Three
Jemma was so frustrated.
Hagrid hadn’t explained how to get onto the platform.
Hedwig and Crookshanks were not helping anything. Not with crookshanks cries for freedom setting off Hedwig’s screeches in reply.
People were starting to stare.
And Jaz was in a mood. Apparently this was familiar to her, so she wasn’t worried.
She kept saying, “Don’t worry, we’ll make it on the train. I just know it.”
And she kept following the red heads with her eyes. Probably related to her intuition.
Jemma was trying not to freak out and she knew Jaz was having a moment, as they’d taken to calling it when either of them were experiencing their weird déjà vu. But it was so much harder on this side, having to trust her sister’s intuition rather than her own.
She was just about to suggest they go somewhere to get help, maybe back to the leaky caldron? It wasn’t far from there, when Jaz jumped up and pointed out a large family of red heads passing through. They had an owl and were talking about muggles. Definitely magical.
And they had a set of twins. She wondered if they were anything like her and Jaz. Did magical twins have connections like them? Or was it just another thing to set them apart.
———
Jamie was glad they were willing to help. Not just in getting through the barrier but getting their luggage onto the train.
Maybe she should have left some of her books with the Dursley’s to lighten her load. But she just couldn’t imagine anything they left there still being intact when they got back.
No it was better she hadn’t risked it. She’d just have to figure out how to afford that feather light library trunk. Or how to make one herself.
———
Jamie definitely liked Fred and George Weasley. They only just did a double take at their scars. And even came back in and acted like they were just normal girls, not some saviors of the Wizarding world, by introducing themselves and their brother.
Ron she wasn’t so sure about. Even though he didn’t focus on their scars or how they got them.
Not after her comment of, “yes we remember watching our parents die.”
Jaz didn’t let the awkwardness last for too long.
But Jamie just couldn’t seem to join in on their conversations. Some of Ron’s comments set her on edge. Especially about that boy and his toad.
And he wouldn’t let her keep crookshanks out of his basket after it nearly killed his rat.
She’d be frustrated with his reaction to Hermione too if hers wasn’t almost exactly the same. Who memorizes all of their books, on purpose, like it was the done thing. The arrogance behind Granger’s comments were very off putting, especially to her.
Her memory wouldn’t let her forget. It wasn’t exactly a perfect recall but if she wanted to she could recite her books from memory.
It was a blessing and a curse. Sure she really only had to read things once and she had actual memories of their parents and their uncles moony and Padfoot. But she also could remember the way her mother collapsed right in front of them. The awful red eyes and the green light coming for her, and then it was just pain and struggle until she could feel jasmine with her helping push the clawing pain and oily blackness away.
Who would want to be able to remember that.
She sure didn’t.
So yes she could technically say she memorized her school books but she definitely didn’t expect anyone else to have done so.
She new Jaz tried to keep up with her as much as she could, reading at least the first chapter in all their books. But even then she could only recall the overall view not word for word.
Hermione seemed to except everyone to put in as much effort as herself. Which was just setting herself up for disappointment.
Then the blond prat from the robes shop showed up to their compartment demanding to know if Jasmine Potter was on the train. Apparently he wasn’t expecting them to be the potters.
Why the Wizarding world thought that Jaz was their savior she’d never understand. It was their mother’s work that stopped Voldemort. Not them. And why Jasmine specifically? They were both there. They both had the distinct shaped scar. It wasn’t as obvious as the books portrayed it to be, more of a couple white lines then a ragged inflamed cut.
Jamie’d finally had enough after the rat bit one of the blonds thugs and they ran away. So she grabbed crookshanks and left to walk the corridors letting crookshanks be free for a while.
It didn’t take crookshanks long before he had cornered a rather large toad. She quickly grabbed it before he could harm it and went in search or the boy who’d lost him.
Neville was incredibly grateful for her help. It seemed Granger had given up and left him to search alone not long after she’d left their compartment.
Jamie spent the rest of the ride talking with Neville. And while it was a little stilted it was genuine and friendly. Something about him reminded her of someone else but she had no idea who. She could just tell that under that nervous gentle exterior was something fierce and ferocious within. And she was determined to see and befriend both sides of him.
