(Iris Potter - PoV)
Sitting on my bed, I look around my new room.
Mine. My new room. In a new house. With a new family.
Reaching over to the bedside table I pick up my wand and just feel the magic.
Magic.
And somehow it is the most believable part of today...
A burst of hysterical giggles escapes me before I can stop it.
Hagrid takes me from that stupid rock in the middle of nowhere, tells me the truth that I've been lied to about for all these years. About how my parents were heroes, not drunks, and magic is real, and I'm famous or something, and then I find out I have a giant vault full of gold...
It near shocks me senseless, seeing it. To think I had that sitting there, all these years...
Hagrid was so careful too, leading me through the alley. My entire forearm fit in his hand, and yet it never once hurt while he guided me around. Not like when Uncle Vernon, who always seemed so huge before, would always jerk me around...
After the bank, and wow the cart rides were exciting, we went to get me some decent clothes. Partially so I wouldn't stick out as much, partially because...because. I felt like a whole new person after that, finally free of the Dursleys dirty old cast-offs.
And then, then we went to get my wand.
Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches.
I examine my wand carefully.
Ollivander...he was...he was trying to help. But I don't think he realized...
I don't think he realized he almost broke me.
I walked into Ollivanders in the highest spirits of my life. I had new clothes, the best news of my life, pockets full of gold, and the nicest person I had ever met at my side.
The first wand I touched exploded in my hand. The next, a really pretty ebony one, hissed like an angry cat before setting Mr. Ollivander's hair on fire.
I failed. And failed. And failed. And failed.
Every wand I touched did more and more damage. I ruined everything. My heart broke when even Hagrid eventually left, leaving me along with wands that didn't work and a crazy old man.
I was so sure that I was going to be told that there was some mistake. That clearly I wasn't who they thought, that I didn't have magic. That I would be sent back to the Dursley's and they would lock me in the cupboard and never let me out again...
When the twins entered the shop and got it on their first try I felt even worse. Clearly there was something wrong with me.
I was so grateful when Coeus called out Ollivander, his first favor of the day.
The first of so...so many, they did for me...
I look around the room again.
So many.
An entire day of helping me. Of answering questions, helping me get what I need, buying me...buying me presents.
Being friends.
Giving hugs.
Holding hands?
...Calling me pretty?
Kicking my legs, I decide to ignore that one for now.
And at the end of the day, the best day ever, I was still afraid. Because it would end. Even if it wasn't a dream, I still had to go back, eventually.
They stayed with me all the way there, but I still had to go. Until...I didn't.
I don't know what all is involved. They make it sound complicated, with laws, and that old man, Dumbledore, being involved somehow, trying to prevent it, but...I don't have to go back.
I wipe my eyes. I, I shouldn't be crying. Not now, everything is, everything is fine now.
They promised. They promised I don't have to go back ever again.
I turn at the sound of my door opening.
Phoebe slips into the room, closing the door behind her.
"Lay down already," she says. "We will be up fairly early tomorrow. We have a long day ahead of us, you especially."
I frown, not liking the sound of that.
"What do you mean?"
She shakes her head.
"Worry about it tomorrow," she says, climbing into my bed, and dragging me down as well.
I grumble but situate myself, adjusting the blankets until I get comfortable.
The bed is way nicer than any I have ever slept in. And the blanket. And the pillows. The room. Everything.
She wraps her arms around me, and we are quiet for a time.
Just when I think we are going to actually get to sleep she speaks again.
"Coeus is going to kill them, you know."
That certainly wakes me up.
"What?!" I stare at her, my eyes wide.
"The Dursleys. For everything they did to you. He is going to wait until all the legal stuff settles, and then kill them."
I...I don't know how to respond to that.
"He won't do it himself, of course. We are still too young for that and probably can't do it properly. He will ask Grandfather to arrange it. You will probably meet him soon. But it still counts."
...
"Why?" I ask.
Isn't...Isnt killing wrong?
"You are new to the Wizarding World, so you don't know. One of the things Blacks are famous for, one of the many things, is revenge. Any who strike at us or those we care about do so at their own peril."
She boops me on the nose.
"You, are our friend. Family even, sort of. I know you don't like to talk about it, but I am a Seer. Brother is too, but I am generally stronger. I have a good idea of what it was like for you."
My throat locks up.
"They hurt you, for a very long time. Small measures will not balance the scales for what they did. And besides, do you really think they will eventually become better people? That if we punished them just a little, that they would learn their lesson?"
No...they wouldn't...
"Iris, look at me."
I do so.
"Do you think that they will ever stop hurting people if they live?"
"No..." I whisper.
"Good. Because they won't. Again, seer. They will only get more vicious. Idiots call it murder. We call it justice. Do you want justice, Iris? Justice for everything they did. Not just to you, but to everyone?"
...Yes.
But I don't answer. I can't.
She smiles at me anyway.
"It's ok. We will look out for you, and each other."
She kisses me on the forehead.
"Goodnight Iris," she says, settling down and closing her eyes.
