The Hellish Life of Helia Potter

“I will.” Luna said whimsically as she took the book turning to the first chapter “The Girl Who Lived”. 

Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. 

“Your not welcome, you bloody knob.” Said Fred and George coldly clearly remembering the bars on the window incident.

“Boys!” Mrs.Weasley scolded the twins sharply. 

They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense. 

Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills. He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large moustache. 

“Lovely ain’t he.” Blaise drawled, sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

“Should I be jealous.” Whispered Theo into Blaise’s ear no one noticing but Helia and Remus, who just raised an eyebrow at the antics of the two Slytherins.

Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbours. 

“I see my sister hasn’t changed a bit.” Sighed Lily as James put an arm around her shoulder in comfort.

The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion, there was no finer boy anywhere.

The Golden Trio all snorted at that since they knew what Dudley was really like.

The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. 

“A secret.” Fred said slyly with a grin which was mirrored by his twin.

“Do tell.” Finished George as he leaned towards the book getting a laugh out everybody.

They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters. 

Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several years; in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister, 

“That’s sad, to pretend not to have a sibling just because they’re different.” Luna said sorrowfully pausing in her reading for a moment.

Helia and Hermione looked at their younger friend in agreement, as they all had people torment them for being different.

because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be. 

“There’s nothing wrong with the Potter’s.” Snarled Sirius and Remus.

“UnDursleyish, is not a word.” Said Hermione shuddered at the fictional word, getting a smirk from her best friends.

The Dursley’s shuddered to think what the neighbours would say if the Potters arrived in the street. 

“Oh I don’t know, maybe how in the world is this handsome devil and this red-headed beauty related to this horse and whale.” James said, grinning at his wife and daughter getting an eye roll from his wife and a small laugh from his daughter making his grin widen.

The Dursley’s knew that the Potters had a small daughter, too, but they had never even seen her. 

“With good reasons too.” Sirius said, pulling his goddaughter closer as she leaned her head on his chest.

This girl was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.

“A child like what.” Growled Mad-Eye not liking how these muggles were acting, he didn’t know what Albus was thinking sending the Potter child to live with these magic-hating muggles.

“A child with magic.” Whispered Helia making Draco tense in dread, praying that what he was thinking didn’t happen to her anybody, but her.

When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, grey Tuesday our story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country.

Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work,

George gasped in horror, “most boring tie.” Pretending to faint only to end up in the oldest Greengrass sisters lap getting a raised eyebrow from the girl making his face turn red and his twin laugh.

and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair. 

Lily and Mrs.Weasley looked disgusted with Petunia’s parenting skills.

None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window.

The adults all gave Helia a pitying look, making her realize what day they were reading about, the day her parents died.

At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley goodbye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls.

"Little tyke," chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house. 

“You don’t encourage that kind of behaviour.” Fumed Prof. McGonagall.

“You tell him Minnie” Sirius said winking at the transfiguration professor.

He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive. 

It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar -- a cat reading a map. 

“Minnie!” Shouted the twins throwing their arms in the air almost hitting poor Daphne who was sitting between them.

“I’ve been rid of that ridiculous nickname for years, and now you got them saying it.” McGonagall hissed at Sirius like her animagus form only for him at grin sheepishly at her.

For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen -- then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light. Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. 

“Never try to out stare Professor McGonagall, you never win.” Remus said wisely making James, Sirius, the Twins and surprisingly Charlie nodded in agreement.

As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive -- no, looking at the sign; cats couldn't read maps or signs.  

Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town, he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day. But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks. 

“Why are cloaks strange.” Asked Neville confused.

“Muggle haven’t worn cloaks, since the medieval times Nev.” Padma explained as she loved exploring the muggle world when she was home.

Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes -- the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdos standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together. 

Theo’s eyes narrowed into a glare at the muggle insulting the wizards in the book for what they were wearing, but calmed when Blaise grabbed his hand lacing their fingers together.

Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak! The nerve of him! 

“The nerve of that man.”

“Wearing emerald green.”

“Everyone knows only Minnie.” 

“And Helia can pull it off.” The Twins mocked in fake-outrage.

Draco privately agreed Helia looked beautiful in emerald green thinking of her Yule Ball dress robes.

