The Forgotten Twin

Chapter 1 - Year 6 Begins

Delilah Potter was at her wits end. Her twin, Harry, had convinced her to stay the summer with him as she had their whole lives. She was regretting it immensely. Over the course of their past school years, he had started snoring, but this summer it was even worse.

He had fallen asleep in a chair, staring out the window for hours. Delilah had managed to fall asleep during that time, but when he had fallen asleep and started snoring, it woke her up.

She debated on waking him, but she knew that he had always had trouble falling asleep, and it had only gotten worse. It made sense, he had seen his friend and Godfather die in the past two years.

Sighing in defeat, Delilah got up and started tidying their room. She wouldn't get any sleep anyway.

The room was strewn with various possessions and a good smattering of rubbish. Owl feathers, apple cores, and sweet wrappers littered the floor, a number of spellbooks lay higgledy-piggledy among the tangled robes on his bed, and a mess of newspapers sat in a puddle of light on his desk. The headline of one blared: HARRY POTTER: THE CHOSEN ONE?

Another newspaper lay beside the first. This one bore the headline: SCRIMGEOUR SUCCEEDS FUDGE.

Delilah picked them both up, as well as another with the title MINISTRY GUARANTEES STUDENTS' SAFETY visible.

She picked them up and put them in the trash bin. Both Harry and Delilah had already read them. They were rather boring, mainly talking about Harry and if he was the Chosen One, the unknown prophecy, and how Hogwarts was getting more security. She lifted Hedgwig's cage, who clicked her beak impatiently.

"Don't worry, I'll just be a moment," Delilah promised. "Your cage needs to be cleaned too, but that's Harry's problem."

She put the newspapers, apple cores, and wrappers in the trash bin. She made a pile of Hedwig's feathers — they could make interesting quills or be used to stuff a pillow — and another of all the rubbish she wasn't sure if Harry wanted to keep. He could go through it once he woke up.

She moved Harry's school equipment into his trunk, using his wand to make a pile in his dirty underwear and broken quills. She put the Ministry pamphlet titled: PROTECTING YOUR HOME AND FAMILY AGAINST DARK FORCES on top.

It was rather boring, despite the interesting title. It only suggested not to leave the house alone, to arrange journeys before night had fallen, and some other rubbish to put up a security code with friends and family to make sure it wasn't a death eater (or more likely Tonks) in disguise.

The only thing she made sure to keep was a letter that had been delivered by owl. It read:

Dear Harry,

If it is convenient to you, I shall call at number four, Privet Drive this coming Friday at eleven p.m. to escort you to the Burrow, where you have been invited to spend the remainder of your school holidays.

If you are agreeable, I should also be glad of your assistance in a matter to which I hope to attend on the way to the Burrow. I shall explain this more fully when I see you.

Kindly send your answer by return of this owl. Hoping to see you this Friday,

I am, yours most sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore

While it said it was from Dumbledore, Delilah wasn't sure. It seemed to be his wording, but she didn't know him very well. Even Harry, who did know him, didn't know if it actually was from Dumbledore or if it was a Death Eater in disguise.

Still, Harry had sent back his "yes" with the delivering owl, as requested, and all he could do now was wait: Either Dumbledore was going to come, or he was not.