⚠️ T.W. ⚠️ : mention of child abuse and malnutrition
Piggy finally takes a bath
Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to find their nephew and niece on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all.
"Sounds compromising." Commented Pansy with a huff.
"Please tell us that at least now, he is a decent human being." Pleaded Alice even though she already knew the answer.
"Do you want me to lie, mum? Then he is the sweetest and most considerate person in the whole world." Said Neville making everyone laugh uncomfortably.
The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursleys' front door; it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the owls. Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed. Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-coloured bobble hats – but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby, and now the photographs showed a large, blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a roundabout at the fair, playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother.
"Large pink beach ball?" Asked Draco laughing.
"Didn't think to describe him as such but it isn't too far from the truth." Replied Violet chuckling.
"Amen." Added Theo to make the others laugh even louder.
After Blaise glared at everyone, they calmed down and he continued reading.
The room held no sign at all that two other kids lived in the house, too. Yet Harry and Violet Potter were still there, asleep at the moment, but not for long.
"Did they show you any sign of care or love over the years?" Asked Hermione worriedly about her friends' emotional health.
"If you count being addressed to like you are a servant as love." Said Harry before his sister could.
The students and adults were horrified. They all believed the twins were spoiled rotten by their family.
Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day.
'Up! Get up! Now!'
"This is not going to go well." Sighed Blaise not even trying to look at the next words.
"And why is that?" Asked Lee Jordan from next to the Weasley twins.
"Nobody can wake Violet up." Explained Pansy with a half scared half impressed look.
"And if you do succeed... well... you better hope she got at least three hours of sleep and you have a coffee next to you. Otherwise, you will be visiting the Infirmary." Warned Daphne remembering all the jinxes that came her way over the years until she learned to bring an iced cappuccino every time it was her turn to wake Violet up.
Poor Madam Pomfrey had to undo the jinxes at least twice a week. Violet would come around after she drank her coffee and apologise while offering some dessert she baked as a peace present.
Harry woke with a start. Violet gave a snort and rolled to the other side of the bed. Their aunt rapped on the door again.
"You do the same thing when we try to wake you up." Pointed out, Pansy. "But you are also kicking us in the shin."
"Yes. My technic got better." Yawned Violet and Theo automatically hugged her side to make her rest against him.
'Up!' she screeched. Harry heard her walking towards the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the cooker. He rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorbike in it. He had a funny feeling he'd had the same dream before.
"You dreamt the night you were brought there." Said Mrs Figg.
Violet grabbed the thin pillow that had feathers coming out and placed it on her ears to mute the voice. She dreamed of a time when a boy was offering his hand to her and they would be running through fields of wheat or sunflowers. After her tenth birthday, she kept having dreams that felt more real than they should. She could see everything around her, she could smell everything, she could feel everything but hearing the boy's voice was hard. She had to concentrate to distinguish the sounds.
The girl knew now what the dreams were and who the boy was. She smiled absently staring out the windows for a few seconds before returning her attention to what was happening.
"Are those what I think they are?" Asked the voice again.
"Yes." Responded Violet too tired to say anything else. She needed another two cups of coffee before she was willing to explain more.
"What did you dream about?" Asked Lavender from the Gryffindor table.
"It was said in the description." Replied a Slytherin before Violet could. She smiled gratefully at Flint before closing her eyes for a second.
Their aunt was back outside the door.
'Are you up yet?' she demanded.
"Yes, they also painted the bedroom to resemble the Sistine Chapel." Huffed Remus with barking Snuffles on his lap.
"Shush, Snuffles. She is asleep." Whispered Theo petting Violet's hair while she slept on his shoulder. He accioed her a fluffy blanket from her bedroom and put her hair in a bun to keep it from making her sweat. He undid the first three buttons of her shirt and took off her tie. Comfortable clothes appeared for him and her to change into once she was awake.
Harry watched from afar how a boy they knew for only five years helped his sister feel safe enough to fall asleep on him. She never allowed herself to do that with him. She wouldn't let people see her vulnerable often.
'Nearly,' said Harry.
'If I wasn't how could I have answered you.'
"Jesus. So she was always this sassy." Commented Blaise.
"Where did she get it from?" Wondered Daphne out loud.
"Most likely from Lily and I." Responded Remus after contemplating for a few moments.
Alice, Frank, Snuffles, Snape, McGonagall, and the other adults that went to school with him and the Marauders gave him a look.
