Chapter One
Harry sighed in his sleep, twisting and turning slightly to get more room. Beside him, Lyre twisted and turned, also fighting for more room. Having to share a single bed with one other was very hard, but it was something that they were used to. However, their sleeping selves never really adapted and they were forever trying to push each other off the bed, just so that they could have a good stretch in their sleep. Not that there was much room to fall off anyone, or stretch. Lyre and Harry Potter lived in a cupboard. Together. With a single bed and half a shelf each for the hand-me-down clothes given to them by the cousin, Dudley who was around the weight of a small rhinoceros, and the few possessions that they owned between them.
When I say 'given to them' by their cousin Dudley, I really mean, ripped out of his hands as he had grown out of them and shoved into the hands of two eleven year olds who had no chance of ever growing into them. Dudley was a spoiled brat, a seriously spoiled brat. He hated his cousins with a vengeance which was slightly hard to understand considering he was only a baby when they landed on his doorstep so there was no way he could remember any other time. Unlike Vernon and Petunia Dursley. Vernon was Harry and Lyre's abnormally fat uncle. If Dudley was a small rhinoceros then Vernon was the daddy of all rhinoceroses. He had multiple chins, a red face, and beady eyes that always watched Harry and Lyre with apprehension and loathing. Their Aunt Petunia, on the other hand, seemed to be the unlikeliest mother and husband of two of the fattest people Harry and Lyre had ever met. She was the human version of a stick insect. Her long, bony fingers were forever working away at her prized blue rose's lining the back garden wall while her abnormally long neck was peeking over the high wall for any gossip or deviant behaviour by their equally nosey neighbours.
There was a standard on Privet Drive, a very high one, one that each and every householder on this drive did not fail to keep every year. It was almost like an unspoken competition between neighbours. Who could keep their front lawns the tidiest? (Petunia was in the lead with this, without a doubt, and wasn't afraid to show it.) Who could throw the best Christmas party? (Number seven always won this to the horror of Mrs Dursley ever year.) Every soul on Privet Drive loved normality and routine and ordinariness. They despised anything non-standard. That is why from the moment the Potter twins landed on the Dursley's spotless door step, they were hated by everyone within their living area. They neighbours didn't like them for their scraggly and un-kept appearances, they Dursley's, however, hated the Potters for a very different reason. They were wizards.
Or rather, Harry was a wizard and Lyre was a witch. This was a fact which terrified the Dursley's beyond thought, for they knew that soon, since the twins had reached the age of eleven, their letters would be arriving soon. Their letters of acceptance to…to…that place…where they did…that thing. Such words were forbidden in the Dursley household for fear that the neighbours may suddenly acquire super hearing and discover all the Dursley's dirty secrets. Like Petunia's late sister was a witch, who married a wizard, and had twin wizards, and was then 'blown up' was Petunia eloquently put it one night, by an evil wizard by the name of Lord Voldermort. They stuff of nightmares he was. But more about him later; he becomes more important as the story goes on. Anyway, the Dursley's prided image and the Potter twins ruined that image. That is why the Dursley's hated them, because they were different, unusual and peculiar.
Bang! "Ow." Came a muffled cry from the small space between the bed and the shelf. Lyre looked down slowly, black hair blocking her ivy green eyes. "Sorry Harry." She whispered, not wanting to disturb the Dursley's. Their aunt and uncle were going to be agitated enough as it was with it being Dudley's eleventh birthday. Harry huffed and accepted Lyre's outstretched hand. She pulled him back up into the bed and they both flopped back, sighing.
"Dudley's birthday today." Lyre mumbled. Harry let out a groan. Out of the two of them, Dudley hated Harry the most. He and Lyre weren't sure why. Maybe because he was a boy and it was alright to hit boys but not girls. Maybe it was because he was older than Dudley and a boy. Harry and Lyre didn't know, nor did they care. They just accepted. Escape wouldn't be far away anyway. They knew their Hogwarts letters couldn't be long now. They were of age to start after all. It was the middle of the summer and they met every new day with a fresh wave of anticipation, repeating the mantra in their heads 'maybe today, maybe today, maybe today'. It was the only things that got them through this hell hole of a home.
