The Brother Mirror and the Guardian of Hogwarts

Lizzy sat in the front seat next to her mother, methodically popping bubbles from her mouth. Her mother sniffed in agitation and took the next corner rather sharply. The car swung round and Lizzy squeaked in surprise. Suddenly the tissues on the dashboard burst into a chorus of ‘Three is a magic number…’

“Elizabeth!” Monica shrieked.

“What?” Lizzy replied indignant.

“What have I told you about that? I don’t want you getting into trouble, especially in front of your Aunt Petunia.”

“It was an accident!” Lizzy protested.

“Yes well your Aunt Petunia has a very troubled family and there’s no need to bring your… thing into this. We’re just going to have a nice summer with my family. Did I tell you I always used to play with my cousin Petunia and her sister when I was little?”

“Yes, continually…” Lizzy muttered, “It was only when my parents moved away…”

“It was only when my parents moved away to Kent that we stopped being such close friends. I was only your age you know…”

Lizzy groaned as her mother continued to reminisce about her wonderful cousin Petunia. Lizzy had always managed to avoid family visits. Then of course Great Uncle whatever-his-name-is had his eightieth birthday and of course mother had to say “we must get together in the holidays…” Now Lizzy had no excuse not to meet her Aunt Petunia who sounded like a certified bore and her son Dudley the Boxing Champion.

The prospect of an interesting summer seemed very far way.

It seemed a shame to Lizzy that you could only stay at Hogwarts for Christmas but you had to go home for the summer. At least there she could have caught up on her History of Magic, maybe even sabotage Snape’s stock of magical ingredients. She’d heard rumour that wasn’t all he kept in his private store.

But no, Lizzy was doomed to a summer of tea and sugared violets.

Please God let the cat get sick!

That’s when she felt it. It was like a little jolt along her spine that flew to the back of her mind. Were there wizards here? It could just have been her imagination or else a very simple spell, but Lizzy couldn’t be sure. Of course if she had asked someone about her gifts at school she might have had some answers already but typically Lizzy was too stubborn to ask for help.

“So is Dudley my cousin?” Lizzy wondered.

“Sort of,”

“Damn…”

“And so is Harry dear.” Lizzy’s mother replied.

“Harry? Who’s Harry?” Lizzy asked.

“Harry Potter, he’s Dudley’s cousin, though you probably won’t see much of him. He’s apparently a bit unstable…”

“There’s boy at school called Harry Potter…” Lizzy mused.

“That’s nice dear,” Monica said as she pulled into Privet Drive and searched for the door with number four on it.

---

Harry put Hedwig back in her cage. He wasn’t entirely sure what he could get away with at the moment. After meeting a few members of the Order at the start of the summer the Dursleys had swung from treading on egg shells to treading on Harry instead. Neither had he met Aunt Petunia’s cousin before so today could be interesting experience. Dudley was already preparing to pummel and push around the girl that was coming, then vacate as soon as possible with his gang. Harry on the other hand had already been instructed to stay in his room, stay out of the way and avoid eye contact.

Of course that won’t make Aunt Monica suspicious at all.

“It’s a shame Ron couldn’t come for us yesterday, now we have to wait until Cousin Monica and her kid go home before we can escape. Shame the Order hasn’t come for us either but that’s about as likely as Snape giving out chocolate frogs in Potions…”

Then Aunt Petunia screamed up the stairs for Harry to clean himself up and be ready for his Aunt Monica.

“What happened to staying in my room?” Harry muttered exasperated.

Uncle Vernon was waiting at the stairs already, looking murderous as usual. As Harry jumped the last two steps his shirt got hooked by one of Uncle Vernon’s podgy fingers.

“Remember boy, another incident like Aunt Marge –”

“It was an accident!” Harry protested.

“– another incident like Aunt Marge’s and I swear I’ll… I’ll…”

“Get another Howler from Dumbledore?” Harry offered innocently.

Uncle Vernon’s face was already turning a deep crimson when the door bell sounded.

“Get the door!”

---

Monica and Lizzy walked up to the house with their feet crunching on the path. Lizzy paused for a moment. Something didn’t feel right, she could already feel a tension in the air and she hadn’t even met the family yet.

“Lizzy, come on, what are you playing at?” Monica said in aggravation.

“Not yet Mum. Something’s not right…”

But her mother ignored Lizzy’s plea and dragged her daughter to the doorstep. The door bell rang out clearly, stemming the flow of shouting from inside. Monica looked at her daughter mirroring Lizzy’s worried expression.

