Harry Potter and Big Sister
Chapter 2: With Dursley
Harry Potter couldn't believe his eyes, all those years of disappearance, all those years that he worried sick about his Big Sister and what he could do to save her from the war in the distant land where even wizards never known of, or dreamt about going to find her after he graduated from Hogwarts despite know not where to go, and now, in the most desperate time that his arch-nemesis is back and the peace of wizarding world is at risk, she just returned.
Light from his Lumos spell illuminate the small form of a girl about his age, if judged by her height that was about the same as him that is. (Now that he looked at her after he stood up, she was about an inch shorter than him.) She has a back-length-long purple hair tied into twin tails at the back, matching with her purple eyes that seem to radiate power and wisdom over her suggested age, she wore long-large-sleeve white jacket with big pink ribbons tied at her collar, covering her deep violet shirt and matching short skirt beneath, a black tights and white shoes. Oh, and she carried something that shaped like a walking stick about her height wrapped in bandage along with a small backpack on her back as well.
Even with these costume, Harry still know that the one in front of him is his Big Sister, however, before he could greeted her properly, another thought hit him, or rather, the memories of the fake Mad-Eye Moody from the last semester, what if the person in front of him was someone using poly-juice to mimic her? How can he was so sure that the person in front of him really true Big Sister?
Seems he kept musing to himself for too long, because the girl in front of him frowned, while tapping her right foot and fold her arms, the same posture when he annoyed her when he was 8, then asked in the same weird accent. "Hey, kid, how long you gonna keep me waiting, or rather… how long you gonna let your cousin sleep there?"
Then he realized that, if she really a fake, the one who mimic her or his/her master must've went to great length to find his Big Sister, someone that even Dumbledore, who can told you the Voldermort's whereabouts when the latter went into hiding, couldn't find anything related to her at all, added to the fact that just a moment ago, she just used some spell that no Wizarding world ever known about that was so strong it could bring harms to Dementors, if she really wanted him dead, she could've done so already, especially when he's weak as of now.
Not to mention that, aside from telling other people about her existence and her knowledge about the world at large, he never told anyone what her behavior like at all…
Reaching conclusion that this girl is really his Big Sis, he knelt down at Dudley and grabbed his shoulder, tried to lift him up, only to noticed that the fat boy has been lifted up from another side, arm wrapped around his Big Sis's back, while she looked at him with pity while he looked at her in awe that she could lifted Dudley, who has weight of a small cow, up without problem despite her small frame. "Well? You're going to help me carries this pig back to the pen or not kid?" She asked.
Harry began to think that her tongue seemed to get sharper than the last time he met her, however he know that this's not time to argue, thus he lifted up another Dudley's shoulder and wrapped his arm around his back as same as his Big Sis before replies and snipe her back with word in the process. "I'm going Big Sis… and for the records, that 'pen' stills my home."
His Big Sis scowled at him but didn't speaks anything, and so he went silent as well since it was clear that she seemed upset about something, maybe his conditions and treatment from his uncle and aunt? Only footstep from both of them was heard on their way toward the dark crossroad, with only light from his wand illuminating the way for them.
But when they were about to turn toward the Little Whinging where the No.4 Pivet is located, his Big sister suddenly spoke out. "Hey kid! I just thinking, should I wake him up here? It'll be better for him to at least get some exercise isn't it? Don't worry, I won't fried him, I know how much amp and volt to put into my lightning spell." She added, and as if on cue, her free hand was brought up next to Harry's face, crackled with small blue sparks flying between her fingertips to emphasis what she was talking about.
Harry gulped at the sight he was seeing before shook his head. "No, Big Sis, don't, I've just got into a big trouble just by defending myself against those Dementors you fried earlier, and what's this Big Sis? You can use magic, are you a witch as well?" He asked in the last sentence, looking at her inquisitively.
Big Sister lowered her hand, sparks stopped crackle, her lip tightened, her purple eyes stared into his emerald orbs, before she muttered loud enough for him to hear. "So, that thing called Dementors… very unnatural as if they're constructs of malice, but then again has solid form that could be harm, how else it could lift someone up?" Then she directly spoke with him. "For the last two question, if by 'witch' you means 'the person who can wield magic' then of course, yes and yes."
"Then how come you never tell me about it seven years ago?" Harry couldn't stopped himself from asking it, due to the stress from getting cut off from magical world and from his friends for so long led to such outburst, and earning a glare from his Big Sister as if he was just asking something stupid and unreasonable, which made all his negative thought, the feeling that need to vent frustration screeched to a halt instantly.
"If I told you back then, will you actually believe me?" Big Sister asked coldly.
"Er…" Harry thought for a second, imagined himself back to that day, which a good 3 years before he learned the truth, then shook his head and replied in one word. "No."
"And furthermore, it was oblivious at the time that your society didn't have magic, what's the point of bringing up something existed only in fantasy… well, at least from what you spoke out about 'getting in trouble' earlier, I guess I'm wrong about that part."
Harry silent, all anger vanished in an instant, she did have a point, and he couldn't find a counter argument that will not made him looks like 'idiot who acted out of temper' as his Big Sister phrased it once with disdain, so he decided to hurried his pace a bit to at least get Dudley back home and dump him off his and her shoulders a little faster before any nosy neighbors who loved gossips and rumors which populated this street showed their face out of the window and saw what's going on. He could only hope that they're still busy watching televisions or having dinner and didn't poke their head out.
His prayer fall on the god's deaf ears however, as he approached the No.4 Pivet, one figure was seeing running down the street in his direction, and he grimaced once she rushed passed the lamppost on her way toward them revealing her identity, it was Mrs. Figg who still in her usual nightgown and one hand carrying a large bag full of cat food cans!
