Liar. Harry Potter's sister ~ Book 2

chapter one

I stare out of my window, longing for just one word of contact from Harry, or even any of my friends. I want to know how he is. What he's been doing. If he's safe.

Just then there was a knock at my bedroom door. I snap my head around and see Professor McGonagall standing in the doorway, her usual stern expression stretched across her face, but thin lips curved into a small smile.

"Ah, Olivia, dear, Professor Dumbledore has requested to see you in his office," she says, smiling at me. I nod and I smooth my bedsheet out before following McGonagall through the empty corridors, once more.

"How have you been today, I didn't see you at breakfast this morning?" She asks as we walk up a long, stone staircase.

"Oh- yeah I woke up later than usual today, so I just er.. went down to the kitchens instead," I say, slowly. During the holidays she was a lot less strict and was rather soft with me, but she doesn't like me going down to the kitchens all the time, so I try not to tell her I've been down there. Luckily for me, she just rolled her eyes slightly, and forced a tight smile onto her lips.

When we reach the Gargoyle that guards the entrance to Dumbledore's office, Professor McGonagall recites the password - Sherbet Lemon - and we travel up the spiralling staircase together. I always loved Dumbledore's office. It was full of fascinating artefacts, portraits and objects and I simply never get bored of scanning though his enormous bookshelves for new reads. We carry on up the staircase until we reach the grand, wooden door with a golden hooped handle. The door was opened with a loud creak before I could even raise my fist to knock on it. Professor McGonagall and I step into the office and see Professor Dumbledore pacing back and forth on an elevated area behind his desk.

"Ah, Olivia, there you are, do take a seat," He says, a smile peeping through from behind his long, silvery beard. I oblige and slip myself into the chair facing his desk; however he doesn't sit, he continued pacing. I feel Professor McGonagall's hand squeeze my shoulder gently, almost as if she was comforting me.

"What's going on?" I ask, giving them a quizzical look. This all seems too serious. It's never been like this over the summer.

"Well... it's about Harry," he says, hesitantly. My eyes widen. Harry? What the bloody hell has he done now? Is he all right? Has he hurt himself?

"What about Harry?" I say, briskly, raising my eyebrows at him and folding my arms. Professor McGonagall's grip on my shoulder tightens slight.

"Well, yesterday evening, there was an incident, involving him and your cousin. He broke the law, and as a result of that, he's been expelled."

I stifle a laugh, anger seeping into my very bones, "Wha- expelled! You expelled my brother?"

"No, I did not expel him, the Ministry did, and I promise you that we are going to do everything, within our power, to clear him of all charges." Dumbledore says, firmly. I sit back in the chair and run my fingers through my hair. No. Not Harry. They can't expel him! I can't loose him just like that, once again. What could he have possibly done to get him expelled? I breathe heavily, suddenly developing a sense of pure hatred towards the Ministry. I roll my eyes.

"What did he do?" I ask, angrily, but not surprised he's gotten himself in trouble. He can't help himself can he?

"There was an incident, involving a pair of Dementors in an alleyway nearby to your aunt and uncles house. He used the Patronus Charm to protect himself and your cousin from the Dementors-"

"That's outrageous! It was clearly self defence! Underage wizards are allowed to use magic in life-threatening situations! They can't expel him for that!" I say, rising abruptly from my chair. There was a knock at the door, and the face of Professor Snape was standing in the doorway, his face as bare and cold as usual and his lips pursed.

"Ah, Severus, it's ready I presume?" Dumbledore says, cocking his head up towards the door. Snape nods, slowly.

"I have it here, sir," He says, bearing a small, glass phial, containing a translucent blue liquid inside. He steps towards me, and holds the bottle out to me, between his forefinger and thumb. I give him a quizzical look, furrowing my eyebrows, before he raises one at me and I hesitantly take it.

"What's this?" I ask, examining the unknown concoction in my hands. I hold it up to the light, and it glimmers in my eyes.

"It's a tonic. It's going to ease the connection between you and your brother. It's only weak, you should drink one drop a day, diluted with water, and it should stop most things passing through. If you feel you need a stronger dosage come to me." He says and his lip curls into a very small smile, before he nods to Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall and exits the office. I slip the phial into my pocket and turn back to Dumbledore.

"As I was saying," He begins, clearing his throat, "The Ministry is hosting a hearing for Harry on August twelfth-"

"August twelfth? But- that's in two days time!"

"I know," Dumbledore says, a sincere look in his eyes, "The Ministry is rather eager to get it done with... they've also requested your presence at the trial..." I nod and mutter a small ok. I don't know how I feel about that. Obviously I want to be there for Harry and help him win his place as a student back. But I haven't heard a word from him all summer. What if he suddenly doesn't like me anymore? The Ministry aren't all that appreciative of me either...

There was a long silence. My heart was pounding in my ears.

"What?" I say, my eyes darting from Dumbledore's to Professor McGonagall's. They both avoid my gaze. I snap my fingers. "Hello? Can someone tell me what on earth is going on?"

"The Ministry are insisting that they do a DNA test on you and Harry,"

I stifle a laugh, in disbelief. "You can't be serious?" But with a look at both Dumbledore and McGonagall's concerned faces, I gather that they are. Very serious. "What? That's ridiculous!"

"You have nothing to worry about, though dear-" Professor McGonagall begins, rubbing her hand on my shoulder, as if trying to comfort me.

"Apart from the fact my brother might be expelled!" I retaliate, throwing my head in my hands. Harry is such an idiot - no the Ministry are idiots.

"Olivia, we understand that you're upset-"

"Upset? You think I'm upset? No, no. I'm just fine," I say, snidely, crossing my arms and rolling my eyes.

"We would appreciate it if you wouldn't take it out on us. We are doing everything we can to turn the situation around," Dumbledore says, his facial expression was annoyingly calm. I look at the floor, swinging my heel against the floor.

I huff.

"You're right, I'm sorry," I mumble, picking at my fingernails. I always hated it when my anger got the better of me and someone calls me out on it. I never mean to make anybody feel bad, it just slips out, before I can restrain myself. I have a reputation for not being able to control my feelings, it's not the greatest thing when you've been cooped up all summer, with no contact from someone your own age. I look around the room. Everyone is silent again.

"Is that everything, Professor?" I ask.

"Not quite," Dumbledore says simply. His tone has changed into something a little softer. Oh for Merlin's sake what else? I raise an eyebrow at him, unsure at how anything about this situation could get worse. "You're being transferred to Grimmauld Place," Grimmauld Place? The headquarters for the Order of The Phoenix? Why do I need to go there? "where you will be meeting the Weasleys, Harry, the Order and be spending the rest of your summer there."

My head cocks up and my face gleams with delight. I smile brightly and excitedly, at the fact I get to see my friends, once again. Excitement flows through my veins at an alarming speed, as I think about finally having contact with Harry after weeks and weeks of having no contact. "Really?" I say, attempting to tone down my excitement a notch, but still blurting it out quickly and energetically.

Dumbledore merely nods. "You have one hour to pack your things you'll need for your stay and you are to meet back here, so we can Apparate you over to Grimmauld Place," he says, and I nod, frantically scrambling up from my sitting position, almost tripping over my feet in the process. Dumbledore chuckles and I wave him a quick goodbye before dashing though the corridors and back into my bedroom.

Grimmauld Place here I come.