I walk around the house humming quietly, brother and our parents would be home soon, not that it mattered I could win the Olympics and I still wouldn't even get a pat on the head. Like the ones dad gives Cia everyday but that doesn't matter. 'I'm here and they do love me it was just hard with my brother being so famous.' I remind myself mentally 'Cia's the Boy Who Lived, the potter heir, the chaser and captain of the Bulgarian National Quidditch team he had played for England but everyone knows that the Bulgarian team was the best, for an eight-year-old this is amazing. Yeah he's important and I'm normal so they treat me normally while he gets special treatment.' Just like every time, I'm wrong they're right.
"Yeah, Yeah. I'm ok this is ok everything's ok." I mumble. Anyway he was being selfish again I should be glad, 'I should be happy, I'm was brothers with the Boy who lived! Twin brothers, it's an honour.' I smile and keep humming slowly I make my way down stairs, now that harry thought about it he really was being selfish he could walk around his family's manor! For merlin's sake! Many wizards didn't have what he had so what mummy and daddy didn't look at him; he was no baby! He really needed to grow up come on be responsible and reasonable!
Speaking of which I'd better head to the kitchens to start dinner I've done the rest of his chores and my family would be home any minute and here I am complaining they must be tired and worn out and all I have to was clean and weed the garden and water some plants then my normal chores honestly! I shake my head walking into the kitchen nodding at the house elves who are around the same height as me since I've has always been small.
Slowly I read the instructions mother kindly wrote out. Macaroni and cheese with small bits off pork and beef fried just how Cia likes it, chocolate mousse for dessert then chicken soup for supper and hot coco if Cia wants it. Tea for his parents and pumpkin juice with dinner. I memorise it then hand it to the head elf who will get the ingredients and the others will make the drinks and soup. Slowly I get to work neatly cutting up the ingredients and boil the macaroni carefully not to burn myself. Suddenly and elf burst in causing me to jump, I accidentally knock the pot and some of the water hits my bare forearm, I cry out in pain and run to a sink turning it on and pouring cold water on it trying not to cry the elves quickly cover for me and keep cooking while I keep my arm under water, it's bleeding there's blisters, damn it Harry! Why can't you get one thing right!?
Later that night I was walking around the halls a bandage covering my left forearm when I walk past my brother's room, filled with trophies and medals. Books he's been in or wrote, letters from fans are in a pile on his bed, his nimbus 2000 neatly resting next to his own personal floo so he could get to Bulgaria for games or training.
I can't ride a broom; I've never been taught. Dads always too busy and Mum doesn't like heights and brother doesn't have the time for my winning but that's not his fault I shouldn't be such a bother. Slowly I keep walking to I get to my room, it's a normal room, one bed and old desk and a bookshelf with a missing shelf, I don't remember why it's not there but I know I did something to it.
I climb into my bed after putting on Cia's old Pj's there too big for me but just a little too big for me, not because he's fat, no way playing Quidditch made sure of that. He's just growing he's about four inches taller than me with a wider structure and more muscle. Which is fine by me he supposed to be perfect, I can never be like that, the stress he gets is enough they don't need me to make them worry more. I run my hand through my messy hair tiredly. We both get haircuts, his is in a neat faux hawk with red and black tips for his team colours, my hair is the same except mine is messy and all over the place also without the colours. I slowly let into the pull of sleep my arm lightly throbbing. I feel tear blur my already blurry world when I hear Mum and Dad singing Cia to sleep, I'm fine it's fine.
Three years later a very excited Cia wakes me up by shouting at the top of his lungs and charging into my room showing two very light brown parchment envelopes. He throws one at me before screaming and racing down the hall, today was the 31st of July. I have stopped expecting things from my parents or wishing for them, there was no point, especially on the Boy Who Lived birthday! No way, it's a national holiday. Slowly rubbing my eyes and slipping on my glasses something else my brother is perfect at, seeing. I sigh slowly through my teeth, calm down it's not my brothers fault and I got something for once!
Slowly grabbing the letter gently with my left hand grimacing at the mark on my forearm It was an ugly blob of miss coloured skin. Quietly shaking my head, I take off the red seal already knowing what it was I just read what I need before getting up to show my parents knowing that they'll at least be relieved maybe even happy. I get up slowly walking down the hallway and down the stairs to see the living room filled with red and gold with bits of black poking out here and there all with the name Cia on them, I don't even have to look to know this was true.