Harry then realized that his wand still out and about in his hand, so he tried to put it away into his pocket once he heard her speaks to him "Don't put that away just yet! More of those monsters might still lurk around here! Damn that Mundungus Fletcher for all this!"
His Big Sister glanced at Harry as if to ask if he know what she was talking about, but he shook his head in denial before asking the old lady back. "What do you mean, Mrs…"
However the elderly woman seem to not hear what Harry ask, she continue her rants. "That scumbag went to Leaky Cauldron on his 'business' and says that absent for just a few hours is fine, then look! Dementor! I'll kill him the next time I see him! You must get back to the house immediately, before… wait, what's that girl over there? Get away from her Harry!" She stopped her rants mid-sentence once she noticed his Big Sister, dropped her cat food down the street then do things Harry unexpected to see, she put out a wand and pointed it at his Big Sister!
"Harry, get over here! And you, Drop the Boy Now!" She repeated despite it was clear from her face that his Big Sis is not intimidated in the slightest but she was more like annoyed by the display, which send chill down Harry's spine because he just saw his Big Sis casted a Thunder that completely Fried Dementors which normal wizard could only repelled them away at best earlier! And did not want to see what that 'Galactic-Empire Emperor Thunderbolt' could do to human, witch or muggle.
He prepare to explain when Mrs. Figg took a step closer and get a good look onhis Big Sister's face before asking. "Wait, you're that girl whose Harry was talking about seven years before?"
"Huh?" Harry blinked, looked at Mrs Figg in surprise, because, in his memories, his Big Sister never met Mrs. Figg face to face before… until a moment later, that it sparks up his memories 7 years before, days after she was gone, the last day before he went back to Dursley, he confessed to Mrs. Figg about the girl whom he made friend with, whom he come to looked at as his big sister. It seemed that Mrs. Figg has remembered it quite well. (In fact, he shouldn't be surprised at someone who remembered all her cats and always showed those pictures for him to see.)
Seeing the opportunity to avoid violence, he wastes no time to correct this misunderstanding, and began to explain. "Yes, Mrs. Figg, she's the Big Sister I kept talking about when I was eight… She just returned and well, just sort of saw Dudley and me getting attacked by Dementors on the way here and she decided to help me out."
"So, you're a witch?" Mrs. Figg dropped her wand down, but in her eyes clearly spoke out to Harry that in the light of this revelation she was not amused at all and stared at Big Sister intensely. While the girl who looked no older than teen was mildly annoyed, but still nodded to answer the question.
Seemingly satisfied, Mrs. Figg tucked her wand into the pocket, turns around and started walking back, motioned her head a bit to tell them to follow her, thus both Harry and Big Sis moved while carrying Dudley on their shoulders after her, but thanks to their pace that was much faster, they caught up with the elderly woman in a few minute, before Harry decided to asked her "Mrs. Figg," He called "How long have…"
"…How long have I been a witch?" Mrs. Figg finished his question for him, glancing back at Big Sister then sigh and started telling the truth. "Not actually a witch, I'm a squib."
Harry blinked, remember the eternal-grudge of Argus Filch, the custodian of Hogwarts and then the meaning of the word which used to described someone from the magic family but cannot wield it themselves, along with other slangs and slurs that those 'upper society' of the wizarding world, particularly Voldermort and his Death Eaters, loved to use so much to imply significance of their purity and whether you deserve respect in the magical world or not. Something that he thought not matter to him.
"What exactly is this squib?" His Big Sister asked, reminded him of the theory that Hermione and Dumbledore told him long ago about her, that Big Sis may be of some magical heritage, but is not part of wizarding world, then it hit him that they are, in fact, right about it, and that opened up a lot more questions for him that he wished his Big Sister will answer.
However, he didn't want her to interrupt Mrs. Figg's revelation right now, so he quickly spoke. "I'll explain later Big Sis, about this wizarding world I'm part of…" then turned toward the elder and ask one important question. "Mrs. Figg, if you said you're squib, then why you have wand?"
"It's a fake that Albus gave it to me so I could scare off at least some threats that might come your way if they thought you were the only one wizard in this area." The old woman answered, patting the wand in her pocket wistfully, oblivious that she still wished it wasn't fake then she continue before Harry could speaks. "To answer what you're about to ask me, Albus help put me here to watch over you, but ordered me not to tell you anything, I'm sorry that I wanted to be nicer than what I've done, but if your relatives suspected that you're happy, they wouldn't let you come to my home again."
"Oh…" Harry blinked, seems today is the day of revelation, first, he used magic in the middle of street violating the secrecy law of wizarding world, then his Big Sister come back just in time to saved him from the Dementors with her own magic which she never talked about, and then this fact that his neighbor is someone who has his back during his time in Little Whinging, even it was limited in supports lest the Dursley will work doubly hard to make sure he'll never be happy.
But on the other hand, it also means that he was spy on for his whole life here without him knowing, working for Dumbledore no less. Which made Harry wondered why the elderly Headmaster saw it necessary to send him back to Dursley home every summer if he need to do that much to ensure his safety, wasn't have him somewhere in wizarding world where every magical folks could help him much safer?
From the corner of his eyes, he saw that Big Sis's glare at the back of the elderly woman seems to soften down a little, then harden back to the 'scary warrior' she always had on whenever he upset her in an instant, he was glad that at least, his Big Sis was someone who cared for him without anyone's order, and that she too, did not amused by the revelation about this one bits, but seem to agree to let the elderly woman explain further, thus did not said anything while still walking alongside helping him carrying Dudley to the house.
When no one speaks a thing, Mrs. Figg started her ranting again, particularly, about someone's failed duty. "I still can't believe that bloody Dementors will come out in the middle of muggle area!" Then she turned toward Harry and speaks with him. "I'm quite sure that those monsters' target is you, Harry, since you're the only wizard known to lived here in Little Whinging."
