Disclaimer: YES, I have stolen all of J.K. Rowlings characters!!! Ha ha ha ha! Go ahead and sue me! Here's my name and address: Faker McFake, 123 Fake Street, Pretend Town, Non-Existent Place. Go ahead, try and catch me!!!! Okay, okay, I take it all back. *sigh* Everyone belongs to J.K. Rowling, except for everyone one who doesn't. (Hey, you can't sue me if you can't understand me, can you?)
Harry Potter was in his room at the Dursley residence, eating the last of his three birthday cakes sent to him by his friends, Ron, Hermione, and Hagrid, two weeks ago on his birthday. His cousin Dudley was still unsuccessfully dieting, and Harry was not eating very well, to say the least. So, in the same fashion as the last summer, Harry was hiding food under the loose floorboard in his room.
"Yuum, sugar. Hey, Hedwig. I'll eat the icing and you can have the cakey stuff, okay?" Harry told his pet owl as he unloaded the cake onto the tray in her cage.
Just as Harry was swallowing the last bite, a medium sized snowy owl knocked at the semi-open window.
"Ahh, just a second."
Harry opened the window and the snowy owl proceeded to drop a blue envelope on Harry's bed, the sat and waited. Hedwig looked at the owl with interest. Harry glanced at the letter and saw that it was from Hermione. He tore it open and began to read.
Dear Harry,
I got all the stuff you asked for from Diagon Alley and you have tons of change. While I was there, I bought this owl. His name is Aylward, and he's almost as smart as Crookshanks!
Anyway, Harry, I've written you for a very serious and important reason. There's something that I'm ashamed to say that I've lied to you about all these years. In fact, I've never told anyone in the wizarding world, save my uncle, who is a wizard. Even though I have always had some turmoil about whether I should tell you, now I have no choice. But, I can't tell you on paper. I would prefer to tell you in person. So, please come to my house for the last week of summer. I know how the Dursleys can be, so, my parents have agreed to pick you up. It's not that far, anyway. Please write back soon.
Love,
Hermione.
'I wonder what all that is about.' thought Harry 'Oh no! I hope she's not in love with me! Well, I suppose it wouldn't be too bad.."
Harry contemplated the possibilities for the rest of the day, and at dinner, he asked Uncle Vernon if he could go.
"Two dentists, eh? Both of them are Dr. Granger?" Uncle Vernon mused outloud.
Aunt Petunia's mouth dropped open in horror as she choked on her meat. "I had to go there for a route canal once!" she managed while trying to breathe again.
One week later, at 1:00 in the afternoon, both of the doctors and Hermione pulled up at the Dursley's house. Dudley hid in his room and Vernon and Petunia stood, basically silent in the living room, across from the Grangers, while Harry loaded his trunk into the car.
"Bye, everyone!" Harry called to the Dursleys, receiving no reply.
During the car ride, (The Grangers lived only 25 minutes away.) Harry got to know a bit about the two doctors.They reminded Harry of an ideal Hufflepuff: kind, pleasant, and hard-working. The hard-working part Harry gathered because they were so obviously obsessed with teeth. They had a set of dentures dangling from the rearview mirror. Hermione's mom, Janet, had a white t-shirt on that said "Brush your teeth" in big letters, with pictures of all kinds of tooth brushes. Hermione's dad, Luke, has a red t-shirt on that said "Dentists are cool."
Hermione was staring at Harry for the entire ride with a distant look in her eyes.
'Omygod!' thought Harry. 'What if she really is in love with me?'
When they actually arrived at Hermione's house, Harry smiled. It was exactly the kind of home Harry had always pictured for Hermione: it was a large, blue, Victorian style house with two cars and a swing set 'round back. Hermione took him to a stylish blue guest room where he ditched his stuff. Then, she led Harry to a cozy room, with pale pink wall paper and a large fireplace. They sat down on a love seat with enormous cushions and Hermione finally spoke, besides when she had said hello, and a couple impersonal words in the car.
"So, have you been having any nightmares lately?" she demanded softly.
Harry put on a stony face and said "To tell you the truth Hermione, I haven't really. Just about....... Cedric and my parents, coming out of that wand.
"Oh, Harry." said Hermione, giving him a hug.
Harry pushed away his unhappy thoughts and replaced them with uncertain ones.
"So..... you wanted to tell me something?" he asked shyly
"Let's wait until Ron gets here, okay?" she said mildly.
"Ron?!" Harry cried.
"Yes, Ron. What's wrong with Ron? Don't tell me you guys have been fighting again!" Hermione replied.
"Ummmm, no, I just didn't know that he was coming too. To tell you the truth, I haven't heard from him since my birthday. I wrote him back, but he didn't write me back." said Harry.
'Well, if Ron is coming, I guess that means she's not going to confess her undying love for me. What a relief!!' he thought. But, in reality Harry wasn't really sure if it was such a great thing.
But, Harry didn't have a chance to decide if it was a good thing, or a bad thing, because just then Ron bounced out of the fireplace, carting his trunk.
"Hi, guys." he said nonchalantly as he tripped over his trunk.
"Hey, Ron. Why didn't you write me back?" Harry asked.
Ron stood, up with a annoyed look on his face. "Because Pig flew into a wall and wouldn't get up, and Errol, well, god rest his soul."
Hermione's mouth opened in shock. "Errol is dead?"
"Most definitely." said Ron.
"That's too bad." said Harry.
"Let's have a moment of silence for Errol, then." said Hermione sympathetically.
"Arrgh! No! Ginny has already had about 8 memorial services. She built a statue of him for crying outloud! Enough already! I mean, I liked him, probably even.... loved him, but this is too much!!" Ron yelled.
