"Hey Harry," said Meghan weakly, staring at him, her eyes connecting with
his and forming a strange connection that could not be seen. Her stomach
was flopping around like a fish being taken out of water. It had to happen
sometime, but she doubted that anytime she would have been ready. This was
all happening so fast, finding out that she was adopted, being taken to
Hogwarts, then meeting her brother face to face. It almost felt like a very
strange dream, which she was no stranger to.
Harry's mouth dropped at seeing this girl standing there with his face and hair, even their eyes were the same. "Are we related?" he asked breathlessly, not really sure what to say, but still trying to keep his composure.
"Oh, clever Einstein" she said sarcastically, a smirk on her face. It wasn't like she meant to be snarky to her newfound brother, but it was just her style. It was the way she dealt with stress like this.
He was taken aback by her response to his speechlessness. It sounded like something that Draco would say ... But he had more important things to think about at the moment. "You must be related to me, you have my eyes," he said confidently.
"How do you know that you don't have my eyes?" She asked, scoffing at his confidence. It seemed cocky to her, but that was obviously just the way he was, full of himself and cocky.
Harry was about to come back with another, but instead his attention turned to a woman and man that he had only ever seen in pictures. "Mum . Dad?" he said, his voice cracking incredulously. He had been told that they were dead for his whole life - Maybe he was just seeing a mirage.
Lily and James smiled at their son, after not seeing him for fifteen years; this was amazing for them. "Harry, it's . Great to see you again." His mother said softly, tears welling up in her eyes, but not leaving the crevasses that encumbered them.
"But you're ... You're dead," he said, stuttering uncontrollably, feeling the speechlessness return and take control of his dry mouth.
"Harry, I suggest that you sit down and listen," Dumbledore suggested, cutting the conversation short, allowing some explaining to happen. Waving his hand again, another chair popped into the crowded office, where Harry still gaped astoundedly, shock written all across his face.
Nodding, Harry climbed up the small flight of stairs and sat in the newly apparated chair, moving it over slightly so he was more secluded from his family. This was something that an explanation was direly required of. Hands crossed over his chest like an impatient child, Harry glared around the room, his eyes stopping on Meghan once more, but still continuing to glare.
"Harry ..." His Father started, feeling the pressure get turned on in full force. "We have been alive your whole life. Just before the Dark Lord came, we took a One-Life potion, and once we had seemed to be killed, our life came back to us. Your mother and I have been in hiding ever since, not even daring to come out and find you - It would put us all in danger." James really hoped that Harry would understand, but it was such a hard concept to grasp for anyone, living with your relatives, thinking that your parents were dead when they were only in hiding ...
"I ... I ... Understand." Said Harry dawningly, actually feeling relieved and not angry, like his first reaction had been. His rough cheekbones formed into a half smile, sliding the chair back over until he was side by side with his parents.
At once, Lily grasped him into the same motherly hug that she had given Meghan - Loving the feeling of having her children back with her again, in her arms. Feeling him squirm out of the hug, Lily and James nodded towards each other, preparing for another impact on Harry's life. "Harry, as you can see, this girl here looks an awful lot like you." Lily said, trying to break him in easily, not just in one big crash. "She is your twin sister, Meghan. I just got her this morning from her home, and she will be joining you at Hogwarts, also as a Gryffindor." Lily picked up after a short pause in her speech, the smile on her face obviously trying to be reassuring, but leaving Harry still considerably unimpressed.
"I have a what?" He exclaimed, his voice rising a few decibels. "This person is my sister?"
"Meghan, okay. My name is Meghan, not 'person'," she added, not liking the fact that she was being talked about, but they acted like she wasn't there. Meghan wasn't sure if she liked Harry too much at the moment, but maybe it was just the shock of everything coming down on him, like thread unraveling from a tapestry.
Giving her a cold look, Harry felt like he could read her mind, and he didn't like her all that much either.
"Thanks a lot." She thought in her head, a realization suddenly popping into mind. "Harry, I can hear you, and you can hear me. Hey! Wow! I'm a psychic! Just like the ones you see on T.V.!" All these thoughts channeled through her, and transferred straight into Harry's head.
"Meghan, it must be some sort of bond, like a brother-sister type thing," Harry spoke back with his own mind, looking around to make sure that nobody else could hear them.
"I'm sorry to interrupt this little psychic party, but I think there are more pressing matters at hand." Said a voice, which she recognized as Dumbledore's. It didn't sound angry - More like amused really.
Giving a pleasant grin, Meghan looked at Harry, who grinned back at her. This was one thing that could most definitely come in handy. But if Dumbledore could hear them, then they would have to block him out. Maybe it was just in his office that he could hear them, or maybe he was just that powerful ...
"Well, I assume that you will want to show Meghan around her common room and such. Make sure to introduce her to Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley, they are, after all, your best friends," said Dumbledore, giving them a smile over his half-moon glasses. With a wave of his hand, Dumbledore told them to go.
One last hug-fest took place for both Meghan and Harry with Lily and James, then, without another word, they ran out of the office, obviously quite excited. At the moment she felt more like a small child rather than a sixteen-year-old, who was expected to act her age.
"This way," he said in his head, beckoning for her to follow with the small flick of his hand.
