T. K.: I swear my family is cursed.

Neko: The only one cursed in your family is you.

T. K.: Hn.

Tsuki: Jigoku Taiga!

Neko: What?

Tsuki: The poor girl's great-grandmother is in the hospital and it wasn't all that long ago Hunter died and a month before that when Billy died.

T. K.: *burst out in tears and her head falls to the desk*

Tsuki: Uhhhh...

Neko: BAKA! See chapter one for the disclaimer.

~~~~~~

When Harry awoke two days later he instantly knew where he was. Harry tentatively sat up and looked next to him.

"Morning," Crystal said smiling with relief. "You really had us scared."

Harry scooted to the far edge of the bed. "Who are you?" he asked.

Crystal smile faded a little. "You don't remember me from the other night?"

Harry thought back and the whole incident in his bedroom came flooding back. "You were in my bedroom, just before Dumbledore came in," he said.

"That's right," Crystal said. "I'm Crystal."

"Crystal Potter if I recall correctly from class," Severus Snape said striding into the room with a goblet in hand.

Crystal scowled at her former professor. "Oh, that's real nice, you slimy git," she told him.

Snape shrugged. "Well, you were going to tell him eventually."

"Crystal Potter?" Harry made her name a question.

Crystal sighed. "That's right, Crystal Potter."

Harry looked her over. "You're too old to be my sister; too young to be my grandmother... so you're either a cousin or my aunt."

"Your aunt," Crystal confirmed. "I'm James's sister."

"WHERE IN THE BLOODY HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Harry yelled as he launched himself at her and hugged her.

Crystal chuckled. "Here I was worried you would hate me."

"Hate you?" Snape asked. "After what I've seen, after what Lily's family put him through... he should be on his knees kissing your boots."

Harry looked back at Snape and Crystal said, "That's a bit extreme, Snape. I'd settle for him moving in with me here at Hogwarts."

"You live here?" Harry asked turning back to Crystal. "How long have you lived here?"

"All of a week," Crystal told him. "I'm not even unpacked, so you'll have to bear with me."

Harry laughed.

"To answer your question of where I've been, running from Voldemort," Crystal said. "I work for Dumbledore in---"

"The Order of the Phoenix," Harry finished, "just like Mum and Dad."

Crystal nodded. "I knew Voldemort wasn't dead and that even if he were dead there would be people out there trying to finish his work. So I am finishing the working Lily and James left."

Snape made an impatient noise and Crystal looked at him. "I can finish this story at another time; you need to rest for a little while longer." Harry looked a little disappointed. "Sorry, Potion Master's orders."

"About time I got a little recognition from you," Snape told her. "Drink this," he ordered Harry thrusting the cup at him.

Harry knew better than to argue with Snape about potions. He may have been a pain, but he knew what he was doing. At least Harry hoped so. He settled himself back on the bed and swallowed the potion, falling asleep in an instant.

Crystal looked at Snape who had grabbed the goblet just before it hit the floor. "Still have those Seeker instincts, I see," she noted.

Snape tossed the goblet at her; she caught it without fumbling. "Still have those Chaser qualities."

Crystal smiled. "Some things you never lose," she said.

~~~~~~

Harry woke the next day to see Dumbledore next to his bed. Outside the sun had just began to rise.

"Hullo," Harry said sitting up but not meeting the Headmaster's eyes.

Dumbledore smiled kindly at Harry. "You'll have to look at me directly eventually, so stop being embarrassed by what happened. You'll have to face what happened to you."

Harry sighed. "I couldn't stop him. I couldn't stop Unc--- Vernon."

"Harry," Dumbledore started, "have you been fed since you went home?"

Harry swallowed. "No and I couldn't write Sirius or anyone else. Vernon took Hedwig just as soon as I walked in the door. I was going to write Ron when Pig brought my gift but I didn't have a quill or anything."

Dumbledore nodded. "Your uncle locked all your supplies in the closet," he said. "Do you know what happened to Hedwig?"

"No, not really," Harry admitted.

Dumbledore sighed. "Eventually she found her way here. Hagrid knew it was she right away and told me."

"Is she all right?" Harry asked, fearing the answer of 'no'.

Dumbledore smiled. "She'll be fine. She may never be up to long trips again but she'll recover," he told Harry. "When Hagrid found her he came straight to me and I knew that you were in trouble. If I had known what the Dursleys were really like I would have never left you there." Harry didn't know what to say to Dumbledore. "Crystal told me that you know whom she is, so I'll explain why you didn't live with her. Crystal has been on Voldemort's, shall we say, Most Wanted List since she was eleven. She lived with a woman you know fairly well, Aragella Figg."

