An hour later, Fawkes arrived with a letter from Dumbledore, explaining that one of Voldemort's sympathizers within the ministry had ordered the dementors attack in hopes of making the Dark Lord's job easier for him and to weaken the Boy Who Lived and his newly found sister. Her name was Dolores Umbridge and she had been sent to Azkaban. Ironically enough, she had contacted Dumbledore, asking for the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, insinuating that denying her this position would be considered an act of rebellion against the Minister himself. Fudge had mocked her when Dumbledore informed him of everything and signed on her arrest himself.
Of course Rose and Harry wouldn't be in trouble for defending themselves with magic and everything would be fine for them. Their attack would even be mentioned in the next day's Daily Prophet, along with the arrest of the pink loving culprit.
Sirius and Remus went home after receiving the letter, promising to be there the next day, as planned, to drive them both home, or at least to the Burrows where a small welcome home party would be awaiting.
Before they went in their bedroom, Rose insisted that they checked up on Dudley. They entered the living room to see him holding the chocolate but not eating it while Petunia looked at him worriedly. He was simply sitting and rocking himself, his eyes fixe on nothing in particular.
"It helps to eat the chocolate, you know. Trust me Dudley. I know. I've been through this a few times before." Harry told his cousin in a kind voice.
"Is this reaction normal? Should I take him to the doctor?" Petunia asked them, happy that Vernon had an important meeting that would make him come home very late.
"A doctor won't help but his reaction is pretty normal. Everyone reacts differently to their presence. They make you feel like you'll never be happy again and bring your worst memories back." Rose nodded.
"At least he doesn't hear…" Harry started to say but stopped.
"Hear what?" Petunia asked him curiously while Rose looked down, already knowing the answer because he had told her the previous year.
"My parents the night they die. That's what I hear when the dementors are around. First dad, telling mom to take me and leave because HE was here. Then Voldemort, telling mom to move aside, that she doesn't have to die, he just wants me, she could live. Then he kills her when she refuses to move and tries to kill me… Then the green lights come, with pain." Harry whispered and for a moment, Petunia looked at him like an aunt looked at her nephew.
"I still wonder why he didn't kill her right away though. I mean, she was muggle born, everything he hates." Rose stated.
"Probably because of that boy." Petunia muttered.
"What? Who?" Harry asked.
"He lived a few streets over from us when we grew up, in Spinner's End and we met him a few years before Lily got her letter, in a nearby park. He told her that she was a witch and they became friends immediately. Best friends actually. I think they got sorted into different houses in school but they remained friends, at least for a few years. She didn't approve of the kind of friends he had and I heard her tell your father that he was following that Voldemort guy. She thought that their friendship was forever over but I knew better. Severus Snape had always been in love with her, he had been since the first time he saw her and he'd always be." Petunia replied.
"Did you just say Snape? Severus Snape? Greasy black hair and crooked nose Snape?" Harry exclaimed while Rose soothed Dudley into eating the chocolate.
"You know him?" She asked him.
"He's my potion teacher. The guy absolutely hates me. At least now I understand better. It's really because I'm James Potter's son, but not because my father played pranks on him at school but because he was with Lily… Snape hates me because I'm a walking talking reminder that the girl he loved chose another man." Harry realized.
"Thank you." Dudley told Rose, feeling better after finishing the small piece his mother had given him.
"You should keep on eating chocolate until you feel completely better. I have some Chocolate frogs in my bag, I'll bring us all one, we really could use it." Rose replied before she rushed upstairs and came back down with four small boxes.
"Thanks Aunt Petunia." Harry told his aunt while his sister left.
Rose came back and gave each of them a frog, telling her aunt and cousin that even though it could move, it was just enchanted chocolate. They all ate their piece and, since the cards were cards Rose and Harry both already had, they offered for Dudley to keep them, and he did happily so, amused by the fact that they could move.
"I wonder when they'll make you one, Harry." Rose mentioned.
"I think I heard Hermione saying that they couldn't do it until I was 17." Harry replied.
"Well, it would be fun to see what they'd write on it." She chuckled.
"Harry Potter, Boy who lived." Harry stated.
"They'll probably write more than that." Rose insisted with a smile.
"Co-winner of the Tri-Wizard tournament." Harry added.
"Now you all better go to your room, go to bed, it's getting late. I… Good luck, once you leave, for what you need to do." Petunia told them, looking kinder for a while.
"We'll let you know how things are going. If there's a chance of Voldemort taking power, we'll come back and set more protections on this house for you or help you hide somewhere safe." Rose offered before they went upstairs.
"I can't believe Snape knew and loved our mother and never said anything." Harry whispered.
"Maybe this is why Dumbledore is so sure Snape is on our side even though he sent him back to Voldemort. Because he still loves your mother. He must have proven it to Dumbledore in some ways."
"You think he really still loves her? After all this time?" Harry asked her.
"If he didn't, then he'd act differently towards you, it wouldn't hurt as much to see you every day. He'd be indifferent, not hateful." Rose replied.
"Do you think we should try to ask him about it?"
"Maybe… I don't know… I guess we'll have to see if we cross him at the headquarters of the Order and if he has some time." Rose suggested.
"Or get a detention with him when school start so we can talk to him." Harry smiled.
"Let's try my idea first." She chuckled.
"Fine, but for the record, I say that getting a detention with him won't be hard at all." Harry replied, just as amused as his sister.
What did you think?
I'm still debating on a possible Grindelwald/Dumbledore scene, so far I'm only sure that Grindelwald will appear shortly, but I could make it longer, i'm not sure.
So far I have 46 chapters written. And the story is far from over.
At first, I hesitated between making Rose Harry's twin sister or Sirius's secret daughter. I ended up chosing to make her his twin sister, but later, once I'm done with this one, I might end up writing a version where Rose is Sirius's daughter, with a possibility of Harry/Rose. Would you have prefered the other version?
Lorelei Candice Black