But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt -- these people were obviously collecting for something... yes, that would be it. 

The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills.

“One track mind, much.” said Susan.

Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. He didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open- mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead. 

“Constant Vigilance!” Roared Mad-Eye startling everyone, his eye glinting in approval when the Potter girl only flinched a little.

“Morgana’s Tits, Mad-Eye!” Tonk yelled back at her teacher, earning a glare from Mrs.Weasley for her crass language.

Most of them had never seen an owl even at nighttime. Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more. 

“He sure likes to shout maybe he’s been bitten by the sikoly hibákat.” Luna wondered, making Helia smile, she loved listening to Luna talk about all types of creatures.

“What’s a sikoly hibákat?” Charlie asked curiously.

“Their fuzzy three-legged creatures that feed on silence and peace when they feed on their victims, they become quite loud and rude.” Luna explained blinking at Charlie who looked at Luna like she was the best thing since dragons.

He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he thought he'd stretch his legs 

“Everyone take cover the worlds ending.” said Helia in alarm. 

and walk across the road to buy himself a bun from the bakery.

“Oh don’t worry Helia, everything is fine with the world again” laughed Ron.

He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy. 

“You should be afraid.”

“Be very afraid.” The twins said in a spooky, but threatening voice, making Bill and Charlie give the weird looks because nothing usually got under the twins skins to make them like this.

This bunch were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying. 

"The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard yes, their daughter, Helia"

The Potter Family all tensed knowing what they were whispering about.

Mr. Dursley stopped dead. 

“Yes our prayers have been answered.” The twins said simultaneously trying to relax the mood.

Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it. He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone, and had almost finished dialling his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his moustache, thinking... no, he was being stupid. 

“Ha, he admitted it, no take backsies.” called out Sirius, as Helia laugh against his chest.

Potter wasn't such an unusual name. 

“I’m sorry Love, but you are the last Potter.” Blaise said gently, Helia smiled a sad, but knowing smile.

“I know, he just means, Potter and Black are common names in the muggle world.” she said.

He was sure there were lots of people called Potter, who had a daughter called Helia. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his niece was called Helia. 

“He doesn’t even know your name” Madam Bones asked in shock, Snape looked at her suspiciously and Tonks hair went blood-red.

He'd never even seen the girl. It might have been Helena. Or Heather. There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister.He didn't blame her -- if he'd had a sister like that... 

At this everyone glared at the book, with the marauders growling.

“Like your sister is any better.” Helia spat, disgusted with her uncle.

but all the same, those people in cloaks... 

He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door. "Sorry," he grunted, as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. 

“Wow, I didn’t know he knew how to say sorry.” Bill said in astonishment. 

It was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice that made passersby stare, "Don't be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last!

“Not for good.” growled Mad-Eye. 

“Yes for good.” snapped Percy startling some people, they forgotten he was even there with him being so quiet.

Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!" And the old man hugged Mr.Dursley around the middle and walked off.

“How did he fit his arms all the way around.” Astoria asked her sister innocently, who just patted her head with a smile.
　　
Mr. Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.

“He must hate Potter, she has the most creative ways of breaking the rules.” Snape stated.

“Really! I knew my Fawn would take after me” James beamed proudly at his daughter who blushed at the praise.
　　
As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw -- and it didn't improve his mood -- was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning. It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes. "Shoo!" said Mr. Dursley loudly. The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look. 

 “Not the look of doom.” Fred gasped dramatically before grabbing Daphne and pulled her to his chest as if protecting her making everyone laugh.

Daphne tanned skin blushed a glowing red, either from embarrassment or anger, no one could tell as she quickly pushed Fred away.

Was this normal cat behaviour? Mr. Dursley wondered. 

“No but, it’s normal Minnie behaviour.” Laughed James who got slapped up the side of his head by Lily.

Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife.,Mrs. Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learned a new word ("Won't!"). 

Mrs. Weasley huffed at the horrible parenting, none of her children acted like that when they were younger.

Mr. Dursley tried to act normally. When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news: "And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern." The newscaster allowed himself a grin. 

“Why do I get the feeling, he knows.” Padma asked.

“I think it’s my dad, he was on the muggle tellie that day but refused to tell me why.” Tonks said, her hair turning a blinding yellow.

"Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?” "Well, Ted” said the weatherman,

“Ha I was right!” Exclaimed Tonks her hair shifting to an emerald green.

“No one doubted you.” Charlie sighed at his friend’s behaviour.

"I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain, I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars! 

“You guys really should be careful, non-magical’s aren’t are dumb as you think.” Helia frowned, making Mad-Eye and Kingsley nod along with the fourteen-year-old.

Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early -- it's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight." Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters...

“He’s figuring it out.” Prof. McGonagall frowned.

“But he already knew.” Mr.Weasley said. 

“That doesn’t matter, if he can figure it out, then so can the other muggles.” Kingsley said thoughtfully.
　　
Mrs. Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. "Er -- Petunia, dear -- you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?"
As he had expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.

“Thanks Tuney, love you too.” Lily sighed at her sister’s behaviour.
　　
"No," she said sharply. "Why?"

"Funny stuff on the news," Mr. Dursley mumbled. "Owls... shooting stars... and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today..."

"So?" snapped Mrs. Dursley.

"Well, I just thought... maybe... it was something to do with... you know... her crowd."

“Crowd? What are we some type of occult to them?” laughed Bill only to get looks from the trio.“Wait they seriously believe that we’re an occult.” He asked in disbelief.
　
Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name "Potter." He decided he didn't dare. Instead he said, as casually as he could, "Their daughter-- she'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't she?”

“I suppose so," said Mrs. Dursley stiffly.

"What's her name again? Holly, isn't it?"

"Heliantheae, or Helia as the call her. Nasty, a Freakish name, if you ask me."

Draco felt his nails dig into his palms trying to suppress the urge to come to her defence, luckily her parents did it for him.

“Heliantheae is not freakish, it’s as beautiful and unique as my daughter bitch.” James snarled at the book.

“If she dares call my Heli, another bad thing, I swear sister or not I’ll kill her.” Lily hissed her hair flickering looking like flames.

Helia looked away from her angered parents knowing that it only got worse.

"Oh, yes," said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite agree."

“I thought they never met Helia, how do they know her name.” Ron asked. 

“Holiday cards.” Lily said.

He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for something.

Dumbledore winced, thinking about that conversation.

Was he imagining things? Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did... if it got out that they were related to a pair of -- well, he didn't think he could bear it. The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr. Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters were involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley. 

Remus’s chest rumbled with a deep growl startling Tonks, who was sitting next to him in her own chair. Helia reached Sirius and held his hand calm him slightly.

“It’s okay Remus, I don’t quite want to be near them either.” She tried to reassure him.

“That doesn’t help much, Cub.”

The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind.... He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on -- he yawned and turned over -- it couldn't affect them.... 

How very wrong, he was.

“For once I wish he was right.” Sighed Helia.

Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.

“It’s time.” The Twins said in a severe voice making Astoria and Ginny laugh.
　　
A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.

Ginny laughed “Someone’s in trouble.” She sang.

“And for once it’s not us.” Said the Twins.
　　
Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. 

“DUMBLEDORE!” Shouted the Twins getting a reprimanding look from their mother and Daphne.

This man's name was Albus Dumbledore. Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. 

“Oh I did.” Dumbledore said, to no one in particular.

He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street.  
For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known." 

“Yes, you should have.” Huffed Prof. McGonagall as she glared at the headmaster.

He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. He clicked it again -- the next lamp flickered into darkness. 

“Wicked.” Breathed George in awestruck.

“Brilliant.” Fred gasped intrigued with the device.

“We need it.” They said together, making Mrs.Weasley, Prof. McGonagall and Snape hope that they never got a hold of one, but Helia could see the spark that the twins got when they came up with new inventions.

Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.

"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."

Everyone who knew from the beginning smiled. “Minnie!” Shouted the twins making Prof. McGonagall glare at Sirius, with a glare that said I-blame-you-for-this. He just grinned at her.

He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled. 
　　 
"How did you know it was me?" she asked.

This earned Prof. McGonagall many disbelieving look making her flush in embarrassment.

"My dear Professor, I’ve never seen a cat sit so stiffly." 
　　 
"You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," said Professor McGonagall.

“No one asked you too.” Said Snape smirking at his colleague.

"All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here." Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.