"Definitely, Lily and I." Said Remus, making the students laugh.
'Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday.' Harry groaned while Violet was having a wide grin on her face.
"What little prank did our Marauder princess do?" Said the twins looking for Violet only to see her asleep on Nott. "Harry, our dear lovely sweetest friend, do you know what she did?"
"I do not. She refrained from telling me her plans so I could have a plausible excuse when our uncle would yell at us." Explained Harry leaving Amelia to make notes about the yelling.
'What did you say?' Their aunt snapped through the door.
'That you could lose a husband.' Yelled Violet through the door. Harry knew that on the other side of the door aunt Petunia was red with anger and embarrassment and that his sister will be getting some punishment for her disobedience.
"What are these punishments, Harry?" Asked Silvia trying to keep her cool.
"I don't believe Violet would be comfortable with me telling you about them." Answered Harry carefully not wanting to upset the woman.
"The hell we care about that now. What did they do to her?" Asked Mrs Zabini this time.
"I really don't want Violet to be mad at me." Tried Harry again.
"She already is mad. Now, we asked you a simple question, Harry." Noted Mrs Malfoy with a polite smile.
"A few days without food, beatings, yelling, hair pulling, grabbing or, their favourite, making her work chores until she would almost pass out." Confessed Harry making everyone gasp.
The Slytherins not very close to her but still friendly enough were shocked. Violet was loved and protected in their house. At least one of them would always be by her side to protect her yet not one of them even considered that all the scars and flinching were from something entirely different.
Suddenly they all understood her hate of doing anything closely related to housework without using magic.
The Hufflepuffs were horrified by the girl's treatment. They saw how she tried to keep her cool and look composed if not cold when not with her friends but they thought it was because those who raised her expected her to be the heiress to the Potter heirlooms, not abuse. They planned to give her all the sweets and hugs she might need.
The Ravenclaw was thinking of ways they could take revenge against the family without breaking the status. They had a few ideas and they would talk about executing them after the book was over.
The Gryffindors hated the girl but they also didn't agree with abuse. She might be an insufferable little snake princess but she was still a person with feelings.
The professors and the members of the Order were asking themselves why didn't Dumbledore do anything about the children's treatment. He was supposed to be the good guy protecting those in need and yet he succeeded in failing two defenceless kids.
Dumbledore was panicking. This was not going well. Amelia had already threatened him and the book barely started.
Amelia was red with fury and stress. There was definitely going to be a trial against Dumbledore and one against the Dursleys.
Remus' eyes flashed for the second time that day yellow and Snuffles was growling.
Dudley's birthday – how could he have forgotten? Harry got slowly out of bed and started looking for socks. He found a pair under his bed and, after pulling a spider off one of them, put them on.
"What kind of bedroom has spiders in it?" Asked Ron shaking off the thought of living with those eighth-legged creatures.
"It's actually a cupboard under the stairs." Corrected Harry without thinking.
"My daughter slept in a cupboard!" Yelled Silvia with rage. "Someone better hold my earrings while I have a chat with the headmaster."
"Easy now, love. We can't do it just yet. Wait until we are all on the same page." Calmed her down, Ruben Nott.
"Only if you look after my Snuffles." Offered Remus with a wicked grin and wild look.
His sister remembered and she had the perfect gift for poor little Duddykins. Salt instead of sugar, ear wax instead of honey, and mud mixed with dirty water instead of chocolate cream. Her uncle, aunt, and little cousin had hair dye in their shampoo. And superglue on their cups.
"I do not know what superglue is but good job, Violet." Praised Mr Weasley and cleared his throat after his wife glared at him.
"Our little Marauder had amazingly creative ideas even from before." Noted the twins.
A quiet scream scared Harry to death only to find his sister on the bed pointing with a large sock at a spider. Harry was used to spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where he slept. Violet however was still terrified of them no matter how many times her brother assured her that they are harmless.
"Who wouldn't be scared of those things?" Commented Ron shaking at the thought of living in a small space filled with those things.
When they were dressed they went down the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. It looked as though Dudley had got the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike. Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to the twins, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise unless, of course, it involved punching somebody. Dudley's favourite punch bag was Harry, but he couldn't often catch him. Harry didn't look at it, but he was very fast. And also Violet would punch him in the nose until it broke if she caught him going anywhere near her brother.
"Go, Violet." Cheered the students.
