Chapter 8: Gabrielle

Now it was February and the beatings were a very regular occurrence. He wasn't sure how long he could keep lying away the blatantly obvious signs of abuse. People were definitely starting to become suspicious. Mr Pryke had been the first to question the bruises on his face that he'd acquired after Uncle Vernon had stamped on his head. Then his English teacher had become suspicious when she'd seen red marks on his neck caused by Uncle Vernon yanking him up the stairs by his school tie as he'd tried desperately to wriggle out of it. He'd told her he'd got his tie caught in a branch and ended up managing to strangle himself before disentangling it. And his P.E teacher had noticed bruises on his body while he'd been getting changed and had asked him how he'd acquired them. He'd told him that he fallen out of a tree. Every time he was asked he was getting more concerned that he wouldn't be able to lie it all away for much longer. Maybe if he told them the truth they'd help him. But he just kept thinking about what Uncle Vernon would do to him if he did. He would kill him.

He tried to fill his brain with other thoughts. Such as Gabrielle Summers. To say he wasn't mystified by Gabrielle summers would be a massive lie. Gabrielle was a mystery waiting to be solved. He knew she was a witch but wasn't sure why she was living in the muggle world. Maybe she'd been expelled like him. They'd never finished that conversation on Christmas day that his uncle had so rudely interrupted and by now it was February. He wanted to know more about her. Something bugged him about the way she had looked at that picture of his parents when she had come round out of the blue on Christmas Day. Something about that really bugged him and he wasn't sure why. And she reminded him so much of his mum; her long ginger hair, her facial shape and her mouth. Everything was practically identical except her eyes. She had big brown eyes. He didn't really know much about Gabrielle to be honest though he wished he did. He really wanted to find out a little bit more about her and an opportunity soon arose. There was something there she was a story waiting to be told.

It was Friday night, Harry's least favourite day of the week because it meant the start of the weekend, during which he wasn't really allowed out of the house. He'd been at Gabrielle's house with her, Georgie and Patterson. It was about eight, which was his curfew and he let himself into the house. Going inside he was met by his fuming uncle. "Merlin's pants" he muttered seeing how mad his crazy, psychotic uncle looked.

"I've had your maths teacher on the phone this evening" he said "He had lot to say about you"

"I bet he did" replied Harry.

"He said you never shut up talking to that Gabrielle summers girl and you never bother to do any work in his lessons and you never do your homework and consistently hand it in late." He hissed "You disgrace"

"He hates me" said Harry "He thinks I'm a layabout"

"Well he's right then isn't he?" uncle Vernon snarled "You are a layabout, a useless little layabout. You've had two detentions this week alone. You are a disgrace and your attitude stinks boy"

"I wonder why that is?" harry replied "Oh that's right. You beat me! It's as easy as pie to live a completely normal life, be a top student and have a squeaky clean, positive attitude when you're being beaten regularly at home!"

"Don't blame me for your failing's boy!" he raged before shoving Harry to the floor. "YOU'RE A DISGRACE BOY. GET IT TOGETHER!" then the belt came out and before he knew it the belt was lashing his skin, slicing him open.

On Monday at school he had just about recovered from his uncle's latest beating. He was with Georgie, bobby, Kyle and Patterson when Gabrielle came over to them. "Finally broke up with that cheating, immature loser" said Gabrielle "Damn I feel good"

"You were too good for him anyway" said Georgie "He didn't know what he had. You showed him you're not to be messed with"

"Georgie I do love him he just messes me around. I know I did the right thing and I feel good about it sighed Gabrielle "But he was good to me"

"No he damn well wasn't!" Kyle exclaimed "He's a loser, who treated you like crap. Zane deserved to have his arse dumped"

"He was good to me in ways you wouldn't understand" Gabrielle sighed.

"He's an asshole" said Georgie "Always has been, always will be"

"I dated him for a year and half. I got to know him very well" replied Gabrielle "He was good to me just for reasons you don't understand and that I can't explain"

"Always with the secrets" said Georgie "Why don't you just tell us?"

"I can't" Gabrielle looked down "I'm not allowed"

"Really?" Georgie raised her eyebrow.

"Really" Gabrielle replied as the school bell rang. "Come on we should get to maths Harry"

"Ok" he nodded following her inside. They headed to the maths corridor and into bottom set maths. It was a subject they both hated with a passion and they found it somewhat amusing to prank the other people in their class. It was also a subject they were both failing in. They were sat at their usual table at the back of their class not paying much attention to the teacher. "You busy tonight?" She asked.

"No I'm free" he replied "Why?"