"You know, we don't have to talk psychic. Or are you too good for regular words?" She joked, taking large strides to keep up with her brother. He was about 5'11", while she was around 5'8". It wasn't much of a height difference, but his legs were a little longer then hers, which enabled him to move faster.
"Sorry ..." He said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his untidy black hair, making it stick up at odd angles. Slowing down a little to allow Meghan to keep up, Harry grinned to himself. He had a sister. Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived - alone - had a sister.
"So . Harry," she said, noticing the strange feeling that fell in her stomach when she said the name. "Tell me about yourself." Meghan wasn't one to make great conversation, so she settled for some lame small talk, like the crap her mother used to come up with.
"Well, I've lived a lie my whole life pretty much," he said, a dull look in his eyes as they walked up a moving flight of stairs. Harry was totally used to this stuff, since he had been here for six years now.
Meghan screamed loudly as the ground rumbled and the staircase moved up, stopping when it joined up with another stone step. "Just settle down, no worries." She reassured herself, watching as Harry kept walking on, and following suit.
Another smile crept onto his face as she screamed, just like he predicted she would. "Just a little way further," he said, not even looking back at her. "To answer your question, I live with the Dursleys, who you hopefully will never have to meet, and I come here every year to attend school. My best friends are Ron and Hermione, they'll be in the common room when we get there. Oh, and you might want to avoid Draco Malfoy - He's the most arrogant little pillock in the school. That and we hate each other with a vengeance." He added, a picture of them popping into his head.
"Wow! They seem great! Well, except Malfoy," she said, trying to picture their faces which she supposed she would see soon enough. When she had finished her sentence, Meghan found herself face to face with a huge portrait of a lady in a frilly pink dress.
"Password?" She posed, her voice sounding strangely echoed, as though she spoke from far away.
"Gillyweed," Harry muttered, loud enough for Meghan to hear it. Eventually she would be off on her own and would need to know the password. Quickly he stepped into the black hole, disappearing from the fearful view of Meghan.
"Erm ..." she said softly, deciding just to go for it. So, stepping into the same domain that Harry had, she held her breath and closed her eyes - Afraid that she was doing something wrong. But her fears were needless. She found her self in a beautifully furnished room, large enough to house hundreds of people.
Harry saw that Meghan had followed him and walked over to her. "Welcome to your new home," he said, whispering into her ear, catching the curious gazes of his two best friends. With a grin, he called them over.
"Meghan, I would like you to meet Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley. Guys, this is my sister!" He said, watching their reactions, which were nothing like he thought. Hermione's face lit up with joy, and Ron blushed a very deep scarlet, starting to upstage his fiery red hair.
"Oh my gosh!" said Hermione, rushing towards her with an arm slung over her shoulder. This was one of the best things that could ever have happened to her - Finally she wouldn't be the only girl in their group.
"Nice to meet you, Meghan," said Ron, still blushing deeply. His head was bowed down to the ground, obviously quite embarrassed.
For a moment, no one spoke, and Meghan felt slightly awkward, as though she'd intruded on something to which she didn't belong. Giving a weak, nervous smile, Hermione was the first to break the silence. "You both look so alike. It's amazing ... But how? I mean, I don't understand, this is ... Oh my gosh, this is ... Oh my gosh!"
"You keep saying that Hermione. Oh my gosh!" Ron mocked playfully, flaming red again as he caught Meghan's curious gaze. "We'll find out later. And please, don't consult any books. You won't find any explanations to this ... Phenomenon." Stepping forward, Ron moved his eyes between Harry and Meghan. "Wow ..." He breathed, finding the resemblance to be uncanny.
"Get out of it, Ron," Harry said, pushing him back playfully, disliking all the extra attention from which he didn't usually receive from his closest friends. Meghan, who was watching all this with interested eyes, suddenly finds herself being led away by Hermione.
"Come on, I'll show you the dorm. Hold on Harry, I'll bring her back down in a few minutes." Harry, looking bewilderingly after them, glances over at Ron, who just shrugs and mouths, 'It must be a girl thing.'
Meghan felt immediately comfortable in the presence of Hermione. She was just so easy-going, and open.
"Hey Meghan, don't panic, Hermione's really nice," came Harry's voice suddenly through her mind. "I figured that, brother-dearest." Meghan thought-spoke back with mild sarcasm. "If you get to call me brother- dearest, I get to call you sister-dearest." Shot Harry's reply, and Meghan rolled her eyes. "Whatever ..."
Stepping into a room, Meghan gasped as a room of enormous proportions met her. "Yes, it is rather nice, isn't it?" Hermione said, beaming at her, as Meghan's eyes roamed around the several four-poster beds.
"This is the sixth year girls dorm. I sleep here, along with Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown. You'll sleep in this bed," she said, moving over to the bed that was situated by a large window. Alongside the bed and dresser sat a large pile of stuff that looked like all of her supplies. They had her all organized and she didn't have to do anything.
"It's perfect," she said, grinning again, ear to ear, before jumping onto her bed - The covers flapping around as she continued to jump.