The adults and the twins' friends didn't know how to react to the new information about Harry and Violet's home life. It was the only subject they avoided speaking of.
Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age. He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was. Violet was even shorter and skinnier than Harry but she knew it was the malnutrition. She got her mother's old clothes from the attic.
"At least she had cute clothes." Tried Daphne to point out the good part about the whole situation.
"Yet she slept in a cupboard and was abused." Commented Mrs Zabini making everyone frown.
The signs of abuse were so clear now yet they failed to notice them when the twins needed them the most.
Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair, and bright-green eyes. He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Sellotape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead which was shaped like a bolt of lightning. He had had it as long as he could remember and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had got it.
"You aren't that different. Only a tad taller and muscular." Mentioned Ginny with a thoughtful expression.
"He was sweet back then." Stated Luna with no context, making others confused.
Violet had a thin face, tanned skin, red hair, hazel eyes, and freckles. She was pretty happy with her appearance except for her scar. The scar is identical to her brother's. She hated that scar, it reminded her of the parents that she lost. But the weirdest part about her was something else. She could remember almost everything about her life. Every conversation, every detail, every emotion. She dreamed for a long time about her uncles, her aunts, her parents, and her life before the accident. She heard their voices, felt their hugs and kisses, saw their faces, and just relived the happiest years of her life.
"I didn't realise that you find your scar a reminder." Noted Hermione but you could feel there was a subtle question mark there. They all refrained from asking about the memories.
"I never saw it as such. She has a point when you consider her point of view." Informed Harry, feeling embarrassed by his twin's thoughts. They were making everyone worry and pity them.
The others never thought that they could hate their fame. Everyone would want to be in their place. And yet here they were hating the symbol of their survival, the ray of hope wizard and witches were clinging on in fear the rumours were true and he was back, the one thing granting them more influence and power than anyone should have.
Each time her brother got the courage to ask their aunt about the scar or anything, he got the same reply. 'In the car crash when your parents died,' she had said. 'And don't ask questions.' Don't ask questions – that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursleys.
"You are not returning to that place ever again." Promised Amelia and after the reading, she would begin the papers necessary for the trials.
Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon. Violet was backing chocolate chip muffins.
"I didn't know she backed." Remarked Hannah taking her eyes off her sketches.
"She does. Ever since our first year, she offered to bake our birthday cakes. They are the best looking and tasting desserts I ever ate." Smiled Daphne remembering the surprise birthday party she organised for her friend to celebrate turning fifteen. "Last year, for my birthday, she baked a blueberry cake with dark purple geodes. It was spectacular. The house elves taught her how to decorate sweets." She added quickly making some frown, thinking of a Slytherin in the kitchen.
'Comb your hair!' he barked, by way of a morning greeting.
"You can feel ze love." Muttered Fleur, Bill nodding from next to her.
About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and shouted that Harry needed a haircut and Violet a new shampoo. Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way – all over the place. Violet kept having her hair frizzy and tangled because she didn't use special products for curly hair. The Dursley's considered them too expensive for the spoiled know-it-all brat.
"Honestly, they bought so many products for her over the years that it would have been simpler to just try and help her hair. It looked horrid, more awful than a broomstick's tail." Joked Harry but nobody laughed.
"Yes. We know." Replied Theo shortly.
"We are the ones who helped her set a hair routine and bought her the products she needed."Informed Daphne.
"Taught her how to style it without drying or thinning it." Continued Blaise.
"There were years of neglect to erase until her hair started to look as flawless and gorgeous as it is now." Added Pansy.
"She was so surprised to see how much good can a little help and support do." Grinned Draco making sure Harry got the message.
He got it and it stung.
Harry was frying eggs and Violet was making coffee by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large, pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick, blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head. Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel – Violet often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig. Harry agreed with his twin.
"The Dudley descriptions are killing me." Laughed Neville to those close to him.
"As the screen shows, she wasn't too far from the truth." Exclaimed Frank and his wife and friend agreed with him.
Harry put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile, was counting his presents. His face fell.
Before anyone could say anything, Harry signed for them to wait until the next line before saying anything.
'Thirty-six,' he said, looking up at his mother and father. 'That's two less than last year.'
"He was disappointed with thirty-six presents?" Asked Draco surprised. His parents spoiled him but not that much. "Even I don't get that much."
"Bo hoo. The rich kid doesn't get presents. How about the rest of us? Those who barely get presents." Snickered a Gryffindor second year.
