They were nine when they first knew, without a doubt, that they could use magic.

Harry Potter and his sister Rose had been living with the Dursleys for almost seven years at that point. Harry was the first of them to do it - to do something odd, something unexplained, something magical. He'd been furious with his cousin Dudley for using up all the hot water in the bath, as usual, forcing him to once again have to take an icy shower.

Harry was fed up with cold showers. He hated that Dudley was spoiled while he and his sister were treated like garbage. It wasn't fair! He couldn't stop thinking about it and grew angrier and angrier, until he was so angry that he felt something inside of him snap. And suddenly, without even touching it, the showerhead began to pour out hot, steaming water.

He was stunned. It was the best shower he'd ever had.

A few days later, Aunt Petunia took scissors to his hair because it was getting too long, according to her. It looked absolutely terrible, and Harry hated it. But by the next morning, it had all grown back, much to Aunt Petunia's annoyance. She called it 'freakishness' and punished him for it.

Unlike Harry, Rose's magic was never as obvious. She didn't have huge outbursts when she was angry or upset. No, hers was subtler and much more useful.

She figured out how to unlock things.

It started with the door to their shared room, the cupboard under the stairs. One of Aunt Petunia's and Uncle Vernon's favorite punishments was to lock them in without food or water, sometimes for days at a time. It was during one of those times that Rose discovered her ability.

It was very useful. They used it to unlock their door and sneak into the kitchen in the dead of night to snatch food. A few crackers here, a slice of cheese there - things that weren't likely to be missed. Anything they could get their hands on, they'd share with each other, and hide any extra behind a loose board in the wall of their cupboard. They did that for a while until one day when Uncle Vernon noticed that the door was unlocked in the morning, even though he knew he'd locked it the night before. Once again, it was blamed on Harry and his 'freakishness', and he was punished. Luckily, Rose didn't get in trouble.

It was actually rather rare that Rose would be punished as severely as Harry. Aunt Petunia didn't like her because she looked too much like their mother, but Uncle Vernon had a soft spot for her. Well, if you could really even call it that. She was just better at being polite than Harry was, and they Dursleys had never seen her do any "freakishness." That was enough to keep her out of the worst punishments, at least. For that, Harry was grateful.

After the door incident, Rose didn't try her magic again for a while. But eventually, they became desperate enough for food that she started practicing locking doors with magic, too. It took her some time, and she wasn't as good at it as she was with unlocking, but she eventually figured it out and they were able to go back to pilfering crumbs.

Things were better after that. They were able to get by. They knew the Dursleys hated them, but they had each other and their magic, and that's all they really needed.

So Harry and Rose kept it a secret, and waited, hoping for a day when they could finally be free.

July 24th, 1991

Number 4 Privet Drive

Harry thoroughly wiped off his worn trainers before entering the kitchen, wiping the sweat off his brow with a sleeve. He'd just completed his morning chores in the garden, and fetched the paper for his Uncle. He opened the door to the kitchen and stepped inside, only to be hit with a horrible, putrid smell.

"Ugh," Harry covered his nose. "What are you cooking?" He asked his sister, who was preparing breakfast, and the only other person in the room.

"It's not me," She replied, gesturing to her right. "Aunt Petunia is dying some clothes in the sink."

Harry walked over to the sink, where there was a large metal tub filled with what looked like dirty rags swimming in murky gray water.

"What's it for?" He asked, frowning.

Rose shrugged. "Your school uniform, I guess," she said, narrowing her eyes at the offending substance. "But really, it's just some of Dudley's old clothes. She's dying them the 'proper color for a Stonewall High student.'"

"Ugh," he frowned, wrinkling his nose and rolling his eyes. Rose smiled apologetically.

"She said it'll look just like everyone else's when it's done," she offered.

Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps and a metal clanging could be heard coming down the stairs. Harry and Rose quickly quieted as Vernon entered the room, followed by Dudley, who was banging his Smelting stick everywhere.

"Careful with the wall, Dudders," Vernon said, sitting down at the table and scrunching his nose at the smell in the room. "What in the world is that awful stench?"

