A/N: I thought I was funny when I named this chapter (at the begining of January). *Slow clap* Yay me.

Also, this is my third time uploading this chapter, because guess what, I misspelled the chapter (lable) TWO TIMES. Another round of applause for me, please.

CHAPTER 2: Canis Major

Warning: this chapter contains physical and mental child abuse. Also, a dog dies (unintentionally).

Henry woke to the sound of a shrill scream. Petunia was gawking down at them, horror and realisation crossing her face before she slammed the door shut. Sirius growled after her before pressing his nose to a crying Harry. Henry would have gone too if she wasn't stuck underneath the blankets.

Vernon opened the door carefully, glaring at them. Without a word, he picked up the baskets and chased Sirius away. "Not muts on my property," he muttered.

"Why are they here?" Petunia asked, white in the face. "They've been gone for a week." Oh. Right. Of course authorities would inform her of her sister's death. Henry briefly wondered if it had been the Aurors or police.

"What are we doing with them?" was Vernon's question. "They can't stay here—what if Dudley gets that… that… thing?"

It's not a sickness, Henry wanted to tell them, offended on Lily's behalf.

"Not possible," mumbled Petunia. "It's inherited. But… they might hurt him." She was thinking of accidental magic.

"So what do we do?"

"Give them up for adoption, of course. I'm not touching them."

Vernon nodded and went to make some phone calls. Petunia glanced at the twins with reluctance. When she was sure Vernon wouldn't hear her, she walked up to them.

"What did they do to you?" she whispered and rubbed Henry's scar. "Oh, Lily… Why didn't you give it up?" She straightened and left before Vernon caught her.

They were moved to one of Dudley's rooms, the one Harry got later in the series. Henry was pleasantly surprised at this, she had honestly thought they'd try and fit them both in the cupboard.

Left to their own devices in a single crib, Henry moved to lean her back against it. Harry followed her example and giggled. She gave him a hesitant smile before looking at the ceiling.

It wasn't a dream. If it wasn't, it meant she had somehow ended up in the body of Harry's twin (which he definitely didn't have in the books). Or maybe she had been reborn as his twin and gotten her memories right before Voldemort appeared. The question in that case was why. Why was she reborn? Why did her memories return that fateful night? And what happened to her and her family?

"Enjy sad."

She looked at Harry. "Ajjy too."

"Mommy-daddy. Vant." He crawled over to her and laid down. "Ungjy."

Henry was hungry as well. The Dursleys wouldn't feed them until later, if at all. How horrible had the abuse been in the books, again? They only ever grazed the surface from what she remembered, being from Harry's perspective and all. He was used to it and wasn't reflecting on why they did it by the time the series started.

How was she to make sure he wasn't hurt? Vernon was as big as a walrus. If he hit them, they'd probably die. She knew for a fact Petunia whacked Harry with a frying pan. She had to do something about that too. And then there was Dudley and his gang. Harry had learned to outrun them—could they do the same this time?

"Enjy?"

"I vant Iijus," she pouted. Hopefully he wasn't far away. Hopefully he'd come barging inside and take them away. Let the magical world stumble over itself in an attempt at finding them. She just wanted out of here. She just wanted her home.


Sirius didn't come back. Henry mourned the fact he wasn't about to save them, but somewhere deep down she knew it wouldn't be that easy. He was a wanted man right now. How was he to take care of two toddlers while being on the run from the ministry?

Vernon and Petunia placed the twins in the backyard. They secretly hoped the children would leave and never come back. Of course, the twins didn't do anything of the sort. Henry saw too that Harry stayed away from the road and entertained. There wasn't much to play with, but they had a red ball they rolled between them. Oddly enough, it entertained Henry as well.

While they played, she planned. There was nothing to do about the accidental magic. It would be there, doing strange things and get them severely punished for it. She could always train it to obey her, but how, she had no clue.

Then there was kindergarten, pre-school or whatever it was called in Britain. They might be safe for a while, since Dudley was only a one-year-old and hadn't figured out his parents praised him if he bullied Harry. She had half a plan of making him their ally, but abandoned the plan. It required too much time since his parents guarded him like hawks. They weren't about to leave the twins alone with him. No, she had to accept running away from him and his future friends was the only solution. For now, at least.

School, however, was a problem. This was the 80s and she was in another country entirely. Being a twenty-one-year-old had some advantages, like knowing partly how the world worked, but also its disadvantages, like being less adaptable. But she had to keep her grades up, at least for appearance's sake. Otherwise she might get a mouth full of frying pan.

She didn't care about friends. Harry hadn't had any before, and they had to say goodbye to them anyway come their acceptance into Hogwarts. Not that Dudley would give them a chance in the first place.

After school came the beginning of the Philosopher's Stone. Mrs Figgs broke her leg, leading to Harry going with the Dursleys to the zoo, landing himself in trouble and… then came the letters.

How did she deal with that? She couldn't very well keep an eye on Mrs Figgs days on end, and how was she to stop her from tripping over her cats or whatever had caused the accident?

She really didn't want to go to the zoo. But if they ended up going, maybe Vernon would let them walk around by themselves, so they didn't have to sullen Dudley's birthday more… Or not, since he was afraid they'd get in trouble or use magic. She had to think of a plan when the day came.

What about the letters? If she warned Harry beforehand, maybe he could hide them before the Dursleys found out about them. Yes, that could work.

Then came the big challenge. Hogwarts itself. How was she to attend the school and get anything done while Voldemort was secretly spying from Quirrel's turban? And what was she to do about them, anyway? She'd come to Hogwarts, not knowing a thing about magic except from the series, and what help was that when she didn't understand magic in the first place?

Groaning, she leaned over the ball. "Tijed," she complained to Harry.

"Sjeep," he suggested and they crawled back to the house. The back door was closed, so they threw pebbles on the window until an angry Petunia let them in.

"If you scratched that, I'll lock you in the cupboard," she threatened. Thankfully there were no marks.


It didn't matter how cold it was, the twins weren't allowed inside. Their playground was the world, and thus they did what they wanted. Dressed in Dudley's clothes, they did their best to stand without support. It was hard as heck, but necessary. Henry wanted to go to the playground. Looking at the same old backyard got boring after a few weeks.

Christmas rolled around. It got so cold and snowy the twins had to stay inside lest they freeze to death. From the looks of Vernon and Petunia, they were considering the option.

"Was dis?" asked Harry on Christmas Day (Henry was still mind boggled at why they didn't celebrate Christmas on the 24th). He was looking at something on the floor.

Henry curiously stood and looked down. Two wrapped presents were lying at the foot of the crib, with their names clearly written on them.

