The Forgotten Twin

Chapter 12

"Well, can you guys keep it a secret? I don't want people to know."

They both agreed.

Delilah had never in all her life had such a Christmas dinner. A hundred fat, roast turkeys; mountains of roast and boiled potatoes; platters of chipolatas; tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of thick, rich gravy and cranberry sauce — and stacks of wizard crackers every few feet along the table. These fantastic party favors were nothing like the feeble Muggle ones that the Dursleys usually bought, with their little plastic toys and their flimsy paper hats inside. Delilah pulled a wizard cracker with Daphne and it didn't just bang, it went off with a blast like a cannon and engulfed them all in a cloud of blue smoke, while from the inside exploded a real admiral's hat and several live, white mice which would probably become Mrs. Norris's dinner. Up at the High Table, Dumbledore had swapped his pointed wizard's hat for a flowered bonnet, and was chuckling merrily at a joke Professor Flitwick had just read him.

Flaming Christmas puddings followed the turkey. Draco nearly broke his teeth on a silver Sickle embedded in his slice. Delilah watched Hagrid getting redder and redder in the face as he called for more wine, finally kissing Professor McGonagall on the cheek, who, to Delilah's amazement, giggled and blushed, her top hat lopsided.

When Delilah finally left the table, she was laden down with a stack of things out of the crackers, including a pack of luminous, unexplodable balloons, a new wizard chess set, a bag full of chocolate frogs, and a wart and zit remover.

Delilah spent a happy afternoon with Draco and Daphne just messing around. Delilah even convinced them to join a snowball fight with the Gryffindors including Harry and all the Weasley's minus the one that was a Prefect. Delilah had been put on a team with Fred and George, who were the twins who had thrown the snowballs at the back of Quirrell's turban.

They had dominated. Together with Delilah's cleverness and their creativity they had come up with plans that made them destroy the other team, even with the smaller team.

"You would make a great prankster," Fred told her.

She responded with, "What do you mean would? I already am," and then strutted away with Draco and Daphne while the twins laughed.

Then, cold, and wet, they went back to the Slytherin common room, where Delilah broke in her new chess set by losing spectacularly to Draco. She suspected she wouldn't have lost so badly if Daphne hadn't tried to help her so much.

After a meal of turkey sandwiches, crumpets, trifle, and Christmas cake, everyone felt too full and sleepy to do much before bed except sit and watch the flames in the common room die down.

It had been Delilah's best Christmas day ever. Yet something had been bothering her all day. She looked at her Dream Dust and charm bracelet. Who had sent them? Why? Harry was the famous one, not her. If anyone would have strangers sending them presents it would be him.

Delilah sighed. It didn't matter, tomorrow she would try to find out why the handwriting with the bracelet looked familiar. But for tonight, she would put the thoughts aside and go to bed. Almost as soon as her head touched her pillow, she fell asleep.

Maybe it was because she ate too much, or maybe her brain was just everywhere, but that night Delilah had an odd dream. She was walking down a hallway and opened the door into a room that had a mirror in it. Harry was standing in front of it and Dumbledore behind it.

Reflected in the mirror was Harry, Delilah, and two people behind them. The man looked just like Harry, just with different eyes, while the woman looked exactly like Delilah. They must be their parents.

Distantly she heard Dumbledore say, "So — back again, Harry?"

Harry turned around and saw Dumbledore sitting on one of the desks.

"I — I didn't see you, sir," Harry lamely said.

"Strange how nearsighted being invisible can make you," said Dumbled, smiling.

"So," said Dumbledore, slipping off the desk to sit on the floor with Harry, "you, like hundreds before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised."

"I didn't know it was called that, sir."

"But I expect you've realized by now what it does?"

"It — well — it shows me my family —"

"And it showed your friend Ron himself as Head Boy."

"How did you know —?"

"I don't need a cloak to become invisible," said Dumbledore gently. "Now, can you think what the Mirror of Erised shows us all?"

Harry shook his head.

"Let me explain..." Dumbledore's mouth kept moving but Deliah only caught a few phrases including"darkest desire," "family," "Weasley," "outshadowed," "alone," and then everything became focused again.

"The Mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow, Harry, and I ask you not to go looking for it again. If you ever do run across it, you will now be prepared. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that. Now, why don't you put that admirable Cloak back on and get off to bed?"

Harry stood up and Delilah woke up in a cold sweat and felt a slight heat just above her heart. She looked and saw the Dream Dust was glowing a light purple. She tried to take it off but it was too hot and burned her hand, but not her chest.

Delilah sighed and left it there, and went back to sleep. This time, no dreams bothered her.