"I'm glad that you like it." Hermione beamed. "You might want to get changed into your robes though, before I go out and show you the rest of the Commons. You'll eventually meet everyone, but for now, Harry, Ron and I will show you everything." It was so great to have another girl. Even though Harry and Ron were her best friends, they didn't understand girl issues. She was sure that Meghan and herself were going to become great friends.
"Ok, just give me a second," she said, pulling things out of the trunk that sat perpendicular to the end of the large bed. Eventually she found a set of robes that had the Gryffindor crest on them, paired with a striped scarf, gray pleated skirt, white knee socks, and black Mary Janes.
Pulling on the articles of clothing, Meghan checked herself out in the small mirror before setting off to join up with her friends. Her hair was pulled up in a loose ponytail, stray pieces fluttering before her face. "Hey guys, what do you think?" She said, spinning around slowly, giving them a good look at her uniform. It was slightly strange for her - At her old school there was no dress code ... But Meghan kind of liked this school- girl look.
"It looks great," said Ron, an amazed look on his face, replaced by a half grin. "You'll fit in just fine," said Harry, glancing around the room, noticing all of the attention his sister was getting.
"I guess it's time for you to meet some Gryffindors," he said jauntily, slipping his arm through hers and leading her over to a few guys playing wizard chess in a corner. "Hey Dean, Neville, Lee," he said, addressing them each in turn. "This is my sister, Meghan."
"Hey," she said softly, a little shyness kicking in. "It's great to meet you all, I guess I'll see you around." Then with one wave she quickly walked away, leaving Harry with his friends.
"Wow, what a fox!" Dean said, staring in shock at the trail that she left on her way back to Ron and Hermione. "That's an understatement." Said Neville, not even noticing that half of the pieces had been knocked to the ground in an attempt to get a better look.
"Put your eyes back in, I'm showing her around and she doesn't need any more stress then she already has," he said coldly towards the three. Even though Lee didn't say anything, Harry could tell that he was thinking along the same lines as the other two.
Ron took this opportunity as Meghan and Harry left them to talk to Hermione for a few moments. "Meghan is really something," he said breathlessly, his cloud blue eyes looking in her direction.
"Ron, do you have a little crush?" She asked slyly, grinning evilly at him. Hermione had to admit that she was pretty, and it was great that Ron liked her, but it had only been a very brief meeting, not enough to know anything.
Meghan dropped herself into a small chair by the fireplace - Blocking out all of the stares she was getting ... Although these were different stares then she was used to.
Slowly, Harry walked over to her, hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans, a sort of grimace on his face. "I'm sorry about those freaks over there," he said bashfully, looking at her with compassion flaming in his eyes.
"Oh, it's fine, I just feel like someone's watching me all the time here" she said, a chill running up her spine.
"Well, someone is," he chuckled, giving a glance over at Ron, who seemed to be drooling a little at the moment. "I think Ron likes you a little." Harry didn't mind people getting excited over her, but if they did anything horrible - They would regret it. It was brothers' code.
"So, that's who it is ... Well, he seems great, but I only just met him!" She protested, flashing a quick smile over at him. Meghan wasn't ready for anything right now, especially after a life of being ignored.
Receiving the smile, Ron smiled back, sucking a piece of drool that was escaping from his bottom lip. It was like she made a bumbling fool out of him, even if it wasn't intentional. He understood that she wouldn't be all over him or anything, nobody ever was, but he still couldn't help but feel his heart flutter when she looked at him.
"Do you want to explore the school a little more?" Harry asked suddenly, breaking her train of thought.
Meghan shrugs a little unsurely. "Yeah, I suppose so." At this, Harry grins at her, and Meghan shoots him a bewildered look. "What?" She asks bluntly. "What is it?"
"Nothing ... much." Harry teased, signalling for Ron and Hermione to follow with a quick wave of his hand. "You just look ... Well ... Really nervous, that's all."
"Oh, thanks for that, Harry. A real confidence booster. I mean, I did only just arrive here you know. I found out about an hour ago that I was actually adopted, and that I was a witch, of all things. Then I find out I have a brother, and that I'm supposed to attend a magic school. I mean, hell-o? How do you think I'm feeling? I'm not exactly going to go and sing at the top of my lungs the happiest song I can think of at the moment. I don't even think I know who I am anymore." Meghan, seeing their concerned expressions, and the mullet-stoned gazes of the boys across the room, finally rolls her eyes, and laughs. "Hey, I was only joking. I swear! I have a dry sense of humor. Seriously." And she put on a mock-serious face, which made the others smile in a most relieved manner.
Hermione, suddenly walking past them, and then out through the portrait, suddenly calls back through the passage, "You're definitely related to Harry then. I don't even know if he has a sense of humor!" She taunts playfully, to which Ron immediately responds, "Look whose talking, Miss-I'm- So-Serious-About-Everything-Especially-Rules."
"Oh, ha ha. Very funny Ron. You guys coming?"