Who had sent them these? There had been no mention of this in the series.

Petunia opened the door. "Time to get up—" Her eyes caught sight of the presents. "Oh Lord. Vernon! Vernon! Come here!"

"What is it?" He took one look inside the room and exploded. "Darn creatures! How'd they get inside?"

Petunia opened the presents carefully and blinked at the clothes inside. "I don't think they're spelled…"

"Doesn't matter, they came from that place, so to the bin they go!"

"Nyo! Gimme," Henry interjected and grabbed for them. "Mine!"

"Mine, mine!" mimicked Harry. "Meanie."

Petunia eyed the clothes again. "Vernon, if we keep them, we don't have to buy them more." For a while, at least. Toddler grew fast.

They got to keep the clothes. Both Harry and Henry were in love with their new outfits and patted each other in happiness. Henry secretly wished Sirius and Remus had given them the presents. If she got the chance, she'd ask.

Dudley, of course, got loads of presents. His aunt Marge came for a visit too. Marjorie was such a waste on such a horrible excuse of a human like her. It was one of Henry's favourite names and she couldn't believe it belonged to this fat— this bully.

Don't call them fat because you don't like them, she reminded herself. She had more decency than them, she decided, and wouldn't hold their body size over them. But she wanted to.

"Oh, are those…?" Vernon nodded grimly. "I see," Marge said, pressing her thin lips together. The dog she brought was eagerly trying to get free from the leash.

Harry hid behind Henry, who was staring unblinkingly at Marge. The woman frowned in discomfort and let the dog loose. It immediately went for the twins. Henry hit it with a couch pillow.

"What a savage!" said Marge.

"I am so sorry." Petunia ripped the pillow from her grasp. "Be nice now or you won't get any dinner."

Henry was sure they'd starve if they didn't, so she nodded and pulled Harry to the corner to play in peace.

"Did you buy them presents?" Marge looked at their outfits in disbelief. "I thought you didn't like them."
"Someone was kind enough to donate them," he lied. "People are very giving during Christmas." Yeah. Right.

They ate dinner. Marge wouldn't stop praising Dudley for his (horrible) table manners while giving Harry a grim stare as he got mashed potatoes in his hair. Henry was the most elegant of the trio. Instead of comments, however, she was sneered at.

"It's creepy how well-behaved she is. And those eyes! The scars." Marge took a sip of wine. "Is it true they died in a car accident?"

"Yes," mumbled Petunia, nibbling on her food. "Quite an unfortunate event."

"I'd say! I'm so proud to see you took them in. It must be taxing, taking care of three children." Another disapproving look Harry's way. "Especially since they're so… Hm."

Come on, let's hear it, you ugly cow, Henry silently called. Insult us some more, why don't you?

She didn't. Instead she asked Vernon how work went and Henry stopped listening. When she was done eating, Petunia let her roam free until Harry joined her. They went to their room to get away from the adults.


On the day of New Years, Mrs Figgs knocked on the door. Petunia had recruited her as the twins' babysitter and happily handed them to the older lady. Mrs Figgs was nice, if a bit annoying. She had tons of ill-behaved cats she just had to introduce to them. Henry didn't even try to remember all their names. At least she let them watch TV when she was done.

"I made some dinner, I hope you like it," Mrs Figgs said when it was time to eat. She placed the twins on a chair each and served them something they thankfully could eat.

"Yummy," said Harry and giggled.

"Why, thank you."

Henry swallowed a serving and nodded in agreement. She had no idea what it was, but it was tasty and Mrs Figgs promised they could eat as much as they wanted.

After dinner, the three of them played some board games to pass the time. Henry kept an eye on Harry so he didn't choke on the pieces. The cats insisted on nudging them with their paws or foreheads, meowing every so often. Henry liked cats, but not when there were so many of them.

"You should go to bed," Mrs Figgs said at eight o'clock, looking at Harry whose eyes were drooping.

"Nyo," insisted Henry. "Fijewooks!"

"But Henrietta, you're falling asleep as we speak." Mrs Figgs put a blanket over Harry. He immediately snuggled it. Henry wished she had a camera.

She was about to interject, but a loud yawn caught her off-guard. She rubbed her eyes stubbornly. She had looked forward to the fireworks all day and she'd be damned if she missed them now.

"Nyo sjeep."

"Alright, no sleep. Wanna watch some TV with me?"

Henry nodded and pushed a cat out of the way. Mrs Figgs wrapped another blanket around her and let her lean against her shoulder. Henry was asleep within moments.

Mrs Figgs wasn't a bad woman. She let the twins sleep until the clock neared midnight. With five minutes to spare, she woke Henry to ask if she still wanted to see the fireworks. All sleepiness melted away and she excitedly woke Harry to join them outside. The street was full with people eagerly awaiting the spectacle.

"Sjeep," complained Harry and rubbed his eyes. He was holding Henry's hand with the other.

"Fijewooks," was Henry's excited reply.

They weren't disappointing. The loud bangs scared Harry to tears, but as soon as he saw the colourful sparkles, he reached for them with a giggle. Henry also laughed. The sounds were hurting her ears, but she refused to go back to the house. She needed to see the night sky illuminated by bright light.

It was a miracle she heard the twig snap. She reflexively turned to locate the source and stood eye to eye with Sirius' dog form. He was standing in the neighbour's garden, watching the three of them.

Behind her, someone engaged in a conversation with Mrs Figgs. She wasn't paying attention. With that in mind, Henry half crawled, half walked over to Sirius.

"Enjy." Harry had seen her and followed. Of course he had.

"Iijus," Henry said and patted him on the back. The dog gently nudged her chest with his nose. "Ello."

"Who dis?" Harry grabbed a fistful of fur and pulled. Sirius whined, but didn't move.

"Nyo, hujting him." Henry made Harry let go and apologise to Sirius. "Appy New Yeaj!" she told the dog. He barked a reply.

"Harry! Henrietta!"

Sirius looked behind them and bolted. The twins cried out in surprise.

"Don't wander around like that," Mrs Figgs scolded them, picking them both up. "What if you walked onto the road and got hurt?" She looked for Sirius' black form. "And petting stray dogs no less…"

They watched the rest of the fireworks display in her arms.


Time moved on and nothing noteworthy happened for months. Whenever the Dursleys went somewhere, they called Mrs Figgs to care for the twins. They spent the majority of their time bettering their speech and learning how to walk. While they did, Henry kept an eye open for any sight of Sirius. Days bled into weeks and weeks into months, but he never showed up. By the time Dudley's second birthday rolled around, she was sure he was gone for good. It pained her greatly. He could have at least come to check on them, now that he wasn't stuck in Azkaban.

