CHAPTER 3! – Meeting Their Destiny.
As they apparated to the front of Number 4 Privet Drive, they were swarmed by wizards.
"Calm down, calm down, it's me, Dumbledore."
"No offence Professor, but how do we know that?"
"You know exactly how to find out." Dumbledore replied patiently.
"Um, Professor Dumbledore, should we be out here in the broad daylight?" Melissa asked.
"Do not worry, if your mother shows up here, which I highly doubt, you are very well protected. Now, Kingsley?"
"What's your favorite type of Jam sir?" the man asked.
"Raspberry. Though I rarely have it, it gives me what I believe teenagers call a 'sugar high'." Melissa laughed and he grinned at her. The people around them all lowered their wands. "Right. Now that that's done, I'd like to introduce you to some people. This is Kingsley Shacklebolt, Emmaline Vance, Mundungus Fletcher, Arabella Figg and Remus Lupin. They are very good friends of mine, and will each, at different times, be ensuring your safety during your stay here."
"She's staying here? With Harry?" the man Dumbledore had introduced as Remus Lupin asked him incredulously.
"Yes Remus, I believe the two can help each other somewhat," Dumbledore replied. Lupin snorted but said nothing else.
The rest of the group nodded and smiled at her, before slowly disappearing one by one, until everyone was gone, then Dumbledore turned to Melissa.
"Now listen, I would like you, for now, to go by the name of Melissa Simmons, alright?"
"What else would I go by?" she asked confused.
"Eventually, I would like you to come out as Malicia Lestrange, I think it's eventually going to be necessary, but for now I think it safer for you that you don't disclose who your mother is."
"Safer for me?"
"The boy who lives in this house is Harry Potter. He defeated one of the darkest wizards of our time when he was 15 months old, but not until Voldemort killed his parents. Voldemort has since returned, and just recently, your mother was responsible for the death of Harry's Godfather, Sirius Black, the only father Harry has ever known."
"Bitch." Melissa said.
"Er, yes. But anyway, the thing is, I think Harry might find it difficult to accept you if he knows who you are, do you understand?"
"Perfectly."
"Alright then. Do not expect a warm welcome in this house, they er, aren't very nice people."
He knocked twice on the door, and the front curtain opened slightly, and the woman gave a little shriek before opening the door.
"Wh-what do you want? Quick get inside! Before the neighbors see!" She ushered them inside, and peered around the door to see if anyone had seen her guests. There was only Mrs. Figg, who she grinned at nervously and shut the door.
"Oblivious idiot," Mrs. Figg muttered under her breath.
"Petunia, who was at the – you!"
One of the fattest men Melissa had ever seen had stopped in horror as he saw Dumbledore. Melissa looked at the woman next to her and wondered what on earth she saw in this man, whilst noting the woman had the longest neck ever, and thinking she should lend some to her husband because his seemed consumed by his four chins.
"I demand you leave this house at once!" the man sputtered, turning a deep shade of red.
"Mr. Dursley, I'd like you to meet a very good friend of mine, Melissa Simmons." Dumbledore said calmly, as if Mr. Dursley had never spoken.
"How do you do, what the hell do you want!"
"Melissa is going to be staying with you for a while, in Harry's room."
"WHAT! No she will not! I mean, there's no room! And whilst we consented to taking the boy we will not house strangers off the street thank you very much!"
"Yes you will." Dumbledore replied. He waved a hand in front of Vernons face, and his eyes went shadowy as he nodded.
"Melissa, if you'll proceed upstairs and knock on the second door to the left, you will have arrived at your new lodgings. Your luggage and a bed should have arrived by now." Dumbledore said, checking his watch. Sure enough there was a shout, the slam of a door and a boy came running down the stairs.
"Ok, I was just sitting in my room and a bed and a suitcase and – Professor Dumbledore."
The boy looked to be a little older than Melissa, maybe 16 or 17 she guessed. He had a lightning bolt scar on his forehead, and messy hair that she was dying to run her fingers through. He stared at her for a moment, then looked at Dumbledore, puzzled.
"Who's this?"
"This is Melissa Simmons, she'll be staying with you in your room until the start of school."
"I take it she's coming to Hogwarts then?"
"Yes. I'd ask you to look after her and cater to her every need."
