Name: Kristen
Title: Twin Destinies 1?
Website: http/magical-worlds.us/scribblings
Disclaimer: I do not own anything mentioned in the Harry Potter books. That honor goes to J.K. Rowling. I also don't own anything on the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. That belongs to Joss Whedon and whoever else has a piece of that pie. No infringement is intended and no profit is being made. This is just for my own amusement and only the plot is mine.
Rating: PG-13/Teen
Pairings: Dawn/Blaise and Harry/Ginny eventually
Spoilers: General Season 5 Spoilers for BtVS and spoilers for all of the Harry Potter books, especially for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Summary: Answer to one of my own challenges posted a long time ago, what if the monks had sent Dawn to someone else? Voldemort is after the key for purposes better left alone and the monks send her to Harry Potter for protection.
Feedback: Is always appreciated. It's what keeps me writing and I'd love to know what you think of this. I don't get many reviews any more so any comments would be appreciated. Let me know where I'm going wrong or what you think I'm doing right. And if you haven't reviewed before now's your chance.

Part 1

Dawn ran through the halls of Hogwarts, trying to hold in her emotions till she could be alone outside. Feelings battled inside her for precedence. Anger, fear, disbelief, sorrow, guilt… It all tumbled about inside her until she felt dizzy with the force of her emotions.

It was just one revelation too many. She had just come from Dumbledore's office where he had promised to answer their questions after the battle at the Ministry. He had told her and Harry about the prophecy and Dawn's origins.

Harry was part of a prophecy, to kill or be killed by Voldemort.

Dawn was a Key.

And worse, Sirius was lost to them forever. According to Dumbledore there was no coming back from behind the Veil.

It hurt that Harry wasn't her brother. She wasn't one half of a set of twins. James and Lily were never her parents. She didn't even have parents unless you counted a bunch of weird monks as parents.

Dawn hadn't been born. She was created by monks and sent to Harry to protect her from Voldemort. She used to be a big, swirling, green mass of energy that Voldemort was after. How was she to reconcile what she is now with what she once was?

Voldemort wanted to use her for who knew what, and he had killed so many already in an attempt to get her, she thought sorrowfully.

Dawn angrily swiped at the tears streaming down her face. She wasn't supposed to be here! Did she even have a soul? Could she be a real person if she wasn't born in the same way as everyone else? Or was she nothing but a dangerous mass of energy disguised as a person? Would she bleed green energy if she were cut?

She hated the realization that her memories weren't real. They were planted, created by the power the monks had used to disguise her true nature. She could feel reality slipping from her grasp. Was anything real? Was it all false? Was she even feeling what she was feeling? Or was this a creation too?

She couldn't seem to point to anything in her memories that she could say aha! This was real! I know this happened! Her memories were all colored with shades of illusion. Everything was just a creation. A lie. False reality. It never happened. She had never been there. None of the love and the friendships in her life was real. They had all been created by those stupid bloody monks!

What was she going to do?

She ran past the lake and ignored the giant squid when it waved a tentacle at her. She had never sat there with Fred, George, and Lee as they introduced her to the squid. She ran past Hagrid's Hut where she had never attempted to eat Hagrid's horrible cooking and tried to hide it when he wasn't looking. She had never had tea and talked with Hagrid about school and her friends, or asked about her parents.

Dawn kept running, determined to reach the one place where no one would follow.

The Forbidden Forest.

At least no one would follow but a foolish, brave Gryffindor who wasn't really her brother.

"Dawn stop!"

Harry's hand on her arm stopped her headlong flight. "Let me go, Harry."

"No." Harry's stubborn streak, the one they had inherited from Lily decided now was a perfectly good time to show up. No they didn't inherit it she corrected herself. Only Harry. Fresh tears slipped a trail down her face.

"This doesn't change anything," Harry argued.

Dawn pulled her arm free and swiped at the tears on her face. "But it does," she protested. "It changes everything. I've changed everything. This isn't the way it's supposed to be." She pointed at the castle. "You heard Dumbledore. I'm not real! I'm not your sister. I'm just one more problem the monks decided to drop into your lap!

"No! No." Harry said emphatically. He paced in front of her determined to resist the urge to shake some sense into his twin's head. Because she was his twin, no matter what anyone had done or what Dumbledore had said. "How you got here makes not one bloody difference to me, Dawn! You're my sister. I feel it, and you can too. You know we've got a connection just like the one Ron's always complaining Fred and George have. How many times have you said what I was thinking? How many times have I finished your sentences, or handed you an ingredient in Potions class before you ask for it? How do you always know when I'm having a nightmare?"

Harry stopped and faced his sister, determined to make her believe everything he was saying, everything he felt. "Do you remember the Mirror of Erised? When I looked into it and saw my family you were standing right there with them. You are my family, Dawn. You're my sister in all the ways that count no matter what you or anyone else says."

Harry started pacing again. "So you weren't here before, Dawn! Big deal!" Harry waved his hands angrily and then stopped to face her again. He pointed at the ground between them. "You're here now and that's what counts." He asked earnestly, "You can't tell me you're going to just take his words at face value are you? Dumbledore has planned the way things have gone. He keeps secrets from us, stuff we should know, until he decides we're ready to know it!" Harry waved a hand in the direction of the castle. "He doesn't know everything and despite what he said, what you believe, you are my sister and I wouldn't want it any other way. We're family and that's what counts. Not some stupid prophecy, not some crazy monks, or your mysterious powers."

Dawn started to cry again and threw her arms around her brother in relief. They held each other tight and strengthened the bond that may have started out as a created one with no basis in reality but was every bit as real as it felt in that moment.

Dawn lost track of how long they stood like that but eventually they pulled apart and looked questioningly at each other. "What do we do now?" Dawn asked.

"I don't know," Harry replied. "But we'll figure something out.

"You won't," Dawn hesitantly began, "tell anyone about this will you? About me?"

Harry shook his head. "No, and we won't mention the prophecy either. We need time to figure this out and decide what to do."

"Right," Dawn nodded. She began straightening her appearance in preparation to head back. Harry handed her a handkerchief and she wiped her eyes then blew her nose. They slowly began the trek back towards the castle. Dawn suddenly stopped in mid-step and gestured between them. "I just realized, this means I really am related to the Dursleys and we still have to go back there."

Harry grimaced. "Ugh. I had forgotten about that. What with everything that's happened. Wonderful."

This time the walk back to the castle was even more reluctant and slow.

End Part 1