The twins were locked in their room the day of Dudley's birthday. "And stay quiet," Petunia said.

"Meanie," said Harry after she locked the door. "Vant mommy and daddy."

"Me too."

They sat and played with Dudley's broken toys, listening to the happy chorus from downstairs. Henry had been that happy once.

Don't think about it. She gave Harry a bright smile. "Pjay!" He gave her an uncharacteristically worried look before giggling.

A month later, they woke up to Vernon cursing. They peeked over the edge of the crib and smiled at the birthday presents. One held more clothes and the other two stuffed animals. Henry took the wolf and Harry the dog.

Since there was no celebration, the twins were allowed to do whatever they wanted as long as they brought no trouble. Henry's brilliant idea was to look for the playground. With her brother and their stuffed animals in tow, she left the property to wander around the streets. It wasn't the best option, but it was the only one they had.

"Aren't you the Dursley's children?" a man asked. He was holding a child's hand. "Where are they?"

"Home," said Henry. "Wheje is playgjound?"

"Um…" He took them there but didn't want to leave them without supervision. Henry lied and promised the Dursleys would come soon. Finally, the nice man left. His daughter waved happily.

The other children were scared of their scars and didn't want to play. Henry shrugged and helped Harry onto a swing. They played for hours on end until the sun began to set. When the last family left, leaving them alone, Henry decided it was time to go back.

A twig snapped. Henry froze before turning, hoping to see Sirius again.

"Yay!" She waved at the big black dog. "Iijus, ello."

He licked her face and pressed his nose to Harry's side.

"Appy bithday to us!" said Henry excitedly.

Harry clapped his hands. "Bithday!"

Sirius nodded, not acting like a dog at all, and rounded them up to head home. They placed a hand each on his back so he could lead them back.

"We vaited," Harry said suddenly. "Wheje weje you?"

Sirius barked as quietly as possible. He stopped to lick them both again, whining, before walking again.

Henry almost forgave him, if only because he was sorry. But she wanted to know why, and until then she wouldn't let it go.

"Pwease stay."

Sirius' tail dropped in rejection.

"Pwease." It didn't matter how much they begged. Sirius walked them home and made sure they were let inside before disappearing into the night.

Henry hoped they didn't have to wait months to see him again.

They ate some leftovers before being taken to bed. Harry fell asleep first. Henry had too much to think about to worry about it. If Sirius hadn't gone after Pettigrew, what had happened to the rat Animagus? Had he faked his death another way? She was also wondering about Remus. Sirius had to have told him the truth, or at least tried to. So why wasn't Remus here? Sure, he was a werewolf and probably couldn't adopt the twins by himself, but he could at least check up on them like Sirius did (twice a year, but still).

She jerked violently. Something in her chest burned. She gasped for breath and clawed at the pain. Without warning, it disappeared.

"Enjy," cried Harry and grabbed her leg. "It hujts."

It took a moment to regain herself. She sat up and looked at him. "Me too."

What the hell was that about?


"Mejjy Kjistmas," Harry said and handed Henry his stuffed dog. Henry laughed and gave him the wolf. Since they couldn't give each other anything else, switching them was the only thing they could do.

The door opened and Petunia sighed in resignation at the packages on the floor. "I hope it's more clothes," she muttered and unwrapped them. "Thank the Lord." She let the twins admire their new attires before taking them with her.

"I vant blue," decided Harry. "You have yewwow."

"Then I have blue." They shared clothes anyway; it didn't matter who wore what first.

"Hello lovelies," Mrs Figgs greeted them a while later. "Oh my, how adorable you look. Did you get any presents?"

Harry and Henry happily displayed themselves for her to see. They gladly followed her to her house where she immediately gave them snacks.

That night, Henry snuck outside to see if Sirius was watching over them. If he did, he didn't show himself. Defeated, she went back inside.

He didn't show up for New Year's Eve either.

New plan, Henry decided in February, after half a year of radio silence. She took Harry to the playground again.

"Will Iijus be heje?" the boy asked and helped push the swing.

"Hope," said Henry.

They played with the swing. Then they played with the climbing frame. The sun disappeared and Sirius didn't come. Defeated, they headed home, hand in hand, with gaping holes in their chests.

"Iijus mean," Harry pouted. "Why he no come?"

"Dunno." Hopefully nothing serious had happened. It wasn't impossible he'd been caught, but she didn't want to think about it. If he was, would the Dementors give him their kiss? She couldn't let that happen, but she was two and a half years old, what could she do?

They tried the same thing every day for a week. Sirius never returned. Disappointed beyond belief, they stayed in the backyard the next week, rolling a red ball between them.

"I miss Iijus."

She nodded in agreement and pushed the ball to him. It was too weak, so the ball stopped in the middle. Annoyed, she went to get it. Instead, the ball shot straight up and hovered at the height of their bedroom window.

What the hell? Was that accidental magic? Holy crap!

"Time for lunch, you ungrateful—" Vernon stopped at the sight. He turned a new shade of purple. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" he bellowed and went straight for them. Henry flinched and the ball fell back down. "YOU LITTLE MONSTER!"

"Enjy!" Harry cried as Vernon pulled her arm so hard something snapped. She screamed in pain. Vernon didn't care and dragged her to the cupboard where he locked her in.

"You're not coming out until you learn what you did wrong."

Oh God it hurts make it stop make it stop make it stop please make it stop, she cried silently, biting her lip so hard she tasted blood. Vernon wouldn't let her out if she kept crying.

Something warm moved from her chest to her shoulder. It stayed there until the hurt disappeared. Then the warmth faded. She laid on the floor, hugging her legs, until she fell asleep.


They were eating dinner a few evenings later. Henry silently glared holes in her broccoli, refusing to eat them. They had been disgusting in her past and they were disgusting now. Some things never changed.

"I hate them," she pouted, but only Harry heard her.

"Vant somesing else?"

"Carrots?"

Harry nodded. "Me too."

Their broccoli turned orange and changed into carrots. At first, everyone stared at their plates in silent disbelief. Then Vernon was screaming, Dudley was crying and Petunia shouted at Vernon to keep calm because Vernon the neighbours will hear you.

"I DON'T WANT THAT DISGUSTING THING IN MY HOUSE!" Vernon all but howled. He grabbed a fistful of Harry's hair. "You nasty creature!"

The sound of bone against table was something Henry had never heard before. She couldn't describe it as more than loud and both soft and hard. Harry's pained cry woke her from her petrification.

