Magnolia Potter woke up with a crick in her neck, which when you slept in a linen closet, was not a rare occasion. As she got out of bed (a sleeping bag on the floor, really), she wound her neck slowly and softly so as not to hurt herself more, but to stretch the muscles in her neck which had been put under stress. She could only imagine that her twin brother Harry, who slept in a cupboard, woke up feeling the same way.

Although they didn't know this, ten years ago they'd been dropped on the Dursley's doorstep by wizards, specifically Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, and Rubeus Hagrid, two of which would be their future professors at a school called Hogwarts of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They would both start their first year on September 1st, and would make new friends and face new challenges.

But that didn't mean they were safe at this point in time, either. They had the same skinny frame that came with hardly being allowed to eat - The Dursleys were obsessed with portraying themselves as perfectly average, and for some unknown reason, this including taking the mickey out of the twins at any given time. Their life in "normalcy" wasn't much less challenging than their adventure in the upcoming year, magic aside. Things like bravery and wit would come to them naturally through it all - Things they developed after a lifetime at the Dursleys home.

" Do you think your parents knew how freakish you were at birth, and couldn't handle it anymore?" Their cousin, Dudley, once asked them with a nasty grin. Dudley was a brat who could get away with anything, which was especially bad because they lived with him. When he said this, Harry went pale, and Magnolia had turned so red her face matched her hair. She screeched at Dudley to not dare talk about their parents, threw a rock at him so he could get a matching scar as well and 'see what it was like' to be like Harry. You see, unlike Magnolia, Harry had a scar on his forehead that the Dursley's insisted was from a car crash ten years ago, when their parents died and left them orphaned. He was bullied most often for this, because children never understand things without informed adults telling them what to think - Or scary, big classmates like Dudley. Dudley had told them all Harry was a freak with a freakish scar, so that's what they believed - and repeated. Magnolia was able to stay under the radar at the beginning of school, but often she found herself putting herself at the center of attention to avoid Harry feeling troubled, or at least alone in his troubles. This tactic worked, for many years, and if it didn't leave Harry less bullied, it certainly made them bond over their shared trauma.

But Magnolia had gotten locked in her closet for almost an entire month for her "tantrum", eating only canned vegetables and getting no sun. Harry swore they day was at it's brightest when she finally was allowed to come out. She almost glowed. Harry secretly swore to never let his sister do anything like that for his sake again.

After that, all was quiet for a few months, until Dudley's birthday, today. Magnolia obediently prepared the breakfast Aunt Petunia planned for him, massaging her neck whenever she had a spare moment outside of her aunts glare - Magnolia supposed she clearly still wasn't over the rock, which didn't seem fair, since Dudley got a punching bag out of Harry's face a number of times, and the rock didn't even leave a mark, as if it chose to bounce off like a rubber ball. But maybe this was Aunt Petunia's normal reaction to Magnolia being in her presence - She never cared about the twins in any regard, outside of housing them.

After breakfast began to give that breakfasty-smell, Dudley woke up, demanded more presents, and was promptly promised more after his visit to the zoo. Harry (who woke up to their aunts screeching and had prepared the scrambled eggs and bacon) and Magnolia were both readily prepared to spend their day at Mrs Figgs, an older woman with a plethora of cats, who's house smelled like steamed sprouts. But, to their families uproar and outrage, she had broken her leg, and couldn't manage taking care of the twins that day, or any time soon.

" We'll just have to take them with us," Aunt Petunia decided after much speculation.

Dudley had never looked as stupid as he did when he pretended to cry. He Wahed and Wahed, gaining all of his mothers attention and care as she stroked his face lovingly. Magnolia rolled her eyes and Harry gave her a muted, knowing look. They ate quicker, as Dudley was not so mild as to not flip the table covered with presents around in an 'emotional outburst'. But his best mate, Piers Polkiss was at the door, and the newly-eleven year old boy stopped his weeping noises immediately.

If Aunt Petunia ever noticed her son was acting, she didn't seem to mind the excuse to baby him further.

" They're not coming with us, are they?" Piers asked with a look of disgust.

" Have to. No one else wants them," Dudley replied, smirking at the two.

