Harry Potter and the Secret of the Twins

April 2002

Harry woke the next morning with a sure knowledge that Rose was nervous. He got dressed quickly, said good bye to Sergio, and hurried down to the common room, reaching it just as Rose did.

"Nervous?"

"A little."

"If you insist."

"Okay, more than a little."

"It'll be just fine."

"That's what everybody always says."

"Today we have Divination and Care of Magical Creatures before lunch, and Defense Against the Dark Arts after. Divination should be easy for you, and Hagrid teaches Care of Magical Creatures. The creatures tend to lean towards monsters, but he knows a lot and teaches well."

"Then there's Professor Lupin, an easy person to get along with except on the full moon," Rose said with a grin.

"Of course. Quidditch try outs are in a month, and Keeper's open."

"So you want me to try out."

"Only if you want to."

"Of course I want to."

"Then we've got four of the best players in the continent."

"How are the Chasers?"

"Good. Everyone on the team is good."

Rose nodded slightly, then started off. "Let's get breakfast."

Ron, Rose, and Harry shared the same table during Divination. Professor Trelawney seemed very interested when Rose informed her that she was gifted in Seeing.

"I'm not very good," she said, looking a little embarrassed. "I have only gotten these feeling before, and all of them were connected to horrible things." She didn't mention the one about Harry.

In Care of Magical Creatures Harry saw something he had neither hoped nor expected to see again. Fluffy, the three headed dog, was tied in a paddock, looking happier then he had the last time Harry had seen him, but still very dangerous. Rose sat right by the fence, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione, though none wanted to get closer to the beast then they had to, sat with her. There was a bit of a heated discussion over who got the seat farthest from the paddock. It ended up with Harry by Rose, then Hermione, and Ron sitting away from Rose and Fluffy, though out a little so that he could still see her.

"Okay, this is Fluffy, ev'ryone," Hagrid said after the Slytherins had finally arrived. "He's a -"

"Three headed dog?" supplied Rose, even though Hagrid hadn't faltered in the slightest.

"That's not his official name, but it'll do if you wan' to use it. Anyway, they're easy enough to handle, jus' add some raw meat to his dog food, an' keep him calm. Anyone know how to do that?"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione all put their hands up.

"Harry, how about you?"

"Music."

"Right. Now, If you start playin' some music, Fluffy'll go right to sleep. If you -" Hagrid broke off, because Fluffy had gone to sleep. Harry knew why immediately. Rose was singing softly, loud enough that only he and Fluffy heard.

"Hush, little monster,
Go now to sleep,
The stars are beginning to fly.

"Sleep now, my monster,
The moon's coming out,
The sun is beginning to sink.

"No worries 'til the sun does rise,
Sleep 'til east gives birth,
For now the moon and stars do dance
To silent music of the night."

Rose stopped singing, and Fluffy woke up looking calmer.

"Who was singin'?" Hagrid asked. "I know someone was, and he's not been that calm when he wakes in a long time."

Rose looked down sheepishly, but raised her hand when Harry bumped her gently with his elbow.

"What did you sing? He really liked it."

"Just a lullaby my mum sung to me, except I said 'monster' instead of 'baby'. My mum told me that most creatures we consider monsters have a bit of a complex and like to be called monsters. They like to know they scare us." She paused grinning. "Even when they don't. She never sung much, so I don't know many more songs."

"Maralin always had a way with animals, an' people, too, for that matter, though Lily was the singer. Maralin tol' stories. Anyway, When the music stops, Fluffy'll wake up. Anyone else like to try their 'and at calmin' him?"

No one was very eager to sing to the monster, but eventually some people sung to him, including Neville. When Fluffy woke up after that he was not calmer, though, but rather annoyed, so Rose sung another lullaby, and Romina sung a wordless accompaniment.

"My monster sweet, go to sleep.
Tomorrow comes too soon.
All will die, and all will live,
But everyone must sleep.
Sleep, and enter the world of dreams.
Sleep, my precious monster."

In Defense Against the Dark Arts there was no creature on Professor Lupin's desk when they arrived. Most of the class seemed disappointed by this, but they were less so when Professor Lupin entered and explained.

"Since this is my first day back, I thought I'd give you a review of two years ago. There was a boggart in my desk drawer when I got here, so I decided to see if you remembered anything. So - everyone get out your wands and come around here so we can get started. Form a line... that's it. We'll take this one as far as it gets, then we'll go after the one I found in my office." He moved the desks and bags to the side, and moved his desk back then ordered the first person forward.

