Disclaimer: see chapter 1
"This Hogwarts thing must be serious business." Said Persephone from her bed. She had been feeling weak all morning but was starting to feel better.
"Maybe we shouldn't go." Said Harry quietly. Everyone stared at him like he was crazy and he began to feel very self-conscious.
"What?" said everyone at once. Galatea had been the only one of them to attend Hogwarts so far and she had regaled them with stories of the castle, great hall, and classes. That combined with the stories their parents told had made them very excited about the whole thing.
"Well, father is upset." Said Harry looking at them floor
"They were all upset, you were there." Said Portia. She didn't want to go without her brother and she was prepared to shrink him down and put him in her trunk if he refused to attend.
"I just don't want him to be upset with me. He saved me, remember?" said Harry
"Why?" asked Persephone. She hadn't been informed of the exact details of where he came from but she never asked. She knew that he had been raised but his mother's muggle sister and he had run away but she didn't know why.
"What do you mean?" asked Harry
"Why did he save you?" asked Persephone sitting up. She suddenly felt much better and didn't feel like eating. She always felt better until she ate.
"Because he's their father. Our father…well my father…your…I'll just stop talking now." Said Galatea
"Because the people who used to take care of me, the Dursley's , weren't good people. One day I ran away and he found me."
"Why were you even with muggles in the first place? Not to pry." Said Persephone. Now everyone was looking at Harry. This was a question which had been burning in the back of their minds and now that they were older it was time to ask it. As children they always assumed that it had something to do with the war which had decimated their population.
"Because…he said that I had to be hidden because people would try and kill me." Said Harry
"Kill you?" said Galatea. She being older knew a little more about the war than the rest of them but she had read that all of the death eaters had been captured and tried by the outside ministry.
"Because of my scar." Said Harry pushing up hid bangs.
"It's like mother always said; outsiders spend most of their lives chasing after things they don't need and ignoring what they do." Said Portia getting up and going to the book shelf. She rooted through everything until she found the book Galatea had been looking through earlier. Hogwarts was exciting but finding a way to help her cousin was more important.
"What are you looking for?" asked Persephone finding strength enough to get out of bed. Galatea and Harry helped her walk to the soft chair next to the large bookshelf. They set a gas lamp down next to her as Portia began to flip through the book.
"Are we done prying into Harry's personal life?" asked Galatea getting the book about the Grimorum Acronorum off the shelf.
"I wasn't prying!" said Persephone crossly
"Looked like prying to me." Said Galatea
"Exactly like prying." Said Portia as she walked over to the heavy drapes that covered the window
"I was most certainly not prying! Harry, was I prying?" said Persephone
"Just a bit but I didn't really mind." Said Harry. He did mind and now he had many questions for his father. These were questions he was afraid to ask. He wanted to know exactly why his scar had come to be and why his mother was raising him without his father.
"You're too tolerant of us." Said Galatea taking some parchment out for notes and things she thought she might need for Hogwarts
"We're a family, we have to tolerate each other." Said Harry
"The grown-ups don't seem to be tolerating one another too well." Said Portia as she heard her father scream at everyone to stop panicking.
"Well, most of us are very tolerant of each other." Said Harry uncomfortably as he heard his father crying.
"Tell that to all of our relatives that either ran away to Bermuda or India." Said Galatea
"Some went to Europe or the outside but I think that dark wizard got them." Said Portia alternating her view from the drapes to the book in her hand.
"We'll consult the Pettigrew family tree later. Portia, what are you doing with the drapes?" asked Galatea
"This book says that the particular kind of light allergy that they say Persephone has clears up on its own with magical children or can be help with exposure to small doses of sunlight for many years." Said Portia pointing to a passage she outlined in the book. It was then that they noticed that the book she was holding was much nicer than the others in the room.
"Let's talk to mother about this later. They sound upset down there." Said Persephone as she heard the adults being reprimanded by Peter's old governess.
"Do you think Aunt Addie will leave?" said Galatea as she pressed her ear to the floor and listened to what was going on. The others did the same.
"I don' think so, she seems happy with father." Said Harry as he tried to get his glasses to stay on as he tilted his head to the floor
"She hates Aunt Margareta." Said Portia
"Why is that? Aunt Margareta seems alright when she's not upset." Said Harry
"I don't know, something about her childhood or something. Now be quiet everybody I can't hear anything anymore." Said Galatea as the fighting below them grew quiet. They stayed that way until Paulette opened the door.
"Eavesdropping is rude. You children should know that by now." Said Paulette taping her foot. Everyone sheepishly got up and stood before Paulette's stern gaze.
"Sorry ma'am." They all said at once
"You are forgiven. Children, everyone but Persephone will come down stairs with me. Your parents have summoned you." Said Paulette as she motioned for them to follow her. Persephone watched them disappear down the darkened corridor. She walked over to the drapes and opened them a crack. Persephone shielded her eyes as the crack of light shown though but she tentatively but her hand in the light. It didn't hurt.
"I still say it's a bad idea." Said Peter as he sat nervously in his chair pouring himself a glass of dragon whiskey
"You'd know a lot about bad ideas, wouldn't you brother?" said Margareta as she took the glass from him
"Don't' you talk to my husband that way!" said Addie snatching the glass back. Paulette kept the children in the hallway while this was happening but they could hear everything.
"I'll talk to my brother anyway I so choose." Said Margareta taking the glass back
"Can I please have my drink back?" asked Peter tentatively
"No, it's nine thirty in the morning." Said Margareta and Addie at once
"Well, I'm very stressed about this entire thing." Said Peter
"We all are. What if something happens?" asked Peter feeling his forearm
"Nothing will happen." Said Addie putting her hand on his shoulder
"Did you suddenly become a seer?" said Peter leaning back worriedly. He knew that they had to go as to not arose suspicion.
"No but I love you and I have confidence in our children." Said Addie holding him close and making the flowers on her dress pattern get crushed.
"Child." Said Margareta. Addie and Peter glared at her but said nothing. Their looks said everything and she felt guilty about what she said.
"The children are here." Said Paulette before it could go any further. The adults quickly looked happy and the children were confused by what they just heard. They said nothing and took a seat in front of the adults.
"You will all be attending Hogwarts at the end of the summer. Your supplies will be purchased in Diagon Alley and you won't mention me or Harry's origin. You all know what would happen if you did." Said Peter getting it all out quickly.
"We understand." Said Portia as she smiled. She was happy that they would both be going to Hogwarts and not school on the island. The island school was boring and gender segregated but Hogwarts was going to be the most fun she was ever going to have in her life.
"Good. Any questions?" asked Peter hoping that there weren't any. Addie and Margareta stood there wondering what if anything to say. They both hoped that the children hadn't heard Margareta's comment.
"Why doesn't Persephone ever leave her room?" asked Portia suddenly. Everyone looked at her like she had just dribbled on her shirt.
"Because she's allergic to the light. You children know that." Said Margareta
"Portia thinks she's not." Said Galatea
"Portia thinks a lot of things dear. Your sister is very sick and nothing can change that." Said Margareta sternly
"But a book said it could have cleared up on its own by now." Said Portia. Peter let out a sigh of relief at the change of subject. It went unnoticed by everyone except for Harry.
"Well I'll consult a doctor but I won't hear anymore of this. You are all dismissed." Said Margareta as she motioned for them to leave. The left without word and headed back to Persephone's room. They were amazed at the light when they got there and were shocked to see Persephone standing in the middle of it with her eyes closed.