Now his Big Sister also looked at him intensely, purple eyes narrowed down. "What the hell you're doing in this seven years kid? Did you give some king of magic the middle finger so he sends his minions that can give people a nightmare after you?"
"Er…" Harry wasn't sure how to replies his Big Sister, or rather, he don't want to tell her how dangerously close she is to the truth. Still even there're many revealed today, many still left unanswered.
"Well, it seems we finally here" Mrs. Figg voice snapped Harry out of his thought and looking around, only to find that they're indeed in front of the No.4 Pivet Drive, the sight of the house made his heart sink as the weight of Dudley pressed on his shoulder, the Dursley will sure to blame him for what happened to their beloved son no matter how much he tried to defend, and considered about the Dementors that came after him, he'll not surprised that they will throw him out in a heartbeat after he explain to them.
If anything can make Harry's heart sink even lower, then it was Mrs. Figg's next statements. "I've to go now Harry, someone has to contact Dumbledore to tell him what's going on here. Obliviously if the Dementors are running loose like this something very bad is happening. You try to keep your head down until school starts or someone gets in contact with you."
"Wait, you're not going to help…" Harry begin, but his Big Sister interrupted first.
"Of course she can't… doing so is as good as admitted to your relatives that she's related to the magic world they despise of, and you know what will happened..."
Mrs. Figg looking left and right around them, trying to see if any of the nosy neighbors showed up and eavesdropping them or not, before returned to the conversation, she nodded at the girl then replies. "As the girl has told you, doing so means you're not allowed to come to my home any longer, and that will be bad right?" Harry nodded, so the elderly woman looked over to the girl and sigh. "As for you, might as well set the boy down and let Harry carry him home, I doubt that those two will tolerate another folk who know about magic, they're practically medieval when it came to that. I supposed I have the space if you don't mind cats."
But the girl countered calmly. "I'm the witness of what happened there, so I've my parts to explain to them what was going on as well…" Harry swore that he spotted his Big Sis grinned mischievously for a split second, and doubt that what she just said is all that she wanted to do. "As for shelter, I'll see if I can find one around here first, if not, well, I may have to ask for your help." She then bowed toward the elder, showing her gratitude which seems to made those worrisome look on Figg's face soften down a little.
"Stay strong Harry, I'll try to get someone to contact you as soon as possible." Mrs. Figg said her parting word, encouraging Harry, before she began heading back toward her cat-populated house and vanished from their sight.
After all alone with his cousin and a girl, Harry let out a sigh, muttering "Let's get this over with…"
Then both of them slowly carry Dudley toward No.4 Pivet Drive, and then opened the door…
A few minutes later…
Harry's return to No.4 Pivet Drive was as bad as he was expected it to be, with Dudley just barely regained consciousness a moment before being brought indoor, his aunt Petunia's horrified shriek the moment she saw her son, and quickly rushed to her son's side, nearly disregard that there's another guest with him, has not because the girl's calmly telling her to stop and asked her where could she lay the boy down, he was sure that his aunt would've pushed him aside and started fretting over Dudley already instead of slowly guiding the strange girl into the living room like this. Well, Big Sis's choice of clothing, which suggested that she had nothing to do with magical things, certainly helped.
However, the same couldn't be said with uncle Vernon, who rushed down the stairs and once he saw Harry outside the living room, quickly charged in like a bull seeing red fabric, grabbing Harry's neck and pushed him into the living room, much to his aunt's, and Big Sis's surprise.
"What Happened!" The mustache man barked out, his face redden with anger, ignore, or forget the fact that there's guest in his home. "What have you done to my boy!"
Harry tried to pry the giant's hands out of his neck while cried out. "It wasn't me!"
"Vernon stops! We have a guest here!" Surprisingly, his aunt cried out from the sofa Dudley was in, while still fanning her son, with his Big Sis touching his hand to take the pulse and nodded toward the older woman that her son was okay, maybe to stop her husband from doing something embarrassing in front of stranger who happened to just rescue their son.
His uncle's grips weaken once he heard the word 'guest' from his wife, letting Harry free from suffocating, and slowly move toward the exit, it was then that his uncle started his shouting match again while rushed to block the door. "You're not going anywhere until you tell me what happened!"
Harry looked around, seeing that his Big Sister still there, and then one idea popped up in his head, smirking inside his mind, he declared. "We were attacked by the Dementors on the way here!"
Silence reign over the living room of No.4 Pivet Drive, aunt Petunia stopped fanning Dudley, her mouth wide open in shock, eyes glancing toward their guest trying to see if she has some sort of reaction, but so far, from Harry's perspective at least, all he could see is that his Big Sis quirks her eyebrow as in trying to silently question what it is. But what surprise him more is that the reaction of Aunt Petunia, it was clear that she know what the Dementors were.
"What? What the bloody hell are Dementors?" The giant walrus that is uncle Vernon, who's clearly out of the loop, bellowed, his face turning purple when he see that Harry stay silent after the declaration, his hand twitching rapidly as if he wanted to used it to choke the answer out of the boy, only because they have a guest there whom he assumed could simply phone in police the moment violence broke out in the same room prevented that from happening.
But the situation then turn from bad to worse for both parties when his Big Sis suddenly asks all the residence there with an excited tone. "Dementors? Did you speak about those black-cloak-giant-man-that-can-fly-around thingies, then it was probably what I saw…"
Aunt Petunia nearly choked when she heard the girl, she quickly questions her with horrified face. "W… What? Did you see them too? How?"