Rose was about to answer when Petunia appeared, flitting over to give Dudley an embarrassing smooch on the head. "Don't worry, Vernon dear, it's just some of Dudley's old things in a dye bath. But, oh, Duddikins! Such a grown-up boy! Aren't you just so excited to start at your new school?"

She continued to fawn over him, though Dudley only seemed interested in hitting things with his stick. Harry pulled the morning's newspaper out of his oversized pocket (given that his current clothes were also Dudley's old hand-me-downs) and placed it on the table.

"Mm," Vernon muttered, reaching for it.

Harry and Rose startled as a loud click and thump sound could be heard from the hall, letting them all know the mail had just been delivered through the front door flap.

"Rose, go get the mail," Vernon ordered.

"Yes, sir..." Rose said, quickly setting down the cooking utensils and scurrying off down the hall.

Harry took over cooking for her, for a moment, though she took slightly longer than usual to return. Of course, Vernon noticed.

"What took so long?" he demanded as Rose came back and handed him the stack of letters.

She flustered, lowering her head. "Sorry, sir. The postman scuffed the door paint again, but I was able to mostly buff it out," she said smoothly.

Vernon's face pinked as he gripped the letters. "Hrmph! That damn postman," he muttered, flipping through the mail before going back to his paper.

Rose's stance relaxed a little in relief. Harry shot her a look, and she flashed a quick smile before going back to cooking. He knew his sister well enough to know when she wasn't telling the truth, but he wasn't about to say anything in front of the Dursleys.

After Petunia, Vernon, and Dudley had eaten their fill of breakfast, Harry and Rose cleaned up, and they had some of the leftovers, they met back at their cupboard.

"So, what was that all about, with the mail?"

Rose grinned, pulling something out of her pocket (her clothes, like Harry's, were also hand-me-downs). She held up a large, yellowed envelope with an ornate wax seal. She offered it to her brother and he took it carefully, turning it over in his hands.

"It's for you, Harry."

He looked up at her in confusion. "What? A letter for me? Who would be writing to me?"

Rose shrugged, and pointed to the front of the envelope. "Look at the address. Whoever it is knows about the cupboard."

The strange envelope was addressed to 'Harry Potter, Number 4 Privet Drive, The Cupboard Under the Stairs'. Harry felt a small jolt of panic, wondering how anybody could have found out about the cupboard, and hoping the Dursleys wouldn't find out. He gingerly tore open the top of the strange letter, and Rose leaned in to get a better look. He pulled out the first page, and they read silently, in awe.

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. 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

They sat in silence for a moment, and tried to make sense of what they'd just read. Rose was the first to break the silence, her eyes wide.

"A school? Of witchcraft and wizardry? Harry, is it real, do you think?"

Harry flipped the letter over, and quickly read it again, and then a third time, looking for something saying this was all just some sort of prank. "... I don't know. It looks pretty official, I guess."

Rose bounced back onto the bed, a wide grin spreading on her face. "If it is... this is amazing! An actual magic school! And you've been accepted!"

"But..."

Her expression suddenly grew dark, and she leaned in close. "You HAVE to accept, Harry. This could be our chance -"

He shook his head, scanning the strange contents of the supply list. "But what about Vernon and Petunia, Rose? I'm already enrolled at Stonewall High. They'd never allow… this. They probably wouldn't even believe me if I showed it to them. Well, either that or they'd find some reason to punish me for it -"

"Well..." she worried her lip. "We can just keep it secret, then."

"- And then there's this whole thing about replying by owl... How would we even do that? Since when do owls deliver post?" He gestured, arms in the air.

"I... I don't know, maybe it's the magic or something," she said, though she didn't sound very confident. "But Harry, please, we've got to try!"

Hesitantly, Harry nodded.

He didn't know if the letter was real, but if it was... Rose was right. It could be their ticket to freedom. He couldn't let an opportunity like that go to waste. Even if it all just turned out to be some dumb prank.

They had to figure out something.

"Boy!" Vernon called, and Harry quickly stuffed the contents of the letter back in the envelope and hid it safely behind the loose board where they kept their other hidden things. Rose grabbed his hand and squeezed it comfortingly, then he took off to answer his Uncle's call before he got in trouble.