Meghan, looking between them curiously, wondering what is was exactly that she'd missed, steps after Harry and Ron back out into the main corridor. Moving leisurely down through various passageways and hallways, Meghan, remaining considerably quiet as they passed other students in the opposite direction, and not really contributing much to their conversation due to the unknown topic of something called 'Quidditch', is stopped suddenly as Harry reaches out a hand and pulls back gently on her robes, just as they reach the entrance to the Great Hall. Hearing a small groan from Ron, seeing Hermione roll her eyes, and Harry mutter something along the lines of "Here we go again ...", Meghan looks ahead and lays eyes upon a silver- blonde haired boy, with two, larger, much-heavier built boys on either side of him, approaching them from the other end of the corridor. Seeing the blonde one smirk arrogantly towards his friends, indicating towards Meghan, her brother, and her two new friends, taking note of the emerald green and silver colors of their uniform, and the serpent crest upon each upper-left corner of their robes, she realizes that these must be students from one of the other houses. Meghan quickly averts her eyes away as the trio stops before them.
"What d'you want, Malfoy?" Harry starts, looking completely uncaring. Meghan, at the mention of the boys name, suddenly looks up, and catches the blonde boy's curious glance. So this was Harry's rival ...
Malfoy, looking maliciously between them, suddenly does a double take as he narrows his eyes loathsomely at Potter, sneering indomitably, and then keeps them narrowed for ... Potter again? What the hell was going on? Two of them? One ... He looked at Harry, wearing those completely ridiculous glasses, and the great, dirty, lightning-shaped scar upon his forehead. Two ... He then switched his gaze to an almost identical Harry Potter lookalike ... Except, female version ... With no glasses ... And no scar ...
"Tell me Potter, did you actually need a girlfriend that badly that you had to clone yourself? Doesn't say much for you, does it?" He drawls amusedly, his silver-grey eyes shimmering malevolently. "Then again, there's not much to say for you anyway ..."
"More to say about him than you, Malfoy." Ron suddenly spoke up, stepping boldly forward from next to Hermione. "And Meghan's not his girlfriend, she's his sister." He finished bluntly, an expression of disgust written across his face as he spoke.
Malfoy's face suddenly lit up with a look that could be described as nothing other than pure, sinister glee, and yet still, a disguised sense of curiousity lingered beneath the smile of wrathful intent. "Ron!" Hermione exclaimed suddenly, glaring at him reprimandingly; Harry doing the same. "What?" He shot back, then realised what he'd just said. Now that Malfoy knew, the whole school would know ... And then the entire wizarding world ... "Did I say sister?" He went on unconvincingly. "I meant cousin."
"Nice try, Weasley. Your lying skills are almost as worthless as you are." Smirking at Ron's flushing, indignant face, Malfoy then quickly turns his head to face Harry. "You have a sister now, Potter? You? No, that can't be right ... Last time I checked, both your parents were dead, and you were an only child ... Unless, of course, the rumours were true ..." Malfoy trailed off, flickering his eyes between them, with the two butch boys flexing their muscles threateningly behind him at the group of four Gryffindors. There were rumours he knew of, but they were thought to be only tales ... That there was, infact, another Potter ...
Harry, moving infront of Meghan defensively as Malfoy suddenly steps forward, slightly curious as to what the Slytherin was talking about when he referred to these 'rumours', suddenly stops as Meghan sends him a thought message. "Don't Harry. Just wait to see what he does first. It can't hurt ...' 'You don't know Malfoy, Meghan. He's the most arrogant, self-obsessed, slimy git ever to have trashed the planet.' Harry thought back, but reluctantly steps out of his way anyway as Meghan replies, 'I guess I'll find out then, won't I?'.
"Meghan, was it?" Malfoy drawled arrogantly, inspecting her closely, and comparing her to the Potter he knew. "I'm Draco Malfoy. This is Crabbe." He indicated behind him on his left. "And Goyle." Then indicated behind him on his right. Sneering coldly at her, so much so that Ron had the strongest urge to punch his lights out, Hermione wanted to curse him across the hallway, and Harry wanted to hit him first and then curse him across the hallway, Draco speaks again - Leaving Meghan feeling quite at a loss for words, and all the others present too.
"So the Other Potter really exists then. And here was everyone thinking that you were just a rumour ..." Smirking, Harry looking decidedly confused, but Hermione and Ron looking slightly uncomfortable, as if they knew something he didn't, Draco steps back again, looking considerably entertained.
"And I suppose that you didn't know this either, did you Potter?" He drawls superiorly, a cruel smile across his lips, as Harry looks astoundedly between Ron and Hermione, who would not meet his glance, then finally resting eyes on Meghan, who looked as lost and confused as he did. "Then again, you don't ever really know much about our world at all, so I shouldn't really be surprised ..." Draco's eyes briefly flickered over to Hermione as he emphasised the word 'our' - It was no secret that he despised Granger for being muggle-born - Or a 'mudblood' as her kind were more commonly known to by those of higher breeding in wizarding society, much like himself.
Would he dare to ask? Malfoy was hardly trustworthy, but Harry hated not knowing something that he did. It was humiliating to be one of the most famous wizards in the world and knowing less about wizarding society than was expected he should. So was it worth the risk? And what were Hermione and Ron hiding? Harry, feeling slightly uneasy and under pressure, quickly makes his decision, and cautiously speaks up again.
"What rumours ...?" Seeing Ron blush furiously again, and Hermione shrug weakly, Harry turns to Malfoy, who immediately sneers at him once more.