"STOP!" she screamed and threw her glass at the walrus because if he didn't Harry would die and he couldn't die and leave her alone in this world and with this family and he couldn't leave her alone with Voldemort and—

She was on the floor. The world was spinning. Her head was burning. Her eyes were tearing. Her ears were ringing and had Vernon just slapped her?

How DARE he?

The warmth in her chest turned cold and expanded outside her body. It gathered around Vernon like thin, silvery threads and pushed. With a shriek not befitting of a human, he flew into the kitchen wall, through it and landed in the cupboard. Then he made no sound whatsoever.

Petunia, however, did.

Shut up shut up shut up SHUT UP!

The woman fell limply to the ground. Dudley screamed for her but she didn't stir. Henry hoped for everyone's sake she hadn't just murdered two people.

Quietly, she made way to where Harry was crying, holding his bleeding face with his hands.

"Is fine," she whispered, letting the now warm magic seep over his wounds. They closed.

"It hujts."

"I know." She turned and went to the phone to call the ambulance. When they arrived, they had to take a moment to survey the damage. Henry pointed at the cupboard and told them her uncle was inside. They should try to drag him out from the hole in the kitchen.

Obviously, her calm scared the living spirits out of them. One of them called the police. The twins were questioned, but they said they didn't understand what happened. One second they were eating dinner. The next Vernon was through the wall and Petunia had fainted. Dudley, however, kept screaming about broccoli-carrots and blood and flying through walls.

All three of them were left with Mrs Figgs after the EMTs determined they were fine. They didn't understand where the blood on the table came from, though.

Mrs Figgs was not happy. She put the trio in the living room and left for two seconds. Dudley's blood curdling scream sent her back immediately. He had crawled into a corner and was crying and throwing pillows at the twins. They were curled up on the couch, staring at him in cold rage. Well, Henry was. Harry was pressing his face against her shoulder.

Mrs Figgs had never seen such disgust on a toddler's face before. It was terrifying. She sent word to Dumbledore immediately. Before midnight, she could see people move about on the street outside of Number Four before disappearing inside of it. Satisfied, the children would be taken care of, she went to sleep.

"Mjis Figgs?"

"Merlin," she cursed, nearly tripping over a cat. "Yes, dear?"

Henry walked out of the living room, where she and Harry were sleeping. "Vat weje the peopje doin in the house?"

She'd seen that? Sharp child. "Nothing much, dear. Probably the police taking another look at it."

"Vy?"

"Most likely to figure out what sent your uncle through the wall."

Henry noticed the woman stood very far away and wasn't attempting to pat her on the head. She used to do that. She wouldn't anymore.

"Don cajj him that," she murmured. "He's the monstej, not us."

"Monster?" Mrs Figgs asked, aghast. "He calls you that?"

She nodded before looking the woman right in the eye. She blinked in surprise at the primal fear she was met with. "Aje you okay?"

Mrs Figgs swallowed. "Of course, dear. I'm just—tired. A lot of things have happened today. Go to sleep, please."

Henry reluctantly did, not noticing how her suddenly black hair turned red once again. But Mrs Figgs saw. She also saw how her red eyes turned back to green. Hopefully Dumbledore gave them a new, more safe, home. Preferably with wizards this time.


Petunia was discharged the next day and Mrs Figgs returned the children before Petunia unlocked the door. The blond woman gave the twins a scared look before hurrying inside with Dudley. And screamed. Again.

The twins curiously followed her into the living room and kitchen. To their surprise, the wall was whole again. There wasn't anything left to suggest Vernon had gone through it.

"They have to take you away now," mumbled Petunia, white in the face. "I refuse to have you in the house anymore."

Henry agreed. The faster Dumbledore got them out of here, the better. Their aunt helped them pack and put one measly trunk in the foyer. Then she made lunch for herself and Dudley. The twins sat in the small front yard, waiting for someone to come get them. After awhile, they got hungry. Petunia reluctantly gave them a sandwich each. Then they got to get their ball. When they got bored of that one, they played with their stuffed toys.

"Where are they?" Petunia grumbled at six o'clock in the evening. The twins turned to look at her. "What? Don't stare like that! I don't know where they are."

"Wheje we goin now?" asked Henry.

"Well, not in here, that's for sure." She closed and locked the door.

Henry wished she at least gave them their stuff. Were they supposed to freeze to death? Sure, it was summer, but they were two.

"Gah!" they exclaimed and stared at the trunk at their feet.

"Was is dis?" asked Harry. "Fjying, bjoccoji-cajjots… Is scajy."

"Is magic."

"Magic?"

"Yes, mommy and daddy had it."

Harry frowned at that. He poked the trunk with his foot. "I vant home. I vant mommy and daddy."

Henry wanted anyone that wasn't the Dursleys at the moment. Even Snape had to be better than this.

They couldn't stay here anymore. Obviously Vernon wouldn't stop after he got back. With their accidental magic awakening, they weren't safe anymore. Vernon would try and punch the magic out of them and if they tried to protect themselves, they'd get in more trouble.

They had to leave.

"Togethej," said Henry and pulled the trunk's handle. Harry helped and they slowly began to make way across the silent neighbourhood. Where were they going? Beat them. Anywhere that wasn't getting them killed.

They dragged the trunk to the playground, where they stopped to rest. Harry complained about his throbbing arms. There was nothing to do about it, so Henry gave him a simple kiss on the forehead and let him rest for five more minutes before they kept going.

Somehow, they ended up on some kind of field. Henry vaguely remembered it from the Order of the Phoenix.

"No likey," whispered Harry. He still sat on the round carousel Henry didn't remember the name of.

"Sjeep heje," decided Henry and opened the trunk. Thank God for the blankets Petunia had packed. They snuggled up against each other and looked up at the night sky.

"Is big." Henry nodded. "Is always this big?"

"Yes."

"Enjy?" She looked at him. "Vy dey hujt us?"

She averted her gaze to the sky. How did you tell a two-year-old your own family was afraid of what you could do? She sighed. He had to know sooner or later, why not now? He wouldn't remember the conversation either way and he'd grow up thinking he always knew about it. She told him about Muggles and wizards and witches, about how scared Muggles were of the unknown, the unexplainable, and how Vernon and Petunia were just like that.

"But mommy vas a wiz."

"Uh-huh," replied Henry. "Petunia no likey mommy."

Harry turned to face her. "Aje ve monstej?"

She shook her head. The Dursleys and everyone like them were the real miscreations. They had a choice in whether to believe in the truth or not; the twins never had. They were born with it—why punish them for that? They couldn't help it.

Maybe Vernon knew about the obscurials? The magical world wouldn't let an obscurus be, let alone two. They'd be hunted and killed for sure if that happened. So no, they weren't about to suppress what was natural. She didn't want to die before turning ten.

