By the way, I haven't looked at this for two years, but I was going through my documents and this was there. Apparently, I have a bunch of chapters that I wrote but forgot to publish (or edit) so here you go:
"Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect."
-Alan Cohen
"Massster, he comes..."
It was a dire situation. I flung myself into the tight space and waited as he passed.
I was putting back three magical books Harry and I had smuggled out of his old cupboard from under the stairs where Vernon had locked them all up.
The train departed for Hogwarts tomorrow and we still looked as if run over by cows, we had no ride and logic told me there was no Platform 3/4. I had been to a local train station before and everything had been in whole numbers.
Nevertheless, I pursued in finding a spell to covering our bruises. Luckily I had bought far more advanced books than the ones the school required but so far our search had been futile.
I had now skimmed through every book minus four and Harry stole makeup from Petunia's immense collection to see if he found a combination to cover everything.
Luckily his uniform covered his entire body, not his face but that meant he wouldn't have to use as much makeup, or magic if we found the spell. I, on the other hand had the only option of wearing a skirt without tights since I was a first year.
I was mildly content over having read the school books, considering I was at a disadvantage. I had not grown up in a wizarding family. At least I was academically caught up with a little extra knowledge. I would read more when I got onto the train, if we made it.
Cringing when the door made a loud creak, I opened and closed it fully, four new books tucked in my arm.
"Who there?" shouted Vernon, disregarding the hour.
He must be drunk then, normally he would keep quiet for his wife's sake but not today.
I had to sneak around the house an hour after the usual since that was when Vernon would finish watching his nasty videos. I had frozen up when I heard the noises for the first time after the incident and had returned to Harry, empty handed and near crying.
I heard him lumbering towards my direction and I held my breath as he passed my position in the wall, the shadows concealing.
"Must be loosing my marbles."
Yes, you most definitely lost your "marbles" uncle, remember how insane you went when the letters wouldn't stop coming?
It seemed such a long time since I hadn't known for certain of the magical world, even if I suspected something based on my own accidental magic.
The memory still angered me, if only we had gotten those letters on time, this wouldn't be happening.
Even if going into Knockturn Alley was going to inadvertently happen, me rolling down into the ocean wouldn't, and I would have had more time to figure out a disguising spell.
Nevertheless, I made my way up to our room, preparing for another night of sleepless research.
•
"Commuta sanitas."
Nothing. Harry had spotted a promising looking spell in "Facing the Nameless," Hagrid emphasized our lack of use of our wands but I would try wandlessly.
I had read it was incredibly difficult to use at wandless magic at will, since the cases of it was in children when in a dire situation, the emotions serving as a link to your magical core.
We were children but neither Harry nor I could feel powerful enough emotions to trigger it, no matter how much we tried to fake them, our magic remained unresponsive.
It made sense though, on the beach I hadn't been trying. But this was a dire situation and we would have a lot of explaining to do to Hogwarts staff if we couldn't do one spell.
"Commuta sanitas!"
Still nothing. That time I had tried using concentration to fuel the spell but it still hadn't worked.
"Shh, they could hear us."
"Well you try then!" I snapped.
"Commuta sanitas."
I was overjoyed to see the tiniest flicker of a spark emanate from Harry's palm, and he had dared think that he was no wizard.
"How did you do that?"
"I don't know, I guess I got desperate and angry and that happened."
So he had used emotions. I was never one to be emotional so that was why I still could not summon the magic.
I was going to have to venture into a territory I did not dare enter, until now. But if it meant concealing the things we had drastic need to be hidden, then so it would be.
Forcing the blank imaginary walls I had thrown up to shift, I started to do a mentally exhausting task.
When I did this, I did not know I was performing occlumency at it's highest level.
Immediately as if a dam had been broken, a flood of memories and emotions were shoved in my chaotic yet serene mind.
"-amount to anything! You hear me little girl? Never!" My aunt screeched in my 5 year old face, furious I had spilled the coffee she told me to make, all over her clothes.
I was down on the floor, clutching my head, the mental white wall in ruins.
Laughter filled my ears, it seemed very distant and the faces above me were blurry. I realized my cheeks were wet.
"Aw itty bitty Potty likes to cry." Dudley's friend broke off, bending down from harsh laughter.
"What is the meaning of this?" Aunt Marge came out of the house, voice thunderous.
Something caught her eye. It was her dog.
"Why is my cutie pie whimpering?" She sounded vapid now.