"Perhaps your friends might like to tell you ..." He drawls cruelly, eyeing Ron and Hermione viciously, before settling a sinister, cold gaze back on to Meghan, who shudders involuntarily at the cruel emptiness she sees within his eyes ...
Harry's mouth dropped at seeing this girl standing there with his face and hair, even their eyes were the same. "Are we related?" he asked breathlessly, not really sure what to say, but still trying to keep his composure.
"Oh, clever Einstein" she said sarcastically, a smirk on her face. It wasn't like she meant to be snarky to her newfound brother, but it was just her style. It was the way she dealt with stress like this.
He was taken aback by her response to his speechlessness. It sounded like something that Draco would say ... But he had more important things to think about at the moment. "You must be related to me, you have my eyes," he said confidently.
"How do you know that you don't have my eyes?" She asked, scoffing at his confidence. It seemed cocky to her, but that was obviously just the way he was, full of himself and cocky.
Harry was about to come back with another, but instead his attention turned to a woman and man that he had only ever seen in pictures. "Mum . Dad?" he said, his voice cracking incredulously. He had been told that they were dead for his whole life - Maybe he was just seeing a mirage.
Lily and James smiled at their son, after not seeing him for fifteen years; this was amazing for them. "Harry, it's . Great to see you again." His mother said softly, tears welling up in her eyes, but not leaving the crevasses that encumbered them.
"But you're ... You're dead," he said, stuttering uncontrollably, feeling the speechlessness return and take control of his dry mouth.
"Harry, I suggest that you sit down and listen," Dumbledore suggested, cutting the conversation short, allowing some explaining to happen. Waving his hand again, another chair popped into the crowded office, where Harry still gaped astoundedly, shock written all across his face.
Nodding, Harry climbed up the small flight of stairs and sat in the newly apparated chair, moving it over slightly so he was more secluded from his family. This was something that an explanation was direly required of. Hands crossed over his chest like an impatient child, Harry glared around the room, his eyes stopping on Meghan once more, but still continuing to glare.
"Harry ..." His Father started, feeling the pressure get turned on in full force. "We have been alive your whole life. Just before the Dark Lord came, we took a One-Life potion, and once we had seemed to be killed, our life came back to us. Your mother and I have been in hiding ever since, not even daring to come out and find you - It would put us all in danger." James really hoped that Harry would understand, but it was such a hard concept to grasp for anyone, living with your relatives, thinking that your parents were dead when they were only in hiding ...
"I ... I ... Understand." Said Harry dawningly, actually feeling relieved and not angry, like his first reaction had been. His rough cheekbones formed into a half smile, sliding the chair back over until he was side by side with his parents.
At once, Lily grasped him into the same motherly hug that she had given Meghan - Loving the feeling of having her children back with her again, in her arms. Feeling him squirm out of the hug, Lily and James nodded towards each other, preparing for another impact on Harry's life. "Harry, as you can see, this girl here looks an awful lot like you." Lily said, trying to break him in easily, not just in one big crash. "She is your twin sister, Meghan. I just got her this morning from her home, and she will be joining you at Hogwarts, also as a Gryffindor." Lily picked up after a short pause in her speech, the smile on her face obviously trying to be reassuring, but leaving Harry still considerably unimpressed.
"I have a what?" He exclaimed, his voice rising a few decibels. "This person is my sister?"
"Meghan, okay. My name is Meghan, not 'person'," she added, not liking the fact that she was being talked about, but they acted like she wasn't there. Meghan wasn't sure if she liked Harry too much at the moment, but maybe it was just the shock of everything coming down on him, like thread unraveling from a tapestry.
Giving her a cold look, Harry felt like he could read her mind, and he didn't like her all that much either.
"Thanks a lot." She thought in her head, a realization suddenly popping into mind. "Harry, I can hear you, and you can hear me. Hey! Wow! I'm a psychic! Just like the ones you see on T.V.!" All these thoughts channeled through her, and transferred straight into Harry's head.
"Meghan, it must be some sort of bond, like a brother-sister type thing," Harry spoke back with his own mind, looking around to make sure that nobody else could hear them.
"I'm sorry to interrupt this little psychic party, but I think there are more pressing matters at hand." Said a voice, which she recognized as Dumbledore's. It didn't sound angry - More like amused really.
Giving a pleasant grin, Meghan looked at Harry, who grinned back at her. This was one thing that could most definitely come in handy. But if Dumbledore could hear them, then they would have to block him out. Maybe it was just in his office that he could hear them, or maybe he was just that powerful ...
"Well, I assume that you will want to show Meghan around her common room and such. Make sure to introduce her to Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley, they are, after all, your best friends," said Dumbledore, giving them a smile over his half-moon glasses. With a wave of his hand, Dumbledore told them to go.
One last hug-fest took place for both Meghan and Harry with Lily and James, then, without another word, they ran out of the office, obviously quite excited. At the moment she felt more like a small child rather than a sixteen-year-old, who was expected to act her age.
"This way," he said in his head, beckoning for her to follow with the small flick of his hand.
"You know, we don't have to talk psychic. Or are you too good for regular words?" She joked, taking large strides to keep up with her brother. He was about 5'11", while she was around 5'8". It wasn't much of a height difference, but his legs were a little longer then hers, which enabled him to move faster.