"Want to come round to my place and do homework. Or other stuff. Homework sucks" said Gabrielle.

"Sounds good" he nodded.

"How many times do I have to tell you two not to talk when I am teaching," the teacher hissed in their direction. "Right now I have your attention, shut up or you'll both be in detention"

"Again?" Gabrielle asked "We did two detentions last week!" And didn't Harry know about it. The beatings he had received as punishment had left him in crippling agony for days afterwards. He did not want another detention.

"Maybe you should learn to pipe down when I am teaching" the teacher retorted "And do your work in class and your homework"

"That's insulting" said Gabrielle defensively "I can do things you can only dream of"

"Pipe down young lady" he shook his head "I scarcely believe you can so anything I can only dream of"

"I can too!" She retorted.

"Gabrielle shut up!" Harry Said.

"I highly, highly doubt that miss summers" He laughed coldly. He reminded Harry of Snape so much they could be twins.

"I can too you bald bully" she reached into her bag. Harry soon saw she was reaching for a wand, her wand.

"Gabrielle don't do that you idiot!" He exclaimed "Do you want to be arrested and sent to Azkaban?!"

"Azkaban?" She frowned "What's that"

"I'll tell you later" he replied because the middle of a muggle classroom wasn't the best to discuss wizard prisons and their dangerous inmates. "Put that away before I take it away and hide it where you'll never find it"

"I'll find it" she shrugged "Let me teach him a lesson"

"Detention miss summers now pipe down" said the teacher.

"But sir!" She said clutching her wand tightly in her hand ready to jinx the man.

"Detention!" He shouted.

"Don't do it!" Harry hissed.

"And you Mr Potter. Detention tonight after school" he hissed in Harry's direction.

"Oh thanks a bunch" Harry said Gabrielle's direction. "Put it away or I swear to merlin I will hide it where you'll never find it!"

"Fine" she relented before dropping it back in her bag.

That night they endured the most boring detention, during which they were forced to sit in silence and do A grade maths problems which were very tricky. And Gabrielle quickly gave up on hers with Harry quickly following suit and instead they doodled random pictures. Mr Fitzgerald was very unimpressed and gave them another detention the following day. They both left and headed to her house. It was just a normal house, with a normal, average family with the exception of a teenage witch. They did some homework then kicked it and chucked their books back in their bags and went downstairs to find something to eat, which ended up being a pizza and some oven chips. Once they were cooked they sat down at the table to eat. Harry picked at his somewhat. "You always pick at your food" said Gabrielle "I think to myself he must be starving most of the time. How do you survive on that?"

"I survive, I get by" he shrugged "It's not all my fault"

"Why don't you eat?" Asked Gabrielle "There must be a reason"

"I have these stupid appetite problems" he shrugged "I've had it a while now."

"What caused it? Something must've caused it" said Gabrielle.

"You don't give up do you?" he laughed.

"No way" she laughed. "So?"

"I have a small appetite that's all" he shrugged. "It hasn't always been this way but since I was expelled it's become a bit of an issue"

"So when you got expelled you got depression and stopped eating properly?" she rose her eyebrow.

"I guess" he sighed. He thought about the truth and he sighed heavily. "It's like the cruciatis curse messed up my brain"

"You've been under the c curse?" She asked clearly shocked

"Yeah during the tri-wizard tournament. Bloody you-know-who" said Harry "It was agony."

"It is a method of torture Harry. It's meant to hurt" she sighed "But I followed that. I had my fingers crossed for you"

"You didn't know me then!" He raised his eyebrow.

"You're the boy who lived. I was rooting for you" said Gabrielle "Anyway... Is he really back?"

"Yeah he's back" Harry sighed "I saw him return with my very eyes. It was the worst experience of my life. I will make it my mission to kill him for what he did to my parents and for what he did that night"

"You suicidal moron" she rolled her eyes.

"Thanks great" he shook his head. "Have your brothers ever called you a freak?"

"They wouldn't dare" she replied. "Why?"

"Am I a freak?" he asked downheartedly.

"No of course you're not!" she shook her head. "Why would you think that?"

"They call me a freak. My aunt and Uncle tell me I'm a freak" he admitted "My aunt once snapped at me and said my mother was a freak and that she gave birth to a freak. I wanted to kill her"

"That cow" Gabrielle hissed confusing Harry.

"What?" He frowned.

"Nothing" she shook her head.

"So why do you live in the muggle world?" Harry asked

"You live in the muggle world" she replied smartly

"Yes because I was expelled for legally defending myself from two flipping dementors with a patronous charm" he said.

"You can produce a patronous?" She asked in awe.