"Of course, I saw them glided in the air over the street before heading toward these two kids…" Big Sis calmly explained, her finger pointed toward both Dudley, who looks like he need to puke which Aunt Petunia fortunately get a large bowl up next to his face in time to not let them splattered all over the floor, and then at Harry who standing near a chair next to the door as if to tell them who their targets was. "…else how can I found your son and this… Harry? Because I'm curious what they are so I followed them, and instead, I ended up help him carrying your son here."
"Wait, we're straying off the topic here" Uncle Vernon barked, turning his rage toward Harry. "So what did those thing are and what they've done to my son?"
The answer however, comes unexpectedly from his wife, she gasped out with pale face as if telling this will earn her punishment. "They're prison guard… at their… kind… prison" She pointed her finger at Harry as if to tell them what 'their kind' meant to be, startled his Big Sis a little, but she keep silent this time.
"My darling… how did you know?" was all Uncle Vernon could say, before he noticed that someone that's not in their 'family' heard those words as well!
Big Sister surely can't wait for Harry's explanation, that… or she just wanted to mess with him, but with that grin he saw just before they entered the house, he guessed it's the latter when she opened her mouth again. "Huh? I never know that prison guards' duty included flying through the sky looking for a couple of teenage boys who, if your concerns are any indication, wasn't done anything wrong."
Harry could hardly suppressed his urge to snorts at her comments, because he knew too well that Dudley is anything but 'never done anything wrong', but still, considered his uncle's and aunt's soften face, it's clear that she did it to sooth the tensions between them and him.
"No, they aren't, those prison guard I mean, forget what I say, young lady…" Petunia seems to regained her sense about what she just said and quickly try to dismiss it from his Big Sister out of fear that she'll discover things out of ordinary inside this household, but she's not very good at it and stuttered, uncle Vernon look back and forth, trying his best to form some plan to get this guest out of his house without looking heartless toward someone who just saved his son, his face turn purple, his hand shot up to clutch on his head as if it was aching, but it was clear that the damage is already done and they can't do anything to prevent it.
And if the situation can get any worse, then one brown barn owl that slipped into the house from the damaged chimney certainly count!
The sound of fluttering wings of the night avian caught everyone's attention, all eyes focus on not the bird itself, but a parchment it carries along. The owl flied around overhead for a while, before it dove toward Harry and land on the chair next to him, sticking its leg where the parchment tied to out expectantly.
Harry spare one look at the horrified look of aunt and uncle, who was all too aware of the fact that there's one non-magical non-family member inside the same room as them and she saw everything, but they couldn't do anything even shouting at Harry, and then to his Big Sis who tilted her head a little while staring at the owl in question, seeing no other way out, he decided to untied the parchment, which then the owl quickly fly away. He quickly scanned the letter.
Dear Mr. Potter
It comes to our attention that you've casted a Patronus charm at 9:23 PM today in muggle residential area in front of one muggle.
This's the violation of International Statue of Wizarding Secrecy as well as underage magic use. In accordance we are hereby expelled you from Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Ministry representative will come to your residence soon to retrieve and destroy your wand.
And due to you have once received our warning about the violation of International Statue of Wizarding Secrecy before, we're hereby required your presence at Ministry of Magic in 12 August, 9:00 AM for your trial.
Mafalda Hopkirk
Head of Improper Use Of Magic Office
His heart skipped beat, he didn't hear anything that Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia trying to say to his big sister at all, the only thing in his head was that message repeating itself, telling him that he cannot go to Hogwarts anymore… then another thought hit him, he must escape from here right now, before the Ministry representative come and destroy his wand! But before he could put any thought into action, a single hand in black glove snatched the parchment from his grip from behind, coupled with a cried of desperation from both his aunt and uncle made him turn around.
And see his Big Sister reading said parchment… uncared what everyone was saying, her purple eyes skimmed through the entire paper in less than twenty seconds, before she lowered it and looking around, amused expression on her face that make everyone silent in an instant.
"Oh? Underage magic usage?" She looked at Harry, then continues "Well, that explained everything about your display back then… so…" she didn't get to finished the sentence however, because of another barn owl that crashed on the window, prompted Harry to rushed forward and opened it, grabbed another parchment from its leg, then opened it to read a rushed message inside.
Harry
Dumbledore just arrived at Ministry and he's trying to help, do not get out of your aunt, and DO NOT CAST ANY MORE SPELL! DO NOT GIVE UP THE WAND!
Arthur Weasley
"Who send those damn owls here!?" Uncle Vernon bellowed again, seemingly decided that if the girl already witnessed it, then might as well get this over with and asked the girl not to repeat story about this events to anyone again later.
And before he could've answer anything, another owl plowed through the chimney, again with a parchment which the Dursley didn't try to stopped him from getting it anymore. Harry quickly tossed the message from Mr. Weasley aside (He was sure that Big Sis will grab a hold of it again.) and read the next one, disregarding his Big Sis who currently reading the first letter aloud for the Dursley to hear.
Dear Mr. Potter
In addition to our letter about 10 minutes ago, the Ministry has decided that you can still allowed to have your wand until the trial which will be the officially judge on the subject on 12 August.
After discussing with the Headmaster of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Ministry decided that the subject of your expel will also be judged on the same day, so you are considered leave off the study until the trial being held.
Mafalda Hopkirk
Head of Improper Use Of Magic Office
Harry let out a sigh of relieve after he read the last sentence, although he's not off the hook just yet, it's clear that everything about him is up to the trial in 12 August now, but at least it's better than getting expelled from school and magic society outright as the first letter dictated.
"So, does this mean that me and your son…" Voice of his Big Sis, who finished reading the parchment speaks from the sofa, clearly directing to the Dursley. "… are required presence at the hearing too? Since both of us are witnesses aren't we? Else how can they judge things properly? Daydreaming the evidences?"
