Well, well, well. Second year is here and my sophomore year is over. Time flies when you're having "fun" I guess. I actually cannot believe some of the things I've done this year, including, but not limited to, screaming, listening to hip hop and liking it, dancing to hip hop, going to TWO birthday parties OTHER THAN MY OWN, and losing TEN POUNDS! I feel light as a feather...NOT! But I will soon. Second year, here we go! ^-^V

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Chapter 18: Resentments

Despite all the things I did for the Dursleys, they still hated and despised Harry and I. Tom and Trunks simply kept their heads down, and I was glad, because they kept out of trouble in the mean time. I did manage to let us keep our books and homework and such, though, which was an improvement over the things Harry had to deal with in the book.

I think the worst part of the entire experience, however, was that none of us had separate beds. Tom had to sleep in Harry's bed and Trunks and I slept in the same bed, although the Dursleys continually made fun of the both of us because of it.

We were constantly working in the garden or cleaning things up or making meals. The only reason that I even was able to keep my dignity was to finish all the chores the Dursleys gave me in record time, leaving all three speechless into fury.

They told the neighbors that we went to criminal centers, the boys to St. Brutus' Center for Incurably Criminal Boys and me to Mistress Portia's Center for Criminal Girls. I found this quite annoying, but didn't let my opinions known despite everything.

While the Dursleys slept, however, things were different. We did our lengthy homework assignments. Trunks and I often would stay up a little later and work a little harder on our plans for Dirken. I think it was during this time that Trunks and I truly got to know one another in depth.

I told him all about my previous life. About all the different friends who had betrayed me, all the pain of being the outsider, all the torture of those three years where my brother had become something much less than human.

He told me all about his training, in more depth than I had ever seen on the TV. Vegeta had trained Trunks much harder than what I thought to be a human level, but then again, neither Trunks, nor his father, nor even me were human anyway.

The one thing that bothered us all (except me, as I knew why) was the fact that we had received no word from Hermione or Ron. I knew that the little house-elf had them all, but I said nothing about it, letting them all believe that we simply were getting nothing from our friends.

It wasn't until our birthday did we become nervous (I had made our birthdays even with Harry's). The Dursleys had, of course, completely ignored our birthday, and instead were going on about Mr. and Mrs. Mason, a couple from a construction company whom would be coming that night. The Dursleys had the whole thing planned.

"Now, as we all know, today is a very important day," Mr. Dursley said at the breakfast table the morning of our birthday. "This could very well be the day I make the biggest deal of my career." He cleared his throat slightly nervously. "I think we should run through the schedule once more. We should all be in place at eight o'clock. Petunia, you'll be--?"
"In the lounge to welcome them graciously into our home," she answered promptly.

"Dudley?"

"I'll be waiting at the door," the fat boy put on a false smile and held out his arm. "May I take your coats, Mr. and Mrs. Mason?"

"They'll love him!" Petunia said with a smile of mirth on her face.

"And you?" He asked Harry pointedly.
"I'll be in my room, making no noise and pretending I don't exist," Harry said heavily. Vernon nodded and asked Trunks, then Tom the same thing, both with the same answer. When he reached me, however, I decided to make a game of it.

"I'll be in the parlor, ready to serve the pot roast like a good little maid," I said with a sweet smile. Vernon's face went red. Then, suddenly, his face went extremely thoughtful.

"That might not be a bad idea, to have a maid," he said, stroking his great mustache.

"I was only joking," I said darkly.

"Then you say what you are to do tonight, or you shall be eating your words!" Vernon shouted.

"I'll be in our room, playing with Trunks, Tom, and Harry like the child I am," I told him sweetly. "But being as quiet as possible, I assure you."

"If I hear so much as a peep from that room tonight, all four of you are in for it," Vernon told me harshly. He completely forgot to continue with the list and left to get his and Dudley's jackets for that night. Trunks, Harry, Tom, and I went out into the backyard, and I was glad that Dudley came outside after us a few moments later.

"I know what day it is," Dudley sang obnoxiously.

"Good, you've finally learned the days of the week," Tom said.

"Now leave us be," Harry snarled.

"It's you guys' birthday," Dudley sang tauntingly now.
"Go, Dudley, before I shoot you with a Lilac Petals," I growled.

"What's a Lilac Petals?" he asked stupidly. It was then that I remembered I'd never told the Dursleys that I was a martial artist and that I could shoot ki beams.

"Shoot a bit of the ground to show him, Angel," Trunks said with a smirk.