"Uh, sure. Just follow me." He started up the stairs and she followed him slowly. She stopped at the top and turned around, but Dumbledore was already gone, and the Dursley's were shooting her looks, so she ran to catch up after Harry.
"Uh, sorry about the mess, it's kinda my birthday and, well, I got some presents and stuff."
"Are you serious? It's my birthday too! How totally weird." She replied.
"Yeah, um, so obviously here's your stuff, and that's my stuff, and – "
"Oh my gosh is this your owl!" she cut him off. "She's beautiful!" she ran over to the cage and began to stroke the birds feathers.
"Hey Hedwig," she purred.
"How did you know that?" he asked her, looking up. She turned around shrugged her shoulders.
"You must have told me, otherwise how could I know," and she went back to the owl. Harry nodded, but knew he hadn't told her.
She flopped down on her bed and began sorting through her stuff. The minute she pulled it out of the suitcase it went back to normal size again. When she reached her photo album, she opened it tearily.
"Are you okay?" he asked, looking at the photos. "Who are they?"
"My parents. They were murdered today." She threw herself face down onto the pillow and sobbed.
Harry was slightly bewildered and didn't know quite what to do. He placed a hand on her back, and pulled her ponytail back.
"My parents are dead too." He said quietly.
"I know." She replied, looking up and wiping her tears away.
"Of course you know, everyone knows!" he exclaimed, frustrated.
"Actually, I only know the basics. I've been living with muggles, and knew nothing about magic or you until today."
"Oh, so you're muggle born?"
"Um, well, I don't think so."
"What?"
"Uh, they were my adoptive parents. My real parents were both magical…I think. I only know about my mum." She looked around the room, waning to look anywhere but at him, when her eyes rested on a newspaper article. She gave a slight shriek and ran over. There, on the front of the paper, was a picture of her mother.
"What's the matter?" he asked. "Oh, that's Bellatrix Lestrange. She uh, she killed my godfather last month."
"So why do have this up?" she asked.
"So I can remember the face of the woman I'm going to kill." He said bitterly.
"Want some help? She was the one who killed my parents today."
"Oh, I'm sorry."
She looked at the picture of her mother, then the picture to the right.
"Rodolphus Lestrange? Is that like her brother?" she asked.
"Husband." Harry spat. "Like people like that deserve happiness."
So this was her father. She looked like a mixture of them both. She hoped Harry didn't notice. She walked over to the bed and laid down, staring at the ceiling.
"It's really peaceful here." She remarked.
"Yeah that's coz Dudley's not home yet."
"Who's Dudley?"
Suddenly the door slammed open, and a boy wider than he was tall barged in.
"Hey Potter, I need to talk to…who's this?" he asked, interested suddenly.
"This is Melissa, she's staying with me for a while." Harry replied dryly.
"Hmm, well, that's very interesting."
It was so obvious to her that she turned him on. She stood up and sauntered over, swinging her hips.
"And who might you be?" she purred.
He giggled. "I'm Dudley,"
"Well, Dudley, you look very muscular, do you work out?"
"I wrestle,"
"Oh well, it'll be good to know there's a man around the house to look after me. Of course, I guess if anyone bothers me I can turn them into like, a toad or something right?" Harry put his head down and grinned. Dudley however, paled.
"You – You're one of them!" he squealed, and ran out.
"Too easy!" she laughed.
"That's sick!" Harry exclaimed, laughing.
"What's sick? That I can turn someone into a toad one day?"
"No, you flirted with Dudley! That is so totally above sick!"
"Meh, I've met some pretty repulsive people in my time," she replied.
"Worse than Dudley?" he asked.
"Much worse than Dudley!"
"I guess I have too," he replied, suddenly depressed.
"What's the matter?" she asked.
"Voldemort's much worse than Dudley,"
"Who? Oh! The evil guy?"
"Yeah, if that's what you wanna call him. He's the worst kind of evil,"
"Yeah, but there are some things that prevail over evil," she replied, putting an arm around his shoulder.
"Like what?" he asked miserably.
"Some people say love can overcome all evil,"
"You really believe that crock of shit?" he asked, dubiously.
"Yes, I do believe it. If I don't believe in something then it hurts too much," she replied simply. "Come on, lets go for a walk,"
"You don't even know where you're going!" he exclaimed miraculously.
"Your point? You do, and that's why you have to come!" she replied, laughing. She jerked him up by the hand and dragged him out the door.