"Enjy!" hissed Harry. "Was dat?" He pointed at something on the opposite end of the abandoned playground. It was a huge grey dog.

"Nyo!" Henry screamed. No one was hurting them again.

"Do not be afraid."

The magic welling up inside her subsided. The twins looked at the dog-turned-human and gaped.

"Who you?" Harry asked, moving in front of Henry. "Go away."

The stranger shook their head. Was it an Animagus? Auror? "What are you doing out here?" the man asked. "You should be in bed."

The twins glanced at each other before Henry spoke up. "Petunia think they take us away."

"Who?"

"The magicaj ones that made the wajj whoje again."

"Ah, I see. No, you are to be living with your relatives still." Henry's eyebrows nearly disappeared in the hairline. What the hell was wrong with these people? Hadn't they seen the extent of their accidental magic? The law dictated no Muggle was to be harmed by a witch or wizard—but if it was Harry and Henry, everything was apparently fine!

Dumbledore, what are you doing?

"I'll take that." The wizard picked up the trunk. "Now, I'll escort you back home."

"Not home," the twins said. He gave them an odd look in return.

"Very well. Let's return you to your aunt and uncle."

"Nyo, she jocked the dooj."

"I think I can handle that."

Yeah, Henry thought, unimpressed, with Alohomora.

They grudgingly followed the man all the way back and watched as he magically unlocked the door. The stairs were silent as they made their way to the second floor. Henry suspected the wizard had performed a silent spell to conceal them and their movements.

"I leave this for your caretakers." The man put a letter on the dresser, tipped the freaky derby hat on his head and closed the door.

"I hate them," decided Henry. "Ajj of them."

Harry slowly nodded. He laid down in the crib and closed his eyes. "I'm tijed. Enjy, stojy pwease." And because she couldn't deny him anything, she told him about Hogwarts.


After waking up to Petunia's scream of terror, the twins gained a new routine in life. They avoided the Dursleys (especially Vernon when he got back) like all hell and weren't allowed to attend dinner anymore. They had their food delivered to their room.

Petunia once witnessed Henry turn a tuna sandwich (ew) into ice cream. She was punished by being locked in the cupboard for two hours. Harry was caught levitating his stuffed dog. Vernon got red with anger and ripped the thing apart.

"You are monsters," he seethed, dragging Harry downstairs to the cupboard. Henry followed and sat outside, trying to calm the crying boy. Her magic unlocked the door for them, but before they could celebrate, Vernon caught them and locked them both in there. They didn't get out until the next morning, when Petunia heard them cry for food.

Dudley turned three. Marge showed up again, with that same dog from last time. It came too close for Harry's comfort and he pushed it away. Wagging its tail, it jumped on him, nibbling his fingers playfully.

Scared, Harry cried for Henry. Her magic snapped.

Dogs aren't as sturdy as Vernon. Sending one flying through the window tended to get them severely hurt. In this case, mortally.

Henry had never seen so much blood. And she hadn't known what rage Marge hid behind her disgust for them.

Hurts, repeated in her mind while she lay motionless in the cupboard. Fingers. She couldn't feel them very well anymore. Marge had probably broken them when she slammed the door on them.

"Enjy, pwease," cried Harry outside, hugging her wolf. "Pwease."

She didn't have the strength to reply.

Of course she recovered. Her magic did wonders to the otherwise permanent damage on her body, never leaving a trace. Harry's magic never did anything when he was hurt, so it was up to her to patch him up whenever he was on the receiving end. If she got the chance, she wanted to become a healer. Then she could heal Harry whenever he got back from whatever trouble he got himself into.

"I don jike magic," Harry told her the day before their third birthday. "It makes Venon angjy." And gets us hurt, Henry finished.

"You vanna know vat happens ven you stop using magic?"

"Yes pwease."

When a (mostly young) witch or wizard repressed their magic and stopped it from coming out, that created an obscurus. An obscurus was the manifestation of the repression. It was violent and volatile from what she remembered, and the children turned obscurial rarely lived long.

Harry didn't want to die. He promised both himself and Henry he wouldn't stop his magic from doing whatever it wanted.

"Sank you."

When they woke up the next day, there were three presents waiting for them. Petunia screamed herself hoarse when she went into their room (thank God Vernon had already gone to work). After making sure she wasn't about to faint, she carefully opened the presents. The one that wasn't wrapped like the others was a stuffed dog, identical to the one Vernon destroyed. In the second, there were more clothes. In the third, some toys.

"How did you get in here?" Petunia asked. "I locked the door!"

"Magicaj man opened it," said Henry defiantly. "Said we have to stay heje."

For once in their short relationship, the twins and Petunia mutually agreed that was the dumbest decision anyone could make.


They had already turned five the next time they saw Sirius again. They were in the field again, taking a walk to get away from, well, everyone, when he exited the forest surrounding it. He stopped wagging his tail when he saw their hollow expressions.

"Late," said Henry and turned her back. "You late."

Harry looked at her and then at Sirius. "Mean dog." He ran after her. Sirius followed them from a distance, worried. They obviously remembered him, so why weren't they happy he'd come back? Had he been gone for too long, so they thought him a stranger? He had to change that. He was here to stay now. Remus wasn't allowing anything less than Sirius checking up on them once every day.

The twins kept ignoring him. He wasn't there to take them away anyway. His presence annoyed Henry to hell and back. What was he doing disguised as a dog, disappearing and reappearing once every blue moon? Either he saved them from this hellhole or he disappeared completely.

Had he been this unreliable in the series?

Their lives continued. Sirius never tried entering the property. Henry was aware of the wards surrounding the place; had seen them since after her magic appeared. She wasn't about to experiment with them (that would get her killed), but she wanted to learn about them generally speaking. Maybe they could be useful against Voldemort and his followers.

One of the most odd experiences Henry had with accidental magic came the summer before their seventh birthday. She was leaning against a pillow with Harry's head in her lap, looking up at the cloudy sky. They were cloud gazing.

"Ice cjeam," demanded Harry. "Go get pwease."

"Can't." Henry poked his forehead. "You go." But Harry didn't want to move. It was too hot and he had no strength. Henry dumbly wished herself already in the kitchen (in hindsight it was a stupid thought) and what do you know, she found herself sprawled onto the kitchen floor a moment later.

Both Harry and Henry were thoroughly confused at first. Harry because apparently they could teleport, and Henry because she had no idea you could accidentally apparate. But it wasn't impossible, she supposed. Intent and focus seemed to be the key to using magic, and she had been focusing on the kitchen, wanting to get there so she could have some ice cream.