"Okay, okay." replied Hermione.
"We get the picture." added Harry.
Ron blushed. He was obviously regretting his little outburst. "So, Hermione, you have some sort of important secret? Lemme guess....... you're a prefect!" said Ron.
"Well, yes, but that's not my secret." said Hermione, glaring at Ron ferociously. She sighed, than said in barely more than a whisper "Sit down, you two."
Harry and Ron obediently sat down on the love seat.
Hermione opened her mouth, than shut it again. She looked extremely nervous.
"Out with it!" cried Ron.
"Alright, alright. Ummm, well, you see, ihaveatwin." she said rapidly.
"What?" asked Harry.
"I have a twin. A twin sister, in fact." she said slowly.
Ron and Harry just looked at each other.
"I'm sorry I never told you. But, well, she was away, and I just wanted to have some time without my sister. I didn't want to think about her at all. But now," Hermione pressed on angrily "I don't have a choice. She's coming back."
Ron cleared his throat. "And uh, where exactly was she?"
Hermione laughed bitterly. "Why don't you go ask her yourself. She's in her room."
Ron was taken aback a little. "Umm.. okay."
"Wait a sec." Harry cut in. "Are you guys identical?"
Hermione laughed. "Not anymore." she answered quizzically.
"Let's go see her. I think it'll be interesting to meet Hermione's twin." said Ron.
Harry and Ron followed Hermione to an out-of-the-way door. It was black and it had a sign on it that said "Enter at your own risk 'cuz I just might chop your head off."
Harry and Ron looked at Hermione and laughed, but Hermione shook her head.
"It's not a joke." she said blandly.
She knocked on the door and asked timidly "Coral, can I come in?"
"WHY?" came a loud voice.
"Because I want to introduce you to my friends."
"NOT THOSE CHOIR-GIRLS AGAIN?"
"Coral, that was 7 years ago!!! We were 8, okay?"
"YEAH, WHATEVER. MAKE IT SHORT!"
Harry stared at Hermione incrediously. That voice sounded so rude and.........American.
Hermione opened the door, and lying on a hammock was a girl with a chin length, jet black bob. She had her eyes closed.
"Coral, these are my best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. They go to Hogwarts, too." introduced Hermione.
Coral rolled over and stood up, opening her eyes. They were.... they were ...... happy faces?
"Coral, take those bloody contact lenses out! They're creepy!"
"Well, I think they're cute." replied Coral.
Ron had his mouth open. He was gawking at Coral - and with good reason, too. If there ever was a person who was Hermione's complete, and utter, total opposite, it would be Coral.
Her short black bob suited her face, which was the same as Hermione's. They has the same nose and Coral's teeth matched Hermione's shrunken teeth. They had the same build, too, but the resemblance stopped there. Coral was wearing a tight baby tee with a picture of a Celtic sun. She was wearing a long silk skirt that went from red to orange to yellow. She looked beautiful. Hermione was wearing jeans and a t-shirt that said 'magic' on it in big, sparkly letters. Her big and bushy light hair was poking up around her face spontaneously. The other thing was that, well, Hermione's eyes weren't happy faces.
"Promise me you won't wear those contacts at Hogwarts? Pretty please?" questioned Hermione.
Coral ignored Hermione's question and said "Please Hermione, you're being rude. Which boy is which?"
"I'm Harry Potter." Harry spoke up.
"Ah, yes, Harry Potter. Read such pleasant things about you in The Daily Prophet last year. It's too bad that Hermi-"
Hermione cut her off. "Shut up."
"Bite me."
"Shut u-"
Ron cut her off this time. "I'm Ron Weasley." he announced.
"Of course. Hermione told me all about you." replied Coral.
"I wish I could say the same." said Ron, glaring at Hermione.
"So, you're coming to Hogwarts this year? Where were you before?" asked Harry.
"Yeah, I'm coming to Hogwarts. The reason I haven't been before is because I was in juvy hall. Unfortunate incident where I robbed a bank to pay off my gambling debts." answered Coral.
Harry and Ron glanced at Hermione for confirmation. She was positively spitting.
'If looks could kill.' thought Harry.
"Anyway, it's no big deal, because I kept up to date through correspondence." continued Coral.
"Well, Coral, I've got to show Ron his room, so we'll see you at dinner." said Hermione through clenched teeth.
"Bye-bye! Oh, and guys, don't listen to Hermione. I'm not Coral. I'm Cory." said Cory, waving them out of her room.
Harry and Ron followed Hermione to a yellow guest room. Hermione muttered the entire way. When she opened the door, she jumped on the bed.
"Juvy hall...... really! WELL, if that's the way she wants it, that's how I'll play it. If she really expect Harry and Ron to believe that stupid crap..... REALLY!" she said, almost inaudibly.
"If she wasn't in juvy hall, then where was she?" asked Harry.
But Hermione shook her head. "If that's what she wants to tell you, that's her business, I suppose. Anyway, do you guys want to see the rest of the house? And, Ron, you'll have to come meet my parents..."
After exploring, and dinner, and conversation, it was 1:00 in the morning. Harry returned to his room, ready to collapse into bed. So, to put it shortly, he did.
Dear PEEPS,
A/N: Hi! Do ya like it? What do you mean no? Well *sniff* FINE THEN! I don't even care . I like it. But what's that? You like? Well at least somebody likes it! You'l review me, won't you? Thank you! See, some people are kind and considerate and they review my story. The other people well at least they read it. And to the people who didn't read it .. we shall never speak of them again!!!!
Love,
Katy
P.S. This chapiter goes out to Sarah, who read it first. Thanx, Sar, and good luck with your stories!!!