“As if I would celebrate that day, not with what we lost.” Prof. McGonagall sniffed angrily like her book counterpart.
　　
"Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no -- even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news." She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls... shooting stars.... Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent -- I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense."

“I remember him, I’ve met him a couple of times very excitable.” Helia mused.

"You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years."

All the people who lived through the first war shuddered at the memories.

"I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumours."
　　
Helia’s usually tanned skin from constantly being outside paled drastically, Remus and Sirius weren’t much better, this was the day that ruined their lives.

She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really has gone, Dumbledore?"
　
“That would’ve been a cruel prank to pull on us.” Kingsley muttered.

Sirius shuttered “Not even a prankster would’ve pulled something like that, but I can see why Minnie wanted a confirmation.”

"It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop?" 
　　 
"A what?" 

"A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of" 

"No, thank you," said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for lemon drops. "As I say, even if You-Know-Who has gone -"

“It really wasn’t.” muttered Daphne.

“My dear, there is always time for lemon drops.” Dumbledore said wisely pulling out a bag of his favourite treat offering one to her, which she surprisingly did.
　　
"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this 'You- Know-Who' nonsense -- for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: Voldemort." 

People flinched at that making Helia roll her eyes irritably. “It’s just a name.”
  
Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. "It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who.' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name. 

"I know you haven't”, said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know- oh, all right, Voldemort, was frightened of."

"You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will never have."

“Only cause you’re too, noble use them.” Neville said to the headmaster, but that wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

"Only because you're too -- well -- noble to use them."

Giggling Padma teased, “You think like Prof. McGonagall.”

Making Neville blush red and sputter.

"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs."

Tonks hair darkened to a dark green. “I did not need to know that.” She rasped.

Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing next to the rumours that are flying around. You know what everyone's saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?" 
　　 
It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. 

Dumbledore, however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer.

The atmosphere grew tense, Luna reads the next like with a wavering voice.

"What they're saying," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters. The rumour is that Lily and James Potter are -- are -- that they're -- dead. "
　　
Not looking at the pitying look that were surely aimed at her, she simply moved to sit in her father’s lap resting her feet in her mother’s lap curling into their warmth.

Sirius and Remus held onto each other mourning their best friends.

Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped.

"Lily and James... I can't believe it... I didn't want to believe it... Oh, Albus..."
　　
“Love you too, Minnie.” James said, cracking a smile to his old professor and godmother, who was blinking furiously to ward off the tears. 

Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I know... I know..." he said heavily.
　　
Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's daughter, Helia. But -- he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little girl. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Helia Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke -- and that's why he's gone.
Dumbledore nodded glumly.
　　
"It's -- it's true?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done... all the people he's killed... he couldn't kill a little girl? It's just astounding... of all the things to stop him... but how in the name of heaven did Helia survive?"
　　
“Because she’s a badass that’s why.” Susan said making Helia chuckle. “But not as badass as me.” She quickly amended.

"We can only guess," said Dumbledore. "We may never know."
　　
Helia stared at her headmaster for the lie he told, he knew. He just didn’t want to give up all his cards.

Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it.It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. 

It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"
　　
“First Rule of a secret.” Ron instructed.

“Never tell Hagrid.” Helia and Hermione recited with a grin.

"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places?"

"I've come to bring Helia to her aunt and uncle. They're the only family she has left now."
　　
All the occupants of the room gave the headmaster a pointed stare, anyone of them would’ve taken Helia in.

"You don't mean -- you can't mean the people who live here?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four.  

"Dumbledore -- you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son -- I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Helia Potter come and live here!"

“You should’ve listened Professor.” Helia snapped at Dumbledore getting a sad look, for he only wanted to protect her, but it went horribly wrong.

"It's the best place for her," said Dumbledore firmly. "Her aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to her when she's older. I've written them a letter."
　　
“A letter? How can you think you can explain what happened with a letter!” Madam Bones glared at Dumbledore.

"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? 

Madam Bones and Prof. McGonagall shared a smile, they’ve been friends for years. It’s no wonder that they acted like each other, a bit.

These people will never understand her! She'll be famous -- a legend -- I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Helia Potter day in the future

Helia paled asking in dread “there’s not right?!” Kingsley quickly reassured the panicking girl that there was no such day.