After a moment the front door swung open and Aunt Petunia rushed forward to greet Monica with a kiss on each other’s cheeks. Lizzy stepped back wondering who had opened the door and what the tension in the house had been about. There were other tones of ambience in the air of the house too. Someone was very fearful, another was angry but most of all, this home felt incomplete. There was something left yet to be done before this house could become settled. Lizzy shut out these thoughts and scolded herself for being so careless. Surely the Dursleys had nothing to hide?

Then suddenly Aunt Petunia swooped out of no where and began to greet Lizzy in the same manner as her mother. Completely caught of guard Lizzy just stood there perplexed and embarrassed.

“Lizzy, say hello to your Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon…” Monica said scornfully.

“Hello…”

“Diddykins, this is your cousin Elizabeth,” Aunt Petunia said.

Dudley scowled at Lizzy for a moment but just so long that Monica didn’t see him transform back into his façade of sweet polite ickle Diddykins. Lizzy could tell the boy was a fraud instantly.

“My name is Lizzy,” Lizzy replied coldly.

“Um… yes, Elizabeth is a bit particular about being called Lizzy. Her father’s silly little nickname for her…” Monica laughed nervously.

Aunt Petunia then invited Monica to a cup of tea and Uncle Vernon lead Monica through the hallway to admire their new kitchen. Lizzy declined the offer and stood in the hallway staring at Dudley for a moment.

“What are you looking at?” he grunted.

---

Harry inwardly gave thanks for quick thinking. Fortunately he had thought to grab his invisibility cloak just as he was coming down the stairs. As soon as Harry had opened the front door he was gone. The only problem was Uncle Vernon stood in the way of his escape upstairs and now Dudley and that girl were glaring at each other in the way too.

“I think it was ‘Ickle Diddykins’ or am I paraphrasing?” Lizzy relied coolly.

Dudley was obviously thrown by the advanced vocabulary and frowned stupefied for a minute. Harry had to suppress a cough of laughter. Though invisible, he was quite certain bodiless laughing would be noticed. But he also watched somewhat worried. The girl Lizzy was about half the size of Dudley and though she made up for it in wits, it didn’t seem likely Dudley would hesitate to knock down the kid.

“So, where’s Harry?” Lizzy said before Dudley could formulate an answer to her last statement.

“Who?” Dudley growled.

“Your cousin? I thought he lived with you…”

“Oh yeah, he’s out. Dunno when he’ll be back…” Dudley mumbled. Harry could see him start to shuffle about on the spot. It was curious that a twelve year could be so intimidating.

0 “Liar,” Lizzy answered and she stalked out the door towards her mother’s car. Harry lifted of the invisibility cloak as Dudley turned towards the kitchen and swiftly stepped behind him.

“I like her, she seems to be pretty good at first impressions,” Harry whispered.

Dudley jumped a foot in the air and turned to glare at Harry.

“Shut it you,” Dudley sneered, “And where did you go?”

“I thought you told me to shut it?” Harry replied.

“Yeah you better, or else both you freaks are gonna get it!” Dudley roared.

“Get what?” Lizzy said as she walked back into the hallway. She dropped a small suitcase onto the floor and preceded, “Ooh, is it a present? I’ve never been rewarded for insulting someone of inferior intellect before!”

Harry laughed and began to walk up the stairs.

“So are you Harry Potter?” Lizzy called.

Harry turned and for once was glad someone knew him as not the Boy Who Lived but as just Harry Potter. He turned round on the stairs and looked down at Lizzy.

“Yeah, I am.” Harry said.

At first Lizzy just smiled politely up at him but then her green eyes rapidly became the size of saucers. Lizzy’s hand flew to her mouth as she gasped loudly. Harry too was taken by surprise once he had looked at her properly. She looked just like Lilly, his mother, except she had waves of dark blonde hair and a broader body. Other than that Harry could sworn it was his mother with dyed hair just out of her first year at Hogwarts. She had the same bright green eyes; just like his own.

Lizzy too was still staring at him amazed until she finally said, “Oh my God, you really are Harry Potter!”

Harry just frowned at her, slightly unnerved by her reaction. He then realised where she was staring. She was staring at his scar. But what would she known about his scar? He was used to the occasional wizard idolising the symbol of Voldemort’s first demise but it was very strange for a muggle to take such notice of his scar.

“Um, sure…” Harry said and continued to climb up the stairs.