Neville went first, once more forcing the Boggart Snape into his grandmother's clothing. Then Seamus, and Parvati, next Dean, then Ron, and next Romina.

It turned into something that filled the room with screams: the Dark Mark. Romina pointed her wand at it and daringly said, "Riddikulus."

The Dark Mark turned into a golden moon with a black silt across it, like a cat's eye, and finally it was Rose's turn.

When the Boggart saw Rose it became someone that Harry knew all to well and the other students began to truly panic. Lord Voldemort was standing where the cat's eye had been moments before.

Tall, thin, and pale he was advancing on a terrified Rose, his wand in hand. Could it harm her? Harry wasn't about to wait around and find out. He sprinted to place himself between Rose and the image of Voldemort, raising his own wand and daring it to shift its attention to him.

It did, immediately becoming a Dementor, but before it could move Harry shouted, "Riddikulus!" The Boggart Dementor burst apart into wisps and was gone. Harry turned around just in time to see Rose hit the floor, out cold.

"Is everyone alright?" Professor Lupin asked, coming over to squat with Harry beside Rose.

"She fainted," Harry said, and Lupin nodded.

"Can you take her up to the hospital wing, Harry? Otherwise Poppy will be after my hide." He stood, helping Harry get Rose situated. "Five points to everyone who faced that Boggart, and twenty extra to Harry for his sheer nerve in facing the thing like that. Everyone else into my office, please."

Harry walked carefully even though Rose was light, and laid her gently on one of the beds while Madame Pomfrey hurried over.

"What happened?"

"We're reviewing Boggarts in Defense Against the Dark Arts because there were a couple when Professor Lupin came back, and it turned into Voldemort when it saw her. Everyone panicked, and she was about to faint, and I faced it and it turned into a Dementor, then I destroyed it and she actually fainted."

Madame Pomfrey started checking her head for any injury, tutting to herself the whole while. "She'll be alright, though it's best to let her wake up on her own. She will before long." She turned sternly to Harry. "And you are going to have some chocolate before you go back."

Harry took the chocolate Madame Pomfrey gave him and ate it quietly, watching Rose. She woke as Harry finished the chocolate, looking around.

"Why am I in here?" she said to nothing in particular. "I was in Defense Against Dark Arts and the Boggart had turned into Voldemort, and I couldn't say the spell, much less raise my wand, then Harry came and defeated the Boggart..." She turned to look at Harry. "Did I faint?"

Harry nodded. "Probably the only reason no one else did was that they were too busy running and screaming."

Rose rolled her eyes and turned around to Madame Pomfrey and asked, "Can I go back to class?"

"Yes, certainly. Both of you need to go back to class."

Harry and Rose started back to class in silence, and had gone a ways before either spoke.

"How do you do it, Harry? How can you face him?" Rose asked abruptly, stopping to face Harry.

Harry was taken aback, and had to think for a bit before answering with a shrug. "I don't have time to think, just to act. I don't have time to even start being afraid."

"I've sworn I'd fight him, and the first time I face him - and not even really him, just a Boggart! The first time I lay eyes on him I faint!"

"It's different with the real thing. You'll be able to do what you have to when you're needed."

Rose didn't answer, and they walked the rest of the way to the classroom in silence.

They had finished off the other Boggart when the pair arrived to a very subdued Defense Against the Dark Arts class. They were given no homework, and when they left conversation sprung up, not about everyone facing their own Boggarts, but Harry facing Rose's.

"It turned into You-Know-Who -"

"- didn't even blink. Went right up and -"

"Can you believe he did that? I was -"

"- just ran right up and face You-Know-Who, not even a little scared."

"It changed, and I couldn't even see what it was before -"

Harry walked a little faster, his friends speeding up to keep up, and nearly walked into Professor McGonagall.

"Careful there, Potter. Professor Dumbledore would like a word with you. And you, Rose." Harry started off with Rose following, but both Ron and Hermione looked like they wanted to follow. "You two move along, Harry and Rose will tell you when they get back if it's any of your business." Her tone said quite clearly that she doubted that it was.

Harry and Rose glanced at each other for a moment, then started off towards Dumbledore's office.

The Gargoyle guarding Professor Dumbledore's office was as ugly as ever. Rose looked more amused than anything, however, especially when Harry gave the password.

"Lollipop?" she asked as they rode up the spiral staircase. "What kind of password is lollipop for the headmaster's office?"

"Dumbledore's not your run-of-the-mill headmaster, is he?"

"I guess not, but lollipop? I had to see the headmistress at my old school once, and the password was dragon hide." She shook her head, still slightly unbelieving. "Lollipop."