It takes a long time to fall asleep.
-
I feel something prod my nose.
Opening my eyes I look around.
"Time to wake up!" Phoebe says cheerfully, standing next to the bed.
Blinking, I take everything in, memories rushing back.
It all really happened then? Magic? Friends? Freedom?
I jump out of bed and hug her as tightly as I can.
"Oof!"
That was the plan at least, my legs may have gotten tangled in the blankets, and we end up in a pile on the floor.
"Owww..." I say.
I look at Phoebe sprawled on the floor beside me.
"Sorry."
"In this case, it's the thought that counts," she says.
We eventually untangle ourselves and stand up.
"Alright then, get dressed. Coeus and I will go fight Dora, then we can all have breakfast."
I hesitate at the word choice.
"You do mean wake Dora, right?"
"She is not a morning person," Phoebe explains, before exiting, leaving me alone to pick out something to wear for the day.
I open up my trunk and look at my clothes. My eyes widen.
I have...so many clothes now. Dozens of outfits.
This...may take a while.
-
I eventually decide on something simple, lots of green and black, and exit my room. I head towards the stairs, but don't quite make it, finding the twins on the floor unmoving outside a door on the way there.
Coeus's skin is lime green, while Phoebe's hair is fluorescent pink. Both are laid out like planks and stiff as boards. I would be more worried, if not for Phoebe's earlier comment.
"I take it you lost your fight then?" I ask them.
Their eyes dart towards me, and there is some grunting, but neither can properly reply.
"Sorry, I don't know how to fix this. I'll look for Ted or Andy." I walk past them to go looking for the adults. I get the feeling Dora would refuse to undo it.
They are easy to find fortunately, Andy is cooking in the kitchen, while Ted reads the paper in the dining room.
"Umm, can one of you help the twins?" I ask, getting their attention.
"They tried to wake Dora up and she cursed them or something I think? Sorry, I'm not sure, I was getting dressed. They can't move and are different colors."
They both sigh, and Ted puts the paper down and gets up.
"Go ahead and grab a chair dear, Edward will take care of it."
Wait, is his name not Ted?
I hesitate but sit down as requested.
She brings out a stack of pancakes, placing them on the table, alongside the assorted condiments.
"Umm, in the future, I can help cook, if you want," I offer. "I have a lot of practice."
She hesitates. "There is no need for that, I have no trouble doing it."
I shake my head. "It's fine. I don't mind cooking, really. Especially if I actually get to e-"
...
She closes her eyes.
"Well, you are certainly welcome to help if you want, everyone else lacks either the interest or ability. You would not believe the disasters Dora made with her attempts to cook." She shakes her head. "We can discuss it later, for now, go ahead and fix your plate."
I nod and start grabbing pancakes. With syrup and butter even!
I can see why they are so popular.
Ted eventually returns, with the others following behind him. Coeus still looks rather grumpy, but everyone looks normal, with no odd colors or extra body parts. Well, Dora's hair is purple, but, metamorph, so that is probably normal for her.
I'm not sure what to do, so I give a small wave.
Phoebe waves back before taking her seat. Dora snorts, ruffling my hair on the way past, which is rather annoying I admit. Does she have any idea how hard it is to get my hair to cooperate even a little bit? Actually, she probably doesn't, I will have to tell her.
Coeus steals the syrup bottle as he plops into the chair next to me.
"Iris," he says, "guess we have a new project. Countercurses."
I nod. Fair enough.
He picks up a plain pancake and eyes Dora thoughtfully while she talks to Ted, something about potions. Phases of the moon and their effects?
Phoebe shakes her head, and Coeus sighs and puts the pancake on his plate with the rest.
Craning his neck to make sure Andy isn't watching, he pulls out a bag of chocolate chips and pours them on his pancakes as well.
"Want some?" he asks, offering me the bag.
I shake my head.
He offers it to Phoebe instead, who takes it and copies him, before hiding the bag.
Andy sighs when she returns and sees the twins' plates covered in chocolate.
"Hey, wait, why wasn't I offered any?" Dora complains.
Coeus takes a single chip off his plate and eyes it consideringly, before holding it out to her as if it is a gracious offering.
Andy has to threaten to ban both of them from chocolate for a month to break up the resulting argument.
"Is...is this normal?" I ask Phoebe, who is watching everything with a small smile.
She giggles a bit.
"Yes, it's not serious," she explains. "Most siblings do that. They will fight over every little thing, but still have each other's backs."
I think about that, not really understanding.
"You and Coeus don't really seem to do that?"
She shrugs. "We are twins, which can be a bit different sometimes."
I nod. Coeus is sulking in his chair but notices me looking at him, and smiles. He pulls the bag of chocolate out of his pocket under the table and winks at me.
When did he get it back?
And I guess Phoebe is right, he isn't as mad as he is acting. This is going to take some getting used to.
The rest of breakfast is uneventful, but after we finish Ted pulls me aside and tells me it is time for my...checkup.