She was lucky she hadn't splinched herself into oblivion, though. Best keep the apparating to a minimum. Like, no more until she got her license. In ten years. Woho.

School was the worst. Dudley gathered a following of easily manipulated children and had them chasing the twins around the playground. They started doing so a month into their first year, when they had been branded the odd ones out. After two years, they had mastered the abilities to run like hell and hide. Except there was no hiding in Number Four. At least they had Henry's magic to fix their broken bones and bruised bodies.

"I hope the letters come soon," Harry whispered from their hiding place one day after they turned eight. "I wanna leave."

"Soon," Henry said, though a little less than three years didn't sound like soon even in her ears.

"I wanna learn magic. I wanna make Dudley hurt." Henry had to once again warn him that was against the law. Grumpily, Harry asked how she knew that.

"I remember," was her reply.

He nodded, a knowing expression on his face. "The book called it photographic memory." It was a good cover for her otherwise inexplicable knowledge. Though she didn't have a real eidetic memory, her memories were clearer than they used to be, which she found strange but not important enough to investigate. It probably had to do with both magic and the fact her mind was that of a twenty-one-year-old's. Or maybe she should say twenty-eight-year-old.

Sirius was still around. He followed them to school and kept guard outside the property. They still largely ignored him, not having forgiven him for abandoning them. But they did feed and cuddle him sometimes, when the weight of school and home became too much.

"Has he really been with us since we were one?" asked Harry, looking at the black dog.

"Yeah. I remember him from that night." He didn't need clarification. They both knew what she was talking about.

"Do you remember mum and dad?"

"No," she said quietly, thinking back to the only memory of Lily she had. "Only when Voldemort came."

"Glad he's gone."

But not forever. If only she had access to Diagon Alley. They could raid the library she hoped they had and learn as much magic as possible before even stepping foot in Hogwarts. That would save them from having to focus on grades, too. They could dedicate all their time in figuring out how to get rid of Quirrell and Voldemort before the end of book one. Henry wanted a quiet school year, thank you very much. Harry wanted to learn magic in peace. Because magic fascinated him. He could do so much cool stuff like no one else could. Where was the limit? What was impossible even for them? How many branches of magic were there? According to Henry, there were loads. He wanted to learn them all.

"That's the bell," said Henry and stood. "Let's go."


Dudley's eleventh birthday began with Petunia chasing the twins down the stairs. There they were forced to make Dudley's favourite breakfast (which should have given him diabetes long ago) before he came down. Much like in the book, Dudley raged on and on about getting one less present than last year. Henry was more concerned how his parents could afford all of those things.

The phone rang. Petunia complained about who was calling so early in the morning and went to get it. That's when Henry remembered Mrs Figgs. Crap. The woman had broken her leg!

"Drat," she whispered.

"What?" asked Harry.

She shook her head and glanced at Vernon and Dudley. "Mrs Figgs broke her leg tripping over a cat."

Harry sighed, having long since accepted Henry was some kind of prophet. "What does that mean for us?" She quickly explained they might have to go to the zoo with them. He grimaced. "I'd rather not. No offence to the animals, but who'd wanna go there with them?" He looked at Dudley. "He should move in with the apes, though…"

Henry tried very hard not to laugh. Dudley was a bit like a monkey, wasn't he?

Petunia returned with a frown on her face. "Mrs Figgs broke her leg," she stated. "She can't take the twins."

Dudley stopped eating and gaped at her. "What? No! I don't want them with us—they'll ruin my birthday!" He looked ready to cry. Henry rolled her eyes when she was sure no one was looking. Harry smiled in agreement.

"You don't have to," he said carefully, all eyes landing on him. Henry inwardly winced. It'd be a miracle is he convinced them now, when he couldn't do it in the book.

Vernon scoffed. "And leave you two alone to wreak havoc? I don't think so."

"We have good control now," Harry muttered. "Hasn't been any strange incidents as of late, has it?"

"You can break the TV without that strangeness about you."

Geez, thanks. "So can Dudley." She said it a little too loud.

Vernon leveled her with an angry glare. "Shut up or I'll lock you in the cupboard until we get back." He nodded proudly at how her hair and eyes and even skin paled.

Harry grabbed her hand. "Breathe," he whispered. Slowly, her colours returned to normal. "Even if we accidentally break something, it'll go back to its normal state before tomorrow." It always did. Henry said people from the Ministry of Magic called Aurors came and fixed it. He didn't like that they came to fix what they broke but never bothered to check up on them. If they had, they'd know what kind of life they lived and take them away.

"No strange people are entering this house ever again!" bellowed Vernon. The twins flinched.

"No!" came Dudley's desperate cry. "We can't take them! I don't want them there!"

The doorbell ringing signalled the end of the discussion. "All three of you, behave," Vernon warned them. Petunia went to greet Piers Polkiss (what a name) and his parents.

Piers greeted Dudley with a wide grin and ridiculous handshake. "This is for you, hope you like it," he said and handed their cousin his present. He then turned to eye the twins. They gave each other a look and tried sneaking away. "Henry."

Her skin crawled. No one called her that except Harry. "Yes?"

"When's your birthday?"

She gaped. "What? July 31st, why?"

Harry grabbed the back of her shirt and glared at the boy. Who was he trying to befriend his sister out of nowhere? Just last week he was dead set on throwing rocks at them.

"That's a nice day."

The twins stared at him. What the heck had he eaten for breakfast? "Are you alright, Piers?" asked Henry. "You seem… odd."

The boy blushed. "Nothing's wrong. I just… I was just wondering."

Dudley walked up to him. "Let's go to the car." He gave the twins a warning stare before disappearing into the foyer.

"You two too," grumbled Vernon and shoved them out of the room. Since Henry was a tiny bit scrawnier than Harry, she was forced to sit between Dudley and Piers. Harry landed himself in the luggage compartment.

"What's your favourite colour?" asked Piers.

"Uh. Green." She didn't really have a preference, it was more about shades. "Why?"

"Just asking." He blushed hard under her confused scowl.

They spilled out of the car a while later and Henry retreated back to Harry's side. The Dursleys regretfully paid for the twins before stopping at a stand selling ice cream. Before they could hurry away, the girl behind the cash register asked what the twins wanted. They got something cheap. Not that they complained; they appreciated whatever they got.

Carefully, they hung back from the Dursleys and Piers until they disappeared in the crowd. The twins followed the blue route to see tigers, tortoises and komodo dragons, to name a few. Henry didn't remember when in the book Harry had gotten to the reptiles, but she decided the safest option was to delay the visit for as long as possible. Now that they were here, they might as well test their Parseltongue, but she didn't want to get locked in the cupboard for it.