"I assure you, young miss, that you are not required there, nor so our son." Aunt Petunia denied her opinion, but her voice clearly filled with uncertainty. "Speaking of this, young miss, what's your name?"
However, Harry wasn't paying attention to them as uncle Vernon now move closer to him, his face looming over him while grinning in anticipation. "So, they ordered the destruction of that blasphemy stick! Well, boy, mind if I did it in their stead?"
Harry backed away, before showing letter in his hand. "No, uncle Vernon, the last letter says I'm allowed to keep it until trial."
The walrus man made a face that looked like his customers just dropped off the contract with his company while snatching the parchment from Harry's hand to read it out aloud for everyone to hear, once he finished, it was his Big Sis who remarked with a smirk. "It seems you're quite a good kid at school right, if not, why else Headmaster himself went out of his way to help you like this?"
No one knows how to answer her…
Two hour later…
Harry was back to his room on the second floor, stars are shining in the sky, what little light from the lamppost outside illuminate the gloomy lit room revealing the teenage boy laying on his small bed, around it, scattered throughout the room were mountains of broken toys that once belongs to Dudley, leaving very little space in the room for Harry's own belonging, which isn't that much, a trunk, pile of books that he used to studied at Hogwarts in earlier years, a secret floorboard which he use to kept mementos from his friends, and a birdcage for his snow owl.
A sound of someone snoring echoed from the door leading to the hallway signifying that Mr. and Mrs. Dursley are already asleep, as well as Dudley who still sick and need to rest from whatever nightmare the Dementors forced him to see, fell flat on his bed the moment Aunt Petunia and Big Sis carried him into his room.
His emerald eyes still shot open glancing at the window longingly, waiting for the owl, Hedwig, to return, his thought back at the events and chaos in the living room hours ago which must be an amusing display to remember if not because he was walking on thin ice now.
After Dudley finally regain consciousness, Aunt Petunia question the boy about what happened, and as expected, the 'pig-boy' as his Big Sis called told them about the quarrel he got in with Harry, not in full details, however, instead of went flying in rage like he usually have, Uncle Vernon was surprisingly quiet, maybe because of that letters from Ministry of Magic? Or another red letter, the 'explosive letter' that flew in during Dudley's storytelling which proceed to burst into loud voice of one man directed at Petunia Dursley, reminding something about 'her promise' which silent her for the rest of the Dudley's story.
After it was done, Harry was sure that uncle Vernon now wanted nothing more than throw him out of the house after all these danger he brought forth, even he didn't said it outright in front of Big Sis, however, Big Sis beat him at that by asking if she can find a place to stay around here, citing the reasons that, since she was the witness of what happened, her presence's require at the court of this 'Ministry of Magic' by law, and since she doesn't know where it was, she'll be better staying near and have Harry asked whoever that come to pick him up go and pick her up too.
In the end, after Aunt Petunia wrote her phone number and told her where to find some shelter, she parted. And then, uncle Vernon slumped on the floor, moaning about after that long-winded lecture about lawsuit and whatever for that girl, he's too exhaust to do anything else, the same applied to all the Dursley in general, so they all decided to call it a day, go to change into nightwear and went to sleep within hour, leaving Harry the only one who was awake now.
Harry sighed when there still no fluttering sound of avian wings reached his ears and then turn around and look at the floorboard, because it means that Hedwig, his owl was still out and hunting somewhere, regretfully, in a time where he need to send letter the most, and now must wait for God know how long before he finally able to sleep.
But again, he doubt that after getting attacked by Dementors, being tell that he must presents in court because he cast magic in self-defense against those Dementors, the risk of getting expelled as a verdict, burdened his mind so much that he doubt he could get a sleep at all.
His musing was cut short however, with a knock on the window, Harry blinked on his bed a few time before muttering in annoyance without looking at it. "Finally return huh Hed…" his word died in his mouth because, in addition to his snow-white owl waiting for him to let her in, there's also another person outside as well.
"Yo, is this your pet owl? Wizard sure has some weird sense when it comes to pet huh?" It was his Big Sister that standing there on the rooftop next to the window! She was looking into his room glancing at Dudley's toys with disinterest, but her eyes locked on the trunk, and then his books for a moment before said. "You sure get a new room after learning magic, wouldn't you kid?"
Harry gasped, looking back at the door and tried to hear if any of the Dursley woke up, but so far, the snoring continues so he move to open the window and let two girls, er… an owl and a girl inside.
Big Sis gingerly step in, her feet hit the floor without sound and quickly picked up one book labeled 'Basic Magic' and start to read without Harry's permission, while Hedwig landed on top of her cage, in her beak a dead rat, eyes on Harry as if to ask for praise, but Harry didn't have the mood to do so, in fact, he was upset so much that he nearly yelled at the owl if not because he do not wanted to wake up Dursley, earning a scowl from it, before he put out a letter and practically ordered the owl to not return unless he gets answers.
The owl flew away a moment later carry on his task, then he turn his attention toward another girl in his room, sarcastically remarked. "You know, Big Sis, you should've asked the owner of those books before you pick them up, some people might not appreciate when you snooping around their own room."
