When Leandra and Harry finally reached Leandra's room, they entered and Leandra went to get her suitcase from under her bed.
Leandra started packing her things while Harry stood awkwardly to the side. Once in a while, she asked him to fetch her something from her desk, and he'd happily obligue.
-So- Harry tried conversation while passing her the hairbrush - What has it been like for you this past few years? Cuz for me, it has been awful with aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon.
Leandra froze for a nanosecond. 'We have family?' she thought briefly before deciding not to make a big deal of it.
-Oh, really? How bad was it?- she asked.
-Awful- he admitted - They made me live in the cupboard under the stairs.
At that, Leandra let her mask drop.
-I beg your pardon?!- she squeaked, her eyebrows shooting up.
-Yeah- Harry continued- No one believes that one the first time I say it, don't worry. They also made me cook for them and then eat only the rests. And do all their chores while they sat around watching TV- or the neighbours, for aunt Petunia.
The shrug and shuffling of his feet told Leandra there was more to it.
-I am suddenly very grateful I didn't get to meet that side of the family- Leandra still had both her eyebrows high in her forehead.
-Yeah, you were lucky about that- Harry's face dropped before turning to her with a smile once more- But what was it like around here?
-It was good- Leandra explained, feeling bad about the benefits she had been given for no apparent reason - In the house at least.
-What do you mean by that?- Harry asked, his expression changing to concern.
'Has he not just admitted to being abused by his own family?' Leandra thought 'How has he not developed a thicker mask than this?' She donned on her own mask of indifference she had learned from many years standing up from Jackson and the boys' so called "pranks". She personally called them "murder attempts from young psycopaths".
-There were some people in school, some boys- she admitted- They weren't the nicest.
-Did they beat you up?
-Yes. - she forced a smile - They did.
'They also threw me out a window once. And tried to feed me to the school's dogs when I was six. How did Emily even think something as harmless as a letter could come from Jackson and his pack?'
-I'm so sorry that happened- Harry really looked apologetic.
-It wasn't your fault- Leandra turned to him trying for a brighter smile.
Harry looked so white at the sight that she dropped it instantly. They resumed the packing.
-You don't have to pretend you're fine in front of me, you know?- Harry said after a while- We're siblings. We should get to know each other better.
Leandra stopped what she was doing and sat herself at the foot of the bed she had always used.
-I'm sorry- she sighed, looking up at her brother- I'm not used to trusting people around my age. The only person my age I really ever trusted was Emily and even she...- Leandra couldn't speak anymore.
Harry sat down beside her and put one arm around her shoulders in a side hug. Leandra let her head fall on his shoulder. One minute passed. Two minutes passed. Leandra, who had been crying silently in hopes her brother wouldn't notice, sobbed and almost cursed it. Harry tightened his embrace and kissed her head. They sat like that until Leandra stopped crying.
-This is so embarrassing- she said, sitting back straight, and cleaning her eyes- I don't really... You see, I didn't mean to... Let's just finish packing.
Harry nodded.
Once they were finished packing (which took them about one more hour of silence interrupted with "pass me that"s), they went downstairs, where everyone was still silently waiting. Briefly, Leandra wondered how they entertained themselves while she and Harry were off packing her luggage. Judging by the state of the eyes of both her parents, she supposed it hadn't been pleasant.
-Come on- Snape urged, immediately standing up- If we hurry up we might get to The Leaky Cauldron before rush hour. I don't want your first interaction with the wizarding world to be so... awfully crowded.
Mr. and Mrs. Walker rushed to embrace the girl they would always call daughter. Between a lot of tears, mostly from Mrs. Walker (though Leandra could swear Mr. Walker looked teary eyed himself), they exchanged promises of letters and phonecalls (something they would rather bitterly find out was impossible). When they finally separated, Snape was looking positively grim. Looking between her newfound godfather and her so-called best friend, Leandra decided she couldn't waste too much more time.