"Sorry ..." He said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his untidy black hair, making it stick up at odd angles. Slowing down a little to allow Meghan to keep up, Harry grinned to himself. He had a sister. Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived - alone - had a sister.
"So . Harry," she said, noticing the strange feeling that fell in her stomach when she said the name. "Tell me about yourself." Meghan wasn't one to make great conversation, so she settled for some lame small talk, like the crap her mother used to come up with.
"Well, I've lived a lie my whole life pretty much," he said, a dull look in his eyes as they walked up a moving flight of stairs. Harry was totally used to this stuff, since he had been here for six years now.
Meghan screamed loudly as the ground rumbled and the staircase moved up, stopping when it joined up with another stone step. "Just settle down, no worries." She reassured herself, watching as Harry kept walking on, and following suit.
Another smile crept onto his face as she screamed, just like he predicted she would. "Just a little way further," he said, not even looking back at her. "To answer your question, I live with the Dursleys, who you hopefully will never have to meet, and I come here every year to attend school. My best friends are Ron and Hermione, they'll be in the common room when we get there. Oh, and you might want to avoid Draco Malfoy - He's the most arrogant little pillock in the school. That and we hate each other with a vengeance." He added, a picture of them popping into his head.
"Wow! They seem great! Well, except Malfoy," she said, trying to picture their faces which she supposed she would see soon enough. When she had finished her sentence, Meghan found herself face to face with a huge portrait of a lady in a frilly pink dress.
"Password?" She posed, her voice sounding strangely echoed, as though she spoke from far away.
"Gillyweed," Harry muttered, loud enough for Meghan to hear it. Eventually she would be off on her own and would need to know the password. Quickly he stepped into the black hole, disappearing from the fearful view of Meghan.
"Erm ..." she said softly, deciding just to go for it. So, stepping into the same domain that Harry had, she held her breath and closed her eyes - Afraid that she was doing something wrong. But her fears were needless. She found her self in a beautifully furnished room, large enough to house hundreds of people.
Harry saw that Meghan had followed him and walked over to her. "Welcome to your new home," he said, whispering into her ear, catching the curious gazes of his two best friends. With a grin, he called them over.
"Meghan, I would like you to meet Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley. Guys, this is my sister!" He said, watching their reactions, which were nothing like he thought. Hermione's face lit up with joy, and Ron blushed a very deep scarlet, starting to upstage his fiery red hair.
"Oh my gosh!" said Hermione, rushing towards her with an arm slung over her shoulder. This was one of the best things that could ever have happened to her - Finally she wouldn't be the only girl in their group.
"Nice to meet you, Meghan," said Ron, still blushing deeply. His head was bowed down to the ground, obviously quite embarrassed.
For a moment, no one spoke, and Meghan felt slightly awkward, as though she'd intruded on something to which she didn't belong. Giving a weak, nervous smile, Hermione was the first to break the silence. "You both look so alike. It's amazing ... But how? I mean, I don't understand, this is ... Oh my gosh, this is ... Oh my gosh!"
"You keep saying that Hermione. Oh my gosh!" Ron mocked playfully, flaming red again as he caught Meghan's curious gaze. "We'll find out later. And please, don't consult any books. You won't find any explanations to this ... Phenomenon." Stepping forward, Ron moved his eyes between Harry and Meghan. "Wow ..." He breathed, finding the resemblance to be uncanny.
"Get out of it, Ron," Harry said, pushing him back playfully, disliking all the extra attention from which he didn't usually receive from his closest friends. Meghan, who was watching all this with interested eyes, suddenly finds herself being led away by Hermione.
"Come on, I'll show you the dorm. Hold on Harry, I'll bring her back down in a few minutes." Harry, looking bewilderingly after them, glances over at Ron, who just shrugs and mouths, 'It must be a girl thing.'
Meghan felt immediately comfortable in the presence of Hermione. She was just so easy-going, and open.
"Hey Meghan, don't panic, Hermione's really nice," came Harry's voice suddenly through her mind. "I figured that, brother-dearest." Meghan thought-spoke back with mild sarcasm. "If you get to call me brother- dearest, I get to call you sister-dearest." Shot Harry's reply, and Meghan rolled her eyes. "Whatever ..."
Stepping into a room, Meghan gasped as a room of enormous proportions met her. "Yes, it is rather nice, isn't it?" Hermione said, beaming at her, as Meghan's eyes roamed around the several four-poster beds.
"This is the sixth year girls dorm. I sleep here, along with Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown. You'll sleep in this bed," she said, moving over to the bed that was situated by a large window. Alongside the bed and dresser sat a large pile of stuff that looked like all of her supplies. They had her all organized and she didn't have to do anything.
"It's perfect," she said, grinning again, ear to ear, before jumping onto her bed - The covers flapping around as she continued to jump.
"I'm glad that you like it." Hermione beamed. "You might want to get changed into your robes though, before I go out and show you the rest of the Commons. You'll eventually meet everyone, but for now, Harry, Ron and I will show you everything." It was so great to have another girl. Even though Harry and Ron were her best friends, they didn't understand girl issues. She was sure that Meghan and herself were going to become great friends.
