The Vanishing Glass

Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to find their nephew and niece on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all.

"You know what I just noticed. Maddie is always the afterthought." Ron said noticing how the author always puts Harry before Madelaine.

"Well, it is the Harry Potter series I wouldn't be surprised if it talked more about Harry then Madelaine." Hermione said pointing out the obvious.

"Well no shit sherlock." Bellatrix said while rolling her eyes. Madelaine smiled at her already feeling that this was the start of a great friendship.

You see Madelaine always had a sneaking suspicion that Bellatrix was under some sort of curse when she cursed the Longbottoms as she had quite the personality change it seemed. The Madelaine supposed the Azkaban made her go insane and not really understand what she wanted. Also, of course, the fact that she was raised this way by her parents.

Madelaine felt this way about most of the death eater people in the room. Well, not Snape, Pettigrew, and Lucius. The first two had a choice and Lucius is just horrible to everyone.

The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursleys' front door; it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr. Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the owls.

Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed. Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-coloured bonnets — but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby, and now the photographs showed a large blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a carousel at the fair, playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother.

"Where are you two." James asked wanting to know where his children were.

"You'll see." Madelaine told him looking at Harry worried about what they may find out.

The room held no sign at all that another boy or a girl lived in the house, too. Yet Harry Potter and Madelaine Potter were still there, asleep at the moment, but not for long. Their Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day.

"Up! Get up! Now!" Madelaine woke with a start. Their aunt rapped on the door again. "Up!" she screeched. Madelaine heard her walking toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove.

"Oh, your poor ears." Lily winced as Petunia had done that to her before. Needless to say, it was worse than nails on a chalkboard.

She decided to wake Harry up before they both got in trouble. She started by shaking him lightly when that didn't work she shook him hard and whispered in his ear "Wake the fuck up now before we die.". He woke up sitting up quickly and hitting his head causing Madelaine to laugh at him.

Laughs chorused throughout the room. "I know you shouldn't be swearing but I that was too funny." Lilly said clutching her stomach as she laughed.

"You're a fucking icon Mads." Sirius said to Madelaine making her smile as she remembered how he called her Mads all the time before he died.

The only person not laughing was Harry who was glaring at her.

He rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorcycle in it. He had a funny feeling he'd had the same dream before. Their aunt was back outside the door.

"How did you remember that." Neville asked amazed that a boy so oblivious as Harry remembered that.

"I guess you can say I have the best memory ever." Harry said cockily as he put his hands behind his head.

"Didn't you forget my birthday one year?" Madelaine asked him but it was more like a statement. Harry just murmured, "shut up".

"Are you two up yet?" she demanded. "Nearly," they said in unison.

"Well, get a move on, I want you two to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday." They groaned.

"She's making you two cook?" Alice asked the twins, she was horrified that they had to use the oven.

"It wasn't that bad." Madelaine shrugged.

"What did you say?" their aunt snapped through the door. "Nothing, nothing..." Dudley's birthday — how could he have forgotten? Harry got slowly out of bed and started looking for socks as Madelaine was already ready waiting for him.

He found a pair under his bed and, after pulling a spider off one of them, put them on. The twins were used to spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where they slept.

"WHAT" Almost the whole room yelled minus Draco, Luna, and Neville who already knew this happened as Madelaine had told them.

"They made you sleep in a cupboard!" James growled. Madelaine tried to make it better by saying "It was nice and warm."

"I'll kill that son of a bitch." Bellatrix said feeling the need to protect the girl.

"Just continued reading please Remus." Draco asked knowing how uncombable talking about this made Madelaine feel. Remus looking enraged continued nonetheless.

When he was dressed they went down the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. It looked as though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted (Madelaine intended to use it while he was sleeping), not to mention the second television and the racing bike. Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry and Madelaine, as Dudley hated exercise — unless of course it involved punching somebody.

"If he lays a hand on either one of you I will find him and kill him." Sirius said seriously.

"It's ok we were fine." Harry said trying to calm his godfather down as he didn't need to go to Azkaban for a second time.

