Little Miss Slytherin

It’s been ten years since Voldemort was defeated in Godric’s Hollow, followed by James and Lily Potter’s death by one of the Unforgivables, leaving a one year old Harry Potter with a lightning scar on his forehead, and a four month old Eleanor Potter, in their crib, crying.

Now, both Harry James and Eleanor Lily Potter are both sleeping side by side, limbs tangled with one another, under the stairs, in the cupboard, at 4th Privet Drive, under the Dursley’s guidance. Well, if you could say it, well— guidance. But it was not for long for the siblings to stay asleep, as the whole family was already awake and it was their Aunt Petunia’s shrill voice that woke them up.

“Up! You two, get up! Now!”

Eleanor kicked her feet in frustration by the sudden loud noise at their door. They heard their aunt go back to her cooking before she sat up, just right after her brother. “I’m still sleepy, Harry.”

Harry just sighed before smiling and ruffling her hair, he already had his round glasses on his face. “Come on, it’s Dudley’s birthday, they will leave for the day,” he said which made Eleanor’s eyes widened in excitement. The Dursley’s going out for the day means they have all the house to themselves— just her and her older brother. 𝐼𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑢𝑛 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑠𝑘 𝑓𝑜𝑟.

“Are you two up yet?” Their Aunt Petunia once again knocked loudly on their door, it almost tore their ears off, making Eleanor rubbed her ears irritably and rolling her eyes.

“Nearly,” Harry answered, putting his hand on Eleanor’s shoulder.

“Well, get a move on and finish off the bacon and clean the kitchen! I want everything to be perfect on Duddy’s birthday.”

Harry groaned while Eleanor just rolled her eyes again and rested herself unto Harry. She hates Dudley, and everyone else of the Dursleys, for that matter, which she is sure that her brother shares the sentiment.

“What did you say?” growled their Aunt Petunia who obviously heard Harry.

“Nothing, nothing…”

“Aunt Petunia is really a witch,” Eleanor grumbled under her breath, which made Harry chuckle, so she looked at him. “A bad witch,” she pouted.

“The bad witch might hear you, Eleanor,” Harry joked, then guided her up and looked for a pair of socks for the both of them. “I’ll go outside first so you can get change. Alright?”

Eleanor nodded at Harry who smiled at her again before going out. Harry is eleven months older than her, and he is all she cares about in the world, much more likely in the household. She hates the Dursleys more than anyone else, more than her classmates who get to bully her into going to school with no new clothes and things, always someone else’s things first before her, which is also her brother’s situation. The Dursleys never get them things of their own. It was always hand-me-downs. Dirty, old, hand-me-downs. Harry is all she has, her only friend, and family. At age ten, she had already planted in her mind that she would trade anything just to be with Harry forever, without the Dursleys, with them being happy and living with ease. Just her and Harry.

The moment she walks outside of the cupboard, Harry is already settling the bacon on the table that is already set. Harry guided her to her seat and put some food on her plate. While eating, she can’t help but glance at Harry. For the age of ten, nearly 11 in a month’s time, Harry is still small than the other boys their age, but she was much smaller. Harry is also thin, his body and face, knobbly knees, black hair, and bright green eyes. And of course, he has his awfully bad eyesight. Above all, the lightning scar on his forehead. It looks cool.

While she, Eleanor, only stood to her brother’s shoulders. Also thin like Harry, green eyes, and black wavy hair that reaches until her elbows. The only facial feature that she and Harry shares are their bright green eyes, and their stubborn messy hair; Harry can’t be fixed by any of her efforts, and hers so beach wavy that it cannot be tame.

They said their parents died in a car accident; it crashed and they were the only who survived.

“Comb your hair!” Uncle Vernon roared at Harry, so she looked up to her hair. Uncle Vernon always said that they two needed a haircut, especially Harry. Her brother might be the one who had the most haircuts in all the boys in town, just as it doesn’t matter because his hair grows too fast. She likes it if his hair grows fast so she can play with it before sleeping.

“Harry’s hair is nice,” she said and reached up to his hair and played with it for a bit. She snuggled closer to him before eating again.

Dudley came down, already dressed, and threw tantrums about the number of his gifts, and she hated it. Dudley obviously has a lot of gifts, and he should be grateful for it. She and Harry never got one for any occasions. Only the two of them give each other gifts — letters and drawings to touch each other’s hearts.

