2 Chapter 2 - Fitting In

Godric's Hollow

October 31st, 1981

Voldemort looked distastefully at the two infants. He had just killed their parents, which in his opinion was too easy and rather boring. The twins had instinctively huddled closer together. Their stubby arms wrapped around the other to give some minuscule amount of comfort in the presence of the man who murdered their parents. The one on the left, Ellis, let out a low hiss when Voldemort pointed his wand at Harry. Interestingly enough, the boys pupils began to narrow to mimic that of a cats. Voldemort, surprised, thought about the implications. Was the boy some kind of unknown magical creature? Him being an unregistered Animagus was out of the question - Ellis was far too young to perform such a complex ceremony. So what was he? He realized that the question did not intrigue him as much as he thought it would, so instead, Voldemort left a parting gift.

Much to the distress of Harry, Voldemort plucked Ellis from his arms with ease. He lowered the boy on the floor and forced the boys head to the side. Ellis began to squirm as Voldemort raised his wand. The dark lord ignored the screeches and inhuman noises that came out from Ellis's diaphragm and continued to cut a pattern behind the boys right ear. The scar was shaped like an X, but it was actually the runic symbol for generosity.

"I'm being generous enough to spare your pathetic life," Voldemort smiles wickedly, "But I'm not so merciful that I would spare your brother."

The killing curse hit Harry, but rebounded back at Voldemort. Thus, Harry Potter became The-Boy-Who-Lived.

-+-

Harry and Ellis were sitting in a train car, holding each other close. After learning about Voldemort and his treachery, they couldn't help but seek each other for comfort. Gingerly, Ellis traced the scar behind his ear. It was small, almost unnoticeable. He had been tagged like he was cattle by Voldemort. Ellis tried not to think about it too much.

"Excuse me, do you mind? Everywhere else is full," a ginger haired boy asked. Ellis tightens his hold on Harry, who returns the gesture. Something about the boy set his teeth on edge. Ron smelled like cinnamon with a undercurrent of lemon: warm but sour. Ellis could usually tell the personality of someone based on scent alone. For example, Harry's scent (air dried sheets and the forest) reminded Ellis of home and safety; someone trustworthy and loving.

Ron's cinnamon was warm, but Ellis felt if got too much it would become unpleasant. The lemon aroma was what concerned him the most. It meant Ron was sour on the inside: jealous and judgmental. Ellis didn't want Harry to be involved with someone that might be trying to take advantage of him. But there was something mixing with Ron's scent that didn't belong. The putrid smell of sewage and dirt clouded Ellis's sensitive nose and his face morphed into one of disgust. Ron looked at him with confusion, wondering why Ellis was looking at him like that. Meanwhile, Harry tightened his hold on Ellis with concern.

Harry knew that face all too well. Ellis had once told him that the entirety of the Dursley family smelled of sulfur and smoke. They were dangerous and were ready to combust at any moment. Maybe that's why the twins felt like they were walking on eggshells around them all the time.

"Yeah," Ellis motioned to the booth opposite to them with a smile on his face. When Harry went to protest, knowing something was off, Ellis nudged him. He shot Harry a look that said, 'Trust me'. Harry complied with an almost unnoticeable frown.

"I'm Ron, by the way. Ron Weasley," Ron plopped down on the seat. Suddenly, Ellis noticed the rat peeking out of Ron's shirt. Ellis realized that the putrid scent from coming from the rat, which was abnormal.

In Ellis's experience, animals did not have their own distinct smells. To him, all of them smelled like a fresh spring breeze: free and untamable. It made Ellis extremely confused. Why was the rat different?

"Ron, right?" Ron nodded at Ellis, "Who's that?" Ellis motioned towards the rat. Ron looked surprised that he had even noticed the rat, "This is Scabbers, bit pathetic ain't he?"

"Can I hold him?" Ellis asked, cupping his hands in front of him, he gives his best smile. Ron wasn't sure why he was asking, in fact, even Ellis didn't know. What was he going to DO with the rat once he had it in his grasp?

Ron, a bit cautiously, sets Scabbers down in Ellis's hands. Instantly, Ellis's instincts scream danger at him. They tell him that the creature in his hands was vile and had committed unspeakable atrocities. Harry watched in horror as his brother snapped Scabbers neck. There was a screech of pain before the rat went limp in Ellis's hands.

Before any of them could process what had happened, Scabbers transformed from a rat into a human.

"Bloody hell..."

-+-

Percy Weasley wasn't sure what to expect when the screaming started. At first, he assumed his brothers, George and Fred, had pulled some elaborate prank. However, when he arrived at the scene of the crime all previous notions were thrown out the window.

Laying on the ground was a dead body and surrounding it was his younger brother Ron, Harry Potter, and Ellis Potter.

"Who did this?!" Percy exclaimed, drawing his wand with quick efficiency. They all flinched. Harry and Ellis were holding hands, so they squeezed tighter. Ron was a wreck, making sounds that were a mix of shock, sorrow, and anger.

"He did!" Ron pointed directly at Ellis, who glared fiercely. Percy wanted to believe his brother, but where exactly had this man come from? He was far too old to be a student, and Percy had never seen him around before. The whole situation was becoming increasingly suspicious.

"Technically, I thought I killed a rat," Ellis, still glaring at Ron, defended. Percy's eyes widened. Did Ellis mean Scabbers? What did that mean? Was Scabbers an Animagus?

"I'm afraid the Ministry will need to be contacted, I am not equipped to handle something like this," Percy admitted with a frown, "Especially if we are dealing with an unregistered Animagus."

"What's an Animagus?" Harry asked tentatively. He tensed when he realized Percy hadn't put his wand away.

"It's a wizard or witch that can transform into an animal, basically," Percy answered, "I need all of you to come with me."

With that, Ellis knew he bit off more than he could chew.