"Aunties, Ezra did it! She kicked poor Ripper!"
"He's lying! The dog followed her and bit her!"
I had been bitten?
"Quiet little boy! You say a load of tosh, Ripper would never do that!" She paused, "it's not like she didn't deserve it." Aunt Marge muttered.
Groaning, I lifted my head up. Dudley and his friends were packed together, sniggering at the sight of me.
Harry was standing to the side, worrying his lip with a cut across his left forearm.
"Get up! I'll let my brother deal with your disgusting abuse you dare inflict upon Ripper!"
Spittle flew in my face as Aunt Marge leaned down. It wasn't a pretty sight, I could see her neck fat rolls jiggling with each movement she made and acne scars lining her cheeks.
I nearly vomit when she yanked me upward. My eight-year old body could not take such mistreatment being so malnourished.
We marched back to the house, me feeling extremely dizzy to the point I had to lean against Harry as he tried to keep up with Aunt Marge.
The side of my face felt wet.
Had I been crying?
When we entered the house, I saw myself in the mirror to discover I had indeed, not been crying.
The side of my face was covered in red. Some parts seemed to have crusted while others kept themselves moist from the constant flow of deep gashes.
"Brother, this disgusting thing you call girl had the nerve to actually hit my sunshine!"
"Your what?"
"Ripper!" She screeched.
The sound made me moan in pain and bend down, clutching my ears, a pounding headache making me go faint.
"Ezra didn't do anything! That dog was chasing her and it made her trip! She fell on a rock and passed out. You should be worrying about her!"
"Do you hear that? My doggy is too civilized to even go doing shenanigans like that."
As if on cue, the ripping of a couch was heard, followed by a hungry growl.
"Go to your closet girl! And don't come out until tomorrow, that is what you get for upsetting Marge. How dare you? After all we have done for you!"
Harry tried again. "B-but she didn't do anything!" He pleaded. "She can't be in such conditions, I've read that what she would have is a concussion-"
"Ezra."
"And how do you suddenly know that boy? They don't teach that in school." He left the threat hanging.
"He's been using my computer daddy!"
"Ezra."
By this point, I had fully sunk to the ground. I wanted to shout a warning at Harry to watch out, Vernon's raised hand did not seem like a good sign, but my lips would not cooperate.
"Ezra."
Vernon's hand advanced towards Harry's face, Marge seemed to have a ghost of a smile on her face, raptly paying attention to Harry's future pain filled face.
"Ezra!"
"Don't hurt him!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, a second later my head connecting to something hard and solid.
"Ow!"
Harry was lying on the floor next to me, rubbing his forehead where I had hit him by my abrupt jerk upwards.
I was still panting from the flashback but the hit with Harry's forehead seemed to have cleared my mind.
I looked on in wonder as my eyes traveled across-
"And what exactly are you two doing?"
Vernon stood in the doorway, the faint light of the hallway casting menacing shadows on his face. He looked demented, ready to pounce.
"Screaming nonsense at two in the morning, disrupting the peace of my home!"
He shook his paunchy index finger, waving it around as if it would make us unravel and give him what he desired.
"No breakfast for the both of you, and you have to clean the cellar."
"We go to Hogwarts tomorrow."
His face morphed into an ugly sneer, uneven blotches of color on his face.
"Ha! That excuse of a school." He jeered. "Maybe as a punishment I won't drive you."
His eyes glinted and he slammed the door shut, locking us in.
OoOoooOoooOoooOoo
I blearily sat up, squinting against the luminous light inflicted upon my pupils.
I didn't know why I was so exhausted but as I looked at the time, a stunned gasp escaped my lips.
I awoke Harry and told him of our predicament. We had forty until eleven, the time Hogwarts Express would leave and our door had not been unlocked.
"I would say sneaking out but it's impossible to get there in this time."
It was doubtful we could hail a taxi or go on a bus. People didn't have pity and they wouldn't feel it for us, especially since we didn't have anything to offer.
"Get their attention it is."
We started to repeatedly bang on the door, each time the rattling of it becoming more violent.
"What in the hell are you two doing?"
Aunt Petunia had thrown the door open and nearly made us tumble on the carpet from the abruptness.
"We're going to be late to Hogwarts!"
I tried to keep my voice from showing distress but failed miserably.
A twisted grin appeared on her face, any pleads would dissuade her.
"You know we're important in the our world, they will coming knocking on your door if we don't go and you know it."
