

"Make it move," Dudley whined at his father, nose pressed to the glass. Uncle Vernon rapped his knuckles against the glass, but the snake didn't budge.

"Again!" ordered Dudley. Still the snake didn't move.

"This is boring." Dudley proclaimed, and walked away, probably off to annoy another innocent animal, Harry thought.

Harry and Hugo, however, remained. They were both thinking idly that being in that class cage was even worse than their cupboard when the snake slowly opened its eyes and raised its head to look at the twins.

It winked.

The twins stared at the snake, then at each other. Hugo glanced around to make sure that no one was watching. They weren't, so the Potters winked, too. If you would ask them years later why they chose to react to the snake's strange behaviour, they wouldn't have a solid answer for you, only 'Why shouldn't we have?'

The snake jerked its head toward the Dursleys, as if to say, I get that all the time.

"I bet," said Harry, not sure the snake could even hear him through the glass. He knew animals were quite smart though, so he assumed that perhaps the snake could understand what he was actually saying.

"It must get really annoying." added his brother, realising that it should feel strange talking to a snake, but dismissing the thought in the same second. They were both already 'freaks', right, so what did they have to lose?

The snake nodded.

"Where are you from, anyway?" asked Harry.

The snake pointed with his tail toward a sign next to the cage.

Boa constrictor, Brazil.

"Was it nice there?" asked Hugo, but the snake gestured to the sign again.

This specimen was bred in the zoo.

"Oh," said Harry sympathetically, thinking back to the Dursleys. "Us as well."

"So you've never been to Brazil, then?" Hugo asked, thinking idly of the blurry pictures of tall green trees in their school textbooks.

Just as the snake shook its head, a loud shriek rang out behind them, making all three of them jump.

"DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! COME LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! LOOK WHAT IT'S DOING!" Piers Polkiss screamed across the room in his high, squeaky voice, waving his arm towards the twins.

Dudley waddled over at top speed.

"Move it," he said, shoving Harry and Hugo out of the way. They both fell to the floor in a heap, landing loudly against the concrete; they would surely have bruises. But that did not compare to what happened next. It was so fast that no one could see how it happened, so strange that no one could explain it. One second, Dudley and Piers were leaning against the glass, and the next second they had both leapt back, screaming in fear.

Hugo and Harry both stared, mouths agape – the glass in front of the snake's tank had vanished. The snake had begun uncoiling itself, slithering out of the tank and dropping onto the floor. People began screaming and running for the exits. Dudley jumped into Aunt Petunia's arms.

As the snake slithered past the Potter boys, they could have sworn they heard a voice saying, "Brazzzil here I come…thanksss amigossss."

The keeper of the reptile house was in shock, babbling on and on about where the glass went. The zoo director made Aunt Petunia a large cup of tea, apologising repeatedly while Dudley and Piers gibbered incoherently in the background. Harry and Hugo were sure that the snake hadn't so much as slithered over their toes, but by the time the all clambered back into the car, both bullies were both filled with horror stories of almost-missing limbs and strangulation. But the worst part by far was when Piers said, "Harry and Hugo were talking to it right before, weren't you?"

As soon as Piers was out of the house, Uncle Vernon yelled at the twins furiously to get in their cupboards.

It was a few hours later when they were securely locked inside their cupboard, Hugo's head resting comfortably on his brother's lap, who was leant up against their only pillow (full of holes, naturally), that Harry said, "I wish we had a watch."

"Me too," agreed Hugo, watching a spider climb around the stairs above his head. The twins couldn't risk sneaking out for food until they were sure the Dursleys were asleep, but the growling of their aching stomachs was getting harder to resist as time crawled past slowly, very slowly.

Sometimes, when the twins remembered hard, they could both recall a blinding flash of green light. They assumed this was from the car crash that killed their parents, but had no idea what could have caused all the light. Green light wasn't really normal for a car crash, was it? They couldn't remember their parents at all, and there were no photographs of either of them in the house. Occasionally, when they would wake up from nightmares of the green light with a dull pain in their foreheads, they would discuss what their parents may have looked like. Did their chaotic hair come for their mother or father? What were their parents' names? Where they really as reckless, dumb, and uncaring as the Dursleys made them out to be? Harry wanted to believe their parents loved them and were good people. Hugo just wanted something of them to hold in his hand and show proof that they did care – that they even existed.

When they were younger, sometimes the twins speculated about running away, or about an unknown relative showing up out of the blue to whisk them away, but unfortunately the Dursleys were their only family. However, sometimes it seemed like people on the street actually knew the twins somehow. Once, when the boys were out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley, a tiny man with a violet hat had bowed to Hugo. A wild-looking woman dressed in all green had waved at Harry once on a bus. A bald man had actually shaken the twins' hands the other day on the street corner and walked away without a word. The strangest thing was that all these people seemed to disappear into thin air the moment they tried to get a closer look at them.

Apart from these people, no one liked to acknowledge the Potter boys – at least not in a nice way. Harry and Hugo Potter, in their old baggy clothes and taped glasses, were to be avoided at all cost. Nothing good could come from the Potter twins.

Or at least that's what everyone on Privet Drive believed.