The twins dreaded Dudley's birthday above all other. It was the day where Dudley called the shots completely, got loads of cool presents and got to go on an exciting trip. Harry and Lyre got to go on the trip too, for their aunt and uncle feared they would cause trouble or do something 'unusual' in front of the neighbours if they left them at home. Usually these trips involved some kind of practical fun, meaning Dudley got to run off with one of his beastly friends and have a great time while the twins watched from the side lines with their immensely proud aunt and uncle as they stared after their galumphing boy with pride. This year, however, the day seemed to take a brighter turn, for when Dudley came thundering down the stairs, pausing to stamp on the steps directly above the cupboard the Potters lived in, he was shouting "Wake up Potters, we're going to the zoo!"
While Dudley tried to make as much noise as he could on the stairs above them, Harry and Lyre flipped a one pence piece to see who would go out the door first. Harry let out a hiss of disappointment when the coin landed on heads. Lyre smirked and pushed him towards the door. Harry sighed, bracing himself for the almost definite assault that would raid his head the minute he opened the door. He guessed right. As he creaked the door open ever so slowly and peeped around like a nervous animal, Dudley appeared by the door. He grabbed Harry's hair with thick, sausage like fingers, ragged his head before shoving him back inside the cupboard and kicking the door shut onto Harry's knees.
Resisting the urge to go out and knee Dudley where it really hurt, Lyre stroked her brother's sore head for a moment before climbing over him and opened the door once more. She checked the coast was clear before grabbing Harry's hand and pulling him out of the tiny room. They both stretched and yawned, their muscles and bones protesting at the new shapes. They both stumbled through the glass door which led to the joined kitchen, living-room and conservatory, the proud centre of the home.
Aunt Petunia and Dudley were in the kitchen, Petunia fussing over her 'Duddykins', proud tears staining her bony cheeks. She looked up as the door opened and gave the twins a sharp look. "Why don't you two cook the breakfast and try not to burn anything." She looked disdainfully at Lyre's baggy figure and sniffed haughtily. She thought Lyre fat yet had the nerve to call Dudley big boned! Harry and Lyre had always thought their Aunt Petunia a very backward woman. Always seeing the worst of Dudley in the twins and never seeing her perfect son put a step out of line. The twins were always to blame for Dudley's mistakes. Let's get one thing straight. Lyre Potter is not fat. She actually has a very nice figure which will become more prominent and curvy, as the years go by. It is only hidden by the cavernous clothes handed down from her cousin.
Aunt Petunia covered Dudley's podgy eyes with long, bony fingers and led him to the living-room where the floor was covered in brightly coloured paper parcels. "I won't everything to be perfect for my Dudley's special day" Harry and Lyre rolled their eyes as one. They both went into the kitchen, where bacon, eggs and tomatoes were already cooking on the stove. Lyre went and looked after the coffee, making a strong dose for their Uncle and a very sweet tea for their aunt. From behind them they heard Vernon and Dudley arguing about the number of presents Dudley had received this year. Vernon seemed to have made the mistake that Dudley actually cared how big they are and that if some of them were bigger, he could buy less. "Scandalous!" Lyre hissed a hand on her brow. Harry chuckled. "Hurry up!" Came the barking commands of Uncle Vernon. "Bring me coffee, girl!" Lyre delivered Vernon if coffee and attempted to give their aunt her tea but she was too busy comforting Dudley and reassuring him that when they were at the zoo they were going to buy him two new presents to make up for the ones that weren't there, making it a grand total of fifty. After Harry and Lyre gave the Dudley's their breakfast they both sat cross legged on the counter by the sink, nibbling toast and doing silent impressions of Dudley's latest hissy fit.
After giggling too loudly, Vernon ordered them to go get changed and ready for the zoo trip, informing them that Dudley's best friend Daniel was coming. Identical groans of annoyance huffed from the twin's lips as they made their way back to their cupboard to get dressed. Lyre went in first and changed into some short shorts and an oversized t-shirt, an old one of Dudley's, and some old, dirty, black and white All Stars with some trainer socks. It was a very hot day so no jacket was needed. The twins swapped and Harry went in to change into some baggy jeans held up by a belt that had to have extra holes punctured into it in order for it to hold the enormous jeans up around Harry's skinny waist. An oversized t-shirt, also one of Dudley's, was put on along with some black falling-to-bits trainers.