Right in the middle was Mother and Father patting Cia's head and hugging him smiling, they don't do that with me. I walk slowly over and hand my letter to Mother. She looks surprised to see me when she looks down and sees my letter she just nods as if confirming something gently hands it back and nods. I just nod back and walking out towards the kitchen to go make breakfast.
I don't understand, Pain spreads through my chest. Why, why can't they see me? Why is it just him, why, why, why! Damn it! I should be used to this I'm not a baby I'm a big boy and I'm going to Hogwarts, so why does it hurt so much? Why am I crying, what did I expect? 'A hug, a pat on the head? I mean really?! How dumb can I get?!' I shake my head as I head into the kitchen I ask an elf, Tippy if he can send a reply telling them that I would love to go to Hogwarts.
I quickly make the usually birthday breakfast food, Pancakes with bacon and three small lemon muffins. I sigh as the elves take the food to my brother and parents. Suddenly the elves start to crowd around me one by one slowly stopping what they're doing and standing in front of me, just standing there. The head elf steps forward with a small package, "Sippy hopes Harry likes our gift it's not much but he's hoping you'll like it." They spoke in broken English but I smile gently rubbing their small bald head happily. I open the gift carefully making sure not to rip the brown paper with all their names written on it.
Slowly I pick up the small wooden plane it's charmed to fly around the room you throw it in. I smile brightly joy filling me spreading through my chest, my first present! "Ha-ha! This is great thanks guys!" I shout throwing it and hugging the closest house elf to me, they all smile their ears wagging happily their eyes blown wide with joy. "You're welcome Harry!" They do all the work for the rest of the day firing little stinging hexes at me whenever I try to help, Cia found it hilarious.
Two days later Mother and Father were going to take Cia shopping when Mother remembered that I had to come they couldn't leave me at home for this one. "Now Harry you know pureblood protocols, if someone gets mad or picks a fight with Cia insult them with our name If they do with you apologise for what you did, ok?" Mother stresses this point for the third time. I nod and keep my face blank, a fake smile that doesn't reach her eyes courses her face and we step out of the floo both Father and Cia have real smiles while Mother still doesn't like that she had to come through the floor with me.
As soon as we're through Father raps his arm around Cia's shoulders and smiles brightly Mother soon takes up the other arm and I trail behind them keeping my head down low trying not to cry, I hate crowds they all stare and point at my brother then notice the small boy shadowing them, already some shout slurs at me. First we head to the bookstore Immediately Mother glares at me so I leave and wander the store while they show Cia off to all of the 'light' families, even after the war some people can't let go of prejudice. I sigh looking around, brightly coloured books and children's drawings lining the walls. This place has no knowledge, it's all just 'light' I hate this place already.
The front bell rings and four men step in with one boy around my age, I can feel the tension and step through the shelves but stay just in the entrance of one, watching carefully as Mother and Father glare at the men and brother with one of the youngest Weasley men raise their chins at the boy, bad idea on his brothers part, we're half-bloods, the boy is a clearly a pure-blood he's a Malfoy the blonde haired man is his Father Lucius Malfoy, I don't know the boy's name or the others but they seem familiar I just sigh slowly.
That seems to start something "Sirius, Lucius, Remus and Severus. Funny seeing you here." Father speaks with menace the boy looks insulted and nearly takes a step forward but I push him back. "Bad idea unless you feel like duel Father without a wand." I say calmly, Mother just nods at me and I head back down the shelves till I end up and the entrance of another one keeping an ear open for conflict, just as I step forward the shorter looking black haired man speaks up. "Hello James, Lily. How's life been treating you and your sons?" He put envious on sons and I sigh again, this can't end well he knows something. "Great now if you'll excuse us we were just leaving. Harry! There you are!" Father says as I step out from another shelf, "Pick out your books and come and find us, ok." Without waiting for a reply he leaves with Mother and Cia the Weasley bunch following.
YOU ARE READING
The Hidden War (adopted by Existential_Human They're Writing This Now)
Fanfictionadopted by @Existential_Human so go check out the fic from them What if Harry wasn't the boy who lived. What would happen if Lily and James had survived living with two twin boys, one a hero and the other, in their eyes, useless? This is a storyabou...