Dudley's favourite punching bag was Harry and Madelaine, but he couldn't often catch Harry and Madelaine knew how to get inside his head, by that she means making him confused before walking away while he was still trying to think.

Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast. Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age. He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's, and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was.

"She couldn't even get you clothes?" Lily said exasperated at her so-called sister.

"Well, she has no sense of style so its kind of a good thing. Imagine what I would look like if she dressed me." Madelaine shuddered at the thought of Petiuna dressing her. Lily and Harry started laughing as they know her sense of style is not it.

Madelaine on the other hand couldn't run to save her life. As soon as she ran for more than two minutes she was out of breath. What she could do is say something thought-provoking before walking away as they think. She didn't know why it works. Harry always said it was because she is confusing but smart so it threw people off. Madelaine also was given Dudley's clothes but she would usually modify them by cutting and sewing them.

"There is so much to unpack on that paragraph I can't." Marlene said trying to process what she just heard.

"You can't run?" James asked confused as Harry could run amazingly.

"Yes, I cant if you hear correctly I'm not Harry." Madelaine said shortly not wanting to get into her father most likely being disappointed in her.

"What does the book mean by thought-provoking? I have never heard anything remotely smart come from you." Hermione said earning another round of glares directed at her.

"What if this whole world is a simulation and we're all dead waiting to die again and again only to never complete the loop and this is hell." Madelaine said looking at the wall with a far-away look in her eyes.

Everyone was shocked into silence all of them thinking about what she said. None of them notice her slip out of the room. After around five minutes they were all looking around the room for Madelaine when she walked through the door laughing.

"I think I just saw Cedric's dad and let me tell you they look the same." Madelaine said while laughing.

"I-What- Where were you?" Frank stumbled looking at the girl who was sitting back down in her seat.

"I was just outside. Now you know what the book means. Let's continue with the book." Madelaine said eating some of Bellas leftover lemon drops.

Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair, and bright green eyes. He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. Madelaine had very bright, vibrant red hair, pale white skin, an oval-shaped face, and light brown eyes. She unlike her brother did not need glasses.

The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning. He had had it as long as he could remember, and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had gotten it. "In the car crash when your parents died," she had said. "And don't ask questions." Madelaine didn't remember much from the incident but she does remember what happened after when an old man left her here. Just from that and the way her Aunt said it made her think that something else happened but Madelaine never asked though.

"So Harry, you liked your scar and Madelaine you remembered something? What kind of alternative reality is this." Ron said looking at the twins.

"In my defence, I didn't know where I got it from I just thought it looked cool." Harry said raising his hands.

"I remember things that are cool, interesting, and things that I care about." Madelaine admitted.

Don't ask questions — that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursleys. Madelaine thought it was the most boring rule it the world. How was she supposed to learn anything if she can't ask to? Harry didn't care that much but that made sense as Madelaine has always been the most curious twin. Curious about what you may ask. Well, everything and anything Madelaine wants to know how English was made to if the US government was trying to cover up that Aliens exist.

"Aliens don't exist." Hermione said while rolling her eyes.

"Yes, they do. Fight me bitch." Madelaine stated. Luna, Draco, Ginny, Neville, Alice, Marlene, Regulus, and Bellatrix agreed with her.

Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon while Madelaine was making coffee for both them and herself.

"Comb your hair boy and girl hide your hair!" he barked, by way of a morning greeting. About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and shouted that Harry needed a haircut and that Madelaine needed to hide her hair or get rid of it because as he put it it was an unusual colour.

Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way — all over the place. While Madelaine must've had her hair dyed and cut more times than Harry but whenever she would take a shower the colour would wash off and her hair grew back just as fast as Harrys.

"Accidental Magic," Sirius said with jazz hands.

Harry was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother and Madelaine was passing out the coffee discreetly sipping on her own. When she was done she went to help Harry.

Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, massive head. Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel — Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig which lead Madelaine to say "don't pick on his weight".

"Why not? Im just describing him." Harry asked offended that she thought he was thinking something rude.

