Horribly abused five year old twins Harry and Heather must flee the Dursleys and make their own way in the world. They team up with a home for runaway children and their lives get far better…
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The Twins Who Lived:
Harry Potter was a small boy of five years of age, he was curled up in the cupboard under the stairs, his refuge, prison and the only place in this house he could call home. Trembling and barely awake by his side was his sister Heather Potter. Both children were a few inches shorter than those of their age, they both had raven locks of hair, Heather long hair that hung down her back, Harry with a messy birds nest of hair that would not sit neatly on his little head. They had beautiful green eyes and each had a scar on their faces, Harry had a lighting bolt shaped one on his forehead Heather had what looked like a sideways v on her right cheek.
Harry slipped Heather some food he had managed to steal, he never would do this for himself but for Heather he would. He did not understand why they were hated so and why they were kept in a cupboard under the stairs. They did all the chores, Heather was forced to cook and clean the kitchen, well she would have if her arm was not broken from aunt Petunia going for her head with a frying pan and Heather doing her level best to protect herself. They had been taken out, not to Mrs. Figg who fed them and taught them their names, here they were only called boy or girl or freaks and demons. A strange man had bowed to her today after they got their vaccines so they could go to school and that had set off their aunt who had gone mostly after Heather. It was always Heather, always her who got starved and beat by Petunia the most.
"I am going to get us out of here." Harry said to Heather.
"They will find us." Heather said, "besides where would we go?"
"Anywhere, she is going to kill you , you know this." Harry replied. "We start school soon, next month, we go a week then escape."
"But they will find out!" Heather nearly sobbed, "if you go by yourself then you could get away, but I would slow you down!"
"No, you will heal, I got us those vitamin things Dudley takes, nicked them from the chemist today." Harry whispered handing her one, "they should help make us stronger, and don't say stealing is wrong 'cuss I am sure starving kids and stuff is wrong too."
A month later the twins found themselves on the way to school. There was one good thing about school, the uniforms were provided at this school for orphans like them. So they got two sets of new clothes, a navy jumper, trousers for Harry and a skirt for Heather, light blue button up shirt and navy tie. Both still had old trainers but the clothes made them look more normal and each had a backpack from the charity shop. It was in these Harry started to put things they would need in their escape. He found first two caps that Dudley hated and never wore, one green for Heather and one blue for him in Dudley's second bedroom. In a pile in the corner he found two coats hardly worn though not pretty at all. He found a pocket knife and took that too and slipped back to his cupboard before the Dursleys came home.
By the Friday of their first week Harry had found that their escape was now or never, a break for them had come. To celebrate Dudley's first week at Kindergarten Vernon and Petunia were taking him to Brighton for a day on the sea. Harry and Heather would go to Mrs. Figg' straight after school and not go home. Harry had no intention of ever setting foot at number four Privet drive again but just hung his head and nodded that he understood. The school day seemed to go slow for Harry, but finally it was over and he acted as if he was going with his sister to Mrs. Figg's home. However he led his sister away from there as soon as they were out of sight of the school. The first of many breaks came when they saw a lorry with canvas sides, he looked around and seeing no-one looking jumped in and helped his sister up. They headed to the back of the lorry and hid behind boxes, Harry nearly grinned when the Lorry started up and they were off to a new life!
"We are free Heather, they will never get us again!" Harry said as Heather snuggled against him.
"Thank you Harry." Heather replied.
"Anything for my only remaining family." Harry said, "those people we lived with were never family and I will never call them that again."
Hours later the lorry came to a stop for the night, yet both children were asleep and did not wake until the morning, they slipped out of the truck then and slipped into the shadows. They did not know it but they were in Birmingham far from Little Whinging and London as they could get. They ducked through several alleys and saw they were surrounded by tall buildings. As they were walking along one of the cities many canals two tall sturdy boys stepped in front of them. They turned to walk away and a girl stood in their way. They huddled together scared and wondering what would happen now, would they be killed and beat up? Though the older teens were clad in what looked like school uniforms like them they looked scary as they took in the little children.
"Bit young to be out and about aren't you?" One of the boys, a tall read headed blue eyed young man said, "my name is Peter Stone."