The tigers were beautiful. Their furr looked soft and inviting. The way they stalked around the enclosure not so much. Her favourites were the tortoises. There was something in the way they calmly walked around and retreated into their shells that melted her heart.

Harry liked the camels more.

"Why can't we see the reptiles?" he asked when Henry pulled him to a stop.

"Just… not right now."

He sighed, but agreed. "Let's take another look at the komodo dragon." It's name was Gana and it was much bigger than either of them had expected. It wasn't much entertainment though, and they got bored pretty much immediately.

"Let's go then," sighed Henry and turned. And walked right into someone. "I'm so sorry!"

"Me too." The stranger helped her regain her footing. "Are you alright?"

"Um, yeah, sure…" She moved out of range, rubbing her arms where the boy had held her. Her skin was crawling. She looked up to thank him. Her words died on her lips when she saw his red hair and all too familiar face. What the heck were the Weasleys doing here?

"Fred?" called another familiar voice, but Henry couldn't get herself from tearing her gaze from Fred Weasley. He was real. He was actually real.

"Wow," he breathed, a hand reaching for her scar.

"Fred!" She winced and backed into Harry, who threw his arms protectively against her. "Come on… George!"

"Huh? What?" The boy blinked once before turning to his twin. "You said something, Fred?"

He rolled his eyes in annoyance. "If you could stop gazing lovingly into her eyes or whatever and get going… Mum'll think we're up to something if we disappear."

George grinned. "But aren't we always?"

"Not today." Fred walked up to them. "Wow, nice scars you have."

"Um. Thanks," mumbled Henry and averted her whole body. Harry hugged her tighter. "Thanks for catching me."

"Of course! Who wouldn't catch a beautiful fairy like you?"

Harry groaned. "That was the worst thing I've ever heard. Ew, go away. We're too young for you anyway."

"Oh yeah? How young?" George was still smiling, but his worried eyes didn't leave Henry.

"Ten. We're turning eleven soon."

"Ooh, congrats. We're thirteen."

Fred gave them a wide grin before dragging his brother with him. "Nice to meet you, but we gotta go. Happy early birthday!"

"Hey!" George called. "What's your names?"

"Harry and Henry," replied Harry. "You figure out who's who."

The Weasley twins disappeared behind a corner. Henry took a deep breath and left Harry's embrace. Looking at the clock, they headed for the reptile house, where the boa constrictor was lazing around. It didn't acknowledge their existence, but that was fine with them. They had other things to think about.

"Is there a reason your hair turned the same shade of red as theirs?" Harry asked gently, leaning against his sister.

"Because I wasn't expecting to be run over by someone."

"I would believe you," said Harry with a sly grin, "if it wasn't for the recognition on your face when you saw that George person."

Drat. "Yeah yeah, they're—" she glanced around them "—wizards. Happy now?"

"Yep! So, they come from your dreams as well?"

"Uh-huh. Oh, look, the snake is moving! Hi sssnake, nice to meet you." Harry made a strangled sound. "What?"

"You just hissed at it. Why would you hiss at it?" he asked.

Henry gave a nervous giggle. "It's called Parseltongue. We got it from—" Another look around the room "—Voldemort."

"Of course we did." He heaved a heavy sigh. "So, I can do it too?" He glanced at the snake. They weren't exactly the nicest creatures to look at and he didn't like them at all. The ability to speak their language was a waste on him.

"Yeah, but I don't know how. I wasn't aware I was speaking it."

Rather than that, Harry wanted to know why the ability to speak to snakes had transferred from Voldemort to them. And why it existed in the first place. Why not speak to owls? Henry said they were one of the most common pets in wizarding households.

"Are you both ssspeakersss?" came a slithery voice not meant to speak human languages. The twins looked at the boa in silent disbelief. "Can you underssstand me?"

"We can," assured Henry, weirded out by the odd tone of her voice. "You are a very pretty sssnake."

"Thank you, ssspeaker." It turned to look at Harry. "Good day to you too."

"Hello," he murmured. "Oh wow, I really can ssspeak it! Hey, Mr or Mrs Sssnake, have you been here long?"

"All my life," it replied and pointed with its tail on a sign. [Bred in captivity], it said.

"Oh." He wasn't too keen on speaking to it anymore, feeling like he'd offended it. "I apologissse."

The snake was about to say something else, but turned its attention to something behind them. They followed suit and moved out of Dudley's way. Piers was right behind him.

"I've been waiting for it to do something!" exclaimed their cousin, pressing his hands against the protective glass. "Of course it wouldn't do anything until you came." The twins leveled him with a nasty glare each.

Piers coughed. "We didn't see you before," he said meekly. "Were you lost?"

"Oh, yes," lied Henry. "But it's fine, we got help from another set of twins and found our way here."

"Fabulous. We've had a nice wandering ourselves."

Henry gave him the fakest smile she had. "Glad to hear…" She gripped Harry's hand tightly, reminding him not to do anything stupid and landing them in trouble. She wouldn't let accidental magic ruin an otherwise all right day.

Dudley gawked at the poor boa constrictor for a few more moments. It didn't do anything more than laying down to ignore him, though, and he quickly tired. "Let's go see the lions."

"How about it? Would you like to—"

"Ew, Piers, don't tell me you have a crush on Henrietta," Dudley interrupted the other boy. He blushed hard. "That's so disgusting."

"No, of course not! I'm just trying to be nice."

"Wasted on them. Come on." Piers bitterly followed, but not before glancing at Henry once more.

"He doesn't even try to hide it," Harry said in the same disgusted tone as Dudley. He would forever deny the similarity.

"Don't say it."

"He's got a crush on you. Dudley's thick of he can't figure that out."

Henry groaned and turned to face the snake again. "Please stop. I don't want Piers running after me. And not like he'll try anything with it, not with Duddikins towering over him." She was right of course.

"Well, we're going to Hogwarts soon anyway, so it doesn't matter. We won't see him again."

"Except during summer."

"Ugh," he said with a grimace. "Better start jogging then. Can't have then outrun us."

"Do you know thossse children, ssspeakersss?" asked the snake curiously.

"Unfortunately. The big one isss our cousssin." Henry snuck a glance over her shoulder, but they had already left. "I have a quessstion for you, sssnake."

"Oh? Then tell me, ssspeaker."

"Ever heard of Hogwartsss?"

The snake hadn't. She quickly explained what it was and their circumstances surrounding it. Harry gave her a look she ignored. If he knew what she was about to ask, he'd refuse.

"Would you like to come with usss?"