"I don't get any actually except for the one Violet insists on giving me." Chimed in Luna with a dreamy voice. "They are narrow-minded and can't give you as much joy as a new experience or discovering that the Stardragons are real."
Nobody said anything to Luna's comment feeling unprepared for an appropriate response.
'Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mummy and Daddy.'
'All right, thirty-seven then,' said Dudley, going red in the face. Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over. Violet stole three pieces from before cause she was currently punished so her only meal was water and old bread.
"Tantrum?" Repeated McGonagall in a confused tone. "Over getting one present less than the year before?"
"Maybe he is just mistaken." Suggested Mrs Parkinson did not like the woman's parenting ways.
"Knowing Petunia I am quite surprised he turned out this way but what can I say... the useless blonde hula hoop certainly has a say in the ungrateful manner he is acting." Explained Alice getting herself another glass of basil strawberry lemonade.
Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger too, because she said quickly, 'And we'll buy you another two presents while we're out today. How's that, popkin? Two more presents. Is that all right?'
"That is not the way to raise a child." Complained Mrs Weasley. The mothers and some fathers agreed.
Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. Finally, he said slowly, 'So I'll have thirty ... thirty ...'
"Thirty-nine, you brainless water bottle." Answered Theo for him still petting Violet's hair but now her head resting on his lap and her feet were on the edge of the couch.
'Thirty-nine, sweetums,' said Aunt Petunia.
'Oh.' Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. 'All right then.'
"Someone go and teach this boy some manners. This is just ungrateful." Voiced Narcissa exactly what everyone was thinking.
Uncle Vernon chuckled. 'Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. Atta boy, Dudley!' He ruffled Dudley's hair.
"This is not a way to raise a child." Repeated Molly as if they could hear her and change anything.
At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while the Potter children and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a cine camera, a remote-control aeroplane, sixteen new computer games, and a video recorder. He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back from the telephone, looking both angry and worried.
'Bad news, Vernon,' she said. 'Mrs Figg's broken her leg. She can't take him.' She jerked her head in Harry's direction.
"No offence, Mrs Figg but in my head, I did a happy dance when I found out." Said Harry to the woman.
"It's alright. I understand the situation." Grinned Mrs Figg.
Dudley's mouth fell open in horror but Harry's heart gave a leap. Every year on Dudley's birthday his parents took him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger bars, or the cinema. Every year, Harry was left behind with Mrs Figg, a mad old lady who lived two streets away. Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned. For Violet, they didn't even bother. They would throw her in the garden, lock the house and fence and leave her there.
"I am speechless." Shook her head Madam Pomfrey.
"You aren't the only one, Poppy." Assured Mrs Sprout.
"Why do I feel this won't be the only time to feel this way." Guessed Flitwick exactly what would happen.
'Now what?' said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry as though he'd planned this. Harry knew he ought to feel sorry that Mrs Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy when he reminded himself it would be a whole year before he had to look at Tibbles, Snowy, Mr Paws, and Tufty again. Violet was hoping her brother would get a day of fun and relaxation before going back on their chores.
"She was thinking of him?" Asked with a disbelieving tone Daphne. "He doesn't give a rat's arse about her and yet she hoped he would get to go out and have fun."
"Back then he was nice and considerate about her well-being." Argued Luna knowing more about the girl since they met at age seven for her, and eight Violet.
'We could phone Marge,' Uncle Vernon suggested.
"Isn't she the one you blew up?" Asked Ron curious and most gasped, not being aware of the incident.
"Yes, she is." Confirmed Harry shifting uncomfortably.
'Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy.' The Dursleys often spoke about Harry like this, as though he wasn't there – or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug.
"I am not sure why I didn't bet money on being left without words." Said McGonagall to herself and the teachers next to her, eating pistachio ice cream.
'What about what's-her-name, your friend – Yvonne?'
'Left the country.' Informed Violet with a satisfied smile. She knew they won't find a better option than to take him with them.
"Why on Earth wouldn't she want to come as well?" Asked Cho confused.
"She knew there was no way she was going so she focused on getting me out. She was usually sneaking out so she was familiar with the city more than me." Explained Harry to her with a light blush still not over his crush, yet not wanting to go back to the crying.
'On holiday in Majorca,' snapped Aunt Petunia.
'You could just leave me here,' Harry put in hopefully (he'd be able to watch what he wanted on television for a change and maybe even have a go on Dudley's computer).
