The Sister's Story

The Sister's Story

Prologue

The funeral was over. Harry was still thinking about various things, and didn't notice his uncle until he was right in of him.

"Here, boy. Take this." Uncle Vernon plonked a big trunk down in front of Harry.

"What's that?"

"Something your aunt insisted on keeping for God knows what reason. Now that she's gone, I'm not going to have it taking up space. You do what you want with it." And with that, Uncle Vernon walked swiftly away.

Harry stared at the trunk. It looked completely normal. As he examined it, he saw the faint remainings of a few letters. Letters which seemed to make up the name...

Lily Evans

His mother's old school trunk. Harry's mind was too full of questions for him to think very clearly. He realised, however, that he wouldn't have the time now to open it. The Portkey which Dumbledore had given him would be taking him back to Hogwarts in a couple of minutes.

Later on, after supper in the sanctuary of his dormitory, Harry opened the trunk. The first thing which caught his eye was a small leather notebook. He picked it up, and flicked through it. It was filled with writing. Thinking that he should deal with the contents of the trunk one at a time, he started reading it.

I am dying now, and I do not have much time left. I had always wanted to write down my story, my version of the events. I had never had a chance to do that, and it looks as though I might not ever have a chance again. So this is my story. The story of the one who no one knows about. The story of the sister of the famous Lily Evans.

So. His Aunt Petunia's diary.

Chapter One

From the moment she was born, everybody adored her. The perfect little girl, they all said. I agreed. I loved my baby sister from the second I beheld her in her cradle. Things didn't change as she grew older. She looked up to me, her older sister who, in her eyes, could do no wrong even though in reality I was far from perfect. I was rather awkward, and didn't really have any true friends. So I spent my free time playing with my baby sister. As the years went on, though, she seemed less like a little sister and more like a true friend I could confide anything to. We giggled together. We experimented with makeup together. We talked far into the night, delving into all kinds of subjects, both silly and serious. Crushes we had had. Books which we had both loved. That scene in the film which was just so sad and had made us both cry. You name it, we'd discussed it.

Then, one day, she talked to me about what had happened to her in school that day.

"It was so weird, 'Tunia. One moment, I was wishing that I could just kick him for making fun of my hair, and the next, there was just this huge bruise on his shin. I suppose my foot just slipped, or something, but I really don't remember anything of the sort happening. Don't you think that's weird?"

"You wished it, and it happened? Wow, that's not weird, that's cool!"

That was just one of the many similar conversations we had. As she grew older, not a month could pass without some kind of letter from our school, detailing what strange thing she had done next. My parents took it all in stride, accepting that there was just something strange about her. As for me, I admired her for it. I wasn't really jealous, or even envious. I didn't want to have whatever ability she had. I was just happy that my sister, my little sister had something special. But Lily hadn't been pleased about it. She hadn't liked the way that everyone avoided her, as though she had some kind of disease. I must have chided her a thousand times.

"Look, just accept it, you have some kind of superhuman ability. Hey, maybe you can do something to that guy who lives down the street - he keeps telling me I look like a horse. Why are you complaining about it? It's great! No one dares to cross you or tease you now."

And things went on like that until I was in my teens. And then, it happened. On my birthday, in fact. My birthday. We were just about to leave for the amusement park, when it swooped in. My parents and I screamed, and so did Lily, when the monstrosity landed on her shoulder. My mother was all set to hitting it with a chair, when I noticed that it had a piece of paper tied to her leg.

"No, Mum, don't. Look, isn't that a piece of paper? Doesn't it have anything written on it?"

I lived to regret my observation. If I hadn't mentioned something, if it had spent its last moment under the leg of a chair, then maybe... But I have to get a grip on myself and continue with the story.

It turned out to be a letter. Telling Lily that she had magical abilities, and that she had been accepted to a school for training said abilities. A few minutes after the letter arrived, a stern looking woman appeared on the doorstep. She answered in detail all the questions which my parents had. Once it was all over, though, they were overjoyed. Overjoyed to find that their daughter wasn't a freak of nature, and that there were thousands like her all over the world. Lily seemed happier, too. And, at first, I too was happy. Happy that my sister was finally going somewhere where she would be accepted and not shunned. But later that day (my birthday trip had been cancelled) I suddenly realised something.

The woman had mentioned that it was a boarding school. Granted, Lily could come home for Christmas and Easter holidays, and there were always the summer holidays, but the fact remained that I would not be seeing her for over eight months out of twelve. My only true friend, soon to become a complete stranger to me.For I was not stupid. The only reason we had been so close was because she didn't have any real friends either. They had feared her and her strange abilities, and most children in her class had avoided her. But now...surrounded by people with the same abilities, she would have friends too. Friends who would take my place. I slipped out of the house whilst my sister was chattering brightly about something or other with my parents, and wandered around our small village, thinking my dismal thoughts.