"He might be horrible but don't pick on his weight in an attempt to insult them. It's just rude and it's body shaming. Also not to mention he's a product of having Petiuna and Vernon as parents." Madelaine explained with causing people In the room to agree with her as Harry glared at her. In his mind, he was the good, amazing one that could do no wrong not Madelaine.

Harry and Madelaine put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile, was counting his presents. His face fell.

"Thirty-six," he said, looking up at his mother and father. "That's two less than last year." "Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mummy and Daddy." "All right, thirty-seven then," said Dudley, going red in the face.

Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over. Madelaine just moved her food to the counter and ate it over there.

"Imagine being that spoiled." Narcissa said. She couldn't imagine how her parents would react if see of her sisters behaved that way.

Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger, too, because she said quickly, "And we'll buy you another two presents while we're out today. How's that, Popkin? Two more presents. Is that alright"

Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. Finally he said slowly, "So I'll have thirty... thirty..." "Thirty-nine, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia. "Oh." Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel.

"All right then." Uncle Vernon chuckled. "Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. 'Atta boy, Dudley!" He ruffled Dudley's hair.

"I-How can he support that?" Alice asked as everyone shrugged at her question.

At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a video camera, a remote control airplane, sixteen new computer games, and a VCR. Madelaine had finished eating her food and was now sitting next to Harry. Dudley was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back from the telephone looking both angry and worried.

"Bad news, Vernon," she said. "Mrs. Figg's broken her leg. She can't take them." She jerked her head in the twins' direction.

Dudley's mouth fell open in horror, but Harry's heart gave a leap while Madelaine on the other hand was a bit suspicious if this would actually go as how she and Harry wanted it. Every year on Dudley's birthday, his parents took him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants, or the movies.

"Have I ever told you how optimistic you are because you're the most optimistic person I have ever met." Draco said sarcastically to Madelaine who just flipped him off.

Every year, Harry and Madelaine were left behind with Mrs. Figg, a mad old lady who lived two streets away. Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs. Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned. Madelaine loved it there. She loved Mrs. Figg and the cats. She couldn't understand why Harry hated it there it's better than the Dursleys.

"traitor" Sirius whispered

"Now what?" said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry and Madelaine as though they'd planned this. Harry knew he ought to feel sorry that Mrs. Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy when he reminded himself it would be a whole year before he had to look at Tibbles, Snowy, Mr. Paws, and Tufty again. Madelaine did feel sorry for the lady and made herself a promise to help her when she went over to her house again but she did feel the tiniest bit of excitement of either staying in the house alone or going somewhere.

"Really mate you didn't care that an old lady broke her lady because she showed you pictures of cats?" Ron said in disbelief that Harry didn't feel sorry for Mrs. Figg.

"I never said I didn't care." Harry defended himself but not well enough apparently as unimpressed looks were shot at him.

"The book literally just said you didn't feel sorry for her." Arthur deadpanned.

"We could phone Marge," Uncle Vernon suggested. "Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy and girl." The Dursleys often spoke about Harry and Madelaine like this, as though they weren't there — or rather, as though they were something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug.

"What about what's-her-name, your friend — Yvonne?" "On vacation in Majorca," snapped Aunt Petunia. "You could just leave us here," Harry put in hopefully (he'd be able to watch what he wanted on television for a change and maybe even have a go on Dudley's computer).

Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon. "And come back and find the house in ruins?" she snarled. "I won't blow up the house," said Harry, but he couldn't say the Madelaine who would probably love to commit arson. "I suppose we could take them to the zoo," said Aunt Petunia slowly, "... and leave them in the car..." "That car's new, they're not sitting in it alone..." Dudley began to cry loudly.

"It's the wanting to commit arson for me." Neville said looking at Madelaine laughing.

"Can you even blame me though?" Madelaine asked laughing.

In fact, he wasn't really crying — it had been years since he'd really cried — but he knew that if he screwed up his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted.

"Dinky Duddydums, don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil your special day!" she cried, flinging her arms around him. "I... don't... want... him... t-t-to come!" Dudley yelled between huge, pretend sobs. "They always s-spoils everything!" He shot Harry and Madelaine a nasty grin through the gap in his mother's arms. Madelaine just gave him a sickly sweet smile before mouthing "I will not hesitate to destroy all of your presents.". Dudley though still crying looked slightly scared.