"Your hopes are so depressing." Pointed out, Dean.
"So I was told on multiple occasions."
"And you didn't change a thing." Added Seamus.
Harry forced a smile and focused on the reading.
Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon. 'And come back and find the house in ruins?' she snarled.
There were sighs heard although nobody said anything.
'I won't blow up the house and I will have Violet with me,' said Harry, but they weren't listening.
"Please if I gathered the idea right, this sentence alone would have you in the car without a second thought." Rolled his eyes, Remus, not pleased with his godson's way of thinking.
'Just as bad if not worse. I suppose we could take him to the zoo,' said Aunt Petunia slowly, '... and leave him in the car ...'
"You aren't supposed to leave a dog in the car but you plan to leave an eleven year old boy?" Inquired a muggleborn Hufflepuff.
"What can you expect from those idiots, Jude?" Replied kindly Hannah.
"Nothing good." The girl responded making the Slytherins grin.
'That car's new, he's not sitting in it alone ...'
Dudley began to cry loudly. In fact, he wasn't really crying, it had been years since he'd really cried, but he knew that if he screwed up his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted.
The mothers, fathers, and elder siblings were shaking their heads disapprovingly.
'Dinky Duddydums, don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil your special day!' she cried, flinging her arms around him.
"What in Merlin's name possessed her to make a person believe Duddydums is an appropriate and cute nickname?" Wondered Pansy hiding her distaste for the whole display of affection. Her parents were very clear about showing your weaknesses to others.
'I ... don't ... want ... him ... t-t-to come!' Dudley yelled between huge pretend sobs. 'He always sp-spoils everything!' He shot Harry a nasty grin through the gap in his mother's arms. Just then, the doorbell rang –
"He spoils everything? This is the first time he is coming!" Yelled Alice at the screen in anger at seeing her best friend's children being that badly treated.
'Oh, Good Lord, they're here! Leave the muffins and go wash the sheets, girl.' said Aunt Petunia frantically – and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother. Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat. He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them. Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once.
"She just, she just –" Started Remus to protest but failed at even forming a way to describe what his mind was saying.
Half an hour later, Harry, who couldn't believe his luck, was sitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life. He tried to ask them to bring Violet but his sister elbowed him and told him to shut it. Apparently, she sneaked out on her own enough to know what the zoo looked like.
"She sneaked out before? I thought she was too good to be new at it." Said Theo more to himself than to others. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't quiet enough so the stern Transfiguration professor heard him.
"You are sneaking out, Mr Nott?" Asked skeptically Professor McGonagall since the professors decided to leave the children be as long as they didn't kill each other. Minerva was the only one still trying to impose rules no matter the situation.
"Who? Us? No, we are angels, Professor." Assured Draco with an innocent smile and a sweet tone.
"Breaking the rules is not for us." Confirmed Blaise with a quick glance at Theo making sure he didn't babble about any of their escapes.
Their aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with him, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside.
"You better watch what you are saying next, Dursley." Warned Remus even if the events already happened.
'I'm warning you,' he had said, putting his large purple face right up close to Harry's, 'I'm warning you now, boy – any funny business, anything at all – and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas.'
'I'm not going to do anything,' said Harry, 'honestly ...'
But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one ever did without counting his sister.
"How come you aren't as close with her anymore?" Asked a small first year girl.
"We had different views on her company so we drifted away," Harry explained calmly to the girl.
Many Slytherins, Luna, Hannah, Hermione, and Neville snorted at that.
The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and it was just no good telling the Dursleys he didn't make them happen.
Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barber's looking as though he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except for his fringe, which she left 'to hide that horrible scar'. Dudley had laughed himself silly at Harry, who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and Sellotaped glasses. The next morning, however, he got up to find his hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off. He had been given a week in his cupboard for this, even though he had tried to explain that he couldn't explain how it had grown back so quickly. It should have been a month but after Violet threw a knife at Mr. Dursley's head during dinner that same night he shortened it and also added two meals instead of one.
"She throws knives?" Asked Professor Snape worriedly.
"Yes, she does. The last time I upset her, it was one inch away from my ear." Responded Draco shaking at the memory.
Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force him into a revolting old jumper of Dudley's (brown with orange bobbles). The harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become until finally, it might have fitted a glove puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harry. Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to his great relief, Harry wasn't punished. His sister put purple hair dye in their aunt's shampoo that night to get revenge for treating her brother badly.