Harry sent me a glance that told me he hadn't missed my use of our world.
After giving me a glare that could smolder me on the spot, Petunia left.
"Vernon get the car ready, we need to bring these pair of freaks to the circus."
Making sure to leave the door ajar, we rushed back into our room to get ready.
"I can't believe you actually did it." Harry continued. "You have a lot of magic in you Ezra, I can tell."
Our skin seemed to be porcelain, not a single blemish showed. It had come at a torturous price, but my mind was accustomed to shutting itself and moving on.
I couldn't control other people to forget what I wanted. At least not now with my amateur knowledge of magic.
Shimmying into a pair of cheap black polyester leggings, with fabric torn at the bottom and signs of wear, I saw ten minutes had passed.
Harry had finished and all I had to do was throw my hair into a messy ponytail.
I might have been a vain person in another lifetime but this time around I spent no time on my appearance. When you live with the Dursley's you learn to live like that.
High class wizards wouldn't be impressed but I wouldn't need to try judging on the reactions from the day we went to Diagon Alley.
Thinking of that day brought darker memories and I stopped my train of thought, before everything went downhill.
"Need this?"
My dagger balanced in beautiful symmetry on Harry's hand. He also seemed to have a nice fit with it. Maybe it was because of his Potter lineage.
I looked into his face trying not to look guilty but I could never hide things from my brother.
"I can explain."
One single eyebrow went up under his bangs.
Not a good signal. When he went expressionless it was when you had to tread with most caution.
"When I stayed back at Gringotts I found it in our vault..."
I came clean with the entire tale and his face seemed to deflate.
"All I can say Ezra, is be careful. Especially with magic. That man, he seemed dangerous and I get the feeling it wasn't coincidental and out of his good heart that he saved us."
"You're still thinking about him?"
"You aren't?"
He had a point, I had been having even more nightmares, gone were the days of ominous shadowy dreams. Now they were terrifying and my nightly visit was a person draped in a cloak as dark as their soul. If he even had one.
"Will you take Ignis and the dagger?"
"Of course I will, I would never leave them with the Dursley's and I doubt they would do much of a security check for first years."
We had twenty minutes left and I bound down the stairs looking like a madwoman, Harry in tow.
Dudley had been stuffing himself with indiscernible types of junk food and promptly choked when he saw us.
We only left with only ten minutes until eleven and by then I was internally shouting explicits.
Vernon took his time in buckling Dudley in and when we were finally on the road, his slow driving and traffic jam made Harry snap.
"Can you please drive faster?"
He had a time full of forced calm, tense hands clutching compulsively at the cars seats.
And I could just imagine the Dursley's going slower just to torment us.
And I was right, I saw the speed dial drop eight kilometers.
Finally, finally King's Cross came into view. I experienced tremendous relief, more than I had ever felt before.
We had two minutes.
We slammed the car door, ignoring their laughs and ran.
Reaching platform 9, I only proved my suspicions. There was no platform 9 and 3/4.
"Mom I'm going to be late! I need to go but I can't find it!"
The wail of a girl reached our ears and it sounded suspiciously like she was in our same dilemma.
Turning around the corner, I saw a family of three fair skinned, English people.
"Are you going to Hogwarts?" Harry asked.
I could have face-palmed in front of everybody. What if they were muggles?
The girls frantic nod moved her disarranged mass of hair. She was not a beauty. But the bright intelligent eyes recompensed for the widened cheeks and wild hair. Even though she was still in the age for a chubby face, her jaw structure said the cheeks wouldn't go until after puberty.
"Yes! I've been looking for three hours and I can't find it!"
She sounded on the verge of crying and I completely understood her.
Walking over to the middle of platform 9 and 10 I found myself at the wall.
A humming was originating from it, it seemed like a melody, beckoning me forward.
Placing my palms on its surface, they went right through.
Stifling my shout of surprise, I whirled around to see the others had seen that.
The parents seemed fascinated, and as amusing as their facial expressions were, we had no time to waste.
Moving backwards, I got my trolley and pushed it against the wall.
It didn't ricochet but went right through.
Deciding it would be safer if we didn't throw our luggage, I stepped into it.
The buzzing increased in pitch and loudness but once I was through it receded slightly.
The train was already moving and only Harry and the father had come through.
Hauling everything off the trolleys, we rushed the girl and started running toward the train, now increasing in speed.
Throwing Harry's luggage in first, he threw mine and the mystery girls as we ran alongside it, her screaming last minute goodbyes.