Big Sister lowered down the book for her purple eyes to meet Harry's own and said. "But I know you won't mind me picking these up, after all, we're apart for what… seven years, I wanted to know what happened to you during all these time, especially when you get yourself a magic…"
"…When both of us got magic." Harry corrects it, but his Big Sis shook her head and proceeds to tell him. "No, no, didn't you already get answer from me already? I always have magic and know how to use them long before we met, I just didn't tell you because, well at that time I didn't know about this… magic society of yours, so I just played it safe and not telling something that might land me in a hospital or worse, science lab. That's all…"
"That's all… yeah, right…" Harry snorts, earning a disapproving glare from the girl who dropped the book on his bed, folding her arms rubbing her white sleeve jacket as if she was brushing away some dust, which suddenly brings him a question about why she kept wearing that white jacket in the middle of summer, but when he look carefully, she don't even have a single drop of sweat at all while he now still felt something sticky and heat on his skin. And so, he asks his next question. "Why did you still wear that jacket even in the middle of summer, Big Sis? The heat is nearly unbearable for nearly everyone on British Isle as of now you know?"
Big Sis quirked her eyebrow, then she chuckled before replies. "Middle of summer, yeah right kid, you and your folk think this weather is unbearably hot? Try wearing this in the middle of desert, or even better, inside a volcano, and you'll know what 'real hot' mean!" She pointed at her white jacket as if to emphasis her point.
Harry's gulped at the statement, looking at her jacket in horror. "Big Sis, you wear that in the volcano?"
"What's wrong, it's my way to practice, if you trained hard enough, you won't even sweat no matter how hot it is and not freezing over even you travelling in the blizzard, but of course, if you use magic to do so and not good enough, you'll just exhaust yourself within hour." His Big Sister explained, and then mutters. "Still, you should see my friends, they don't even use magic, just pure physical training, they still dropping sweats yes, but they could endure it, heck, I could do the same as them without magic too."
Harry then reminded of her friends that he briefly come to know seven years ago, surprised, he asks. "Did your friends come along as well?"
His Big Sister smile sadly, she shook her head and explaining the details. "They can't, for now… patience Harry…" She raised her hand, gestured the boy who just about to asks to stop first, before continues. "…the point is, my homeland is protected by… if by your book's term, ward… that secluded us from this world, and only those with strong connection to elemental and nature could breach through them, usually a powerful 'wizard' using specific spell that was long lost to our land."
Harry picked up the points and interrupts. "So you uncovered that spell and used it to get here?"
Big Sister nodded. "Indeed, but before you ask, the first time you found me and my friends was a freak accident that has one in a million chance of happening, kind of accidental magic, to put it simply, so no, at that time I have yet to discover how to cast it properly…" She quickly answered before Harry could open his mouth.
"And even with this spell, it still required preparation, powerful artifacts, and ritual to fill magic power into the spells matrix that spanned at least half month, and all of that to send just ONE Person across!" Big Sis continues to explain, half of them Harry couldn't understand, but he still get it that the ward protecting her land must be so strong that even the biggest ritual could only use on just one person, so he's kind of accepted that only Big Sis can come here now.
Speaking of friends, Harry's sighed when his mind ventured toward other schoolmates, Ron and Hermione, who are doing something for quite a while now yet keep it secret from him, even it was oblivious that whatever they're doing involved Voldermort and his gooney in some way, even he was the one who brought back the news of his returns, even he was the one who fought him, they still do not wanted to share the information nor wanted to let him help!
Seems he let his anger and frustration get the better of him enough to show up on his face, because Big Sister suddenly spoke up while sitting next to him, eyes staring at his rage filled face with worry. "What's wrong kid? Don't tell me you got poison from those 'Dementors' thingies?"
Harry didn't speaks, but turned his head away from her, only for her hand to come down on his shoulder and turn him back to face her again before she let out a humph. "Fine, I won't pry, but if you have anything to say, better say it now, because I'm going to borrow these books…" She pointed at the pile of books he used during 4 years in Hogwarts. "…and go back to Mrs. Figg's house, not want to stay up too long, it's not good for human's health you know."
Harry looked at her, still not know what to says, on one hand, he didn't wanted to put a burden of his problems on his Big Sis at all, as much as she is Big Sister in his eyes, she still someone from afar that even Wizarding world never known of, never heard about Voldermort nor his reign of terror, and she definitely not responsible for Ron and Hermione keeping their distance from him and not reveal much about what they are doing or what other are doing lately, nor that even if she know she will be able to help him for that matter…
Still… he glanced at the window, as if expecting Hedwig to return with answer soon, before sighing in resignation, maybe sharing his problem with Big Sis will at least make him feel a little better for letting them out to someone who's willing to listen to him, not to mentioned that he owned her an answer about his magical heritage as well.
And so Harry begins, after he put his Big Sis's hand away from his shoulder. "All right Big Sis, I'll talk. But it's a long story."
Big Sis let out a small smile, as if she was expecting this, she moved toward the wall near the door, dropped her backpack and 'walking stick' at the door and then lean there with her arms folded. "Well, make it short… but not skipped over the important details, so, did your true parents were magical folk, this 'wizard' and 'witch' and had their wills written so you can take the mantle later?"
Harry could've sworn that his Big Sis is more or less has some form of precognition better than… at least Professor Trelawney for how close she could get to the truth every single time. "Yeah, Big Sis, it was something like that, I supposed you can say it all started back when I was a baby…"
Another couple of hours passed before Harry could finally tell his Big Sister all the tales of his life before and after he met her, from the tales about Voldermort's reign and subsequent death of his parents at his hand result in him being dumped here, the discover of his magical heritage just 3 years after she was gone, the enrolling at Hogwarts and every his adventures there. He told her the fight against the Troll, the quest of Philosopher Stone in first year, the fight against Basilisk in the second, the discovery of truth about his parents, Sirius and Wormtail in third year, the Triwizard Tournament in the fourth, the revival of Voldermort, and the denial of Wizarding world about the madman's return along with smear campaign they put in medias to paint him as unreliable, attention seeking boy.
Throughout the story, his Big Sister has yet to interrupt him, not even a single word, not a yawn despite her claim earlier that she wanted to go back to sleep, not even close her eyes, only gesture for him to continue when he stopped and look at her as if expecting comments, but he received none so far, it was like she know that she should let him went out uninterrupted so he could feel better, and feeling better he did.