At last they reached the top of the staircase and the polished oak door with the brass griffin knocker. Harry gave Rose a stern look to stop her giggles, then knocked once and waited.

Professor Dumbledore open the door and cheerfully waved them in. "Come, now, I didn't bring you up here to punish you, you just need to have a quick word with you before you run off to dinner."

They entered the office and instantly knew why they were there. Sirius was standing there in front of the desk. There was silence for a second, then Rose found her voice.

"Papa? Is it really you?"

Sirius looked surprised and more than a little disbelieving. "Rose?" he asked hoarsely.

Rose ran over and hugged him, catching him off guard. He blinked, then smiled and put his arms around his daughter. "You're so old, little one. The last time I saw you, you were only a baby, and now you're almost a woman."

She pulled back a little to look into her father's eyes. "I'm only fifteen. Not that old."

"I know how old fifteen is, Rose. I was fifteen once, you know. A long time ago, but I was. And now my little girl is. Let me have a look at you."

Rose stood back and smiled while Sirius inspected her. "You don't look a bit like either of us, little beauty. And where did this come from?" He reached out and gently fingered her scarlet lock.

Rose shrugged, brushing it out of her face, and Dumbledore took the opportunity to start their chat.

"Sirius is staying in the third room past Professor Snape's office, and both of you are free to visit him during your free time. Try not to go in while other students are around or there will be problems."

"What about Ron and Hermione?"

"The teachers all know that you two are free to enter that room, but it might be best if you included your friends somewhere else."

"What about Buckbeak?"

"He's safe and sound, back with-"

He broke off, turning to look at Fawkes. Rose had begun singing wordlessly to him, and he'd joined her with his own eerie voice, and together they were singing a strangely beautiful duet.

The music carried away Harry's mind to a place he'd never been. It was beautiful, a grassy moor in the starlight. As the song's tempo increased, Harry began to move across the vision with alarming speed to stop suddenly at the edge of a wood. Turning, he looked back over the moor. It had a few hills and a large lake...

Suddenly Harry was back in Professor Dumbledore's office. Rose had stopped singing and was wide eyed with fear.

"What- how did I do that?"

Sirius pulled his terrified daughter into his arms and stood there holding her and rocking slightly, whispering that it would be alright.

"You have a powerful gift of song, one I've seen before, though not that strong," Professor Dumbledore said seriously, though he obviously (at least to Harry) wasn't telling something big. "You can make a person see what you want through song, and even control them to some degree."

"But, I can't..."

"You can, Rose."

Sirius looked confused. "That was Lily's gift. Maralin's was speech."

"Somehow Rose has acquired the gift," Dumbledore said solemnly.

"It had to be from Maralin," Sirius said quietly. "There's nothing like that in my side of the family."

"It wouldn't have come from a gift of speech!" Rose insisted. "The two are entirely unrelated! Song is a magic gift and the other's a gift a Muggle could have!"

"She's right, you know," said Harry carefully. "But these thing's apparently just turn up sometimes. My mum was Muggle-born."

"That's generally just when lines begin," Rose said in a very off hand manner, waving her hand absently. "The Muggle-born, you know..."

"You know that nothing always happens."

Rose grinned. "You're right. Can we go to dinner now, Professor Dumbledore? I hope you don't mind, Dad, but there's someone I want to talk to."

Both adults nodded, and the only two children of the Marauders left for dinner.

"A little one sided, isn't it?" Fred Weasley said to his twin, not noticing the two fifth years behind them.

"Yeah, eight first years and those two transfer students, and only two boys among them!"

"What's wrong with that?" Rose said innocently, causing both twins to turn to face them.

"Oh, It's not you and Romina," Fred said quickly.

"Yeah, it's just that usually there's more than two first year boys," George added.

"There is. It's just that they were all suited for other houses. But look at it this way: How would you like to be put into Slytherin?" Fred and

George both winced, and Rose grinned. "You get the point. Let's go. I want to see something."

"You said you had someone you needed to talk to."

"Oh, I do, but I'll do it tonight if I see what I need to."

Rose dragged Harry over to where Ron and Hermione were waiting for them, and sat directly across from Romina. The Russian girl was still hiding inside her cloak, and Rose did her best to see something on her face- her eyes, Harry realized after a moment. Finally she stopped, satisfied.

"I was right," she whispered quietly to Harry.

"About what?" Harry asked.

"Romina -she's a Mettifelinous."

"A what?"

"Shh," she whispered, even quieter than before. "A Mettifelinous. They're cat people that live in Russia. I suspected as much since I saw her Boggart. What she turned it into is the symbol of the Mettifelinous anti-Voldemort movement. In English I think they're called 'Cats of Light' or

something like that."

