Here's the next chapter!

I'm having holidays at the moment, so I suppose I'll update soon again.

There's been not much of Harry for quite some time, so this chapter is only about Harry and Elisha.

Have fun reading and review!

Star and Lightning

25th Chapter - Christmas

As time went by, Elisha became more and more powerful. She learned fast and excelled both at school (except for Transfigurations) and during her weekly lessons with Lord Voldemort. She learned to handle her wand perfectly and direct her magic to do exactly what she wanted it to do. She learned to endure pain. She learned to disguise her true feelings. She learned to be cheerful and enthusastic even if she felt utterly desperate.

Soon it was christmas. Elisha had to stay at school with Harry and a few other students for Dumbledore was afraid to let her go. On the one hand, she felt really cheerful because Voldemort had cancelled their meetings for this time, on the other hand, staying meant two weeks alone with her brother. She liked Harry but she had no idea how to act around him. Harry had insisted that she move into the Gryffindor Tower during the holidays.

That's why, on the morning of Dec 25, she was woken by Harry storming in her room calling: "Wake up, Sis! It's christmas!"

She turned around lazily and looked at him through half-closed eyes. "Any reason to be so excited?" she asked teasingly.

"Of course!" he poked her in the side. "We have presents!" Harry shook his head and laughed. "Come on, now. You've got presents, too."

That got his sister out of bed and, both still in their pyjamas, they hurried down the stairs to the Common Room. There was a pile of presents under the small fir tree that was decorated with little bells and balls shining brightly in the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw colors. Harry immediately dashed for the presents and looked through them excitedly. Elisha followed him with a little less enthusiasm but with a broad smile on her face. Soon, they sat together under the fir tree opening their presents. Ron and Hermoine had gotten both of them presents, Mrs Weasley had knitted sweaters for both of them and of course they had made presents for each other. Harry was speechless as he saw what Elisha had made for him: a little, shimmering dragon figurine that was bewitched to walk around and blow fire.

"Wow. That's amazing!" he said when he had found his voice again.

"Like it?" his twin asked smiling.

He nodded open-mouthed and queried: "Did you bewitch this?"

Elisha simply nodded and opened her last package. It was packed in muggle papers and a note from Zaza was stuck on it. Harry looked curiously over her shoulder and frowned as he saw the discman and the stack of CDs.

"This must have cost her a fortune." Elisha whispered. "She is barely able to pay the rent and all the bills with the money she makes at Micheal's."

"Sorry to spoil your fun," he said slowly. "but muggle devices don't work at Hogwarts."

She jerked around and looked at him wide-eyed. "You mean, this discman doesn't work here? Zaza spent the money on nothing?"

It hurt him to see his sister so worked up and he suggested: "Maybe Dumbledore can help. He knows the wards around Hogwarts best." She nodded slowly and he added: "We can ask him right away if you like."

"Okay."

They both returned to their rooms and got dressed. Then they grabbed the discman and headed for Dumbledore's office.

In the afternoon, they were outside having a snow fight on the grounds of Hogwarts. Dumbledore had promised to take care of their problem and Elisha and Harry were both in high spirits. It was christmas and they had nothing to worry about. They were laughing and throwing snow balls at each other. Elisha had the better aim but Harry had more power. Suddenly, Elisha jerked forwards and caught Harry unaware. They were rolling in the snow, each trying to get the upper hand. Finally, they aggreed on a truce and lay in the snow panting. Harry had an arm under Elisha's head and watched her face that was red from all the laughing and the cold. He felt so close to her now, almost like they had known each other for all their life and not only for five months. When he looked closely at the star-shaped scar on her forehead, he remembered his ideas about the prophecy. Yes, they would fight Voldemort together, he and his beloved sister.He pulled her close to him and she snuggled her head onto his shoulder. Harry stroked a strand of hair from her face and smiled when she looked up. In this moment, he decided to tell her everything, even what he had kept from Ron and Hermione.

"Elisha," he began softly. "You know that Voldemort tried to kill us, but we somehow reflected the curse, together. There is something I need to tell you, something I haven't even told Ron and Hermione." He turned his head to look at the grey sky above them and therefore he missed the pained expression on her face as he continued.

"There has been a prophecy made before our birth, about me, or about us more likely. It said that when the seventh month dies, a child will be born to those who defied Voldemort thrice. We were born on the last day of June and our parents faced Voldemort and lived three times. The One will have the power to vanquish the Dark Lord. The One will be marked and have powers, the Dark Lord knows not. We have both been marked by Lord Voldemort with our scars. So there's not only One, but there are Two. That's what quite a lot of people know, but now comes the part, only Dumbledore and I and now you know. Either must die at the hand of the Other for Neither can live while the Other survives. That means we are the only one able to kill Voldemort and we have to. If we don't, he will kill us some time."

Harry paused and collected his thoughts, then he took a deep breath and continued: "When I heard the prophecy at the end of the last year, I felt seperated from everyone else, I felt different. Upon me alone lay the responsibility to save the world. But it's not only me, it's us. We will defeat that bloody Dark Lord together."

He turned his head again to look at her and saw a lonely tear on her cheek. He gently stroked it away and said soflty: "Hey, I know this is quite a shock for you, but there's no need to cry. We will go through this together."

Elisha sat up suddenly and turned her head away. Harry heard her sobbing quietly and sat up too, embracing her from behind. She cried soflty and said: "I will fail you Harry."

"No, you won't." he said firmly. "I trust you."

Elisha freed herself from his grip, stood up and ran away. Harry was confused and only when she was about ten meters away, did he finally stand up and call: "Elisha! Elisha, wait!"

He began chasing her, but gave up after a few meters. He didn't understand what had just happened. He had felt like he understood her, but now? He hadn't anticipated such a reaction.

He hung his head and slowly made his way back to the castle. The wind was freezing now and his robes were wet from melted snow and perspiration. Maybe he had only been a complete fool. Had he forgotten his own reaction upon hearing the prophecy? Of course, Elisha would be desperate. He just hoped, that she would return to him, that they would face Voldemort together.

When Harry arrived in the Great Hall, where the remaining students and teachers were gathering at a great table, alone, Dumbledore immediately sensed something was wrong. Harry slumped into a chair and muttered "Merry Christmas".

"Where's Elisha?" Professor McGonnagal asked.

"Don't know." Harry answered.

"Did you two have a quarrel?" Albus Dumbledore asked gently.

Harry looked up and said: "Not really, no."

In that moment, Elisha entered, looking fairly normal. She chose the empty seat next to Harry and said smiling carefully: "Harry, I… I'm sorry… I… shouldn't have left like that."

Harry smiled visibly relieved and answered: "That's quite ok, Sis. Let's just… forget about it, ok?"

Albus watched the exchange with interest. What had happened between these two? During the remainder of the meal, they didn't talk much and cast hidden glances at each other. Hopefully, they would deal with their problem soon. He didn't want to meddle with their matters.

When everyone was finished eating and everyone was in high spirits, he took the discman out of his pocket and handed it to Elisha, whose face lit up when she saw it.

"I've managed to make it work. Have fun with it."

She smiled broadly and answered: "Thanks very much. You don't know what this means to me!" Then she turned to her twin who was smiling, too. "Wanna come with me and test it? I'm sure you'll like some of the CDs, too."

"Sure." He said and they hurried out of the Great Hall, together.

Albus smiled at them and chuckled when Minerva whispered: "They remind me of their parents sometimes."