"All right, but let me try a Kamehameha, they're easier and a lot more fun." I powered my golden ki into the palm of my hand, watching Dudley's expression carefully as I shot the very weak beam at the grass, scorching it thoroughly. "And that was a weak beam, Dudders. I suggest you leave us be."
"MUM!" Dudley shouted, "She's doing you-know-what!" Our little bit of fun turned into a great amount of trouble as Petunia came storming outside, leading us all by the ear and literally throwing us into our bedroom (Trunks and I let her do this, so she wouldn't know about our powers).

We were stuffed in our room once again, all four of us, while Petunia fussed over Dudley. I seriously couldn't believe how snobby and self-centered one person could be. Even Draco Malfoy wasn't as bad as our aunt and cousin. Our uncle was slightly better in that department, but made up for it with brute cruelty.

We were given our meal, a small can of cold condensed soup and a glass of water, before we were told roughly by Vernon to keep our traps shut and all noise nonexistent. We nodded obediently and we heard the Masons arrive downstairs.

"Well, it can't get much worse," I muttered under my breath. Then it caught in my throat as I remembered the thing that was supposed to happen that night. Dobby the house-elf, the house-elf that had been keeping our mail from coming via Hedwig or Penny, was supposed to make his debut is Harry's life that night. This meant he would, theoretically, be coming into our lives as well. I nearly groaned as I remembered his wild attitude in the book, but I kept it in as to not alert the others that something was bothering me.

Something wrong, Angel? Trunks asked me in my mind. I nodded ever so slightly so Tom and Harry wouldn't see it, but my boyfriend saw it all the same. What is it?

Remember when I said that most of the things that happened in the book would probably happen in this place too? Harry was visited by a house-elf this very night in the book, and I'm worried he'll come here tonight too.

You're certain? He asked inquiringly, toying with a bit of our thin blanket as to not let on that we were talking in our minds.

You know I'm certain of-

But I never finished my sentence, for at that very moment, two owls flew into the room, carrying a semi-large crate between them. I looked at the two owls, then smiled in delight. It was Hedwig and Penny, both as healthy as ever. I looked at the crate, which was about knee-high to me, with interest, but jumped back when it popped open with a quiet creak.

"What's with the cat?" Tom asked stupidly.

But I knew that this cat was no ordinary cat. It was Hermione. Her white face, brown eyes and silky black fur gave it away right away.

"What are you doing here?!" I hissed at her in a whisper. I helped her out of the crate and saw Dobby, knocked out, behind her. She transformed, leaving all three boys speechless.

"Please tell me that Hermione is not standing where a cat was," Tom said, eyes wide.

"We'll explain later," Hermione snapped.

"Hermione, please keep a little more quiet," I whispered hoarsely. "If the Dursleys find out you're here, Vernon will go through the roof."
"Sorry," she whispered back. "Since I haven't gotten any replies from Penny, I decided to get her and Hedwig to fly me over here. I found this little guy stopping the crate from arriving, laden with all my letters, Ron's, Jupiter's, Susan's, and Hagrid's."

"Dobby," I said grimly. "I should've known he would do this. He's trying to prevent Harry from going back to Hogwarts because of a few things that are supposed to happen this year. As soon as he wakes up, I'll tell him off." I didn't have to wait for the huge-eyed house-elf to waken, however, because a few seconds later, his tennis ball-sized green eyes flew open.

"Harry Potter!" the little house-elf squeaked in a high-pitched voice that hurt my sensitive ears just to hear it. "Angel Galis! So long has Dobby wished to meet you, sir and lady, such an honor it is..."
"Dobby, cut it out," I told him with a kind smile. "I know that Malfoy told his father all about me and Harry and that you know about us both."

"Ah...clever Angel Galis, clever!" Dobby squeaked. "But knows not the danger Angel Galis and Harry Potter face if she and he returns!"

"I know all about the Chamber of Secrets, Dobby," I said measuringly. "And I know that it has to do with Voldemort and such. Dobby, stop trying to stop Harry and I, please, for your own good and for the good of Lucius and Draco Malfoy, please, don't try and stop us."
"But Dobby only-" the elf began.

"I know, you want to help us," I said kindly, going down to his eye-level. "But you must understand, Dobby, sometimes people don't need help."
"Y-You no need Dobby's help?" he squeaked sadly.

"Well..." I said thoughtfully, "Yeah, but not directly. Could you slip a message into Draco Malfoy's room for us? I know you'll be punished, but I'd like you to do it. For Harry and I, please." He looked up at me shrewdly.

"All right," he said, saying the shortest sentence that this little elf had ever been known to say.

"Let me write it really quick, then you can go on back to the manor," I told him. I told the others not to watch and wrote the letter quickly, keenly disguising my handwriting that Malfoy knew well. I handed it to the elf, who waved and was gone.

