A/N: Whee! 57 hits and two reviews! Not bad! :D So, the new chappie starts off our actual story. Enjoy!
Thanks to reviewers: imdeadsothere and zanessaluver64! You guys are awesome!
Disclaimer: Not mine. 'Kay?
Chapter 1
Discoveries
I grew up with Dana and Marco Harlnott in the magical underground of Los Angeles, California. And I mean literally underground. The muggles of L.A. have no clue that some fifty feet beneath their houses there lies the magical community of Las Hadas, California. We often go to work and such on the surface, and we aren't really restricted to Las Hadas, as long as we wear muggle clothing when we go out.
But in the Underground (as it's often called) there's two-hundred or so houses and Side Way, a street crammed with magical shops and restaurants. We have everything we need. My childhood friends, Aiden Drestly and Lea Juarez, and I used to hang out at the shops on Side Way, especially the bookshop, Paige and Storry's, and the magical electronics store (a blending of muggle and wizarding technology), called Wires. We were close back then, before Aiden went to SpellLight Wizarding Academy, Lea was sent off to Salem Witches Institute, and I left for Hogwarts in the U.K. We still get together during the summer, but we don't see as much of each other.
I had just turned ten. It was like any other day- unless you count discovering you are the long lost relative of a famous British boy a normal part of your routine. But I digress. Mother held my birthday party on the Saturday after my actual birthday, so that it was more convenient for Aiden and Lea's parents. It wasn't really a party, more like a get-together with two friends and a sleepover involving staying up until two o'clock, watching all three Star Wars movies while everyone belted out smart-ass comments at the screen, and throwing candy at each other to get them to shut up. Or just throwing candy at each other for fun.
At eleven pm, at a stop between The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi, Aiden and Lea forced me to open their presents, which I did begrudgingly. I don't like opening gifts, because saying "thank-you" feels very awkward for me, just like saying "I forgive you" is equally strained. But I had to open them sometime, and Aiden was in quite the eager mood, so I did.
Aiden had bought me a picture frame ("To remember me by when you two are off at Salem"), with a photo of the three of us at Canter's, one of my favorite muggle restaurants. Aiden was wolfing down a hot pastrami sandwich without really noticing that the photographer was there, while Lea smiled shyly and nibbled at her garden burger. I was holding up a Monte Cristo and moving my lips. Though no sound came from them, I knew I was saying, "The mother of all sandwiches!" I smiled a wide grin and set the photo to the side, thanking Aiden loudly. He sat back with a smug grin, and whispered, "Beat that!" to Lea.
She smiled evilly at him, and handed over her rectangular gift. I knew immediately that it was a book. What else could I expect from Lea the bookworm? When I ripped off the colored paper, I found it was two books. One was a flimsy paperback, the cover portraying a the silhouette of a palm tree in front of the setting sun and the words "Atlanta Nights." My eyes grew huge and I literally jumped on her.
"Lea! No way! Atlanta Nights! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
She was surprised at my energy, but hugged back and shot Aiden a nasty smile over my shoulder. Lea can be quite sadistic when she wants to be.
The other book was titled "The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts," by a British author. I was slightly less enthusiastic about that one, but it looked interesting nonetheless.
Aiden threw a Reese's peanut butter cup at Lea's head. She caught it deftly (what else could you expect from a Seeker?) and popped it into her mouth smugly, inserting the third Star Wars movie into the player as she did so. Aiden glared at her. Lea only gets so cynical when she's on a sugar high. Discreetly, I moved the candy bowl away from her, and settled back in my purple beanbag to watch the movie.
Later that night, we were all spread-eagled across the floor, having fallen asleep during the final battle in front of the with the Ewoks, not even bothering to get comfortable in our sleeping bags. I awoke at five am to a sharp pain in my lower back. I pulled out the hard-back book that was "The Rise and Fall," which I had apparently rolled onto during the night.
Rubbing my back, I flicked the book open to the contents, grabbing my book light from the stand near the couch and curling up on the cushions. I was wide awake by then. I can do that. As soon as I wake up I'm totally ready for anything. It gets kind of annoying, because sometimes I can't go back to sleep.
