Magical Beginnings

1

I always knew my brother, Harry, and I were different, with abilities other children could only dream of; my shifting features and the 'accidents' that happened around Harry. I had been adopted by Harry's parents and when they passed away shortly after, both Harry and I were taken in by our Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. It was very clear growing up that our aunt and uncle were only happy to have me and their son Dudley in the house, not Harry. Dudley definitely had the most out of all of us, but Harry was given the short end of the stick at every opportunity. Since I was raised from barely a year old by my aunt and uncle, it wasn't for years that I realized how badly Harry was treated. From age 11, things started to change.

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Dudley's birthday was the biggest event in our house; bigger than even Christmas. Aunt Petunia would cook the biggest meals, an even bigger cake, and buy more presents than Dudley and I got for Christmas combined.

"Happy birthday Dudders," I say to Dudley, my cousin, as I fix his bowtie. The last year or so any time Aunt Petunia made us dress up, at church or events, Dudley wore a bowtie but couldn't tie it to save his life.

"Thanks! Are you excited for the zoo Rosie?!" Dudley asks as we walk out of his room and down the upstairs hallway. Unlike most people, Dudley has two volumes; loud and extra loud. He was also very dramatic, which always worked great as a diversion when I needed to get away with something.

"Of course. Did you hear that they just got a new-?" Before I can finish, Dudley is stomping down the stairs. He stops about halfway and jumps. I look back now and it was a miracle that at any point in the nearly two decades we lived in that house nobody went through the stairs into what was considered Harry's room for half of that.

"Wake up cousin! We're going to the zoo!" And he's off again, shoving Harry back into his cupboard. I quietly walk down the stairs and give Harry a nasty look as I push past him to follow Dudley into the kitchen. The mixed smells of breakfast foods waft through the house as Dudley and I walk into the kitchen.

"Good morning Uncle, Auntie." I greet, getting a plate of food and sitting down to watch Dudley open the avalanche of wrapped boxes in the sitting room.

"Good morning dear," Auntie replies, before muttering something to Harry and guiding Dudley over the sitting room. This was quickly followed by a demand to know the number of presents, promptly continuing into Dudley throwing a fit about only having 36 presents when last year he had 37.

"When we go out, we'll buy you two new presents. How's that pumpkin?" asks Auntie, who as much as she loves Dudley, the dramatic tantrums weren't as lovable.

"Wait, I have three presents for you in my room Dudders. I'll be right back." I run up to my room and grab the presents I got Dudley. There is a large box full of new bowties, a book on the history of Smelting's (Dudley's school next year), and a gigantic box of his favorite sweets.

Dudley's eyes widen at the sight of the gifts. Eventually, we leave to go to the zoo. Dudley, Auntie, Uncle, and I are dressed in our nice Sunday clothes, while Harry is wearing a pair of Dudley's old pants and a large, old shirt. I make my hair shift from the soft strawberry blonde that I like to think is my natural color, to a darker chestnut color that I usually pick when leaving the house.

I've always been able to change my appearance. It must be a witch thing I inherited from my birth parents because nobody I know can do it.

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The drive to the zoo is quiet, broken only by the soft conversation between Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon in the front seat and Dudley whining when the drive was taking too long in his opinion. Dudley drags me to see the reptiles as soon as we get there. A large, sleeping, python holds Dudley's attention the longest despite it not wanting to move or do anything.