"At this point, they just do it on purpose. You can't tell me that they didn't know who did it and why."
On the other hand, he'd got into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley's gang had been chasing him as usual when, as much to Harry's surprise as anyone else's, there he was sitting on the chimney. The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Harry's headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school buildings. But all he'd tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the big bins outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid-jump. Harry got a beating and two weeks in the cupboard with only a slice of dry bread and mushy warm water. Violet got triple the punishment and another beating after they found her sneaking him food that she bought by stealing change from their pockets and wallets.
"They did what now?" Questioned Silvia in a high pitched voice that sent shudders down everyone's spines.
But today, nothing was going to go wrong. It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, his cupboard, or Mrs Figg's cabbage-smelling living room.
While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council, Violet, the bank, and Violet were just a few of his favourite subjects. This morning, it was motorbikes.
' ... roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums,' he said, as a motorbike overtook them.
"Sirius had a flying bike." Said Remus to those around him that were aware of his husband's innocence.
"That sounds so cool." Imagined Theo the motorbike. "Can we get one? Can we get one? Can we get one?"
"If I say yes, will you stop behaving like a toddler?" Bargained Mr. Nott.
"Yes. Promise." Agreed without a second thought Theo, almost jumped out of his seat.
"Then we will get one for you and one for your sister. I am sure she would like one as well." Agreed Mr Nott after checking with his wife.
'I had a dream about a motorbike,' said Harry, remembering suddenly. 'It was flying.'
"He got James' brain and the Potter luck." Announced Remus.
"What does that mean?" Asked Harry curious.
"It means that you are doing colossal idiotic things and yet the luck is keeping you alive." Explained Frank.
Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beetroot with a moustache, 'MOTORBIKES DON'T FLY!'
Dudley and Piers sniggered.
'I know they don't,' said Harry. 'It was only a dream.'
But he wished he hadn't said anything. If there was one thing the Dursleys hated even more than his asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon – they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas. He knew that if his sister was there that she would have made a comment and given him a look for bringing up things that would get him any punishment. It was alright for her to get in trouble but Harry had to be nice and as safe as possible.
"One it is for her to be punished and one it is for her little twin brother to be punished." Commented Bill knowing how he felt when his little siblings would get in trouble.
It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the entrance and then because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice lolly. It wasn't bad either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head and looking remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn't blond.
"I can't do this anymore." Said Neville before bursting into a laughing fit.
Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back on their favourite hobby of hitting him. They ate in the zoo restaurant and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbocker glory wasn't big enough, Uncle Vernon bought him another one, and Harry was allowed to finish the first.
Harry felt, afterward, that he should have known it was all too good to last.
"Of course. There needs to be a plot twist." Sighed Andromeda.
After lunch, they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in here, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a dustbin – but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep.
Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils.
'Make it move,' he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge.
"Even the animal wanted him to fuck off." Commented Blaine earning smiles.
"Language, Mr Zabini." Repeated McGonagall for the millionth time that week.
"Yes, professor Minnie." Nodded Blaise.
'Do it again,' Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on.
Most pureblood kids flinched at that. They couldn't even imagine what would happen if they would try to boss their parents around.
'This is boring,' Dudley moaned. He shuffled away.
"You are boring."
Harry moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself – no company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up, at least he got to visit the rest of the house.
The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Harry's. It winked.
"Is the snake flirting with him?" Wondered if Colin understood that usual situations were always possible when it came to the Potter twins. Although he personally preferred Violet over Harry.
"No, idiot. Or at least I don't think so." Snapped Lavender at the boy.
The Slytherins all glanced at a drooling Violet and let out a breath, happy she wasn't there to hear that.
"Watch your tongue." Warned Pansy after she peered at Violet's sleeping figure. "We do not take insults to one of us lightly."
"He is a Gryffindor. A disgusting and ungrateful creature but he still is one of us." Argued Lavender missing the signals of her friends telling her to shut up. "Not a lying dirty snake like you. Bloody wastes of air and dirt."
The students of all houses gasped at the last part. They all agreed that soon enough it will go down now that the girl not only insulted their house she also insulted one of the adopted kids Slytherins would take care of. They didn't have many thanks to house loyalty excluding there were exceptions. So insulting the "adopted child" of the Slytherin princess was similar to taking a picture of Marlin and one of Salazar and then spitting on it while sitting in their common room.