After he ended the story, his Big Sister stay still, unmoving from the spot she lean on right to her posture, her eyes now closed, deep in thought for almost another fifteen minutes before she finally look at him, who rummage through his belongings, particularly getting some hidden box of fruitcake, the presents from Mrs. Weasley out from the floorboard to eat and offer her some, which she denied with a small smile before speaks. "Well, I've to say that, even though you stuck here during summer, at least you've found a new home, Harry, congratulation on that…"
Harry look down on the cake on his lap with worried look on his face before replies "If I'm to get expelled, then it won't be anymore."
"Heck, and here I thought you have a normal life this whole time, and you enjoyed it." The girl muttered as if she was annoyed by that fact, but if listen carefully, her tone more of a mocking than anything, which make Harry smiles a little at the irony despite the quite desperate situation he is in.
Then she grabbed stood up, looking at Harry's books, then turn to asks "Well? Can I borrow them?"
Harry gave her an approval nod. "Go ahead, Sis, just brings them back before school start at 1st September, that is, if I'm still allowed to go there." He added jokingly.
He couldn't bring himself to called her out why she did not give him advice about what to come at all despite how bleak it is to him, because, after telling her story, he's now calm down enough to think rationally and realized that although his Big Sis knew him seven years ago doesn't mean she know everything, especially something that happened during her stays at her homeland, so it's a given that if she really wanted to help him she has to gather information first, hence why she asked to borrow his book like this.
Big Sister pouted, but said nothing while she was busy collecting four books, specifically in the subject of Charm, Defense against the Dark Art, Transfiguration and History of Magic for first year, dumped them into her backpack which surprisingly can hold all those quite big books inside without problem, or rather, as if it was emptied beforehand. Then she slung it over her shoulders, grabbed her 'walking stick' and head to the opened window.
But when she was about to step out onto the roof, she stopped and looked back at Harry before she asks him one last question for that night. "Well, Harry, not even say 'Good night' at all? Please say my name, hope that this seven years apart and you won't butchered my name like that again." She winked at him in the last part.
Harry grimaced at the mention of his horrible attempt to spell her name in the past, however right now he was confident that he can do it right, so he looked at her, and says his parting word as requested. "Good night, Big Sis A…."
Smile grew wider a little on Big Sis's face once he correctly spoken her name, she then returned the parting word. "Good night too, Harry…" and jumped nearly twenty feet up in the air causing Harry to quickly dashed to the window and look out toward the small frame of Big Sis gliding through the night sky, slowly dropping attitude down on the lamppost opposite to Dursley's home, then jumped again toward the next lamppost and the next, until she was out of sight.
Harry let out a sigh of relieve and close the window because he doubt that Hedwig will return soon, jumped back on his bed and fell into a dreamless asleep…
The next day was not in chaos like Harry initially thought, even when Big Sis, dressed in the same outfit as yesterday, came back to visit and discussing with Dursley family about Harry's trial in the afternoon, trying to convince that Dudley should come with them as witness to defend Harry as well, but it was clear that the obese boy has no intention to go anywhere near Ministry of Magic which populated by, of course, 'Freak people' as his uncle called it thanks to the painful memories he had with them, while both Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia tried their luck at convincing his Big Sis to reconsider going there on the ground that she was not mature enough for the hearing yet, and due to that they will dismiss her claim in trial and the same could be said about Dudley too, surprisingly out of good will, or they just wanted to repay the debt they owed with her, Harry didn't know.
Until Big Sis pointed out that she was 22 already and thus she was mature enough, that they stopped their persuasion and let her go, however they still against her decision.
"It's not that I'm fascinating with them, Mr. Dursley" Big Sis explained to Uncle Vernon who protested of her reading Wizarding world's law book, well, what amount that she could found in his now borrowed 'History of Magic' at least, out aloud for all of them in the living room to hear and take notes. "But how can you be so sure that one day we won't get dragged into such situation that we need this knowledge? I mean lawsuit of course. If these 'Witch and Wizard' are among us, are you sure that your customers are not one of them?"
Her reasons were perfectly valid and undeniable to an extent, thus also perfect for shutting them up, for a while, that is.
They continued this routine for that entire day, until the change came in the form of a letter stated that the Dursley won jackpot of some kind, but their presence are required to verify the claim within today, thus, they locked their house up, with Harry within his own room, and rushed out after lunch, just before his Big Sis come to discussing those 'freak's laws' as they put it, again.
Not that Harry has anything to says or complain in that matter, after all, they said that they would come back about in late-midnight due to the distance, they're not locking him in their house alone for week without food anyway, and he already felt that he was locked up from the beginning already, locked away from magical world of his, from his friends…
He musing on his bed in the afternoon was cut short when a knocking sound came from the window, looking up, he saw his Big Sis standing on the rooftop in her usual garments (He wonder if her wardrobe consisted only one kind of uniforms, or she just never take them off since she arrive, but restrained himself from asking her.) and backpack, arms folded with an annoying look on her face glaring at him, which made him jumped out of bed in panic that some neighbors might saw her as thief, or worse, see her as some secret of Dursley's wanted to keep and started gossiping, which will surely land both of them in big trouble!
So he opened the window and motioned her to quickly come in, which she complied.
Once she was inside and out of any prying eyes of neighbors, Big Sis asked, her eyes narrowed at him with displeasure seems to originated from the locked front door which likely forced her to jumped up here instead, or so Harry thought. "What is it this time kid? Now they decided to lock you up in their house and went on vacation instead of asking Mrs. Figg to take care of you?"