"I am Robert Marx." The brown haired brown eyed boy next to him said.
"Peter, Rob you are scaring them." The girl said, her brown hair was tied back from a pale oval face, "so young, and I bet hungry."
"W-what do you want from us?" Harry asked protecting his sister as best he could. "You will not take us back to them!"
"Ah runaways!" Robert said, "now I have a difficult question for you, answer this truthfully, why did you run away?"
"They beat my sister, I had to run away for her!" Harry replied.
"Then we can help you, you must be hungry. I am Mary Hawthorne, I promise we do not bite."
Harry and Heather went with the teens that day and it turned out to be the best thing they could have done. What they did not know was that with denouncing their aunt and uncle and cousin Harry had transferred the blood wards from them to himself and his sister. As the wards were transferred to the children something interesting happened. They were protected from any witch or wizard finding them unless they told them who they were. It would have far reach consequences as the Wizarding world for the most part would believe them dead for many, many years.
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Ten Years Later:
Harry and Heather Potter were now fifteen years old and both had grown from scared little children to strong confident teens. They had been taken in by a home for runaway abused children, it operated in a gray area of the law, as technically the children belonged to their parents or guardians. However as they were well cared for her the law was willing to look the other way just privately keeping tabs on the once abused children. The tall brick home with slate roof sat on one of the many canals that flowed through and around Birmingham. Both were well trained in martial arts and magic, however they did not go to Hogwarts as they never had got their letters. The blood wards that had settled on them kept the letters away and protected them and would do so until they turned seventeen in two years. Yet they were well trained in magic and were well known by the students at Hogwarts and the smaller magical schools as well, which was where they were now standing before a hundred students they trusted as fully as they could.
Harry was now a tall strong youth standing two inches under six foot tall, it was his full adult height with ah lithe athletic build. His sister was four inches shorter at five six and was an athletic built girl too. She tied back her long ebony locks in a long braid more often than not and her eyes were more piercing green than Harry's were. She had opened up out of her cocoon that kept her alive at the Dursleys and now was a strong leader in her own right. She had decided to contact the students at the magical schools and reform the magical world starting with the students. At first it was hard but then it started to take off, Harry and Heather did not use the name Potter but Evans in their dealings with the students but they were sure that many knew who they really were.
Most of the students were dissatisfied with the status quo of the British magical world. When they found out that magic and electricity worked together and that a real wizard had perfected the electrical system inventing the AC system muggles used primarily they were not happy. This same wizard named Nicholas Tesla had invented a system for magic users to hook up their electronics to at home and even in the magical schools they had a special rune cube to hook things up. They could even put that cube in their pockets and travel in a heavy AC muggle area and not set off the muggle devices. A quiet revolution was underway and even many proud pureblood students were slowly seeing that their way was going to get them all killed if they did not change. This did not bode well for the newly returned Voldemort as he was in for a nasty surprise in the form of a trap that had been laid for him at the ministry.
"So we got everything in order?" Harry asked Heather.
"Yes, the ministry can do nothing, we are too powerful for them to stop us." Heather said turning to Neville Longbottom who had come to visit today, "how are you holding up Neville?"
"Umbridge has not found the defense club, even if she had we could take her." Neville replied, "so far we have five thousand students who are fully trained in martial arts, combat magic and muggle studies across the British isles, the only ones we have to really protect are the first and second years really."
"Good what about the security on all magical homes, shops and the like?" Harry asked Ron Weasley a red headed boy.
"Weasley security is proud to state that 99.9 percent of all magical homes are hooked up and we have a security force of five hundred, not to mention that Amelia Bones has allowed us to work with the Aurors." Ron said, "on a side note we are raking in the money and dad is really happy in his work."
"Good, Fred George operation mayhem still going strong?" Harry asked the two identical red headed boys.
"Yes, Umbridge thinks we left the school." Fred replied.
"We are of course still there." George added, "we are staying with a dear friend."
"Yes Shadow is on our side, as are the heads of houses." Fred added grinning.
"Good, operation dark dork is on schedule, I want to apologize in advance to any who will lose parents in this." Heather said
"My father should not have joined the dark lord then." Theo said, "I know Draco agrees but well you know why he cannot be here."