Dudley was left dumfounded in the hallway as Harry entered his bedroom. Hedwig hooted in greeting and implored towards the cage door longingly.

“I’m sorry Hedwig, not now. I’ll let you out tonight, can’t have owls flying around while the relatives are here. That girl’s looking at me strangely enough already…”

Harry flopped onto his bed and brought out his transfiguration manual. It wasn’t part of the Hogwarts official reading list but Harry had owl-ordered it anyway. He was fed up of being stuck in Privet Drive and a little inspiration from the Marauders had lead Harry to this new challenge. It had taken James Potter and Sirius Black the best part of three years to perfect the art of being Animagi. Harry was hoping maybe he could do the same. So far he had developed his abilities far beyond NEWT level in theory but as for practical magic Harry didn’t dare try yet. He couldn’t even go to the secret Animagi for advice because James Potter had been dead for almost fifteen years and Sirius Black had been dead for almost two months. The only two of Hogwarts Marauders left were a werewolf and a traitor.

Harry then realised he had been gripping the next couple of pages of the manual so tight they were being ripped to shreds.

“Shit!” he muttered in surprise, “Reparo”

The sheets returned to their original crisp flat form and the words returned to flowing over the page like an on coming tidal wave. Fortunately Hermione had discovered some interesting spells on holiday. Now Harry, Ron and Hermione could adapt a dampening field around any chosen area so the Ministry of Magic couldn’t detect simple magic performed by the under-age witch and wizards. For a moment Harry found himself inwardly thanking that there was a Hermione Granger in the world.

But then Harry couldn’t stop thinking of Sirius. Sirius would have loved helping Harry become an Animagi. Harry was pretty sure his father might have outwardly disapproved but would have also been somewhat proud of his son too. Both were dead and Harry could do nothing to bring them back. Harry had learnt to deal with his parents’ murder; he could hardly remember them but Sirius had become like a big brother, or something similar, to him. Sirius was the only one he could have talked to about facing Voldemort but now he was dead. It was Harry’s fault and now he was alone.

This time, the book’s pages did not become ripped but instead the patter of tears landed on the parchment-like surface. The paper darkened and the inked shined as Harry stared intently at the words. Still it was hard to imagine that his life was to include, or end, in murder. But so it was going to happen. For everything that Voldemort had done, for his parents and for Sirius.

If he could just do this, become an Animagi, then maybe he could block Voldemort out of his mind in the same sort of way as Sirius did to the Dementors, maybe then he’d have a chance to get to the Dark Lord. Harry would eventually have to leave the sight of the Ministry, even Dumbledore, if he was ever going to find the skills needed to match Voldemort. After he finished at Hogwarts Harry would no longer need the protection of his mother’s blood. He could leave the Dursleys and go into hiding, training for the final fight. Harry had never been one for believing in miracles or prophecies but Hogwarts had made a lot of changes in his life. This was just a particularly big change.

“Sirius, what would you have done? You told me I was like my father but how can I beat Voldemort when everyone whoever faced him was killed including my Dad? What am I supposed to do? Sirius, why did you have TO LEAVE ME ON MY OWN?” Harry cried in rage.

Harry threw the manual across the room with such force that the shelf above shook. While Harry turned round to try and calm down, the door crept open and little blonde head peeped round the corner.

“Not quite the Standard Book of Spells… I’ve never seen that book on the reading list,” Lizzy whispered as she came into Harry’s room, “Are you okay?”

Harry looked round in surprise. He tried to hide his eyes from her, not wanting her to think he had been crying.

“What did you say?” Harry said astonished.

“You um… sounded upset, so I came to see if you were alright,” Lizzy replied.

“No, before that,” Harry said staring straight at Lizzy, no longer caring if she saw his eyes red from tears.

“The transfiguration book, it’s kind of advanced. I mean, I heard you were good, but not that good.” Lizzy explained as she pointed at the volume lying on the floor.

“Let me get this straight, you’re a witch?” Harry exclaimed.

“For almost a year now,” Lizzy replied happily, “You know, I didn’t realise that it was you mum was talking about when she told me Harry Potter lived here. I thought you were just another boring relation like Dudley. So why didn’t Aunt Petunia tell us you were a wizard?”

“Because they hate me. Why did Aunt Monica never tell us you were a witch?” Harry countered.

“Mum and Dad hardly believed it themselves and well, you already know what your Aunt and Uncle are like. I still can’t believe I’m related to Harry Potter though! The Boy Who –”

“Don’t say it!” Harry groaned.