————
The sorting was interesting. She could feel when the hat started searching and heard it when it spoke to Jasmine, telling her she would do well in Slytherin. Jaz demanding anywhere but there. They both wanted Gryffindor like their parents. And while she was sure Jaz had some cunning and ambition she was much too reckless and blasé about her own safety to be snake.
Jamie would know she was the same way. How often would one jump in to protect the other from Dudley and his gang only to end up getting hurt worse for it.
Apparently the hat agreed with them because not long after it was yelling “Gryffindor!”
———
Everyone seemed shocked when she was called up. Apparently not many knew there were 2 Potter’s that survived,much less that they were twins.
The hat recognized her instantly but still made a halfhearted attempt to put her in Ravenclaw. Sure she liked to learn but only because it helped keep the bad memories at bay. Knowledge for knowledge’s sake? No thanks. Besides, she needed to be with her sister to keep her safe.
————
That night in their dorm room Jemma almost started a fight with Granger. She was being presumptuous and rude again. Only Jaz’s silently begging her to just let it go for now stopped her from saying anything.
She had hope with her exhaustion that she’d get to sleep through the night but apparently that wasn’t in the cards for her. Just a few hours after falling asleep she woke up screaming. Talking about that night always brought those nightmares to the surface. And everyone was trying to get information from them about it.
In an instant Jaz was there calming her down, trying to get her to breathe, and apologizing to the others, giving a short explanation about how with her memory she had really bad nightmares about that night.
Everyone else fell back to sleep rather quickly while Jaz just continued to breathe with her. Luckily no one outside their dorm seemed to have heard her scream.
“Do you want me to stay?” Was whispered into the darkness.
All she could do was nod and match her breaths to her sisters. Focusing on the in and out and the steady beating of her heart. Eventually Jaz fell back asleep, her breath slow and calm. Settling in to their embrace jemma finally let herself fall back asleep knowing Jaz would keep the nightmares at bay.
————
Drafted: October 5, 1991
Sent: June 27, 1992
From: [email protected]
Dear Mr. Stark,
I finally got my battery packs to work here. No internet so you’re probably gonna get several emails at once when we can finally reconnect to the outside world.
It took a while to figure out the problem because I kept overloading and frying my system every time I tried to turn it on. Nearly went through all my spare parts. Luckily I’ve made good with some twins who said their father might be able to help me out while I’m at school and can’t go buy my own. Their also willing to show me some secrets around the school if I share my tec with them. They want their own cassette players after seeing me and Jaz listening to ours in the common room. Others have shown interest in them too so I might be able to make a side business out of this all persons willing.
It’s been interesting here. Classes are a lot harder then I expect but still almost too easy at times. Luckily the teacher here seem to recognize that and are doing their best to keep me busy.
Well I should say most of the teachers. We have one who does it seem to scared to even teach anything useful at all. And another who seems to have it out for me and my sister. He seriously gave Jaz and me a death glare and took away points for simply knowing the right answer to his questions.
In other news I can barely stand Jaz’s new “best friend”. He’s a toe rag, who doesn’t like to share. She’s my sister! And I refuse to let him steal all her time away for me. I don’t like to share either but I am because she wants to make more friends.
She’s also trying to befriend a stuck up know it all who is driving me insane with her competitiveness and need to control everyone. It drives her crazy that I am outdoing her I almost all our classes but am barely spending anytime studying.
Luckily I don’t have to hang out with her friends all the time because I’ve made my own. Neville is pretty shy and feels like he’s struggling in everything but he’s kind to everyone. Even when their not to him. He’s also a genius with plants which is great because we have a herbology class and I have a black thumb. Neville is my saving grace there, always catching my mistakes and helping me fix them, and never getting frustrated by it.
Jaz always tried to teach me but it never seemed to make sense and she would get frustrated when I kept making the same mistakes.
It’s nice having more than just my sister to rely on for everything.
Hope you’re friends are as good as mine or at least better then Jaz’s.
-Jamie