"Someone hold my wand. I will take it the traditional way." A sleepy voice was heard and Lavender turned pale. The only reason she said something was because she believed the girl was asleep.
"There is no need for that." Cornelius tried to remedy the issue before it escalated even further. He recognised the girl's look. She wasn't about to back down without making sure the other person was regretting their death.
"No, minister. She considers us lying and wastes on Earth, something that I can say about her, so she will get what she wants. A duel, magical to be fairer on her side." Informed Violet ignoring the stares.
The girl gulped and was now the same colour as the ghosts floating around the Hall ready to see the fight and then gossip about it.
"Little, bitty, baby Potter thinks she can cause messes without Peeves." Joked the school's poltergeist causing Violet and the twins to turn around to see him.
"Peeves! I didn't know you were here." Exclaimed the girl grinning at the poltergeist.
"Do you want help with the waste of air and dirt?" Peeves quoted her previous comment.
"You can do whatever you can possibly come up with. I will take a good old fight. And if you won't stop rolling your eyes Cho I am ready to take you down as well." Violet said and then turned back to Lavender. "Once the books are finished, if my house and Colin do not get a proper apology, I expect a duel." Informed the girl and mentioned to Blaise to continue reading before going back to sleep.
Harry stared. Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake and winked, too.
The snake jerked its head towards Uncle Vernon and Dudley, then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly: 'I get that all the time.'
"The poor thing." Exclaimed some girls.
"Of course, you would pity a snake." Rolled her eyes Lavender and Cho nodded along subtly.
"She is not getting out of here safe if she doesn't keep her commentary to herself." Announced the twins were already done with their bullshit.
'I know,' Harry murmured through the glass, though he wasn't sure the snake could hear him. 'It must be really annoying.'
The snake nodded vigorously.
'Where do you come from, anyway?' Harry asked.
"Are you not going to question your ability to speak with a snake?" Questioned Frank not believing the boy wouldn't ask why he could speak to an animal.
"No," Harry responded with a light blush at being pointed out one of the moments when he acted stupidly.
"Thank God at least one of you has Lily and I's brain." Said Remus and Snuffles barked and you could see the amusement in his eyes.
The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harry peered at it. Boa Constrictor, Brazil.
'Was it nice there?'
The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harry read on: This specimen was bred in the zoo. 'Oh, I see – so you've never been to Brazil?'
"I can feel the embarrassment from here."
As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry made both of them jump. 'DUDLEY! MR DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT IT'S DOING!'
Dudley came waddling towards them as fast as he could.
'Out of the way, you,' he said, punching Harry in the ribs. Caught by surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete floor. What came next happened so fast no one saw how it happened – one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leaped back with howls of horror.
Everyone laughed or chuckled except a toad but nobody cared enough to notice it.
At home, Violet felt a pang of energy leave her body and it itched so she could assume that her brother did some magic stuff. She washed the clothes and dried them with just a move of her finger. Then she unlocked the door and started the TV while eating mint chocolate chip ice cream.
"Is that wandless magic?" Hinted Cornelius with a frown on his face, worried about the power the witch possessed.
"No, it's a polka dance." Retorted Theo to his sister since she was sleeping.
"There is no need for the sass." Pointed out Mrs Weasley with a disapproving tone.
"It's just a bonus for the lack of brain activity." Added the boy with no visible signs of caring about her comment or presence.
The woman wanted to say something else but stopped when Mrs Nott glared at her.
Harry sat up and gasped; the glass in front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished. The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor – people throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits.
"Impressive accidental magic, Harry, the same goes for your sister."
As the snake slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, 'Brazil, here I come ... Thanksss, amigo.'
The keeper of the reptile house was in shock.
'But the glass,' he kept saying, 'where did the glass go?'
"Went out to take a walk with the gorilla."
The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong sweet tea while he apologised over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only gibber. As far as Harry 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, for Harry at least, was Piers calming down enough to say, 'Harry was talking to it, weren't you, Harry?'
"Duck this kid!"
"Go to hell, you plushie garbage can."
"Mind your own business!"
"Hope you freeze in a freezer where you are surrounded by food you can't touch without using your skin."
Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting on Harry. He was so angry he could hardly speak. And even then he was careful with his punishments after Violet threw a knife at his intimate area last time he was doing anything too cruel to Harry. He managed to say, 'Go – cupboard – stay – no meals,' before he collapsed into a chair and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy.