“Bad news, Vernon,” Aunt Petunia looked at Uncle Vernon after a telephone call. “Mrs. Figg’s leg is broken, she can’t take them,” she looked at them.

While Dudley stared at them in horror, Eleanor felt her heart leap. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon always goes outside with Dudley every year of his birthday, while the two of them would go to Mrs. Figg for the day.

“We could phone Marge,” Uncle Vernon suggested.

“Don’t be silly Vernon, she hates the kids.”

“What about — what’s her name — your friend, Yvonne?”

“On vacation in Majorca.”

“We could just stay at home,” Harry offered. She likes the idea. They could just play and play, or stay at their cupboard, snuggled at each other while telling stories, giggling and laughing. It would be fun. Maybe they even could watch the television and on Dudley’s computer.

In the end, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon decided for them to come along despite Dudley’s tantrums. After a couple of warnings from Uncle Vernon, they were able to ride the car, cramped with big Dudley and his friend, who is Dudley’s partner in bullying them. Harry clutched her shoulder against him and she settled her head on his chest.

“I had dreamed of a motorcycle,” Harry said after Uncle Vernon’s ranting. “it was flying.”

There was a small silence, and then “MOTORCYCLES DON’T FLY!” It was Uncle Vernon. Eleanor thinks he is weird. Flying motorcycles are awesome.

They went to a zoo crowded with people, and children, running around. There are a lot of animals and attractions that Eleanor can’t help but cling tighter on Harry’s hand as she points at one animal to another, much to Harry smiling and laughing with her, until they go to the reptile house.
Dudley immediately found the largest snake in the area, but it’s asleep, much to Dudley’s dissapointment.

“Make it move!” Dudley yelled at his dad, making Eleanor roll her eyes once again.

“It’s asleep!” Harry yelled and shook his head.

“Seriously, Dudley. You don’t want anyone waking you up in the morning just to stare at you,” she said and stared at the snake in peace.

“Shut it, Eleanor. This is boring,” Dudley said and stormed off. She was about to go away from the reptile when Harry did not follow her. She frowned when she saw Harry talking to the snake.

“Why are you talking to the snake, Harry?” she asked when she walked back towards Harry.

“The snake…” Harry looked at her with wide eyes and a smile. Eleanor recognized it as amusement and excitement. “The snake is talking to me, Eleanor! It’s communicating with me!”

“Really?” Eleanor looked back at the snake in confusion before what Harry said sank into her. Her eyes widened up and she couldn't help but to laugh. “Really!” She looked back at Harry. “What did it say? What did it say, Harry!”

Harry was about to answer her when the both of them were suddenly pushed by Dudley. It came shouting at the snake and knocking the glass loudly. “MOVE!”

Eleanor shook her head before attempting to get up when she noticed Harry looking intently at Dudley, his brows furrowed. And then, suddenly—

“MUMMY! DADDY!”

The glass separating the serpent vanished and Dudley fell inside. The serpent crawled outside and looked at Harry and nodded before crawling away. Harry’s smiling in amusement, influencing Eleanor. “Did that snake talk to you just now?”

Harry nodded. He nodded. He talked to the snake! Her brother can talk to the snake!

“TO THE CUPBOARD, YOU TWO! NO MEALS!”

Harry sighed before maneuvering them towards the cupboard the moment they got home. They sat at the bed and Harry asked her. “How are you?”

Eleanor smiled widely. “Magnificent! How I wish Dudley never got out of the glass, truly.” She then giggled and snuggled at Harry. “How can you do that? Talk to the snakes? Do you know magic? What did it say? Did it thanked you before it went away? How did the glass vanished? How did—”

“Hey, hey, hey.” Harry chuckled before stopping her. “Ask me one at a time. I’ll answer all of your questions, and yes, the snake thanked me before going away.”

Her heart seemed to swell out as she listened to her brother answer all of her questions. It’s fascinating to know that Harry can talk to snakes. Does it mean he can talk to other animals as well? Just like how Snow White can talk to animals? Like squirrels and birds? They talked and talked to a minimal voice in order to avoid being interrupted by the Dursleys until bedtime came.