"Yes, we know." Heather said, "look go get some rest, we will let you know when the trap is to be sprung."
Harry and Heather left the school and headed back home where their tutor waited for him, Nicholas Flamel smiled at him. He was over six hundred years old and in that time he had dealt with many dark lords and ladies. What was one more? His favorite trick had played out just four years prior when he "allowed" Voldemort to "steal" the Philosopher's stone. Voldemort had used it alright and he did gain a physical body, what he did not know is that by doing so the stone fixed every imperfection he had, including all of his split soul. He now had no Horcruxes and was fully mortal, Nicholas had locked him up for a time but knew he had to let him escape so that Harry and Heather could fulfill the prophecy.
When Nicholas met Harry and Heather all those years ago he did not recognize them as the children of two dear friends, James and Lily Potter. When Harry had trusted him with the secret he had started training both children and it had paid off in spades. Normally he stayed with Pernelle on their vineyard in France or in their small house in Devon. But now he knew change had to be made for their world to survive. He helped as much as he could and always behind the scenes as he was wont to do. His dear Pernelle taught them transfiguration, charms, Arithmancy, runes, and history of their world, they both thought them magical combat and he taught them potions and alchemy. That was not all they learned languages and were fluent in French, German, Japanese and Mandarin and they had their A levels along with all their OWLS and four NEWTs in potions, defense, charms and runes for Harry, defense, charms, potions and Arithmancy for Heather.
"So how did it go?" Nicholas asked as they took a seat in the sitting room of the old grand house.
"Well, the trap is set." Heather replied, "we will get rid of him and his followers."
"Shadow says that Voldemort is working towards putting a taboo on his name the fool." Harry said, "what a way to create a weapon against himself and of course Shadow is willing to brew it to catch any strays from the trap."
"Good, you two make me proud, you are so strong, your parents would be so, no they are proud of you." Nicholas said smiling at them, "despite all you went through you are such good children."
"Well I don't know about good." Harry said, "I have thought of all the painful things I could do to the Dursleys."
"Yet you have not acted on them." Nicholas said, "now you will need to know that the ministry will wish to control you once you reveal yourselves."
"Yea but we have NEWTs." Harry said, "that will count for something."
"Dumbledore will still try to imprison us, I know master Flamel you say he is not evil but I do not trust him to not try to control us, not after leaving us in that place." Heather said, "if he tries to send us back then they will die along with him, I am not the weak little girl I once was."
"Yes he can be a bit narrow minded." Pernelle said walking into the room handing each a pendent, "here I will feel better if you wear those."
Despite the preparations and the years of study Harry was still worried. He knew that once this trap was sprung that there was no going back. He knew he was going to have to kill and that he did not much like thinking on. Nor the aftermath of the battle if, no when all went well. He had to win as he fought for freedom, and he was going to stay free no matter what!
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The department of mysteries was a multi-level department. The lowest of the high security areas of the department were situated at the "front" of the department. These included the death chamber, the time room, the room of thought, the prophecy room, the space room, one got to the various rooms via a circular room with twelve doors. If one entered unauthorized then the only rooms they could get into were those first five and those alone and an alarm went off trapping those within. Or normally that is what happened, yet not today as a "former" unspeakable by the name of Augustus Rookwood had managed to deactivate the alarms so the death eaters could "trap" the students coming here. Voldemort thought him a loyal death eater, but he was far from that and had not spent over a decade in Azkaban, he had in fact been working hard on a project to rid the world of Dementors working with an old spell of light from China.
The loyal death eaters had no idea that they were walking into a trap. Led by Lucius Malfoy they walked into the department of mysteries confident everything was about to go their way and that they would have a very big prize out of this. The dark lord wanted the prophecy here, and somehow, they were not sure they had lured Neville Longbottom here as Harry and Heather Potter were dead, or they had to be as no-one could find hide nor hair of them anywhere! The alarm set on the prophecy went off and he strode down the rows clad in his dragonskin battle armor, black death eater robes hood and mask he was a terrifying sight. He came on the row where the teens stood looked scared but defiant, how quaint, too bad he would not harm the children, if only they were older.