Both the twins sat together on the bed muttering to each other, waiting for Dudley's horrid friend to arrive. Dudley's friends treated the Potters no better than he did. Harry was their personal punching bag, used thoroughly in front of the school they all attended, always in the playground where all the other students could see. The boys always pushed Lyre around, shoving her on the ground, telling her what to do, stealing her dinner money, tripping her up and one of Dudley's friends was always holding her back when they attacked Harry so she couldn't help. That was what Lyre hated the most, not being able to help her twin who was being beaten before her very eyes.
The tell-tale ding dong of the door- bell ended the Potter's conversation and they both took deep, grave breaths, preparing themselves for the horror that was Dudley's 11th birthday treat. Somebody banged on their door while running to get the front door. Loud, boisterous greetings could be heard as Dudley and Daniel fooled around on the doorstep. It sounded like they were play fighting but stopped instantly as Petunia and Vernon came out of the kitchen, Vernon banging on the twins doors again, an unspoken demand to get out of the room and come greet Daniel. Rolling their ivy green eyes, Harry and Lyre crawled across their bed, creaked open the door and came out, fixing fake smiles on their pale, pointed faces. Daniel and Dudley grinned evilly when they saw them but covered it up with simpering smiles when Petunia came back from the kitchen with a hat and bag. "Let's go then." She said in her drawling, high pitched polite voice used only for guests. The boys cheered and ran to the car, Dudley getting in first and Daniel second.
When Dudley's 5th birthday came around and he decided he wanted to go to a theme park with a friend, the Dursley's realised that they couldn't fit themselves and the Potters and a friend or two in a five seated car. So, reluctantly, Mr Dursley went out and bought a seven seated car not three days before Dudley's birthday. They really had to stretch to buy the car since Dudley's birthday presents had been so many and cost so much. Dudley and his friends were always in the middle seats and Harry and Lyra were shoved in the back.
Just as Lyra was reaching for the back door, Uncle Vernon pulled her and Harry aside. "I'm warning you now Potters." He sneered. "Any funny business at all and neither of you will get any meals for a week!" He looked between them with beady, untrustworthy eyes. "Now get in!" He snapped finally before heaving himself into the driving seat. Harry and Lyre got into the back seat mumbling insults to Vernon under their breaths. They knew it was an almost empty threat. Vernon knew he couldn't starve them. But he could knock back the amount of times they ate. So Harry and Lyre tried to keep themselves in check. They knew what Vernon meant by 'funny business', anything unnatural, anything not normal, anything magic. Obviously Harry and Lyre didn't know how to do magic yet, not properly, but sometimes they just couldn't control themselves.
Like one time, Aunt Petunia was so frustrated with Harry's messy hair that she gave him a god awful hair- cut, one that would make him the butt of so many school jokes he dreaded to go the next morning more than usual. However, when he and Lyre woke up, Lyre gasped. His hair had all grown back! And another time, Vernon's boss was coming over with his wife for a family meal and wanted the whole household there, meaning Harry and Lyre as well, who usually sat in the cupboard when the Dursley's had guests. Wanting to make an improvement on Lyre's baggy figure, Petunia went out and bought a hideous pink, frilly dress covered in lace and bows. Lyre wanted to burn and clearly stated she would never be seen dead in it. Petunia of course forced her to put it on and Lyre and Harry waited in the cupboard for the guests to arrive. Low and behold, when they came out of the pitch black of the cupboard to greet the guests, the dress had turned itself into a midnight blue strapless dress, completely frill and bow free!
With each and every magic related incident came a harsh punishment dished out from either their Aunt or their Uncle. It wasn't the twins fault, they just couldn't control it. That is why every time Dudley's birthday came around, they both took extra care to keep their cool, or they were dead meat.
On the way to the zoo, Dudley and Daniel gushed about the different animals they wanted to see.
"I wanna see the lions!" Dudley demanded.
"The tigers, too!" Daniel added.