"Ya know? I don't really doubt that." Regulus said not having known the girl for a long time but he did think that she would do that.

Just then, the doorbell rang — "Oh, good Lord, they're here!" said Aunt Petunia frantically —and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother. Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat. He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them. The boy also always tried to talk to the Potter girl as he had a crush on her but whenever he even came close to her she told him to get away before she punched him. Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once.

"NO BOYS." James yelled as Madelaine put up her hands in defence.

"Wait are you guys dating anyone?" Lucius asked the future kids as some of them nodded Madelaine spoke: "No don't tell them it would ruin the story."

They nodded as they continued the book.

Half an hour later, Harry and Madelaine, who couldn't believe their luck, were sitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in their lives. Their aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with them, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken them aside.

"I'm warning you," he had said, putting his large purple face right up close to Harry's, "I'm warning you now, boy and girl— any funny business, anything at all — and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas."

"I swear if they do anything I will hunt them down and kill them." Lily said

"I'm not going to do anything," said Harry, "honestly..." Madelaine nodded in agreement but Uncle Vernon didn't believe them. No one ever did.

The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and Madelaine and it was just no good telling the Dursleys they didn't make them happen. Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barbers looking as though he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except for his bangs, which she left "to hide that horrible scar." Dudley had laughed himself silly at Harry, who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and taped glasses.

Next morning, however, he had gotten up to find his hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off. He had been given a week in his cupboard for this, even though he had tried to explain that he couldn't explain how it had grown back so quickly.

One time a thing happened to Madelaine as she was looking around for her shoes everywhere but when she turned around right there where she had just looked. Luckily no one was around to see it happened but Madelaine was spooked and thought there was a ghost in the house.

"So you grew your hair back and you accioed some shoes." Regulus asked them as they both nodded, "Cool".

Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force Harry into a revolting old sweater of Dudley's(brown with orange puff balls). The harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harry. Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to his great relief, Harry wasn't punished.

Once when Madelaine was looking at a girl who was just sitting and doing nothing she could hear a voice saying that the woman mother had died. Madelaine looked around to see if anyone else hear the voice but no one did so she went up to the woman and said sorry for your loss.

"Wait a damn minute you did legilimency!" Remus exclaimed as he was impressed.

"Well she barley even did it all she could hear was the voice not see anything," Harry sneered as Lucius, Severus, and Peter nodded with him.

"Yeah says the one who just shrunk a sweater." Draco said rolling his eyes.

On the other hand, they'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley's gang had been chasing the twins as usual when, as much to their surprise as anyone else's, there they were sitting on the chimney. The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Harry's and Madelaine's headmistress telling them Harry and Madelaine had been climbing school buildings. But all they'd tried to do (as Harry shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the big trash cans outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid-jump but Madelaine told him that was impossible unless he was Flat Stanley.

"Whats Flat Stanley?" Arthur wondered as his wife lightly smack him for interrupting.

"It's fine Molly and he's a book character that was as thin as paper meaning he could fly in the air." Madelaine explained saying the last part softly to Arthur as the man was only curious.

But today, nothing was going to go wrong (through Madelaine had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that something will). It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, their cupboard, or Mrs. Figg's cabbage-smelling living room. While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia.

He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry and Madelaine, the council, Madelaine, the bank, and Harry were just a few of his favourite subjects. This morning, it was motorcycles. "... roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums," he said, as a motorcycle overtook them. "I had a dream about a motorcycle," said Harry, remembering suddenly. "It was flying."

Madelaine shot him a look that said shut up before elbowing his ribs harshly. Harry looked at her confused.

"No offence but you're a fucking idiot." Ginny told the boy who just glared at Madeliane as if it was somehow her fault at how stupid he is.

Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beet with a moustache: "MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!" Dudley and Piers sniggered causing Madelaine to glare at them, instantly shutting them up. "I know they don't," said Harry. "It was only a dream."