I glanced over at Aiden and Lea, arranged on the floor in what couldn't have been a comfortable position.
My hazel eyes surveyed the contents.
Acknowledgements
Preface- The Importance of the Dark Arts
Chapter 1- What is Dark Magic?
Chapter 2- The Unforgivables
Chapter 3- Early Dark Wizards
Chapter 4- The Rise of Gellert Grindelwald
Chapter 5- World War II
Chapter 6- Albus Dumbledore and the Fall of Grindelwald
Chapter 7- A Period of Peace
Chapter 8- The Rise of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named
Chapter 9- What are Death Eaters?
Chapter 10- Key Fighters for the Light
Chapter 11- The Decline of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named
Chapter 12- Harry Potter and the Fall of You-Know-Who
Chapter 13- The Aftermath
A Timeline of Events
Epilogue
Interesting. Harry Potter? The name sounded vaguely familiar. I looked up chapter 12, and began to read.
Harry Potter was born to James and Lily Potter (see chap. 10) on July the thirty-first, 1980.
I cocked my head to the side, and grinned at the coincidence. That was my birthday, too! And my middle name was Lily.
James Potter was an Auror for some time, responsible for the arrest of several known Death Eaters. Lily Evans Potter was a Healer at St. Mungo's for two years before going into hiding with her husband and their son, Harry. The two were outspoken advocates for the light, and close allies of Albus Dumbledore. It was discovered that the Dark Lord was hunting them, so they went underground after having their baby. Later it would be known that they were living in a house in Godric's Hollow.
He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did not cease the hunt for the Potters. Though it is not clear as to how, he obtained the location of their hideaway. On the night of Halloween of '81, he attacked them in their own home. James Potter was killed, then his wife. He attempted to murder their one-year-old son, Harry James Potter as well.
For reasons unknown, yet miraculous, the baby survived the Killing Curse, the only one to do so in the history of wizard-kind. The curse instead rebounded upon the caster and You-Know-Who was no more. Harry Potter was left only with a scar upon his forehead, in the shape of a lightning-bolt.
I read the last sentence in shock. A scar on his forehead? But I had... No way. I traced the odd moon shape beneath my red bangs. How strange.... I read on.
To this day, Harry Potter is known as the Boy Who Lived, being the first to survive the Avada Kedavra curse. No one knows how it happened. But it brought about the downfall of one of the cruelest and most dangerous Dark Lords ever known, and for that Harry Potter will always be famous.
The text continued on, but I had already set aside the book and rested my chin on my knees. I always sit like that when I'm thinking. I don't know why, but it's relaxing and helps me focus better.
Harry James Potter. He and I had a lot in common. Too much for it to be a coincidence. We were both born on July 31, 1980. My middle name was Lily, which happened to be his mother's name. And we both had a scar on our foreheads- a curse scar?
I was adopted. I had known that ever since Dana and Marco had told me when I was eight. But in those two years, no matter how much I begged, they would never divulge a thing about my real parents. Only that they had received me when their English friends (my parents) when they died in a car crash. When I was one year old. I had always wondered who they were and now- my eyes flashed nervously towards the open book at my side.
What was the surname of my real parents again? I had never really bothered with it before, but Dana had told me once a long time ago. It started with 'P.' Patterson? Porter? It could have been Potter.
I scoffed at myself. I was being stupid. There was no way. A long-lost twin brother that happened to have brought about the downfall of a powerful Dark Lord? It seemed too far-fetched to be true. It couldn't be true. How could no one have known about me? With a click I turned off the book light and settled back with my friends on the floor. And that was the end of it, I told myself.
Of course it wasn't. For the next week or so, Harry Potter was the only thing on my mind. I was totally out of it.
On the second Sunday of August, I couldn't get out of bed. I just lay there, staring at the plastered ceiling, vacantly thinking that there must have been a leak there once because in one spot the color was yellower than the rest of the ceiling. Ophion, my snake, slithered out from under my bed, blinking languidly in the sun streaming in from the window. It was eleven-fifty. Ten minutes away from noon.