"Yeah it's a stag" he replied smugly "My professor taught me in my third year after the dementors kept attacking me. I kept passing out everywhere. They attacked me during a quidditch match and I passed out fell off my broom and fell about 100 feet. I'll show you in two years."

"That would be awesome" she smiled

"Hang on!" He exclaimed "We've gone off topic. Why do you live in the muggle world?"

"I was expelled from magical education" she replied "I was expelled from the American Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry for blowing up the boys dormitories in my second year"

"That's brave" He grinned "I know someone who love you for that. Why'd you do it?"

"They were nasty boys. They were teasing me about my horrible braces that gave me a massive lisp and looked awful. And my big bulky glasses because I'm basically as blind as a bat" she explained. "I was upset so I blew up their dormitory for revenge and got myself expelled. I'd blown things up before, a box of chocolates, a quaffle, ok four quaffles, a toilet in the boys toilets and they got the blame for it, and a shed load of other stuff. I like blowing things up. It gives me so much release and so much joy you wouldn't even believe it. My parents hate it. I was always blowing things up when I was little. They were very annoyed when I was expelled from the American Academy they grounded me for six months. They didn't lift it until we got back to England."

"That's what you call an annoyed" he said. If only his uncle grounded him instead of beating him senseless. "I guess my parents would be annoyed if I did that at school... If they were still alive"

"About that" she began "They're legally my parents but not, oh what's that stupid word. This is why I'll fail science. That's it, biologically"

"You're adopted" he asked.

"Yeah" she nodded "I've always known because I'm significantly different to my brothers. Some horrible and sad thing happened and my parents died so I couldn't go back and I was sent to the summers. They've been amazing and understanding. But I wish I could remember my real parents"

"You and me both" he sighed not knowing they had more than this in common.

"But I know who they were" she continued "And I am proud to be their daughter" He looked at her expectantly. "Lily and James potter."

"What!" he exclaimed viciously choking on a chip "Tell me this is a sick joke. I was an only child"

"No you weren't and you're not" she shook her head "on the night our parents died I was in the attic. They don't know why. I was probably hiding from them up there. That's why I'm not in the books. No one knows about me because he didn't try to kill me so I'm completely irrelevant."

"So you're my sister?" He looked at her.

"Twin sister" she nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me before? Like the day we met?" He asked

"My adoptive mum told me not to" she sighed "We're meant to stay apart. We're not meant to know about each other but my adoptive parents let slip. I was sent here because our aunts protection could only cover you because you're the one he tried to kill. I could easily be traced here because I have the trace on me, I always have obviously. So everywhere I went I could be traced but aunt petunia protects you because of our mums sacrifice. She threw herself between you and you-know-who and the curse intended for you killed her instead. She made the ultimate sacrifice for you, for us. Her sister shares the same blood and it has mums protection but it only protects you because he tried to kill you and not me. The protection I think masks your trace when you're with her so you can't be traced. I wouldn't be safe if I was living in the same house as you, and neither would you."

"When did you find out?" He asked

"Last year. After the third task of the tri-wizard tournament" replied Gabrielle "You were all over the prophet and my adoptive parents saw me reading about you so they sat me down and told me what had really happened to our parents and that you were my brother. At first I thought they were making it up but they showed me this letter from the headmaster of Hogwarts, Dumbledore. I was shocked. They explained everything to me. I was in tears by the time they finished. Then you showed up at stonewall this year. My dad found out, he's on the board of governors that's why you ran into me that day. I wasn't there early. I was there so I'd see you. They told me to keep quiet but I just couldn't anymore. You're my twin brother and I don't care what they say. You deserve to know. I know this Dumbledore is going to be annoyed with me because he told my adoptive parents not to tell me and when they did he told them that I couldn't tell you for your own protection."

"Seriously when I get my hands on that man" said Harry, his feelings of total abandonment returning. "We'll be having words. Serious words. I haven't heard from him in months"

"I hated keeping it a secret that's why I told you. You're my brother and lying to you, keeping it from you all this time, felt wrong." Said Gabrielle

"All I ever wanted was a sibling, a real sibling because I do not consider Dudley a brother in any way" said Harry "I consider him a big bully who made my childhood a misery. This feels weird"

"Yeah it does actually" she giggled slightly "Oh and I read in the prophet that Dumbledore abdicated the heads post at Hogwarts or as the prophet put it 'dangerous and deluded headmaster abandons post"

"I haven't had a copy in ages" said Harry "They won't send it to me anymore. Because they hate me"

"You can have my copy. I've finished with it now" said Gabrielle "Dumbledore isn't deluded though. He's wise and powerful."