 -- there will be books written about Helia -- every child in our world will know her name!" 

"Exactly," said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any girl's head. Famous before she can walk and talk! Famous for something she won't even remember! 

“I wish I didn’t remember.” Helia muttered into her father’s chest.

“Wait you remember that night?” Theo asked, sitting up straighter to look her in the eyes.

“It’s what I hear when I’m near dementors.” She confessed making her parents hold her closer and Draco felt like he was drowning in guilt for making fun of her fainting.

Can you see how much better off she'll be, growing up away from all that until she's ready to take it?"
　　
Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes -- yes, you're right, of course. But how is the girl getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Helia underneath it.
　　
“Heli was tiny, but not that tiny.” Laughed Lily, making her daughter blush.

"Hagrid's bringing her."

Seeing Mrs.Weasley open her mouth, Helia quickly interrupted her.

 “I trust Hagrid with my life, sure he makes questionable choices and can’t keep a secret, however we all have our faults. He’s loyal, kind and would always have my back, I couldn’t ask for a better friend.”

"You think it -- wise -- to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"

I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore.

The Twins snickered at Helia, making her glare slightly at them.

"I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless.

 He does tend to -- what was that?" A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky -- and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.

“My motorcycle!” Sirius whooped.
　　
If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild - long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. 

“That makes him sound scary.” Padma observed knowing the half giant was a gentle soul from her visit to him with Helia.

In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets. 
"Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?" 
　　 
"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got her, sir.

"No problems, were there?"

"No, sir -- house was almost destroyed, but I got her out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. She fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol."

“Whenever you were having trouble sleeping, Sirius would take you out for a ride. You’d always fall straight asleep on the bike.” James grinned down at Helia.

Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby girl, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over her forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.
　　
Mrs.Weasley and Lily both cooed at the description and at Helia , making her hurry back over to her godfather’s side unknowingly make the pale haired boy relax.

"Is that where -?" whispered Professor McGonagall. 
"Yes," said Dumbledore. "She'll have that scar forever."

Helia unconsciously tried to flatten her bangs to cover her scar more.

"Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?" 
　　 
"Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground. Well -- give her here, Hagrid -- we'd better get this over with." 
　　 
Dumbledore took Helia in his arms

“Aw little baby Helia being held by the headmaster.” George mockingly, cooed.

“It doesn’t get any cuter the that.” Fred pretended to weep.

 and turned toward the Dursleys' house.

"Could I -- could I say goodbye to her, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Helia and gave her what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.
　　
The offended look on Sirius face made the kids, who knew his animagus form laugh.

"Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "you'll wake the Muggles!"

"S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it -- Lily an' James dead -- an' poor little Helia off ter live with Muggles -"
　　
Helia gave a gentle smile at how much her friend cared for her, Draco’s breath caught in his throat seeing her smile swearing his heart skipped a beat.

"Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Helia gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Helia's blankets, and then came back to the other two. 

“You left her on a doorstep!” Screeched Lily at the headmaster, for the unjust treatment of her precious daughter.

“It was supposed to rain that night.” Blaise hissed furiously, his magic whipping around his like a hurricane.

“She could’ve been kidnaped!” Hermione was so angry, she went to lunge at the meddling old man, however she was held back by the oldest Weasley sibling.

"Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I'll be takin' Sirius his bike back. G'night, Professor McGonagall -- Professor Dumbledore, sir. "

Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night.

“I never did get that bike back.” Sirius pouted.

“You were in Azkaban, and then on the run of course you didn’t.” Remus deadpans. 

"I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply.

Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once, and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.
　　
"Good luck, Helia," he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone.
　　
Helia gritted her teeth, she needed more than just luck.

A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Helia Potter rolled over inside her blankets without waking up. 

One small hand closed on the letter beside her and she slept on, not knowing she was special, not knowing she was famous, not knowing she would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream 

Lily and Snape both winced, remembering the times Petunia would scream and screech at them.

as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that she would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by her cousin Dudley... She couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Helia Potter -- the girl who lived!"

“That’s the end of the chapter.” Luna said.

“I’ll read next.” Tonks said, her hair a brown colour as she summoned the book with a quick accio almost hitting Neville upside the head. 

Grinning sheepishly, she turned the page clearing her throat “The Vanishing Glass“.