Harry and Magnolia, though twins fraternal (Harry's hair was jet-black and eternally messy and Magnolia had shoulder-length, ginger, possibly equally messy hair, though they shared almond-shaped green eyes), wore equal scowls on their face, wiped clear when they'd been given a pointed look by Aunt Petunia. At ten years old, they still held hands to comfort each other - They had each other.

Uncle Vernon gave them a talking to just outside the car.

" I'm warning you two," he hissed. " You'd better behave well in shape, or you'll be in your rooms for a week."

Magnolia wanted to tell him he had some nerve calling her closet a room, but Harry spoke first. She watched his reaction.

" We won't do anything," he said. " We promise." Magnolia nodded.

" It'll be like we aren't there," she added smartly.

But no matter how many times they insisted they would not cause trouble, trouble would always come.

This time, it was in the form of a snake.

It was only after Dudley waddled away from the exhibit that they took the time to walk over and approach the constrictor. It had been hard to miss - Dudley was rapping at the glass with his knuckles, and yelling at it to wake up, move, do something.

The snake looked at Harry and Magnolia, then rolled its eyes, like, I get that all the time

Harry seemed to be playing a joke, as he hissed softly under his breath to the snake.

Whatever he said, the snake nodded vigorously. Magnolia's eyes widened and she looked between them, confused.

Harry hissed again, a little smile pulling on his face. Maybe it was a joke. Or maybe he was just guessing what snake-speak may sound like - It was awfully convincing.

The snake prodded at the little sign next to the glass with it's tail.

Boa Constrictor, Brazil

This specimen was bred in the zoo

Harry nodded. So did the snake.

Magnolia frowned. She was certain snakes didn't understand humans, but here it was before her, replying to her brother's little hisses as if it wasn't, you know, a snake. " Harry, do you think the snake really - "

" DUDLEY! MR DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'TBELIEVE WHAT IT'S DOING!"

Dudley came waddling at them as fast as he could.

" Out of the way, you," he said, punching Harry to the side while Piers shoved Magnolia to the other. They fell hard onto the concrete floor.

What happened next happened so fast no one saw how it happened. One moment, Dudley was pressing his face into the glass, and the next, his head was stamped right in the container. He leapt back with a howl of horror.

Magnolia sat up, wondering what was going on. She didn't have to for long, for just after Dudley had cried bloody murder, the great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. People within the reptile house screamed and started running for the exit. Magnolia jumped away.

As the snake slipped past them, it stopped before Harry's feet and gave him a polite bow, sticking it's tongue out, hissing, and slithering away.

Harry looked at her with wide eyes. " Magnolia, did you just hear - "

" Can you talk to snakes?" She asked dumbly, interrupting, eyes wide.

Harry furrowed his brow. " So - You didn't hear - ?" Aunt Petunia screeched and held her son close to her as the snake went past, protecting him like a shield.

Well, she was a loving mother, at least.

Magnolia wondered what that was like. Harry was still reeling over his conversation with the snake, too busy tackling too many subjects in his mind. Did Magnolia not hear it? Did he make up that conversation in his head?

The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong tea while he apologized over and over again. Piers and Dudley spoke in babbles, with vague recollections, shaking like leaves. As far as Harry and Magnolia had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except snap playfully at their heels as it passed, but by the time they were all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how it had nearly bitten off his leg, while Piers was swearing it had tried to squeeze him to death. But worst of all, because of course it would turn out this way, was Piers calming down enough to say,

" You two freaks were talking to it, weren't you?"

Magnolia nearly said she wasn't, but she caught the look on Uncle Vernons face.

He won't believe me anyway. I can't just leave Harry alone in this.

Harry shook his head at her, but she ignored his look. Perhaps she was made to grow up too fast to deal with abusive family members, but she simply couldn't let Harry think he was alone. She kept her mouth shut, blinking fast tears away, terrified.

Uncle Vernon was purple with rage, contained from a long drive of ten minutes to take Piers home, before his gaze found Harry and Magnolia. He grabbed the girl so hard she felt his grip to the bone, and she cried out, dragged along into the house. He threw her into her closet.

" Stay - No meals," he sputtered out, before doing the same to Harry in his cupboard, and so began the longest punishment the ten - nearly eleven - year old twins had faced so far. In the distance, she heard Aunt Petunia crying about devil children.