Harry raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. Hermione, he noticed, was watching her suspiciously, and Ron seemed to be watching him in a similar fashion. Rose followed his gaze, smothered a giggle, and ate her dinner. She finished quickly and left at practically a dead run.

"What was that all about?" Hermione asked when she left.

Harry watched as Romina finished up and started after Rose. Then he said, "I don't know why she left so fast."

"I meant the peering and whispering."

"Rose has some suspicions about why Romina's hiding in her cloak, and I'm not going to tell you until she's sure. There's no reason to spread rumors about her. She might just be cold."

"Harry," Hermione said in a very overly patient tone. "It's colder in most places in Russia."

"She might be," Harry said, shrugging. Then he left, giving them a slight wave.

He went strait into the common room, which was empty except for the two transfer students, who were sitting by the fire and talking. Romina had her cloak off.

She was beautiful, and looked something like Hermione had when she'd taken her cat hair Poly juice Potion, after the fur on her face was

gone. She had long hair that was so red that it was nearly black and black cat ears poked out of. Her eyes were yellow with slit pupils, and a sleek black cat tail was draped over her curled, half upright form. She turned to Harry as he entered and said, "Hello, Harry Potter." Her voice was as much like moonlight in speech as in song.

"Hello, Romina," Harry said awkwardly, taking up a seat with them by the fire. "So you are a Mettifelinous."

"Yes," she said gently. "I am not human. Does that bother you, Harry Potter?"

"No," Harry said. "I'm friends with a werewolf, a half giant, and a partial. I don't see why a Mettifelinous should bother me."

She smiled, revealing pointed teeth. They looked very nice on her, but they were a bit... disturbing. "Does what I am still not bother you?"

"Not at all."

"But you find my teeth disquieting."

"I just wasn't expecting it, and I'm not used to it. It's not what someone is that counts, but what they're like. I'm a Parselmouth, and that's not any different from being a werewolf or half giant or a Mettifelinous."

"No, it's not," Romina said quietly. "You are more than you seem, Harry Potter. Perhaps..." she paused, then nodded. "I shall not conceal what I am."

"That's good," Harry said, awkward again.

"Do you know why Professor Lupin would agitate me without doing anything?" she asked, turning back to Rose.

"Well, maybe... It's no secret, really. He's a werewolf," Rose said. "You know, the whole cat and dog thing."

"A werewolf." Romina said quietly, her melodious voice falling into a very catlike hissing. "All caniness get on my nervess. Wolvess are the worsst. Esspessially werewolvess."

"What do you have against werewolves?" Harry asked.

"Itss the cat in me. Dogss rub me the wrong way," she said finishing in a growl.

"Dogs."

"Yess. Dogss. 'The whole cat and dog thing,' like Rosse ssaid."

"Why are werewolves the worst?" Rose asked.

"Becausse they are!"

"But why?"

"Becausse... becausse... because we are both partially human!" Romina said, loosing her hiss.

"Really."

"Oh, I don't know," Romina mewed. "They just are."

Just then Ron and Hermione came in... and stopped as soon as they saw Romina. She turned to them and smiled, then stood up, brushed herself off, and left up the stairs to her dormitory. Ron was gaped after her, and Hermione eyed Rose suspiciously again.

"Hullo Ron, Hermione," Harry said quietly.

Hermione asked Harry, "What was that all about?"

"Rose was right," Harry said lightly. "Romina's a Mettifelinous."

"A- oh," Hermione said quietly. "A Matti- Mettifelinous."

Rose giggled. "It's not a bad thing that you don't know a thing about the Mettifelinous. Few people do."

"I know about the Mettifelinous," Hermione snapped, glaring at Rose.

Rose raised her eyebrow, her mischievous smile tugging at her lips. "Really? What are they famous for?"

"They... they..."

Rose grinned. "The Mettifelinous are the Russian cat people who formed an anti-Voldemort fragment which is widely called by humans the 'Cats of Light'." She stopped, cocking her head to the side, still grinning. "The only reason I've ever heard of them is that I made an extensive study of the groups fighting Voldemort. The most famous one in Britain is the Order of Phoenix. My parents, Harry's, and Professor Lupin were the Council of Five, and Professor Dumbledore was the leader of sorts."

"Yeah, Mrs. Figg mentioned something about that this summer," Harry said quietly. "She said that only three of the Five were alive."

"Oh," Hermione said quietly, kind of glancing at Ron, who shrugged.

"Bye, you three," Ron said, then he went up stairs to the dormitory.