"You really should learn to tell the difference between dreams and reality." Lucius said removing his wand from his cane and casting a spell to remove his hood and mask to reveal his white blond hair, pale face and silver gray eyes. "Then again you are but foolish."
"It seems despite your masters exhaustive efforts to set a trap you are the ones who have stepped into a trap." Harry sat stepping forward clad in green dragonskin armor over black fatigues with a long green cloak, "leave now and you will live."
"Do not and die." Heather said walking up, clad much like her brother, "it matters not to me."
The twenty death eaters turned and saw teens and young adults step from the shadows clad as Harry and Heather. They could see the Union Jack flag on their shoulders and a patch on their armor that showed a green dragon on red background. Lucius just smirked and pressed a rune stone calling forward more death eaters. In fact Voldemort had expected trouble and so he had back up plans in place as well. Yet even with all the death eater troops at his command Lucius was out numbered six to one. Harry and Heather hoped he would surrender and that there would be no bloodshed but that was not to be. It was Bellatrix who attacked first and went after Neville who ducked and was behind her so fast one would have thought he Apparated. He removed her head from her shoulders and with that the battle was on.
Hours later it was all over, the death eaters were slaughtered, Voldemort was dead by Harry's hand while Heather took out Nagini. Now the twins stood before the minister, half the ministry and the headmaster of Hogwarts wondering what their fate was to be now. Harry knew they did not have to go to Hogwarts, they did have their OWLs and NEWTs as well. Still they were under age and that meant they could be forced to have a guardian despite the fact they could and did take very good care of themselves. They knew that coming out this way would make them targets but as they were ready, willing and trained and Voldemort had to die they had no choice but to do what they did.
"You are Harry Potter." Fudge said looking pale and fearful, "and Heater Potter, but you died."
"Clearly that is a mistake." Heather said, "good news, Voldemort is completely gone."
"Bad news is no, we will not help clean the bloodstains." Harry added.
"Figured you were better for that sort of thing." Heather retorted.
"Now see here!..."
"Look around you minister, what do you see?" Harry said indicating the fully armed, magical and muggle-wise teens, young adults and a few older witches and wizards all clad in armor and fatigues ready for battle, "you see yourself in control of this situation?"
"What do you want?" Fudge said knowing he had no control here, "what are your demands?"
"Not mine, the queens." Heather said sweetly.
"Yea, she is not happy with you lot, might cost you the charter." Harry replied seeing Fudge pale, "I see you know the charter, best to follow what she wants."
"Oh and don't think on charging us minister," Heather said taking out two pardons, "she pardoned us for past, future crimes that we might commit to get Voldemort."
"That and we get the bounty for killing him." Harry said, "should help pay for all that was taken from our family during this last war. Hoodwinking our own father to single handily drain his vaults and family wealth to pay for the war while you grew fat on ill gotten gains."
"Oh and that is a full bounty to each of us." Heather said sweetly, "one million galleons each, not bad for a day's work."
"There is one more who has helped us and is loyal to the queen, Severus Snape step forward." Harry said, "no more are you chained to two selfish masters."
Stunned the aged headmaster watched as Severus Snape stepped forward. He was tall lean and clad all in black from his dragonskin armor to the tunic, trousers and boots under them, his black cloak billowing about him. His long lank black hair was tied back from his face and his black eyes normally blank showed a bit of humor. He walked past the stunned headmaster and bowed to Harry and Heather. He had never been loyal to either Voldemort or Dumbledore, his full loyalties had always been to the queen. In fact the last thing he had talked with his father about was the war against Voldemort and what could he do to stop him? His going to the queen and becoming her spy had been the best thing he had ever done, the ministry and Dumbledore could never touch him again.
"Severus what is this?" Dumbledore asked.
"I was always loyal to the queen." Severus said, "you really never should have allowed four boys to beat me down and try to force me to Voldemort. You assumed I had no love at home didn't you? Because my father was a muggle? True he was a harsh and strict man but he loved me, and raised me right."
"I see, so you were never loyal to me." Dumbledore said a hard look in his eyes.
"You are against the queen?" Severus said turning to face him, "how dare you!"