She quickly embraced Emily before letting the man pull her out the house, her luggage in Hagrid's hand.
-You'll love the wizarding world- he commented, urging Leandra out the door - There's teary goodbyes around every corner. Especially at Malfoy' parties.
He let go of Leandra's shoulder once they reached the end of the street. She and Harry fell into step together behind the two adults. Hagrid and Snape were conducting them through the streets of London. The twins walked in comfortable silence. At some point, Leandra reached out for Harry's hand, overcome by a strange feeling at the pit of her stomach.
A few turns after that, Snape and Hagrid stopped at a dead-end.
-This should do just fine...- Snape looked around, making sure there was no one in sight - Mister Hagrid, grab the children.
Hagrid did. After that, Snape reached out for him. After that, Leandra doesn't know the technical term for what they did, but she can very well describe the feeling. She got sucked, bellybutton first, into a pit of cold numbness for a second, to then be sucked out of said pit with brutal force, again, by her belly button, into the world, all the feelings of a car ride with too many turns hitting her at once.
A few deep breaths latter, Leandra dared moving her head. Harry was on by the side walk, ahead of her, throwing up his breakfast. She quickly looked away. Her eyes landed on the outstretched hand of professor Snape.
-I don't mean to insult you, Miss Potter, but you look like you could use some help getting up from the floor- he said.
Realizing she had indeed been sitting on the floor, Leandra took the professor's hand, whom quickly pulled her to her feet before taking a bottle from his pocket.
-I don't think your brother there- he nodded towards the still vomiting Harry- trusts me enough, probably because Mister Hagrid has already told him how much of a snake I am- he snorted at what Leandra thought must have been a joke, although she did not understand it- But I do hope you and I can develop some kind of trust Miss Potter. We will be living together after all. Would you take a potion to relieve the nausea?
Leandra nodded taking the bottle from the professor's hand. It tasted awful, and she would have ended up like her brother, had it not soothed her stomach instantly.
-A snake, sir?- she asked.
-Call me uncle Severus, please.
-Only if you'll call me Leandra.
Uncle Severus almost smiled.
-Yes, a snake- he answered- It means I got sorted into Slytherin when I went to Hogwarts.
-What is Slytherin?
-I'll tell you all about it once we finish shopping- he promised- For now, let's try to get through today keeping everyone out of more trouble.
They both made their way to the still crouched form of Harry, whom Hagrid was consoling. The boy took the fizzy water bottle the gigantic man offered him.
-Are we ready to go, Mister Hagrid?- uncle Severus asked, his head turned to the boy who was gulping water like he had just come out of a desert.
'Seriously,' Leandra thought 'he's a sweetie but has he no brain? He should be taking the water little by little, this way he's gonna-' Harry interrupted her train of thought with a new loud wave of sickness. He had the decency of muttering a quick sorry, before being handed another bottle by Hagrid, which he proceeded to treat himself to with equal passion 'He really has no brain, does he?'
Hagrid nodded, a third bottle already in hand. Leandra wondered briefly why he hadn't shown her the same treatment. She quickly dismissed the thought upon her brother's third wave of vomit. He surely needed it more than her.
-Don't gulp the water down, Mister Potter- uncle Severus sounded almost amused at the spetacle - It clearly doesn't work the way you want it to.
Harry, despite the fueled glare he sent the professor's way, followed his advice. Not surprisingly, there was no vomiting after that.
They fell into step like they had near the Walker's until Hagrid and uncle Severus directed them into a practically hidden door. They had entered a very crowded pub. There was a significant amount of witches and wizards all around, sitting at tables having lunch, some already drinking their fill. An old man with an hunched back was at the counter, calling out lunches and distributing drinks to the customers.
-Where are we?- Harry asked.
-We're at the Leaky Cauldron- Hagrid said.
The old man spotted Hagrid.
-The usual, Hagrid?- he called.
-Thanks, but no, Tom. I'm here on business- Hagrid answered with a smile, walking his way to the counter- Although, if you have a place to seat, the four of us wouldn't mind having lunch.