“Good night, Harry. I love you,” she whispered before hugging her brother tighter and closed her eyes.

“Good night, Eleanor. I love you.”

—
Harry stayed awake until his sister had fallen fast asleep. Eleanor just turned ten years last month and this month, he is turning eleven. They had stayed in the Dursleys for ten years now. Ten miserable years. He stared at his sister peacefully snuggled beside him and smiled before closing his eyes and dozing off to sleep.

The days passed by fast, until one eventful day happened.

As usual, Harry got out of the cupboard first to let Eleanor dress out of her pyjamas inside and he found the whole kitchen stinking. He looked at the metal tub and saw a water that looks horribly gray with a fabric. “What is this?” Harry asked.

“Your new school uniform,” Aunt Petunia answered.

“Oh.”

“I’ll give your sister’s new uniform tomorrow or at least this week.”

“I didn't realize they have to be wet,” he shrugged.

“Don’t be stupid. I’m dyeing Dudley’s old clothes gray for you, they’ll be the same as everything else after.”

Eleanor got out of the cupboard out of her pyjamas and joined him in tidying the kitchen, until they heard the mail click.

“Get the mail,” Uncle Vernon commanded.

“I’ll get the mail,” Eleanor presented but Harry shook his head.

“Nope, stay here. I’ll get it.” Eleanor nodded and smiled and continued what she was doing.

Eleanor is a kind, little obedient sister to Harry, but he wouldn’t trust that his sister would act all sweet and charming around other people as he always witnesses his sister get pissed off at their schoolmates for making fun of them. As much as he protects her from everything and everyone, Eleanor seems so determined to protect him with her own little ways. Little ways such as… well, pushing other kids as she passed and whenever they got too close to them.

When Harry got to the door, he found three envelope in the doormat. One from Marge— Uncle Vernon’s sister, one that looks like a bill, and one that is… addressed to him.

𝑀𝑟. 𝐻. 𝑃𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐶𝑢𝑝𝑏𝑜𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑈𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑟𝑠

4𝑡ℎ 𝑃𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑡 𝐷𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑒

𝐿𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑊ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑔

𝑆𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑦

Harry felt his mouth fall open. How did it know where he sleeps? Under the cupboard?!

“Harry! What is that?” Eleanor ran towards him when he gave the other two to Uncle Vernon. “Is that for you?” she whispered with wide eyes.

Harry nodded, about to open it when Dudley shouted. “Dad, Harry’s got a letter!” And yes, his letter got taken away from him.

His Uncle Vernon mocked him of whoever is going to write him a letter, then panicked and called his wife, before tossing it away, no matter how he and Eleanor threw a tantrum of how it is his letter. His letter.

“OUT!” Uncle Vernon ordered.

“I WANT MY LETTER!” Harry shouted so much that his sister slightly jumped.

“GET OUT!”

Aunt Petunia tried her best to drag the three kids out of the dining table, went back in, and locked the door. The three of them tried to sneak in to the door, to try and listen to whatever they are talking about.

“Vernon,” Aunt Petunia was saying in a quivering voice, “look at the address — how could they possibly know where they sleep? You don’t think they’re watching the house?”

“Watching — spying — might be following us,” muttered Uncle Vernon wildly.

“But what should we do, Vernon? Should we write back? Tell them we don’t want —”

“We’ll ignore them. If they don’t get a letter back, they’ll— that’s for the better.”

Later on, they said it was wrongly addressed, and dismissed everything the siblings have said, and changed the topic to giving Dudley’s old bedroom for them to share.

“Harry, Eleanor, umm— we, I and your Aunt Petunia, decided that the cupboard you two are sharing are getting a bit smaller for you since you two are already growing.” Harry frowned and looked at his sister before Uncle Vernon could speak once again. “We think it would be nice if you two move to Dudley’s second bedroom.”

“Why?” Harry asked.

“Don’t ask questions! Take your stuff upstairs!”

That whole day, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon tried to be nice to the both of them, even giving Dudley the chores they are making them do. The next day, more letter came, and the next day, and the next day, until Sunday came and Uncle Vernon was too proud and happy that it was a Sunday. “No mails,” he said, until—

Something came wheezing from the kitchen chimney and hit him back in the head. The next second, thirty to forty, and more letters came flying around the house, much to Harry and Eleanor’s delight and amusement, and the Dursley’s fears.