But he wished he hadn't said anything. If there was one thing the Dursleys hated even more than them asking questions, it was there talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon — they seemed to think they might get dangerous ideas. Madelaine got in trouble quite a lot for this.

"Are we even surprised?" Hermione said unimpressed as Luna said "Go, Madelaine"

It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry and Madelaine what they wanted before they could hurry them away, they bought Harry a cheap lemon ice pop because he didn't say what he wanted before their aunt said what he wanted but Madelaine asked for a chocolate ice cream as soon as the words left the ice cream lady mouth.

"You really took the saying "think smarter not harder" to heart huh." Regulus said looking at the girl who was just smiling and nodding while spinning in her spinning chair.

The ice pop wasn't bad, either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head who looked remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn't blond. Madelaine was reading then information about the gorilla as she licked her ice cream surprised that she was able to get it. While they walked Madelaine let Harry tried some of her ice cream but he found out he was more of a vanilla guy.

"That's nice also why are you so crazy that you like vanilla over chocolate." Remus said the last part in outrage as if it was a crime not to like chocolate.

"See this guy gets me." Madelaine said pointing to Remus who was pointing at her. They stood like that for a few seconds before bursting out into laughter.

The twins had the best morning they'd had in a long time. They were careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back on their favourite hobby of hitting them.

They ate in the zoo restaurant, and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbocker glory didn't have enough ice cream on top, Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry and Madelaine was allowed to finish the first. Madelaine having been able to get the ice cream let Harry have most of it.

Harry felt, afterward, that he should have known it was all too good to last. Madelaine was feeling like a clairvoyant instead.

"There are no such things as clairvoyants." Hermione said looking exhausted at Madelaine's thoughts.

"Yes, there is. I'm just saying I'm right about 87% of the time." Madelaine said done with Hermione's close-mindedness.

After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in there, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Madelaine loved how it felt to be in there it was calming.

"Wtf is wrong with you?" Harry said as if he wasn't a parseltongue.

"Ya know I would usually respond to that but what's coming up next I'll let speak for itself." Madelaine said not caring much as her brother was about to get exposed.

Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick,man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a trash can — but at the moment it didn't look in the mood.

In fact, it was fast asleep. Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils. "Make it move," he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge. "Do it again," Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on. "This is boring," Dudley moaned. He shuffled away. "Your face is boring." Madelaine mumbled in defence of the snake.

Harry and Madelaine moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. They wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself — no company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. Madelaine would've bitten someone if she were the snake.

"I mean same through." Bella said laughing at Madelaines' commentary as it was far better then Harrys in her opinion.

It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up; at least he got to visit the rest of the house. The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Harry's. It winked. Harry stared. Madelaine was just looking rapidly back and forward between the snake and Harry.

"So you're a parseltongue?" Narcissa asked as Harry nodded. Lily and James hugged him as if it was the hardest thing for him to ever do.

"It's ok we still love you it doesn't matter if you're a parseltongue." Lily comforted Harry who was loving the attention and secertlay looked at Madelaine who was just sitting there in her spinning chair.

Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake and winked, too. "What the fuck is happening?" Madelaine muttered as she watched the scene unfold in front of her eyes. The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Vernon and Dudley, then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly: "I get that all the time."

"Madelaine's a mood through." Sirius said laughing.

"I know," Harry murmured through the glass, though he wasn't sure the snake could hear him."It must be really annoying." The snake nodded vigorously. "Where do you come from, anyway?" Harry asked. The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harry peered at it. Boa Constrictor, Brazil. Madelaine just stood there not knowing what Harry was saying as it all sounded like "sssshssssss hiss." to her.

"Is that what it really sounded like?" Harry asked as all of the future kids nodded.

"Was it nice there?" The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harry read on: This specimen was bred in the zoo.

"Oh, I see — so you've never been to Brazil?" As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry and Madelaine made both of them jump."DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT IT'S DOING!" Dudley came waddling toward them as fast as he could.