"WHAT?" Harry exclaimed in horror. A snake following them everywhere they went? Never! It was enough he had nightmares about them—he didn't need them to plague him during daytime too.

"Your brother doesssn't sssem very happy about that," the snake mused. "But thank you for the offer."

"Don't mind him, he'll come around. What do you sssay?"

The snake cocked its head to the side. "What doesss that mean for me?"

"You can sssleep anywhere in the cassstle you want, asss long asss you're not dissscovered," she stated, making things up as she went. "I jussst want sssomeone that can easssily move around to be my eyesss and earsss."

"Will you feed me?"

"What do you eat and how often do you eat it?"

"They feed me rodentsss. I eat at least once a week, or when I'm hungry."

She was glad if she didn't have to feed it neither dead nor live rodents, but if that was what it took to get it to come with them, then so be it. "Alright, I can do that."

"Thank you, ssspeaker. How will you get me out?"

Harry cursed the Cheshire grin on Henry's face. "Don't even think about it!" It wasn't fair how she was allowed to do magic when he wasn't.

As if reading his thoughts, Henry chuckled and said, "I'm thinking of our future, you know. You just wanted revenge."

Was there anything wrong with that?

Henry told the snake to wait a bit until they got to a safe distance. They pretended like they were deciding on their next location when Henry forcefully Vanished the protective glass. The snake curiously peered over the railing and quickly slid over it.

The first to scream was a middle-aged man. It was hilarious hearing how high his voice could go. Having to pretend to evacuate? Not so much. They hid behind a large fake tree until the room was empty. The boa happily made a home for itself in Henry's backpack (never say she didn't come prepared) and lay completely still when they stealthily snuck away.

"That was impressive."
"Herrejävlar," exclaimed Henry. Harry nearly jumped out of his shoes. "You scared us!" She glowered at a grinning George. "What are you doing here?"

He pointedly looked at her bag. "I was enjoying the sight of some axolotls when I heard the commotion. Fred managed to get mum and the others away while I checked it out. Imagine my surprise when I see you smuggle a giant snake out of the zoo."

Henry blushed from embarrassment and looked at her shoes. Of course George Weasley had to catch them in the act. "Please don't tell anyone."

Harry, who was thinking of the cupboard, quickly agreed. "We just didn't want it to be stuck in there forever."

George blinked in surprise. "I'm not telling anyone, scouts honour." He laughed his own—joke? "But do you think it'll survive here in London?"

"Of course not, we're going to—" Henry elbowed him not so subtly in the ribs. "Ugh, that hurts!"

"Ah, sibling love. You're twins too, right?" They nodded. "Sweet. Don't see much of those around—anywhere, really. So I'm not telling anyone, but I do worry about the snake. Will you be able to properly care for it?"

It could live in the Forbidden Forest and the castle itself. But she couldn't very well tell him that.

"Yes. There's a forest not too far away from where we live," she explained. There were a lot of rodents there, so the snake wouldn't starve.

"What about winter?"

"Vernon and Petunia rarely look through our room," Harry thought aloud. "If we hide it in the drawer whenever they come, it'll all be fine."

George didn't look the slightest convinced. "Have you ever heard of Hogwarts before?"

They were so caught by surprise Henry didn't even think to stop Harry from saying, "We do."

Harry! No! She grimaced at George's surprised look.

"You do?" he asked. "Wasn't expecting that."

Harry, realising his mistake, turned to Henry for guidance. She sighed. "I have vague memories of mum and dad talking about it."

"There you are!" The twins shrank at the sound of Vernon's loud voice. "Don't tell me you were the cause of this—" He stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of George. "You're not one of them, are you?"

George frowned in confusion. "Who?"

"It wasn't us," Harry quickly said, taking Vernon's attention from the wizard. "We had just left when people began screaming. So we ran out here without looking back."

"They asked me if I knew what happened," George interjected without missing a beat. "A snake escaped its enclosure."

"What?" Vernon paled. "In that case we have to leave immediately." He gave George one last scrutinising look. "You really are normal then?"

Again, George looked at him in utter confusion before his mouth went O. He looked at the twins in a new light. "Well sir, that depends on. I have a twin, so I wouldn't say we are."

Vernon scoffed. "I've had enough of twins for a lifetime. Off we go, you two."

Harry and Henry mouthed a thank you to George and hurried after him. Harry took the backpack with the boa with him in the luggage. The ride home was over as soon as it started and they were inside their room in a moment.

"Am I to ssstay here until departure?" asked the snake after they set it free. It curled around itself onto the bed.

"That or we sneak you out onto the field. It's abandoned so no one but us goes there." And Sirius, because he kept following them everywhere.

"How long until we leave?"

"A month, on September 1st," replied Henry.

The snake sighed. "Please let me out on the field in the meantime."


The day the letters arrived started out like any normal day. Petunia woke them up early and while everyone else prepared themselves for the day, they made breakfast. Vernon commented on the lovely weather when the mail arrived through the letter box.

"Dudley, go get the mail," said Vernon without looking up from the newspaper.

"Why? Make Harry do it."

"Harry, get the mail."

"Why? I'm making breakfast." He ducked into the hallway to get away from Vernon's angry eyes. There wasn't anything unusual at first. Bills, bills, postcard from Marge, bills… and two letters addressed to Harry and Henry. He blinked, not expecting it, before grinning widely and hiding them underneath the doormat.

"What took you so long?" asked Vernon.

"I dropped them." He went back to Henry and whispered, "They arrived." She carefully continued washing the dishes.

They were excused and tried hard to appear normal. Harry quickly took the letters with him and they locked themselves in their bedroom.

"I can't believe it," Harry said in awe. "I mean… you always spoke about it, and we do magic, so of course we'll go to a school for magical children, but… Some part of me didn't believe it."

"Yeah. I've been waiting for this for years." A decade, actually. It was the longest decade in her life. But finally it was over. Finally, they were going to Hogwarts. Soon the plot started rolling for real and she had to juggle about four things simultaneously at all times.

"I don't dare to open it." Harry gave her a nervous smile. "What if it's one of Dudley's jokes?"

She shook her head. Dudley didn't know the Hogwarts sigill; it was impossible for him to recreate what served to seal the letters.

She opened it. Harry quickly followed suit. Together, they read the contents out loud:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr/Ms. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

"Good God Almighty." He laughed nervously. "We have to owl them… how?" Henry went to look out the window and pointed at the waiting barn owl. "I see. How do we reply?"

"Pen and paper have to do."

They opened the window to let the owl in. It had something cylindrical fastened to its back. Henry opened it and put the letters inside. The owl hooted once before flying away.

"What do we do now?"

She grinned. "Find a way to get to London."