Uncle Vernon lost his sense. Made everyone pack something and left the house. Again, Eleanor is snuggled beside Harry while having both of his protective sides unto his sister’s frame. They came to a gloomy looking hotel and checked in, but a letter for Harry again made it through, making Uncle Vernon mad.

“How can they know where we are moving?” Eleanor asked in both shock and delight. She patted Harry by the arm. “It’s amazing, Harry! It’s like magic! I love it!”

Harry chuckled while looking at his amused sister, smiling widely with her eyes glistening. She’s also giggling while walking as Uncle Vernon said they are moving to another place.

“Maybe they want to take us away from this place,” he whispered to her. “Maybe they want to take us somewhere where we can play and enjoy ourselves. Don’t you think so?”

Eleanor nodded eagerly and smiled. A smile that melted Harry’s heart away. A dreamful smile. “I want that, Harry. I really do. Just you and me.” He wants that, too. So much.

“Harry, it’s Monday,” Eleanor whispered once they got back in the car. “Tomorrow’s your birthday,” she smiled.

Harry remembered. He’s turning eleven. Their birthdays aren’t exactly eventful, and they don’t receive many gifts, but it’s not always that you turn eleven.

Uncle Vernon found a place in the middle of an ocean, a house that looks like a huge rock. Not for accomodation, Harry thinks. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon stayed on the only bedroom upstairs, Dudley on the old rotten couch in the living room, and he and his sister on the floor.

The storm raged more and more ferociously as the night went on. Harry couldn’t sleep. He shivered and turned over, trying to get comfortable, his stomach rumbling with hunger. Dudley’s snores were drowned by the low rolls of thunder that started near midnight. The lighted dial of Dudley’s watch,
which was dangling over the edge of the sofa on his fat wrist, told Harry he’d be eleven in ten minutes’ time. He lay and watched his birthday tick nearer,
wondering if the Dursleys would remember at all, wondering where the letter writer was now.

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you.” He looked at Eleanor when she started singing. “Happy birthday, dear Harry, happy birthday to you.” Her lips are curved up on both sides and is silently clapping her hands while looking at him. “What’s your wish?”

“Hmm…” Harry looked at his front and tried to think. “I think it is for us to stay together, forever. Without the Dursleys.” Yes. It’s his wish. A time away from the family keeping them now, and to be with his sister. To be together, with each other’s backs, against anything. He can’t imagine being away from her.

“I promise Harry, when I grow up, we will get away from them as soon as we can.” Eleanor held his arm and rested her head on it. “I’ll stay with you. Forever and ever.”

Good. It's his very wish for every birthday he has.

When the time got nearer, Eleanor drew a cake, a candle, and wrote 11 on the dust on the floor they were sleeping on. “Wish it on the candle, Harry. Happy birthday.”

Harry smiled and whispered his wish on his mind, before blowing the dusts, then—

BOOM!

The whole shack shivered and Harry and Eleanor sat bolt upright. Someone is knocking to enter. Harry held Eleanor’s hand and hid her behind him. “Who might that be?” she whispered.

The knock came again making Dudley jolt awake. Their Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon came down, carrying a riffle in his hands. “Who is that?!” he shouted. “I’m warning you! I’m armed!”

There was a little silence before— BOOM! The door fell open from its case and a giant of a man struggled to enter. His face is hidden by a large mane of hair, and beard, but you can see his eyes. Dark black eyes as he looked at everyone and entered. He bent down, held the door, and fit it right through the door frame before looking at everyone and smiled. Dudley and his parents panicked as the giant man nodded at everyone, before he looked at the siblings. “And there's Harry! And Eleanor!”

“You know us?” Harry asked, still hiding Eleanor behind him.

“Las’ time I saw you, you both were babies,” he said and pointed at Harry. “Yeh look like yer father, but yeh have yer mother’s eyes.” He looked at Eleanor who is now frowning. “And yeh look more like yer mother, only with the Potter’s hair,” he snickered.

“I demand you leave at once, sir!” Uncle Vernon shrieked. “You are not welcome here!”

“Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune,” said the giant; he reached over the back of the sofa, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon’s hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and threw it into a corner of the room.