"Out of the way, you," he said, punching Harry in the ribs. Caught by surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete floor taking Madelaine down with him, who was still in shock at what she just witnessed.

What came next happened so fast no one saw how it happened — one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of horror. Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished. Madelaine was still on the ground rubbing her ankle that she fell on but when she got up and saw what was happing she groaned: "Not again."

The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits. As the snake slid swiftly past them, Harry could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, "Brazil, here I come... Thanksss, amigo."

The keeper of the reptile house was in shock. "But the glass," he kept saying, "where did the glass go?" The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong, sweet tea while he apologized over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only gibber. Madelaine was trying to contain her laughter as she was happy that karma finally came to them.

"Karma's a Bitch." Madelaine said laughing as Hermione and Molly sent disapproving glances at her.

As far as Harry and Madelaine had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except snap playfully at their heels as it passed, but by the time they were all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how it had nearly bitten off his leg, while Piers was swearing it had tried to squeeze him to death.

But worst of all, for Harry at least, was Piers calming down enough to say, "Harry was talking to it, weren't you, Harry?". "Snitches get stitches." Madelaine whispered to Piers as he walked out of the house. Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely in his car before starting on Harry and Madelaine. He was so angry he could hardly speak.

"Yeah, they do." Ron said looking at Pettigrew who was shuffling under Ron, Ginny, and Madelaines glares.

He managed to say, "Go — cupboard — stay — no meals," before he collapsed into a chair, and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy. Harry and Madelaine lay in their dark cupboard much later, Harry was wishing he had a watch. They didn't know what time it was and they couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet.

"That's it I'm going to kill the son of a bitch." Regulus and almost the whole room nodded their heads.

Until they were, Madelaine couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen for some food for them as she was quicker and quite then Harry when it comes to sneaking around. They'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years, as long as they could remember, ever since they were babies and their parents had died in that car crash. They couldn't remember being in the car when their parents had died. Madelaine was starting to question if there had ever been one.

"I can't tell whether or crazy or a genius." James said to his daughter.

"She's just a crazy idiot" Hermione said rolling her eyes for the millionth time.

"If you keep talking about my daughter like that I will hex you." Lily said in a deadly serious tone as Harry went to defended Hermione shut his mouth at the glare of his mother.

Sometimes, when Harry strained his memory during long hours in his cupboard, he came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light and a burning pain on his forehead. This, he supposed, was the crash, though he couldn't imagine where all the green light came from.

They couldn't remember their parents at all. Their aunt and uncle never spoke about them, and of course they were forbidden to ask questions. Madelaine would often try to find things about them around the house but she would always come up empty-handed.

"Mini Marauder?" Sirius whispered to James who said "Maybe".

There were no photographs of them in the house. When they had been younger, Harry and Madelaine had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relation coming to take them away, but it had never happened; the Dursleys were their only family.

"I'm so sorry." Remus said with Sirius, Marlene, Frank, Alice, Bellatrix, Regulus, Arthur, and Narcissa nodding along in agreement all looking sad at the thought of these children going up like this.

"It's ok. Really you guys have other kids and well ya know some of you are six feet under." Madelaine said joking at the end making them laugh.

Yet sometimes they thought (or maybe hoped) that strangers in the street seemed to know them. Very strange strangers they were, too. A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to Harry and waved Hello to Madelaine once while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley. After asking Harry and Madelaine furiously if they knew the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them out of the shop without buying anything.

A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had waved merrily at Harry once on a bus. A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken Harrys' hand in the street the other day and then walked away without a word. The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harry and Madelaine tried to get a closer look.

At school, Harry and Madelaine had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and, Madelaine Potter with her weird hair and clothes though some found her cool nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.

"Who thought you are cool?" Hermione asked in a snotty tone as almost everyone in the room (par Lucius, Severus, Harry, and Pettigrew.) raised their hands.

"Aww, I love you guys too." Madelaine joked.

"Who wants to read another depressing chapter?" Remus asked as Sirius started jumping up and down saying "ME!ME!ME!". Remus rolled his eyes and handed him the book.

"Letters From No One," Sirius announced as the next chapter.