To her credit, Lily soon noticed that I was gone. It didn't take her long to find me. I had gone down to what had been our special place, under a tree in the small park near our house. She guessed immediately what was wrong.

"Hey, 'Tunia, don't worry. Sure, I might make new friends. But they won't be you. No one will ever take your place, 'Tunia. We'll still be the same, you know? Just the two of us, the disastrous duo."

At the mention of the nickname our parents had created for us, I smiled sadly. For in my heart I feared that we would never be the same ever again.

I allowed Lily to lead me back to our house, where my parents were still talking excitedly and making arrangements to get Lily's school supplies.

Throughout the summer, I gradually grew more and more depressed. I was no longer as bright and cheerful as I used to be, something which didn't slip past Lily. But try as she might, she never managed to lift that cloud of perpetual dejection which hung over me. Whenever she brought the subject up, I told her to shut up, go away, and leave me alone. As a last resort, she even told me that she'd considered not going. That was when I really blew up at her. For, secretly, selfishly, I had considered, even hoped, for that. And it's never nice when someone voices one of those thoughts which come from the dark part of your mind, those thoughts which pop up briefly now and again, only to be immediately suppressed by the more conscious part of the mind. She had guessed my dark secret. I knew that it was selfish to want her to stay here, with me. I knew that even if she stayed, we wouldn't ever be the same again. She would try not to, but she would blame me for it. For the lost chance to be with her kind of people. So I blew up.

I accused her of being selfish and self-centred, for thinking that everything was about her.

"Why do you think that I'm depressed because of you? It's always you, isn't it, Lily? Always you, you, you! I'm not depressed because of you, because you're leaving. Come to that, I'm not depressed at all! Why do you constantly pester me? Can't you see that I just want to be alone?!"

She never pestered me again after that.

We didn't speak again for the rest of the summer. I knew that it was my fault, but I couldn't bring myself to apologise to her. A few times, I approached her...and then walked away. For what good would it do? She'd leave anyway, whatever terms we were on. In fact, I wanted her to leave. Not because I hated her, or anything. Just because, despite our argument, I still loved her and wanted the best for her. And I knew that going off to school, no, going off to Hogwarts, would be best for her. And if she had to leave anyway, it was best that she left thinking that I was still angry at her. Then she would have no reason, no motive to not make new friends. For I knew my sister. She was incredibly loyal, and she would never allow herself to make new friends, to be close to anyone if she knew how I felt. Right now, all she knew was that I was angry at her, and with that in mind, she would have no trouble being her normal lively and charming self which would no doubt guarantee her popularity amongst her classmates. Yes, that was best for her.

I didn't know if my sister guessed my plans. An uneasy silence hung over our house now, neither of us shouting at each other anymore. My parents were troubled, knowing that something was wrong, but not knowing what could be done about it. They thought that I was jealous of Lily. Of her abilities, and the fact that she would go to a magical school. I did not tell them my true feelings. The fact that I was not jealous at all, but merely acting the way I was for Lily's own good. So that she would enjoy herself in her new environment. Or, at least, that was what I told myself.

September the first finally arrived. I had agreed to accompany Lily to the train station. I had wanted to spare myself the pain of watching her leave, watching her walk out of my life, but I knew that I couldn't not go. Hard though it might be, I had to be there to witness my sister's moment. The day she had looked forward to so much, however much she had tried to hide that from me. And I pretended to my parents that I only went along reluctantly. I don't know if my sister was fooled, all I do know was that she stared at me piercingly all the way throughout our journey to the station. I turned my back on her, watched outside the window, and marvelled at the way the thunder and rain outside mirrored my own feelings exactly.

We arrived with twenty minutes to spare. Lily entered the platform the way she had been told, but when my parents tried to do the same, they found that they couldn't. Neither, to my dismay, could I. Two minutes later Lily reappeared at our side, looking confused, but at the sight of our parents' and mine dishevelled appearance, realised what had happened. She said her goodbyes to our parents, and then turned to me. I fought to keep that look of disinterested annoyance on my face, but I knew that some of the concern and anxiety must have found its way through, because for a second, I saw a suspicious brightness in her green eyes. I hardened my face, and turned away. When I looked back, she was gone.

Ignoring my parents' rebukes, I led the way to the car. And later on, in the privacy of my bedroom, I broke down completely. Torrents of tears made their way onto my sheets, uncontrollable no longer. I remembered all the fun we had had, all those late night conversations we shared, and then...the silence this summer. And as I gradually fell asleep, only one phrase was foremost in my mind.

And so, it ends.