“Anyway — Harry,” said the giant, turning his back on the Dursleys, “a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here — I mighta sat on it at some point, but it’ll taste all right.”

From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box. Harry removed his fingers on Eleanor’s wrist and opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with Happy Birthday Harry written on it in green icing.

Harry looked up at the giant. He meant to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to his mouth, and what he said instead was, “Who are you?” The giant chuckled.

“True, I haven’t introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts.”

“Rubeus Hagrid?” Eleanor repeated.

“Call me Hagrid,” he said, “everyone does. An’ like I told yeh, I’m Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts — yeh’ll know all about Hogwarts, o’ course.”

“Er — no,” said Harry.

Hagrid looked shocked.

“Sorry,” Harry said quickly.

“Sorry? You ter don’t know Hogwarts?” The man— Rubeus Hagrid looked at the two of them as if they have said something unbelievable.

“No,” Eleanor answered. “What is Hogwarts?”

“You never… You never learnt about Hogwarts?” The giant man blinked. “Didn’t yeh wonder where yer parents learnt it all?”

“Learned what?” said Harry.

“LEARNED WHAT?” Hagrid thundered and leaped to his feet and looked back at the Dursleys. “Do you mean, these ter don’t know anything about the truth?”

“We know something,” Harry answered. “We know math and stuff, but Eleanor hates math.” His sister nodded.

“No,” Hagrid sighed. “The truth about our world.”

“What world?”

“DURSLEY!”

Uncle Vernon, who had gone very pale, whispered something that sounded like “Mimblewimble.” Hagrid stared wildly at Harry and Eleanor.

“But yeh must know about yer mum and dad,” he said. “I mean, they’re famous. You’re famous.”

“What? My — our mum and dad weren’t famous, were they?”

“Yeh don’ know . . . yeh don’ know . . .” Hagrid ran his fingers through his hair, fixing Harry with a bewildered stare.
“Yeh don’ know what yeh are?” he said finally.

Uncle Vernon suddenly found his voice.
“Stop!” he commanded. “Stop right there, sir! I forbid you to tell the kids anything!”

Harry looked at Eleanor through the chaos happening in front of them. Eleanor’s hold on his hand became tighter, so he patted her back before looking back at what’s happening.

“You never told them? Never told them what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer them? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An’ you’ve kept it from them all these years?”

“Kept what from us?” Eleanor asked, stepping forward in front of her brother.

“STOP! I FORBID YOU!” Uncle Vernon shouted in panic while Aunt Petunia shrieked in horror.

“Ah, go boil yer heads, both of yeh,” said Hagrid. “Harry, Eleanor, you are a witch and a wizard.”

Eleanor and Harry both widened their eyes.

“We're what?” Harry questioned.

“A witch and a wizard.” Hagrid complimented them once more before handing Harry a letter. The letter that the Dursleys have been so keen on keeping them. An invitation to a school. Hogwarts.

Hagrid told them that he’s taking them tomorrow to buy Harry’s things, despite the Dursleys’ attempt to stop them. It also came down that night the past and history of their parents. They had lied to them both. Their parents did not die in a car crash. A dark lord killed them.

Soon later, the Dursleys weren’t able to do anything about it. They climbed upstairs and left Harry, Eleanor, and Hagrid. Harry, still dazed from all of the revelations, sat on the floor and looked down, while Eleanor nudged Hagrid. “Why don’t I get a letter?”

“I’m sorry? A letter?” Hagrid asked.

Eleanor nodded. “A letter. To Hogwarts. Am I not a witch?”

“Ah,” Hagrid laughed at her. “No, no, yer a witch, but yeh'll get yer letter next year’s when yer eleven.”

Eleanor frowned, then her eyes widened at the realization. “SO, THAT MEANS I WON’T GET TO BE WITH HARRY FOR A WHOLE YEAR?!” Her voice was loud Harry almost jumped in shock. Harry immediately got to his feet and went to his sister and held her arms. Her eyes are already filled with tears. “I won’t get to see you for a year, Harry… It’s too long,” she sobbed.

“Don’t worry, yeh two,” Hagrid said. “Yeh’ll be with each other again starting next year, and, yeh can write a letter to each other.”

“A letter?”

Hagrid only wiggled his brows.