"Ok, just give me a second," she said, pulling things out of the trunk that sat perpendicular to the end of the large bed. Eventually she found a set of robes that had the Gryffindor crest on them, paired with a striped scarf, gray pleated skirt, white knee socks, and black Mary Janes.
Pulling on the articles of clothing, Meghan checked herself out in the small mirror before setting off to join up with her friends. Her hair was pulled up in a loose ponytail, stray pieces fluttering before her face. "Hey guys, what do you think?" She said, spinning around slowly, giving them a good look at her uniform. It was slightly strange for her - At her old school there was no dress code ... But Meghan kind of liked this school- girl look.
"It looks great," said Ron, an amazed look on his face, replaced by a half grin. "You'll fit in just fine," said Harry, glancing around the room, noticing all of the attention his sister was getting.
"I guess it's time for you to meet some Gryffindors," he said jauntily, slipping his arm through hers and leading her over to a few guys playing wizard chess in a corner. "Hey Dean, Neville, Lee," he said, addressing them each in turn. "This is my sister, Meghan."
"Hey," she said softly, a little shyness kicking in. "It's great to meet you all, I guess I'll see you around." Then with one wave she quickly walked away, leaving Harry with his friends.
"Wow, what a fox!" Dean said, staring in shock at the trail that she left on her way back to Ron and Hermione. "That's an understatement." Said Neville, not even noticing that half of the pieces had been knocked to the ground in an attempt to get a better look.
"Put your eyes back in, I'm showing her around and she doesn't need any more stress then she already has," he said coldly towards the three. Even though Lee didn't say anything, Harry could tell that he was thinking along the same lines as the other two.
Ron took this opportunity as Meghan and Harry left them to talk to Hermione for a few moments. "Meghan is really something," he said breathlessly, his cloud blue eyes looking in her direction.
"Ron, do you have a little crush?" She asked slyly, grinning evilly at him. Hermione had to admit that she was pretty, and it was great that Ron liked her, but it had only been a very brief meeting, not enough to know anything.
Meghan dropped herself into a small chair by the fireplace - Blocking out all of the stares she was getting ... Although these were different stares then she was used to.
Slowly, Harry walked over to her, hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans, a sort of grimace on his face. "I'm sorry about those freaks over there," he said bashfully, looking at her with compassion flaming in his eyes.
"Oh, it's fine, I just feel like someone's watching me all the time here" she said, a chill running up her spine.
"Well, someone is," he chuckled, giving a glance over at Ron, who seemed to be drooling a little at the moment. "I think Ron likes you a little." Harry didn't mind people getting excited over her, but if they did anything horrible - They would regret it. It was brothers' code.
"So, that's who it is ... Well, he seems great, but I only just met him!" She protested, flashing a quick smile over at him. Meghan wasn't ready for anything right now, especially after a life of being ignored.
Receiving the smile, Ron smiled back, sucking a piece of drool that was escaping from his bottom lip. It was like she made a bumbling fool out of him, even if it wasn't intentional. He understood that she wouldn't be all over him or anything, nobody ever was, but he still couldn't help but feel his heart flutter when she looked at him.
"Do you want to explore the school a little more?" Harry asked suddenly, breaking her train of thought.
Meghan shrugs a little unsurely. "Yeah, I suppose so." At this, Harry grins at her, and Meghan shoots him a bewildered look. "What?" She asks bluntly. "What is it?"
"Nothing ... much." Harry teased, signalling for Ron and Hermione to follow with a quick wave of his hand. "You just look ... Well ... Really nervous, that's all."
"Oh, thanks for that, Harry. A real confidence booster. I mean, I did only just arrive here you know. I found out about an hour ago that I was actually adopted, and that I was a witch, of all things. Then I find out I have a brother, and that I'm supposed to attend a magic school. I mean, hell-o? How do you think I'm feeling? I'm not exactly going to go and sing at the top of my lungs the happiest song I can think of at the moment. I don't even think I know who I am anymore." Meghan, seeing their concerned expressions, and the mullet-stoned gazes of the boys across the room, finally rolls her eyes, and laughs. "Hey, I was only joking. I swear! I have a dry sense of humor. Seriously." And she put on a mock-serious face, which made the others smile in a most relieved manner.
Hermione, suddenly walking past them, and then out through the portrait, suddenly calls back through the passage, "You're definitely related to Harry then. I don't even know if he has a sense of humor!" She taunts playfully, to which Ron immediately responds, "Look whose talking, Miss-I'm- So-Serious-About-Everything-Especially-Rules."
"Oh, ha ha. Very funny Ron. You guys coming?"
Meghan, looking between them curiously, wondering what is was exactly that she'd missed, steps after Harry and Ron back out into the main corridor. Moving leisurely down through various passageways and hallways, Meghan, remaining considerably quiet as they passed other students in the opposite direction, and not really contributing much to their conversation due to the unknown topic of something called 'Quidditch', is stopped suddenly as Harry reaches out a hand and pulls back gently on her robes, just as they reach the entrance to the Great Hall. Hearing a small groan from Ron, seeing Hermione roll her eyes, and Harry mutter something along the lines of "Here we go again ...", Meghan looks ahead and lays eyes upon a silver- blonde haired boy, with two, larger, much-heavier built boys on either side of him, approaching them from the other end of the corridor. Seeing the blonde one smirk arrogantly towards his friends, indicating towards Meghan, her brother, and her two new friends, taking note of the emerald green and silver colors of their uniform, and the serpent crest upon each upper-left corner of their robes, she realizes that these must be students from one of the other houses. Meghan quickly averts her eyes away as the trio stops before them.