"What was that all about?" Hermione asked, confused as she handed us our birthday presents, held in some of the capsules that Shin had given her for Christmas the year before. I was delighted to find I had gotten a present from not only Hermione, but Ron, Jupiter, Susan, Bill, Charlie, the Weasley twins, and Hagrid. There were also four huge cakes, all baked by Mrs. Weasley.

"Wow," I said, looking at the stack of letters that Hermione and Ron had sent over the summer. Many were asking why we hadn't replied their letters. Some were asking us if we were all right. Others were the remnants of Howlers and I was extremely glad that we had not received them at all, because the Dursleys would have surely thrown us out if there had suddenly been a message so loud that it reached out to a half-mile radius.

"Ron's mum sent the Howlers," Hermione said, looking at the remnants of the Howlers. "She literally exploded in rage when she found out that you guys weren't getting your letters."

"How did you change into a cat?" Trunks asked, still on that trip.
"I can too," I said hastily.

"How can both of you change into cats?" Tom asked, exasperated. We then launched into a quiet explanation of the report card day, and what had happened.
"Cool wish," Trunks said, nodding approvingly.

"It allowed me to get here, anyway," Hermione said, glancing back at the owls.

"You really need to be getting back home, Hermione, regardless," I said pointedly. "We'll be all right, I think."
"Ron's dad will come out here if you don't receive our letters again, or if the Dursleys keep you in too long," Hermione promised before transfiguring herself into a cat again and climbing into the much-roomier crate and allowing Hedwig and Penny to pick her up between them again. We waved out at her as she flew off into the night once again.

The Dursleys never found out.

We received our letters as usual now, either Penny or Hedwig coming through the window at least once a night. We were happy to be receiving word from our friends, including Jupiter who had gone to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousin. She wasn't too keen on living on the manor under the same roof as the Malfoys, as I was sure I wouldn't be either, in her shoes, Susan (she lived with her parents, her Muggle father and witch mother), and Hagrid. Even Charlie and Bill sent us occasional owls.

It was three days after this episode that the gruesome thing began.

"If I see either of those owls again, I'll shoot them dead out of the sky!" Vernon shouted, holding up Penny by her claws. She was out cold, but she still had our letter from Jupiter clutched in them.

"I don't care!" I shouted, surprising even myself as I stepped forward and firmly brought my owl back to me, holding her gently. "What did you do to Penny?!"

"I merely caught her in Dudley's room," he told me coolly. "And you'd better keep her out of this house if you don't want it truly dead." He turned on his heels, but in my furious state, things happened that I couldn't control.
"You'll regret that," I growled under my breath. "Exterio!" I cried, and a beam of white light shot from my wand, that had been in my pocket from my earlier polishing of it. His bristly hair automatically fell out and I giggled uncontrollably as he realized what I'd done. He rubbed his hands over his bald, shining head, an indescribable expression on his great face.

"Wha-What did y-you d-d-d-do, you-" He began to say, but I never found out what he was going to call me, because an important-looking owl had dropped a piece of parchment onto his head. I froze. It was the letter from the Ministry, telling me that I was an underage wizard and wasn't supposed to be using magic outside of school.

"You four didn't tell us you weren't allowed to use magic," Vernon said slyly, his face stretched into an expression of utmost revenge. "Must have...slipped your minds, I daresay."

With that, he took all of our spellbooks, our wands, our prized broomsticks, our trunks, and, with a great deal of effort, stuffed it all in the cupboard beneath the stairs. Then they bolted the door, locked both Penny and Hedwig into a cage on the opposite end of the room, and put bars on the window.

If it hadn't been happening to us, it would have been hilarious. I remember, so well, that I had once sat in my aqua-painted room, laughing at the Dursley's attempts to keep Harry confined within the walls of his room. I remember laughing at their faces as the three Weasley brothers came and rescued poor Harry, bringing him to their home, the Burrow.

I hoped that they would do the same for us as well, because I sure didn't feel like being starved to death in our own bedroom. I was very glad I'd already finished my homework and read through all my old spellbooks at least once more. I knew Trunks and I could easily break out of the door and get everything using our Capsules, or even get the window off its hinges and send Penny or Hedwig out for help, but Tom and Harry were both against it.

"What if the Dursleys decide to give us to an orphanage?" Tom had asked.

"Worse yet, what if the Ministry thinks you used more magic and we all get expelled?" Harry asked, looking desperately at the window and back to me and Trunks. I knew that the Ministry would not consider my powers to be magic, but I followed Harry's wishes anyway.