"Go, Violet!"
"You should have shopped that dick off!" Complained Daphne angry at the man.
"Ms Greengrass!" Called professor Snape with his usual snarky tone.
"Yes, professor."
"Try to be quieter next time." Reminded her of the professor and shrugged at the curious looks he was receiving.
Harry laid in the dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a watch. He didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen for some food. His thoughts must have been guessed cause not five minutes later Violet made their secret knock and unlocked the door.
They'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years, as long as they and by that, I mean Harry could remember, ever since they'd been babies and their parents had died in that car crash. He couldn't remember being in the car when their parents had died. Sometimes, when he strained his memory during long hours in his cupboard, he came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light and burning pain on his forehead. This, he supposed, was the crash, though he couldn't imagine where all the green light came from. He couldn't remember their parents at all. Their aunt and uncle never spoke about them, and of course, he was forbidden to ask questions. There were no photographs of them in the house.
"I do have tons of photos of your mother and father, you can see them whenever you have time." Offered Remus with a kind smile to Harry.
"Thank you, professor Lupin." Answered Harry politely, saddening the man. He dreamt since Lily announced the pregnancy that he would get called uncle Remus, uncle Moony, anything but the formal saying of his name.
When he had been younger, Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relation coming to take him away, but it had never happened; the Dursleys were his only family. Yet sometimes he thought (or maybe hoped) that strangers in the street seemed to know them.
"This is so sad." Blurted Hermione without any warning and scared some of the smaller students.
Very strange strangers they were, too. A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to them once while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley. After asking the twins furiously if they knew the man, Aunt Petunia rushed them out of the shop without buying anything. A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had waved merrily at them once on a bus. A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken their hands in the street the other day and then walked away without a word.
"Why can't you just dress like Muggles?" Insisted Professor Sprout in understanding Minerva's worries about their world's safety.
"It will be discussed at the next meeting." Assured Mr Nott giving his wife a shoulder massage.
The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harry or Violet tried to get a closer look.
At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.
"Cowards." Coughed Neville, the boy who avoided confrontation with his whole heart but when it came to his family, he would turn into a completely different person.
"Damn. They even got Neville to be upset. That didn't happen since Violet had all those nasty rumours going on." Remarked Flint making some adults ask about what rumours and Dumbledore and Cornelius started sweating against Amelia's glare.
Violet had a friend, it was a girl, a year younger that would come during the weekend to the park near the house. She didn't know why. According to Luna, she lived far away and Violet had a suspicion that she was a part of the Wizarding World but she didn't dare to ask for fear of being wrong. But she planned to ask one day.
"I guess the answer to her question is clear now." Laughed Ginny and her brothers joined in.
"The chapter is finished." Announced Blaise and gave the book to Daphne without saying many words.
"Sure, let my beautiful voice be wasted on some boring chapter as well." Complained Daphne rolling her eyes. The rolling is her tell when lying or joking.
"Your voice is always beautiful, honey." Complimented Adrian without even thinking about it. "Even in the mornings or when you are sick or when you can't speak, I will always find your voice the most melodic and sweet in the whole world including the past and future."
Daphne blushed and kissed the boy on the cheek before grabbing the book and opening it to start reading the new chapter.
Girls were cooing at the sweet words and boys were annoyed by the clear raising of standards that was about to come.
🌑🌘🌗🌖🌕🌔🌓🌒🌑
Hello,
How are you?
I wanted to address some subjects.
Firstly, I made the Dursley's be more drastic than in the books. I made them also physically abuse Harry and Violet, although starvation in my book is also considered physical abuse.
Secondly, I will try to make everyone have at least one comment in this book but you have to understand that this will mostly have some characters that are speaking each chapter and ones that you might even forget that are there. I simply can't make each one of them comment because during some chapters there are no paragraphs or ideas that would require their attention.
Thirdly, one thing that I want to make clear is that Theo is viewed as a brother by Violet. She allows herself to leave her guard down when she is with him. His parents are protective because they consider her their daughter. Harry is her brother by blood and we can see that she is protective over him during their time with the Dursley's and Hogwarts years especially during their first and second year but they are not close at the moment. I know most stories make them be inseparable even if they are in different houses but I wanted to change things. My favourite trope is found family and I planned to offer Violet a new family for the one she lost. Her brother included, even if not dead.
Finally, this is how the cake looked:
*Credit to the original baker.*