“Sorry,” Lizzy mumbled, “so, I guess it’s pretty hard growing up in a house where everyone wants to burn you at the stake…”

“How did you guess?” Harry sighed gloomily.

“I’ve heard rumours; I just never put two and two together. I suppose you being a wizard stopped me from guessing you were my cousin. We could have some fun at school though! Did you know our Mums used to hang out all the time?” Lizzy asked excitedly.

“No, I didn’t. Has anyone ever told you how much you look like my Mum though?” Harry whispered.

Lizzy looked quite stunned as she stared back at Harry. She wasn’t quite sure what to say to this. People had always said she had her father’s hair and her mother’s nose but other than that her looks were quite foreign in the family. Lizzy eventually shook her head and slid down onto to Harry’s bed, still staring quite bemused at Harry.

“Guess Aunt Petunia isn’t the only one left with my mother’s blood…” Harry muttered.

“What?”

“Doesn’t matter. So your Mum doesn’t have a clue I’m a wizard?”

“Nope, and your Aunt and Uncle don’t know I’m a witch,” Lizzy grinned, “We could have some real fun, if we wanted…”

“Like what?” Harry asked quite amused by the girl’s mischievous proposal.

“Lots of things. Who showed you the Incantatem Disillusionment charm?” Lizzy replied as she plucked the transfiguration manual off the floor.

“The what?” Harry said.

“It’s how you’ve been doing magic without the Ministry’s knowing about it. Quite clever really…”

Harry looked at Lizzy stunned.

“What house are you in?”

“Ravenclaw, not sure why though, you should see what I get in Herbology. Wish I’d been put in Gryffindor, at least then I could have figured out who you were before now. You won’t believe the things that some of my house were saying about you!”

“And you believed them?” Harry inquired.

“Of course not! Well I did at first; I mean I’d never heard of You Know Who and The Boy Who Lived until I got to Hogwarts, had I? Then I started to read up about you and the Dark Lord and well to be honest the Ministry seemed to be living in hope that he wouldn’t come back. Surely it’s obvious that a wizard that powerful would find a way. I just wish I’d been there to see you fighting a Hungarian Horntail. And then after a lesson with that Umbridge, well I know an idiot when I see one. Could tell she was a fraud the moment she first let a word out of her mouth.”

“Yeah, you seem to have a knack with that, don’t you?” Harry said.

“I don’t know what you mean?” Lizzy declared.

“Well, you seemed pretty sure that Dudley was lying about me and you knew I was upset about something without actually <>. I may not be in Ravenclaw, but I’m not that stupid either…” Harry said, raising his eyebrows.

“Okay, so I notice some things that other people can’t. I didn’t notice it until I got to Hogwarts. Can I tell you something? I knew there was something wrong as soon as I went in the castle. I knew that Professor Umbridge was up to something when she made that speech. I knew the teachers were worried and well I knew some of the students were afraid despite what the Ministry said. I sense things. I can sometimes tell what someone’s feeling. I can even tell if someone’s using magic near me. No one can leg-lock me, that’s for sure!”

Harry couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing, he had heard of various magical gifts like being a Metamorphmagus like Tonks the Auror, seers who could make prophecies or even Harry himself being a Parselmouth. But never had he heard of magical abilities like this. It was almost like some kind of telepathy.

“So that’s how you knew Dudley and Umbridge were lying,” Harry exclaimed.

“Not exactly. I just knew they were deceitful…”

“What’s it like?” Harry asked curiously.

“That’s impossible. It’s like explaining colours to the blind. I guess you could say it’s like any other of my senses. I see things with my eyes, I hear sounds with my ears and I sense magic with my heart. Emotion I don’t really get from magic folk so easy. I only feel it if it’s really strong…”

Harry nodded then sat back against the head board of his bed. He gave a sigh and said, “Tell you what, how about we don’t tell my Aunt and Uncle and your Mum about this? Like you said, we could have a bit of fun…”

Lizzy just grinned and nodded in agreement.

---

Lizzy came into the kitchen looking rather pleased. Her mother watched her and smiled.

“You look a bit better, what are you so pleased about?” Monica said.

“I just got all the luggage in by myself,” Lizzy grinned.

“All of it?” Lizzy’s mother gave a worried glance as Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon looked suspiciously.

“Ah, you should have got Dudley to do it. He’s a strong lad. Did your mother tell you that he’s the Boxing Champion at Smeltings?” Uncle Vernon announced proudly, “Two years running now!”