It was two agonizingly long days before anything happened. We were let out only twice a day to go to the bathroom, kept in one single, straight line, and were given cold cans of soup, which we split with Hedwig and Penny, three times a day.

"I'm sorry, Penny," I told my beautiful white owl as I tipped the second half or my can into her dish. "This is all we've got right now."

I sighed as I sank into my bed next to Trunks.

"Something wrong, Angel?" Trunks asked, sitting up.

"Sort of," I said softly, looking out the barred window. "It's just that...now we're all twelve years old, but if I were still in my old dimension, I'd be sixteen now. I'd be old enough to have a car, and my parents would have probably gotten one for me just to keep me quiet. That was the only thing I'd ever looked forward to in my dimension, was the day I'd get a car."

"I guess this whole thing kinda messed that up," Tom said, trying to console me a little from the other side of the room.

"Yeah, it did," I sighed as I turned over onto my stomach. "But I can live with it. As long as Dirken doesn't get me, I'm fine."

"You need some sort of help there, Angel," Harry told me, looking at me from his stomach on his and Tom's bed. "And we're there for ya, no matter what happens. After all, things can't always be as bad as they seem, right? I mean, look at Voldemort. If he hadn't tried to kill me when I was little, I wouldn't have this scar."

"And if Dirken hadn't tried the same on me, I wouldn't have one either," I said, pointing to the left side of my forehead, which was covered with my bangs. The Dursleys didn't know I had a scar as well now because my bangs hid it so well.

We left it at that, but not because of anything we said or did. It was eight o'clock and everyone was tired, including me, as I had fallen asleep mid-thought. (Ever done that before? I have, jeez, people thought I had passed out, but I'd only fallen asleep [it's what I get for staying up the previous night, I guess])

***POV change***

Trunks looked down at Angel in near-shock. She had fallen asleep in his lap just like that, without problem or a sound. She groaned lightly as he settled her under the covers of their bed and he shrugged at Tom and Harry, indicating he didn't know what was going on either.

"Might as well go on to sleep too," Tom said, laying down in his and Harry's bed, glad it was rather large anyway. Trunks laid down beside Angel, on top of the covers, thinking. He missed flying freely during Quidditch practice at Hogwarts. He also wished that he had his own broom, because he sure didn't want to borrow Fred or George's all the time.

He also missed the Weasley brothers, all six of them. Ron was a great friend, as were Fred and George. He also missed talking to Hermione, Jupiter, and Susan, the three girls he was sure were very good friends.
Trunks grimaced lightly as he recalled what had happened only months before. Dirken not only had taken over Jupiter's mother's body, but he had also convinced her to join his side as an ally. He recalled that Voldemort had also been replaced into this world from another.

Why did everything have to happen to Angel? No matter what it seemed, everything happened to her and anyone who became close to her.

***Flashback***

Trunks had been knocked from the huge chessboard. He watched as Angel gave him a small wave of confidence. She, Hermione, and Harry made it through to the next room. He sighed as he began trying to wake up Ron, Tom, Jupiter, and Penny, who had flown into the room to give Angel a letter from Shin.

Hermione came a few moments later, telling him all about what had happened from her standpoint. She helped him wake up Ron and Tom, but Jupiter remained stubbornly unconscious. Penny had already flown away, carrying a letter to Professor Dumbledore on her claws.

Trunks watched Angel as she took in deep breaths. He was in the hospital wing, watching her sleep peacefully. He saw the scar on her forehead and felt a pang of guilt run through him. What had he done? Dirken had tried to kill her and she had only lived because Harry had stood strong beside her.

Why had he allowed her to continue on without him? Why? What had possessed him to let her go into that room with Juu and Dirken? Why had he allowed Dirken to kill Shin, Pan, and Chee while he sat alone in the hospital wing of Hogwarts?

Why him?

***Return Flashback***

He sighed as he put his arms around Angel and held her close to him. He wouldn't allow anyone to hurt her again. Trunks fell asleep listening to the melody of her gentle breathing, which now matched his own.

***

Ohhh...how sweet! I wish any guy would feel that way about me...especially an incredible guy like Trunks! Even with black hair, he's an absolute hot shot! I'm going to load up any chapters I've got done, 'kay?

N-She's gotten most of second year done anyway. She wanted to get to third year on the double.

A-Neko! What're you doing?

N-Telling stuffs so you won't have to until the end of second year.

A-Oh. Okay.

N-That was basically all she wanted to say about the other chapters...but watch out on the dragon! It is reminiscent of Mishu!

A-That's an inside joke for my friends and I. Mishu really is interesting, isn't she, Amy?

N-We gotta jet, nekos! Ja ne!

A- Neko, for the very last time, they are people, not cats!