"No! I am not, but, so she really has your loyalty and always has?"
"And ours, you will not interfere in the restoration that we do of the magical world." Harry said, "not now not ever again."
"We have our NEWTs you know, so we are not going to Hogwarts, we have far too much work to do." Heather said.
The old order of the ministry was over, and a more ancient way of things was going to be implemented with a few modern things thrown in. Harry and Heather would not stand for the way things had been going. Nor would most of the magical world here in England once they learned what reforms were taking place. Life was about to get better for all even with the changes taking place.
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Ten Years Later:
Harry Potter was happy, extremely so, he was newly married to one Ginny Weasley, captain of the Hollyhead Harpies and chaser and the love of his life. She had in the seven years as part of the all witch team made a lot of money and had this year gone to the World Cup making international headlines with the Hollyhead Harpies making up most of the English team. Harry was a very lucky wizard and he knew it more so when his own godfather was found in Azkaban and it turned out he never had a trial. He was found innocent and now was a good, just and very forward thinking lord Black. He had apologized to Severus for his appalling behavior in school and had become friends with the man to a degree. Now though as Harry lay on a comfortable couch in Grimmauld place, Ginny's lap his pillow he could hear the two men arguing as they came into the room.
"You don't know anything Black!" Severus snarled at the taller, stocker man with shaggy near-black hair. "I am a potions master, the best this world has in fact!"
"I think you could gain an award for the…"
"Greasiest hair in the universe." Harry said not looking up from the comic book he was reading.
"At least…."
"I don't have fleas." Heather chimed in walking into the room, "hi, it seems I did not miss anything."
"No, same ol' even Sirius and Severus cannot come up with new insults." Ginny said, "I am already bored as I cannot play Quidditch."
"No but you can still captain and coach." Harry said smiling.
"You are expecting?" Heather said her eyes lighting up, "how long?"
"Two months, and yes we know what we are having, a little wizard." Ginny said.
"I was hoping for a little witch, but a wizard will do nicely." Harry said grinning, "as long as he is as smart as my wife that is."
"You are smart Harry." Ginny said, "you had your NEWTs by fifteen for Merlin's sake!"
"Only because I had to and I had a lot of help, I could not pass getting in as an Auror if you recall."
"That was physical Harry and you know it, really trying to hide the fact you are colorblind did not work did it?" Heather said, "you can see well but no color."
"Yea, no wonder I have always had trouble with potions." Harry grumbled, "still I can heal well, that does not require color vision."
"No it does not." Severus said, "and you have nothing to be ashamed of, you did defeat the darkest lord in over three hundred years."
The first years after the war were rocky to say the least, the magical ministry went through a major house cleaning and many people ended up without jobs. Many of the older witches and wizards were not fully on board with the changes at first but when they saw they would have more freedoms nearly all accepted them. Sirius Black was finally given a trial and the Dementors were fully dealt with by one Augustus Rookwood who used a modified spell from the east to destroy them. Trials were done by judge and jury not by the Wizganmoot, that body of witches and wizards were now fully elected and more like a house of commons than anything else.
Harry and Heather had seen the Dursleys, or rather Dudley who had turned out decent despite his parents. Last time they had seen him he was a solid man full of muscle and very little fat. He had joined the army straight out of Smeltings and after a few words with his parents who disagreed with that choice he had cut all ties and never did try to reconcile. He too was married and had a beautiful little girl named Daisy and a son named Daniel, twins now four years old. They were now on good terms and Dudley found magic interesting not something to fear like his parents. He saw it much the same as someone who has blue eyes or who is left handed, something inherited and normal, not something to fear.
Harry and Heather still kept up with Nicholas, they wanted to give him credit for all that had happened to get rid of Voldemort. However he refused and with a smile said that Voldemort was not the only dark lord he had been tasked to help those chosen to rid the world of. He only helped them destroy him that was all. They did the real work and had both changed the magical world for the better. Heather was dating an up and coming inventor in America by the name of Tristan Tesla and it looked as if they might marry soon. All had turned out well for two orphans who had started out as beaten and scared runaways and turned into the leaders of a new age, a golden age that hopefully would last far longer than the last golden one of Merlin and King Arthur's time.