/Prepubescence,/ he hissed. /It only gets worse from here./
I rolled over and looked down at him. Biting back a grumpy remark, I sat up groggily and glared at him.
I found Ophion in Dana's terrace garden on the roof three years ago. He never told me how he had gotten up there, and I never really asked. Ophion was a common garden snake, a harmless little reptile, though I would never say that to his face. He always liked to impress me with the length of his fangs and how "vicious" he looked. I never denied it. Dana and Marco had no clue that I kept him in my room, let alone that I was a Parselmouth. I used to set traps for rats and mice in the alleys of the Underground (Merlin knows there are plenty), but after a few months I just let him out during the night. Somehow he managed to find his way back every morning. Like I said before, I didn't ask how. There is such a thing a serpent etiquette, and Ophion would find it quite rude if I inquired into his secrets.
/Morning,/ I grumbled.
/Hardly,/ he responded, winding his way up one of the bed's feet and onto my bedspread. He curled around my arm, something I had gotten quite used to over the years. I settled back into my pillow, and we were both silent for a while.
On impulse, I asked, /Ophion?/
/What?/ he hissed. Ophion was not a morning serpent either.
/Do you know anything about/- I paused and bit my lip- /Harry Potter?/
Ophion rested his head on my shoulder, and if snakes could sigh, I'm sure he would have. /How could I not know of him? He ended the reign of the Dark Lord./ I noticed that he said the last to words with hissing fury. /That bastard Voldemort. Used a serpent for everything, you know. His insignia was a horribly grotesque snake and skull. Voldemort was a Parselmouth too. Him and Salazar Slytherin, both pureblood, high-and-mighty bastards. Going around giving honest snakes like me a bad name. Good riddance, I say,/ he spat.
/So snakes aren't allied with You-Know-Who?/ I asked, somewhat surprised.
Ophion blinked. It was amazing how much emotion he could get across with that one action, and how it could actually vary. This blink was more of a shrug. /Sure, some were. Voldemort- and please call him by his name, You-Know-Who is just ridiculous- kept a big snake by the name of Naga or Nagini or something like that. But anyway, what's this about Potter?/
/Oh nothing,/ I hissed, regretting having brought it up. /I've just been thinking about him lately. You know we share the same birthday?/
The garden snake slipped off of my arm. /Is that so?/ He suddenly seemed... uncomfortable.
/Do you know anything about my scar?/ I said suddenly, pushing back my red bangs to reveal the mark. Ophion's apprehension doubled.
/I can't say I do,/ he answered slowly.
/Ophion, you would tell me if I was somehow closely related to Harry Potter, wouldn't you?/
/Of- of course I would, Megan... /
/'Phion./
/Yes?/
/You've never been a good liar./
He didn't respond. After a minute or two of silence, I got up and stumbled towards my dresser, pulling on a red T-shirt and jeans. Fixing my short red hair in the mirror, I tried to ignore the awkward feeling that hung in the air. Ophion said nothing until my sneakers were on and I had one hand on the doorknob.
/You weren't supposed to find out until he told you,/ he hissed, almost inaudibly.
Butterflies jumped in my stomach and my hands suddenly got clammy. So it really was true! But... how? I voiced my thoughts.
/You're his twin,/ said Ophion. /You were sent to Las Hadas, and he was sent to your aunt and uncle's. That's all there is to it./
/But how come no one knows about me?/ I burst out.
/Memory charm. No one remembers your existence./
I stared at the reptile in shock. /But why?/
/You'll find out soon enough,/ he said enigmatically, and with that he slithered back onto the floor and under my bed. No matter how much I cajoled him, he didn't hiss another word for the rest of the day.
A/N: Okay, so I have no clue how to write a textbook, or something like it. I hope it wasn't too boring, but then again, what textbook isn't? YAY OPHION'S IN THIS CHAPPIE! I think Megan's friends are pretty two-dimensional, but I dunno. Tell me what you think.