“Yeah,” Lizzy said impassively, “I’d heard but boxing isn’t all about brute strength…”

“Elizabeth!” Monica shrieked, “Don’t you dare be so rude…”

“Sorry Uncle Vernon. I just meant that at my school, sport is a lot more about agility, speed and well… courage. Don’t you agree those qualities are important in a person?” Lizzy replied.

It was at this point that Harry entered the kitchen, completely ignored by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon.

“Oh yes, I quite agree. It takes a special lad to show strength in sports like that. What sort of sports do you have at your school?” Uncle Vernon inquired.

“Oh well, we have things like duelling…” Lizzy muttered.

“Ah yes! Fencing, quite a skilful sport if you have the right stuff. Not like that one there!” Uncle Vernon sneered as he pointed at Harry.

Harry continued to smile complacently. He would have loved to explain what Lizzy was really talking about, but that could wait for now. Monica though looked at the boy and smiled brightly.

“Harry! Oh my goodness, is that you? You’re all grown up! You’re almost a man! You don’t how long I’ve waited to meet you. If only I could have seen your dear mother and maybe met your father. Doesn’t he have his mother’s eyes?” Monica exclaimed excitedly. She didn’t notice the awkward silence that fell suddenly around the kitchen.

But Harry gave an uncomfortable smile all the same and said, “Yeah, well we still find it kind of difficult to talk about them after what happened…”

“Oh of course, I’m so sorry dear. It must have been so hard for all of you losing your parents and Petunia’s sister,” Monica quivered.

Uncle Vernon seemed ready to burst, while Aunt Petunia looked more pale and gaunt than usual. Dudley remained silent and didn’t touch his sandwich for once.

“Um, so Dudley, what do you do around here for fun?” Lizzy offered.

“Oh yes, popkins you can show Lizzy round and you can introduce her to your friends!” Petunia grasped excitedly.

“What about Harry?” Monica asked, “Will we meet any of your friends?”

“He don’t have any friends –” Dudley began.

“He doesn’t have any friends who live nearby,” Uncle Vernon stated.

“Oh, so where do you go to school Harry?” Monica asked sweetly.

“St Brutus’ –” Harry began to say.

“Don’t be stupid boy!” Uncle Vernon said sternly, “You go to Stonewall High, don’t you boy?”

“Yeah of course…” Harry muttered. He saw Lizzy beginning to shake with laughter.

“Dudders, why don’t you take Lizzy to the park…?” Aunt Petunia finally suggested.

So eventually Lizzy and Dudley were walking down Privet Drive towards the park. Of course unknown to Dudley, Harry had again made a grab for his invisibility cloak and followed a few paces behind. Harry was quite certain it was the first time Dudley had come back to the park in nearly a year. Evidently the memory of a Dementor attack was still fresh in Dudley’s mind. Lizzy too sensed the fearful tread of Dudley the Boxing Champion as he retraced his steps of that night last summer.

“Okay, when you see my friends you are not to say anything about Diddykins or popkins or any of the other crap my mum calls me. You got it?” Dudley growled menacingly.

“But it’s so cute. Won’t your friends like me if I call you that?” Lizzy smiled innocently.

“You do what I say or you get pummelled, got it?” Dudley roared.

“Now see, what’s wrong here is that you can’t make me do anything,” Lizzy grinned broadly, “did you know, I can read minds Dudley?”

Dudley suddenly became very nervous and froze on the spot.

“Whatever,” he mumbled, “I know your sort, all talk…”

“But I know you’re scared of this place, I know Harry doesn’t go to Stonewall – I know what Harry really is…” “Dunno… d-dunno what you’re talking about?” Dudley stuttered.

“So, is common place for your family to keep wizards in their house?” Lizzy said with glee. She could see the shock and desperation on Dudley’s face.

“You say anything and I’ll smash your face in!” Dudley choked.

“Well I guess your parents won’t mind, I mean I won’t say anything but if they think you’ve been telling me rumours, I don’t think they’d be too pleased. Do you?” Lizzy continued, “So perhaps if you don’t want Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon to find out that I know, then you’ll do as I say. How’s that for you?”

Harry held back the peels of laughter threatening him. How long had he waited for someone to bully Dudley about. Of course once their Aunt and Uncle knew, they’d lose that power over Dudley, but for now it was rather amusing to see Big D quail before a little girl.

Dudley’s gang appeared in the distance of the park and called Dudley over. His face was a picture of fear and embarrassment. It was not unlike his expression when faced with a pigtail poking out of his trousers.