"I love you mom and dad, I'll write to you everyday!"
I doubt even the magical community could provide that much ink buddy, considering you seem the type to overwrite everything.
Grabbing onto the handrails, Harry pushed me by the thighs and I landed in a unceremonious heap on the worn floor.
Ignis had slithered comfortably into Hedwing's cage, ignoring the Owls outraged cries and flapping of wings.
Grappling onto Harry's arms, I tried to pull him on but my strength was not proficient.
"Come on Harry, help me a bit over here would you!"
"I can't! It's moving to fast!"
The bushy haired girl was running as fast as she could next to Harry, her short legs looking like a hamster on a spinning wheel. But she proved her worth.
With a horizontal move, she effectively pushed Harry against the railway and gave him leverage to fumble on.
Now that I owed her, I knew we couldn't just ditch her.
"Give me your arm!"
Luckily she was adept at quick thinking and didn't bother questioning me.
We were reaching the end of the platform and if we didn't get her up than it would be doomed.
Harry grasped her other forearm, but his hold slipped up to her wrist, our combined screaming started attracting attention.
Two gingers pushed pass the incoming crowed and assisted in the pull.
With all of our four combined strength, her feet finally left the ground and came crashing into Harry.
"Could it be-"
"Look at it, it's right there..."
"The scar-"
"It couldn't be."
"She wouldn't be doing these shenanigans."
Standing up, the crowd gaped at us.
"It's Ezra Potter!"
I didn't know who said it but for their sake's, they should be glad I didn't.
A sudden flock of children my own age invaded the little space I had in the cramped passage leading outside.
"Let her pass people, let her pass."
"She is escorted by King Weasley and King Weasley and we herby declare you let her go through!"
The two identical red-heads attached themselves to mine and Harry's arm, with Bushy Head following closely behind.
Waving the crowd away as if mosquitos, they led us to the last compartment, housing another ginger.
He was unkempt and had bulging eyes. They were shallow as he stared up at us, a moldy looking sandwich held limply by his mouth.
"Look dear little brother,"
"We brought you famous-"
"Full of awesomeness-"
"Ezra and Harry Potter!"
"Plus random girl."
They cut each other off, it was as if looking at your own reflection. Even if we didn't do it often, Harry and I would sometimes do the same thing.
"I know who you are, I've read all about you in my textbook."
This was getting out of hand, it needed some control.
"First off, we introduce ourselves, we are not some cavemen now are we? Second, you will all explain to us what is going on. Good? Okay."
Without letting anyone interrupt my little speech, I continued.
"As you apparently must know, I'm Ezra and this is my brother Harry. You?"
"Fred and George Weasley,"
"Although our true names-"
"Are Gred and Forge!"
So my name would be Erry? I will definitely not apply their naming system.
"Ron Weasley?"
This was said between mouthfuls of food, putting it all on display and I felt he was trying not to choke.
"Hermione Granger."
"See that was not so hard was it? Now tell me, why are you freaking out over us exactly?"
My final test for Hagrid. But they all started speaking at once.
"You're in textbooks!"
"Well mum says-"
"I've read all about you-"
"Stop!" I had to shout above them all to shut them up.
"Hermione speak first and no one else."
I had to admit, I was a control freak.
With a clear of throat and a proud look she said in a haughty voice, "As I was saying, you're in newer textbooks, you are know for having defeated You-Know-Who when a baby but no one knows how."
"Mum says you brought peace for both wizarding and muggle worlds."
This was spoken in a whisper of awe, and yet I found irony in it.
Such a nice way of repaying their hero, both sides had been equally ruthless with the lives of Harry and mine.
"Great because we already knew that."
Exasperated at the lack of information but feeling more trustful of my giant guide, the twins gave a hasty farewell and left in search of the origin of shouts.
It seemed they liked to chase danger. What a parallel.
"There is a rumor though..."
Encouraged by Harry's attention, I watched Hermione speak through the reflection of the glass, back still turned.
"In a little note in the book margins, I read that people think You-Know-Who came after your family because of some prophecy."
All four of us sat down, an awkward air blocking any conversation.
Resigned to a long train drive, I pulled out a book along with Hermione while Harry and Ron started munching on sweets Harry bought.
The window was foggy, and when I wiped it away, I saw the fading dot that was King's Cross, just as I saw the train tracks bring me to the new horizon that was my life.
Reviews welcomed.