Sister Pansy
Disclaimer: My name is not J.K. Rowling and I am not her publisher or in any way associated with her. Therefore, I don't own anything, claim to own anything, or make money out of anything. I simply write fanfiction.
Author's Note: This is the third of six stories I will be posting this week. Just one chapter each to help me decide which story I want to continue writing... not that I don't love all of them, I just don't have the time. I think the tone of this story is decidedly different to my others.
Everyone is slightly (okay, not-so-slightly) OOC. Oh yeah, and there's SLASH.
Chapter One
What Dumbledore has to say
It was the first day of Harry's seventh year at Hogwarts and after a very uneventful holiday, Harry was ready to start afresh. With the threat of Voldemort still stalking Harry, he was in need of a few friends. Dumbledore had requested to speak to Harry immediately following the welcoming feast. Harry, Ron and Hermione spent their time wondering what on earth it could be.
"After that business with the prophecy last year," Ron said. "It could be anything."
"He's a clever man," Hermione said. "But terribly eccentric."
"Yeah," Harry said. "He's probably going to tell me that Malfoy's my twin brother."
"Or that You -sorry- Voldemort's not trying to kill you," Ron added. He was having a hard time not saying You-Know-Who.
"Oh, what if he's sending you into hiding, Harry?" Hermione wondered.
"He wouldn't," Ron said. "Hogwarts is the safest place in the world."
"Where would he put me that was safer anyway?" Harry asked. "Gringotts?"
The trio laughed and stopped speculating, but Harry was still worried. Whatever it was, it couldn't be nice.
After dinner, Harry stopped by Dumbledore's office. A moment later, Dumbledore turned up. Harry took a seat in front of his desk.
"Now, Harry," I suspect you're wondering why I've called you here today of all days."
"I have," Harry said.
"Well it's do deal with some events which occurred before you were born."
"If it happened before I was born, Professor, then why haven't you told me this before?"
"Patience, Harry. You will see." He continued. "Your mother was pregnant and ten months before you were born, your parents had a child, a beautiful baby girl. Your sister."
"Sister?" Harry repeated, amazed. That hadn't come around in the dinner conversation.
"Yes," Professor Dumbledore said. "Voldemort was still at large so your parents thought it would be best if your sister was sent away. She went to live with a pair of very old family friends, friends of James' parents. They looked after her until she was a year old, we recently found. Because of Voldemort, we lost track of her and she spent much of her childhood before Hogwarts with both muggles and wizards. What we recently found was that when she was nine, she was adopted by the Parkinsons."
"Do that means that-" Harry couldn't finish his sentence.
"Pansy Parkinson is your sister."
Harry took a moment to consider this profound statement. "So I should've been in Slytherin instead. The hat must've known. Park-"
"Choices, Harry," Dumbledore said. "Remember where your choices have taken you. Your sister was given a different path and chose to go another way.
"Now," I'm starting to wish I was in Slytherin," Harry said. "I mean, I've got good friends in Gryffindor, and that's where the hat put me when I ruled out Slytherin, but Pansy's in Slytherin and I could've been friends with her, gotten to know her. Family means a lot to me, Professor. And the hat said I would've done well in Slytherin. What was I thinking when I thought that I could make a better choice than a hat who has lived a hundred times longer than I have?"
"I think, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said. "That you are rethinking your decisions. And would perhaps like a trial with Slytherin house."
"Well," Harry began. "I'm not so sure. But like I said, family means a lot to me because I've pretty much had none. But I don't want to lose my friends."
"Speak to other people about it. This is a school," Dumbledore reminded Harry. "We are here to help you to grow as a person and to learn. Many fine wizards and witches have come from this school. And not all of them remained in the same house for the length of their schooling. We often give students the opportunity to trial another house's situation. Sometimes they change permanently. Sometimes they realise that where they've come from is the best. Think your decision through."
"Thank you, Professor," Harry said, taking this as his cue to leave. "Goodbye. Goodbye Fawkes."
Harry left the office with a lot more on his mind than when he went in.
"Pansy Parkinson's my sister," Harry said to Ron and Hermione's questioning looks. They just stared.
Then Ron laughed. "Ha! Nice one. What'd Dumbledore really want?"
Harry was silent a moment, pondering how best to say he was telling the truth.
"Oh my God, Harry," Hermione said. "You're serious."
"Come on Hermione. He's not serious." Ron said. "Look at his eyes-" He didn't finish his sentence as he actually studied Harry's face. "You're serious. That is really weird. I mean, I knew she was adopted and Slytherin only takes people whose parents had magic but this is too weird."
"Are they sure?" Hermione asked. "Have they done a blood test?"
"I think Dumbledore would have told me if he wasn't one hundred percent certain. I got the feeling that he'd had a suspicion for a while but wasn't sure until this summer."
"Maybe you should ask for a blood test anyway," Hermione said. "Just to make sure. It seems like a bit too much of a coincidence."
"She's older than I am," Harry said. "Didn't want to keep her because of the war, though I don't know why they kept me. Or how they managed to have me after they'd just given her up."
"You need answers, Harry," Hermione said. "And I'll help you find them."
After double potions with the Slytherins the next morning, Harry let Ron and Hermione go on ahead.
"Zabini," Harry called, wanting to talk to the only Slytherin in their year who hadn't been a terrible prick to him since first year.
"Yes Potter?" He replied.
"I was wondering."
Zabini rolled his eyes. "I know that Pansy's your sister. Everyone in our house knows. Malfoy was a real bastard. She needed to tell someone and he was convenient. She didn't want anyone to know. Bastard told everyone, tried to make us hate her because she was a Potter. Didn't work. Slytherins are more loyal than that. House comes before family, but Draco doesn't seem to see it. And he hates your guts. That answer your question?" he asked seriously.
"I didn't even ask."
"But I saw it in your eyes," then Zabini paused and his tone changed completely. "You have gorgeous eyes."
Harry's pulse raced and he was suddenly nervous. "I also wanted to know about you Slytherins. What's it like? Who are you?"
"We're cunning, lying, scheming, total brats. We're ambitious and sly. We're selfish and rude and have a complete disregard for the rules."
Now it was Harry's turn to roll his eyes. "If you won't tell me, I'll ask someone else. I'm sure even Malfoy would be slightly more honest than that." Harry turned to go but stopped when Zabini grabbed his wrist.
"I'll tell you Potter," Zabini said. "Ten o'clock tonight in the room opposite DADA."
Harry looked at him suspiciously. "After what you just told me?"
"I'm not like the other Slytherins," Zabini said, loosening his grip on Harry's wrist, but not letting go completely. Instead, he stroked it with a thumb. "Please."
Harry stared at Zabini. He knew Blaise really meant for the meeting tonight to be a sort of date. Although the other boy was quite attractive, he wasn't attracted to him. "I'll come," he said, out of a willingness to know the truth about Slytherins. "But it's not a date."
Blaise chuckled. "I guess I'll just have to settle for that."
As Blaise walked away, something twanged inside Harry. He wasn't sure about it, but it wasn't intense dislike. Something made him want to smirk as he walked along the hallway toward lunch.
A/N: The end, for now. Or the end of what you're going to read. Whatever. Please review if you loved it or thought it was complete crap.