"You haven't met him though" said Harry "He can be great and incredibly wise. He basically rescued me from my aunt and uncle when I was eleven. But he can also be inconsiderate and a bit odd. You'd probably like him if you met him though"

"I have" she replied "My adoptive parents wrote to him after we moved back to England about me going to Hogwarts. He said no so my adoptive parents demanded to know why so he came to our house and they talked for ages. I met him then. We talked and he said I couldn't come to Hogwarts for my own safety. And that there were no spaces. But I'm guessing it was just to keep us apart. And then he talked to my adoptive parents for ages. My little brother was fascinated by him and asked him if he could go to Hogwarts. He laughed and said no. My older brother was like who the hell is that weird old man and why is he wearing a dress?"

"I have wondered that myself" Harry laughed slightly "But by now I just accept it. I accept a lot of things I think"

"What is Azkaban? You said you'd tell me" she asked inquisitively.

"It's the wizard prison. Our godfather was locked up there for twelve years before he escaped" replied Harry.

"Wait what?" She frowned "We have a godfather?"

"Yeah his name is Sirius black, he was our dad's best friend" Harry nodded "He was convicted of murdering a bunch of muggles in broad daylight. He was framed by one of our dads other friends, this Peter Pettigrew. He's out now, on the run because Pettigrew escaped so we couldn't clear him. The dementors were going to suck out his soul. Apparently it's worse than death"

"That's horrible" Gabrielle gulped "I want to meet him though. What's he like?"

"He's ok" Harry smiled "He's an animagus, a wolf. He cares about me. We write to each other often. I miss him. He was a real troublemaker when he was at Hogwarts, like our dad"

"I bet he'd be in fits if I told him about blowing up a dormitory" said Gabrielle.

"He would be yeah" Harry laughed "He'd probably praise you"

"I can't believe that skinny woman with a face like a horse is our mum's sister" said Gabrielle

"No I can't either. Everyone always tells me how nice our mum was and then I go home to aunt Petunia and she's a cold-hearted piece of work. It's hard to believe they're related." Agreed Harry

When he left he was shocked. He walked home, his mind going round in circles trying to wrap his brain around the fact that she was his twin sister. It was a lot to take in. He went home and found his Aunt in the kitchen and Uncle Vernon nowhere in sight. "Why didn't you tell me I have a twin sister?" he asked.

"We were told not to" replied Aunt Petunia.

"Yeah that excuse" Harry scoffed "I had a right to know that I have a sister!"

"We were told we weren't allowed to tell you for your own safety" said Aunt Petunia. "Professor Dumbledore from that school for people like you told me I was never allowed to tell you. He said that it was for your own protection. Both of you."

"Why did he split us up in the first place?" Harry demanded. He was so confused and angry by it all he just didn't know how or what to think. He could feel his body tensing up. All he wanted was answers.

"My sister threw herself between you and him" Aunt Petunia began "When she did so it resulted in some kind of protection for you and only you. It couldn't protect Gabrielle because she wasn't there when it happened. So he had to split you up. You know now"

"Yeah fifteen years after the fact" Harry grumbled angrily. He heard the front door shutting and stood there not sure what he should do. "What are you doing boy?" Uncle Vernon's voice startled him.

"Nothing Uncle Vernon" he replied "I was just talking to Aunt Petunia about something that's all"

"What?" he demanded.

"Nothing significant" Harry responded adamantly.

"We've finished now haven't we Harry" she said "Go upstairs and head to bed"

"Yes Aunt Petunia" he nodded. He headed upstairs.

They embraced their twininess and bickered like normal twins. Then the truth came out to their friends. "Hey Gabrielle" said Kyle "Georgie thinks you fancy Harry. Do you?"

Harry and Gabrielle cracked up with laughter. "What are you two laughing at?" Georgie asked.

"I don't fancy Harry" Gabrielle laughed. "That's against nature and so wrong in so many ways"

"What are you talking about?" Georgie gave a confused look. "Why would it be wrong?"

"He's my brother!" Gabrielle laughed "my twin brother"

"What!" Georgie exclaimed "That makes no sense"

"It's a long, complicated story" said Harry. "But basically our parents died when we were babies and we were adopted by different people. I went to live with our aunt and uncle and she went to live with the summers. We haven't known about each other that long"

It took a while for their friends to get their heads around it but in time they did. But for Harry it wasn't actually as easy as it seemed…

Sorry for the lengthy delay in updating. I have been working on other projects recently. Also I started sixth form in September and having been settling in in and getting used to it after having a year off. Thanks for waiting. Hope you enjoy" R&R