"Mrs. Figg from down the street? The woman who baby-sat me for years?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore nodded. "Aragella watched over you and Crystal for years for me. When you would come to stay with her, Crystal would stay with Minerva."

"Why was I never told I had another aunt?" Harry questioned.

"Crystal was young and then when she grew older and graduated from here she instantly started working for me to keep an eye out for Voldemort."

"Although I didn't do a very good job," Crystal said walking into the Infirmary. "If I had, I would have known about Quirrell and Crouch. As well as Pettigrew and Lucius Malfoy."

Dumbledore watched her take the seat on the other side of Harry. "Now, Crystal," he said, "Voldemort had Quirrell under his control long before you graduated and Barty Crouch had escaped before any of us knew he was gone. Even I pointed the finger at Sirius before I knew all the facts."

"But I knew Sirius wasn't the Secret Keeper; I had convinced myself that James had changed his mind again or Peter hadn't been up to the job and changed with Sirius," Crystal said in quiet tone, her voice thick with tears.

Harry slid out of his bed and hugged Crystal. "All that matters now is that the truth is known amongst those who matter most," he said reasonably.

Crystal smiled and hugged her nephew back pulling him into her lap. "Thank you, Harry," she said. Crystal looked at Dumbledore. "Draco's awake and wants to talk," she told him. "He's been having nightmares again."

Dumbledore nodded and started to leave but turned back and laid a hand on Harry's shoulder. "If you want to talk to anyone, just ask. Don't hold anything inside," he said. Harry smiled up at Dumbledore and nodded. Dumbledore nodded back and left.

"Malfoy's here?" Harry asked Crystal.

"Like I said, if I had paid more attention I would have known about Lucius Malfoy trying to sacrifice his own son," Crystal said.

Harry drew back and looked Crystal in the eye. "He tried to kill Draco?"

Crystal nodded. "Lucius Malfoy was trying to summon a demon to work for Voldemort," Crystal told him, "and to do that he needed someone pure of heart." Harry gave his aunt a funny look. Crystal smiled and shook her head. "You may not have realized it, but Draco's been trying to protect you... he told me about the day on the train at the end of your Fourth Year. And about your First Year. It may not have seemed like it, but he was protecting you."

"How do you know?" Harry asked a bit sullenly.

Crystal laughed. "The first year I came here was the first year Snape started teaching... he made my life a living hell," she said. "Then when I got older, I realized he did it not for fun but because life out there is rough. I've been at the mercy of many a Death Eater and every time I hear Snape taunting and teasing me."

"That helps?" Harry asked.

"Greatly," Crystal said, "it just helps me by knowing that if I could fight back against him, I can fight back against anyone." Harry thought about it. "Draco is doing the same thing to you," she told him. "If you can fight him you can fight anyone."

"I suppose," Harry conceded.

Crystal smiled and kissed his hair. "Trust me, Snape and Draco are an awful lot alike," she said. "I have some news, Herm--- what's her name?"

"Hermione?" Harry supplied.

"Right, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley are coming to stay the rest of the summer here," Crystal told him. "Dumbledore invited them so you would have some company more your age and your liking. They'll be here today and we're going to Diagon Alley to do your school shopping."

"Yay," Harry said dully. Crystal smiled and squeezed him in a hug.

~~~~~~

"HARRY!" Hermione Granger yelled as she raced across the grounds of Hogwarts and embraced him in a hug. "Are you okay?"

"'Mione, I'm fine," Harry told her as she cried into his shoulder.

Hermione stepped back to take a look at him. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"'Mione, if he says he's okay," Ron Wesley paused, "well he's probably lying, but believe him anyway."

"Thanks, Ron," Harry said sarcastically. Crystal smiled and cleared her throat.

"Crystal!" Ron called out happily as he spotted her.

Crystal smiled wider. "'Lo, Ron."

"Is Charlie here, too?" Ron asked eagerly.

"He'll be joining us in Diagon Alley for lunch," Crystal told him. Her brows furrowed in thought. "Actually, he was the one who made the suggestion."

Ron smiled and it said, I know something you don't know. "Good man, my brother, don't you think?"

Crystal arched an eyebrow. "You three hang out... I'll be back in a few."

~~~~~~