"And the bears!" Dudley squealed.
"Oh my." Harry and Lyre hissed, grinning. "Let's go see the Reptile Room." Lyre whispered. Harry nodded eagerly. "D'ya think they have any pythons there?" Harry whispered, hopefully. Lyre raised an interested eye brow. "Maybe it will mistake Dudley for a buffalo and eat him?" They both giggled, quietly, enjoying the image of their fat cousin and his foul friend being eaten up and out of their lives forever.
"Here we are!" Uncle Vernon announced, loudly. The boys cheered and hooted.
"Let's go, let's go, let's go!" Dudley demanded, he and Daniel already out of the car. Lyre and Harry quickly followed along with Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. Dudley and Daniel instantly ran off towards the ticket booth. Vernon and Petunia strolled along after them, making the mistake of taking a leisurely pace until Dudley started screaming. They began speed walking, the twins jogging to keep up with them. When they entered the zoo, Dudley and Daniel went straight for the most dangerous animals first. They visited the lion enclosure which bored them because they were taking a nice nap in the hot sun. They didn't have any bears much to their disappointment but they did have a tiger. Harry and Lyre thought the tiger may have gotten Dudley mixed up with food because it got its front paws up against the wire fence and roared. Dudley and Daniel roared back with enthusiasm. "Who'd have thought they were eleven." Lyre sneered.
After moving quickly from animal to animal they finally reached the Reptile Room. Harry and Lyre approached this, with hope that an animal may still eat Dudley, since the tiger and the lion failed them. The twins followed Dudley and Daniel to a large snake curled up asleep draped on the mossy log sat in the middle of its tank. The boys pressed their fat noses up against the glass, leaving finger and breathe prints all over it. The python, as it said on the sign, did not stir. "Make it move." Dudley demanded when Vernon and Petunia joined them. Vernon knocked on the glass. "Move!" He called. Once again it did not stir. Dudley growled. "MOVE!" He yelled, banging on the glass with all his might, making it quiver and shake. "He's asleep!" The twins snapped. Daniel huffed. "He's boring." The Dursley's and Daniel moved away and went to another tank. Harry and Lyre lent against the ledge jutting out in front of the python's tank.
They studied the bright yellow patterns adorning its scaly skin. It was quite marvellous. "Sorry about him." Lyre muttered. Harry looked at her like she was mad. She shrugged and continued. "He doesn't know what it's like, sitting there say after day. Watching people press their ugly faces in on you." Harry nodded in agreement and they both watched the snake, as if expecting some sort of answer; and amazingly, they got one. The python raised its head, stared Lyra dead in the eye and hissed "It'ssss ok." The Potters moves fell open in astonishment, their green eyes wide. "Can…can you hear us?" Harry asked, tensely. The snake nodded its great head, moving its small eyes to Harry. Lyre cocked her head to one side. "Do you talk to people often?" The snake shook its head. "You're from Burma, aren't you?" Harry questioned, excitedly. Lyre elbowed him quickly and coked her head towards the sign. The words
Bred In Captivity
looked back at them. "Oh," Harry said. "Sorry. That's us too." Lyre nodded. "Yeah, we didn't know our parents either." Just as the python was going to answer, Harry suddenly disappeared with a yelp. Dudley took his place quickly and Lyre saw Harry sprawled on the floor a few feet away. She ran to help him and kneeled beside him, both glaring heatedly at Dudley's fat head. Suddenly, the glass disappeared and Dudley fell forward into the tank, head first. The python slid out onto the wet floor, slipping through Daniel's frozen legs and slithered toward the Potters. "Thankssss." He hissed. The twins nodded. "Anytime."
The snake winked and slid away to cause fear and mayhem around the zoo. Harry and Lyre looked back at Dudley to find that the glass had reappeared, leaving him trapped inside, him screaming and crying on one side, Petunia screaming and crying on the other. Daniel was still fixed to his spot, frozen with fear. Vernon however, was looking straight at the Potters. They knew they were for it.
Just an idea for a story. Please tell me what you think. If you don't like it I wont carry on. It will hopefully get more exciting and it will be very different from the harry potter books cos this is a lyre/draco story