He then pointed at Harry, Leandra and uncle Severus.
-For Merlin's beard!- Tom exclaimed with an hand on his bold head- Harry Potter in my pub! I didn't think I'd live to see this!
People were starting to stare and gather around them.
-Pleasure to meet you, Mister Potter- someone said shaking his hand.
Someone pushed Leandra out of the way.
-Thank you for saving us.
After much pushing and elbowing (and many people presenting themselves to Harry), Leandra found herself being introduced to her Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. He was a short man with a turban covering his head. Professor Quill, if she had heard correctly. He was shaking and stummering a lot, it was hard to make out any words.
10 minutes later, they finally managed to get seated at a table. And although many people openly stared, after uncle Severus had barked out orders about leaving them alone, no one dared come close.
-I told you were famous, Harry!- said Hagrid- Even professor Quirrel was trembling for meeting you. Though, he's always trembling nowadays.
-He's famous!?- exclaimed Leandra.
-Yes- answered Snape, a cold edge to his voice.
-Am I famous too?- asked Leandra, pointing at herself.
-But of course not! Only one of you could have defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named - laughed Hagrid.
Leandra could swear uncle Severus had muttered "lions", before gesturing to Mister Tom to give them all some fish and fries.
-How do you know he is the one that defeated that person?- Leandra tilted her head- Who even is that person?
-He's the man that killed your parents- answered Hagrid, his smile fading- Lovely people, your mother and father... He tried to murder you both too, but your brother saved you, and the rest of the wizarding world! He even has the scar to prove it!
At that, Harry lifted his hair away from his forehead, showing off his lighting scar.
-I've got one of those too- Leandra tilted her head more significantly and pointed at her own scar.
-Well... - Hagrid struggled with his hands, as if he was trying to fish a concept out of the air, and it kept slipping through his fingers- Yes, but you see, Harry was sleeping when I went to get you, you were awake... Only someone who had just saved the world could be exhausted enough to sleep after watching their mother be murdered...
Uncle Severus, Leandra noticed with some amusement, was desperately trying not to outwardly cringe. A minute of awkward explanations being spoken by Hagrid passed before he managed to calm himself enough to speak:
-There is a council of sorts in wizarding Britain,- he explained, effectively shutting Hagrid up - the Wizengamot. They decide a lot of what happens. Now, I don't know what happened that night for them to prove that Harry was the rightful savior. But my best guess is, considering the people I know inside it, that Harry is a wizard, who had already shown signs of magic, Lily had told me, whereas you were a girl, no sign of magic still-
-Two days after I appeared at their doorstep, mum says, I was crying for my pacifier - Leandra interrupted- She had no idea where she had put it, and she searched the whole house. She says that suddenly, I had gone quiet and when she looked my way, the pacifier was in my mouth. We always assumed that it had fallen into my clothes and I had gotten hold of it before she had thought to look there... Do you think that could have been magic?
-That was magic, yes- uncle Severus said- But as I was saying, you were just a girl to them, not even the Heir, as the Potter seat in the Wizengamot is held by men and men alone, so, they assumed it must have been Harry who had saved us all.
Leandra nodded twice before smiling at her brother.
-Well then- her smile grew bigger- Seems I'll just have to prove to them how good of a witch I can be.
Severus took a mental note to ask her about it later, when a certain lion wasn't there to pass on the tale. For now, he settled for enjoying their meals, which had finally been brought by Tom, the bartender.
After lunch, they made their way to the back of the pub and uncle Severus tapped on a brick with his wand. Leandra was on the start of analyzing how silly it was to tap a brick and expect something to happen when the wall started transforming itself. 'Hmm.. Everything really is possible with magic, isn't it?' The bricks rearranged themselves into a doorway that lead to a crowded street, with people dressed in the most funny clothes.
Harry looked as much in awe as Leandra looked curious.
-Welcome to Diagon Alley, kids!