"What d'you want, Malfoy?" Harry starts, looking completely uncaring. Meghan, at the mention of the boys name, suddenly looks up, and catches the blonde boy's curious glance. So this was Harry's rival ...
Malfoy, looking maliciously between them, suddenly does a double take as he narrows his eyes loathsomely at Potter, sneering indomitably, and then keeps them narrowed for ... Potter again? What the hell was going on? Two of them? One ... He looked at Harry, wearing those completely ridiculous glasses, and the great, dirty, lightning-shaped scar upon his forehead. Two ... He then switched his gaze to an almost identical Harry Potter lookalike ... Except, female version ... With no glasses ... And no scar ...
"Tell me Potter, did you actually need a girlfriend that badly that you had to clone yourself? Doesn't say much for you, does it?" He drawls amusedly, his silver-grey eyes shimmering malevolently. "Then again, there's not much to say for you anyway ..."
"More to say about him than you, Malfoy." Ron suddenly spoke up, stepping boldly forward from next to Hermione. "And Meghan's not his girlfriend, she's his sister." He finished bluntly, an expression of disgust written across his face as he spoke.
Malfoy's face suddenly lit up with a look that could be described as nothing other than pure, sinister glee, and yet still, a disguised sense of curiousity lingered beneath the smile of wrathful intent. "Ron!" Hermione exclaimed suddenly, glaring at him reprimandingly; Harry doing the same. "What?" He shot back, then realised what he'd just said. Now that Malfoy knew, the whole school would know ... And then the entire wizarding world ... "Did I say sister?" He went on unconvincingly. "I meant cousin."
"Nice try, Weasley. Your lying skills are almost as worthless as you are." Smirking at Ron's flushing, indignant face, Malfoy then quickly turns his head to face Harry. "You have a sister now, Potter? You? No, that can't be right ... Last time I checked, both your parents were dead, and you were an only child ... Unless, of course, the rumours were true ..." Malfoy trailed off, flickering his eyes between them, with the two butch boys flexing their muscles threateningly behind him at the group of four Gryffindors. There were rumours he knew of, but they were thought to be only tales ... That there was, infact, another Potter ...
Harry, moving infront of Meghan defensively as Malfoy suddenly steps forward, slightly curious as to what the Slytherin was talking about when he referred to these 'rumours', suddenly stops as Meghan sends him a thought message. "Don't Harry. Just wait to see what he does first. It can't hurt ...' 'You don't know Malfoy, Meghan. He's the most arrogant, self-obsessed, slimy git ever to have trashed the planet.' Harry thought back, but reluctantly steps out of his way anyway as Meghan replies, 'I guess I'll find out then, won't I?'.
"Meghan, was it?" Malfoy drawled arrogantly, inspecting her closely, and comparing her to the Potter he knew. "I'm Draco Malfoy. This is Crabbe." He indicated behind him on his left. "And Goyle." Then indicated behind him on his right. Sneering coldly at her, so much so that Ron had the strongest urge to punch his lights out, Hermione wanted to curse him across the hallway, and Harry wanted to hit him first and then curse him across the hallway, Draco speaks again - Leaving Meghan feeling quite at a loss for words, and all the others present too.
"So the Other Potter really exists then. And here was everyone thinking that you were just a rumour ..." Smirking, Harry looking decidedly confused, but Hermione and Ron looking slightly uncomfortable, as if they knew something he didn't, Draco steps back again, looking considerably entertained.
"And I suppose that you didn't know this either, did you Potter?" He drawls superiorly, a cruel smile across his lips, as Harry looks astoundedly between Ron and Hermione, who would not meet his glance, then finally resting eyes on Meghan, who looked as lost and confused as he did. "Then again, you don't ever really know much about our world at all, so I shouldn't really be surprised ..." Draco's eyes briefly flickered over to Hermione as he emphasised the word 'our' - It was no secret that he despised Granger for being muggle-born - Or a 'mudblood' as her kind were more commonly known to by those of higher breeding in wizarding society, much like himself.
Would he dare to ask? Malfoy was hardly trustworthy, but Harry hated not knowing something that he did. It was humiliating to be one of the most famous wizards in the world and knowing less about wizarding society than was expected he should. So was it worth the risk? And what were Hermione and Ron hiding? Harry, feeling slightly uneasy and under pressure, quickly makes his decision, and cautiously speaks up again.
"What rumours ...?" Seeing Ron blush furiously again, and Hermione shrug weakly, Harry turns to Malfoy, who immediately sneers at him once more.
"Perhaps your friends might like to tell you ..." He drawls cruelly, eyeing Ron and Hermione viciously, before settling a sinister, cold gaze back on to Meghan, who shudders involuntarily at the cruel emptiness she sees within his eyes ...