"Er, no Big Sis, it's kind of they still upset about those problem I landed them in, and they just go out for a day, it's not like I'm going to starve off with just one day right?" Harry explain, averted his eyes from her gaze. "They said they won a prize and the one who give them are kind of paranoid against frauds so they need the winners themselves to verify their claim in person at their office, they just left about hour before you come here Sis." He added.
Big Sis's eyebrows started twitching, looking at Harry intently before she asks next question. "And did you see the date on that letter? Where did this 'office' located?"
Harry shrugged before replies "No idea, but it must be quite a distance away, because they told me that they'll be back around late mid-night, maybe 2 in the next morning."
And then His Big Sister let out a curse for the first time he ever known her. "Damn it! Why I don't see this coming?" before she quickly rushed back to the window, opened it and peak her head out, watching around the Pivet Drive, no, glaring at the entire avenue as if she expected to see something that doesn't meant to be there, searching around for nearly one minute before she closed the window, walk back to his bed and sit on it, hand on her eyes as if she has a headache.
"Er, Big Sis?" Harry still doesn't get what made his Big Sis turned up like that. Until she looks up at him with eyes that looks like she just saw impending doom coming and couldn't do a thing about it that he realized what she might thinking about and assure her. "There're ward around this house, Professor Dumbledore once told me it'll keep me from harm, I think there's nothing to worry about…"
"I sensed the ward, the magic in this house that was some kind of protection spell too, Harry… it may keep you from harm the PAST, yes, but now no!" She quickly shot back, lifting her finger up front as to point out the fact. "Looking this way, Harry, a prize that required presence of the winner in their office might make sense, only when you give the winner enough time to get there, or can cleared their schedule so they could go, which is oblivious NOT this case, and your cousins… even you! fall for it!"
"What if it was just misunderstanding or the post has been late to deliver message?" Harry shot back, clearly not amused by his Big Sis's sudden paranoid.
However, the girl shook her head and proceeds to counter him. "Kid, I've fought in a war since we first met, one did not survived such long and horrible conflict without developing some sorts of sense to recognize approaching danger before it actually happen! And before you ask, no, this is not 'Divination' like the subject you studied, it's a honed and refined skills that those who wished to survive in a war zone were forced to master!"
"…" Whatever reasons Harry wanted to use in an argument stopped dead when she reminded him that she was a war veteran, not fifteen year old teenager despite her look, but he still asks. "But the ward…"
"Harry, if they went out of their way to lure your relatives away and isolated you here, then it means that this ward means nothing to them, or that they know how to breach it! It won't save you this time now!" Big Sis raised a good point, which, he couldn't deny at all.
Harry slumped down on his bed, next to where his Big Sis was sitting, before asking her "Then, what should we do?"
Big Sis grinned, patted her gloved hand on his messy black hair, rubbing them, causing him to sprang up and look at her in annoyance that she treated him like a child and voiced out exactly what he thought. "Big Sis, this is not time for this!" He whined.
Big Sis let out a small giggled, withdrawing her hand from his head before she says. "Well, you asked me what to do, so I'll tell you Harry…" her face then suddenly turned serious. "Go to bed, and sleep now!" She pointed her finger at the pillow to emphasis her order.
"What?"
Big Sis stared at his questioning look for a moment, before explained her reason in details. "These people will likely be your kind, since that's the only kind of people that you may or may not have upset in the past, discounting your relative of course…" She snickered at the mention of Dursleys. "…and since they tried to keep their magic secret to the population at large, even go so far as trial you for casting them next to even that pig of a cousin in self-defense, so luring your relatives out…"
"So they don't have the Ministry heading this way the moment the fight breaks out since there was no muggles to witness that!" Harry concluded.
Big Sister nodded. "But, even with your relatives gone, it's still day time and people are all awake and aware." She gestured toward the window. "So they'll come at night, that's why I ordered you to take a nap for this afternoon, I'll wake you up when it's dark."
Harry complied with her and thus taken out his glasses and lay it at his bedside, then slumped his body down on his bed, head on pillow, while Big Sis moved out of it and sat on the floor, dropped back books she borrowed on the pile of his year one books, then picked up one book of the second year to start reading. It was then that Harry realized something and called her "Wait, Big Sis!"
She looked up from the book titled 'Book of spells', her angry purple eyes that shot at him and her stiffen lip clearly speaks that she was not pleased with his disobedient, something that she never displayed before. "What?"
"Why you don't get to sleep as well?"
"If you ever fought in the battlefield like me and my friends, there will be the time that you must awake for entire week straight without even a nap, or your enemies will get the drop on you at the moment you did that! And to us, it' not once or twice, I lost count already how many times I have to do that!" She replies. "Just one or two days are not that much of a concern to me."
Harry gulped at the sheer torture his Big Sis went through in the 'war' at her homeland, he hope that this war with Voldermort wills not escalated to that scale, he doubt he or any of his friends are ready for that.
"Besides…" the girl continues "I've to studies what your kind can do, as much as I can, so I can prepare appropriate countermeasures."
"I see…" Harry nodded weakly in his bed.
"Then Shut your mouth, Close your eyes and Sleep NOW! That is my Order!"
"Yes, Mom…" Harry muttered, closed his eyes and then went down into a sleep, where he dreams of the long corridor without end. While in the real world, his Big Sis was sitting at the floor, reading silently…
Author Note: The ritual in question I'm kind of made up based on Galactic Gate in video game "Total Annihilation", particularly the function of it which existed in the game manual.
And so, anyone knows now who this 'Big Sister' is? As I said, she's not self-insert Original Character. She's one from some works which I have yet to identify it for you.
Well, I'll narrow it down a bit, she was from a game. But which, and what, don't ask, this is all I'll give you a hint