Daisy continued to watch her mother as she seemed to try and form a further explanation. "Don't be ridiculous, magic isn't real!" she scoffed, looking at the letter again.
"Daisy, now is not the time for dramatics," her mother snapped, and then softened. "Your father and I have always… that is to say, we've been waiting for this day since you very first came to us," Deirdre said, holding Daisy's hand and leading her through the halls and into the kitchen. She motioned for her daughter to sit down, and for once she did directly as she was told to.
"Patrick!" Deirdre called loudly, making Daisy jump in her seat. A faint "Yes, dear?" rang from the adjacent living room, and footsteps soon commenced across the carpet.
Patrick's smiling face appeared around the kitchen door a few short moments later. "What's this, a military tribunal?"" he joked, entering the room. Though his eyes held a youthful sparkle, his white hair was balding, and his wrinkles were deep-set around his eyes. He sauntered in and poured himself a tea, approaching the table the ladies in his life were sat around. When he saw the opened letter in front of Daisy he suddenly stopped, and when he looked into the eyes of his wife Daisy could almost see his heart drop and his smile faded.
"I was wondering when that would come," he said calmly and in a light tone, motioning for Daisy to pass him the parchment. Staring, she passed him the letter and he began reading it over, turning each page carefully.
"Well, everyone seems to understand this absurd letter except me!" Daisy sputtered out, anger slowly rising in her veins. The letter was completely ridiculous! A magic school? Potter? This was absolutely a mistake, or her parents' idea of a joke that didn't work in any way.
"Sweetheart," her father said slowly, "It's time that you knew the truth. It's of course sat in front of you, but I think you deserve to really understand what you are and what has brought you to where you are now."
"Th-the truth? What truth? There is no truth!" Daisy suddenly regretted her outburst when she looked up and saw her parents upset faces. "Sorry. Go on." She muttered.
"As you know," Deirdre began, standing and pacing around the kitchen. "We aren't your real parents -"
"I know that." Daisy scoffed. "You've told me that since... since I can remember. I don't understand-"
"Let us finish," Patrick said firmly. "There will be plenty of time for questions after we've finished our bit. God knows, we're prepared for the Spanish Inquisition after we're done. Can we continue?"
Daisy nodded, and her mother continued.
"You're from a different world, Daisy. A completely different world that lies right in the heart of all our communities, even London. Yes, I understand that sounds odd, but… but it's the truth. You are a witch. There is magic, real magic out there. These aren't card tricks or pulling a white rabbit out of an old hat."
Daisy's heart started to pound. "A witch? Why am I a witch? I've never done anything wrong…" Her father held up his hand to silence her, and she shut her mouth firmly. Questions later. Right.
"We don't know the exact ins and outs of how magic came to be, but simply put your Dad was a wizard and your Mum was a witch. Lily and James were their names. Very powerful as well, from what we've heard."
"Lily", she said under her breath. It was such a beautiful name. "If my parents were so strong, why did they die? Couldn't they just stop themselves from dying? Can't magic do that?"
Deirdre and Patrick glanced at each other, each silently praying that the other would be the next to speak. Sighing, Patrick conceded to his wife's wishes and took his daughter's small hands in his old, wizened ones. "Your parents were murdered."
"Wh-what?" Daisy screamed, chair flying behind her as she stood.
"Please understand that we kept this from you for a reason," Patrick cried, but Daisy ripped her hands away from his warm grasp. Her chest heaved as she stood stock still.
"Your parents were killed by the most powerful dark wizard ever known. He was dreadful and unimaginably terrifying. He is - was so feared that no one from your world will speak his name. He had many followers called "Death Eaters," and they would torture and kill anyone they pleased. Your parents were fighting against him along with numerous others. One night ten years ago, He-who-must-not-be-named decided that your family was too good, too strong. He went to your house and killed your parents."
Tears welled up in Daisy's brown eyes, threatening to fall at any moment. Patrick enveloped her into his arms, and she finally broke. "Why would someone kill them? How could he?" She sobbed into her father's chest. Patrick gently rubbed her back, attempting to comfort the young girl to no avail.
"There is something else." Patrick said softly. Daisy pulled back and looked at him. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve.
"You... you are not an only child," he said simply, his watery blue eyes searching his daughter's warm orbs for some sort of clarity, some sort of clue as to if she really was starting to believe them. He helped her to sit once more as she stared blankly for a moment.
"I have a sister? Or a brother?" Daisy said, her mouth dropping. She had lived as an only child for almost eleven years, and the thought of a sibling was quite a shock. But of course, so was this entire conversation.
"A brother," Deirdre said, finally finished pacing around the kitchen. She sat down next to her husband. "Harry. Harry Potter. You are twins, born exactly 7 minutes apart."
Daisy swallowed hard. "I have a brother?"
Patrick nodded. "Yes. And your parents were not the only people the He-who-must-not-be-named tried to kill that night."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, He-who-must-"
"Goodness, Patrick," Deirdre interrupted, shaking her head. "Just call him You Know Who. It's much quicker."
"Fine. You-Know-Who attempted to kill your brother using the killing curse. The killing curse is an unforgivable sin, worse than a man shooting someone else with a gun, and there is no way to defend yourself against it. But, for some phenomenal reason, it bounced off of little Harry. He survived with nothing but a lightening bolt scar on his little forehead. You know who received the full blow of the curse. Most people claim he was reduced to nothing, and disappeared. However, he tried to do one last act before he vanished."
Daisy's mind was reeling. She didn't know whether to cry or to laugh at her parent's foolishness. "What did he try to do?"
Deirdre avoided her daughter's eyes. "He tried to kill you. Of course, he couldn't - he was almost dead himself! But alas, he tried. He placed his wand on your chest, but nothing happened except the smallest flash of magic – his last reserves. However, you received a mark, just like Harry. That scar on your heart is not just a birthmark; it's a mark from a dark wizard. You survived as well - you and Harry are the only people in the course of magical history to ever survive the killing curse. You and Harry will go down in history."
Daisy took a moment to absorb the information. "But that doesn't explain how you got me. If my mum and dad both were killed, how did I get out?"
Patrick gave a small chuckle. "An old family friend found you and Harry in the rubble. He's part giant, but gentle as a mouse. I haven't seen him in years!"
"A giant?" Daisy gulped. The sight of a giant man carrying her in swaddling clothes was bizarre.
Deirdre nodded. "Half giant. From what I understand, real giants are about three times the size of him. He took Harry to live with his Aunt and Uncle, and that's when Albus Dumbledore owled us." Daisy was about to inquire, but Deirdre raised her hand to stop her. "Albus Dumbledore is the most amazing man you will ever have the opportunity to know. He is the Headmaster at Hogwarts, and a bloody genius – do pardon my language. He is strange, yes, but everything he does has a purpose and it always seems to work out in the end."
Daisy nodded. "But why were we separated? Why wasn't I sent to live with my real family?"
"That, my dear, is something that only Dumbledore knows the truth of."
"But-"
"That's enough for today. You should go get dressed – and have a shower. I don't mean to be rude, but you remember that conversation we had? Oh, don't pull that face, you need to wash your hair more at the moment. Go, go Daisy. We have a big day ahead of us - Diagon Alley awaits my dear." Deirdre ushered Daisy back into her room and closed the door behind her. Daisy swore she heard a small sob from the other side, but let the moment pass as she prepared for the day ahead.