It's a Long Story

Chapter Eight Strange Magic

Charlotte POV

Dumbledore was not happy when I told him I needed my trunk although he was also not surprised I had dark magical items. He sent it right away, amazing the Cullens as the portal opened, and I got to work immediately.

Carlisle helped me set everything up in the attic and after he begged constantly I finally agreed to let him sit in on my magical training.

I started working on dark charms and spells immediately. The familiar but foreign dark magic made my hair stand up on end and static rippled through my scalp. The magic is severely draining. I would practice the whole day and sleep from eight at night to eight the next morning. Bella was so worried she wouldn't stop shoving food in my face or putting water bottles at the base of the attic stairs.

"Charlotte, you have guest!" Carlisle called from downstairs. I shut my spell book, carefully put away all of the charms, and left the attic.

It's been three weeks and no sign of Bellatrix but I'm losing my mind. I'm beginning to look like Bellatrix. My hair has become a mess that I don't even care to fix anymore, I've lost a dangerous amount of weight, sometimes I even catch myself thinking dangerous thoughts. I think like her more than I thought possible.

It's starting to feel like it felt when she had my mind locked with hers. My thoughts are twisting and confusing me and Edward can't even stand to be in the same room as me.

As I turned down the last set of stairs and into the grand entryway I stopped dead in my tracks.

"Harry Potter?" I screeched.

Standing in the entryway was a dark haired, lightning scared boy and a five foot five inches brown haired girl with muddy brown eyes and forever a curious smirk on her face.

"Charlotte Potter I presume?" He questioned as I came down the last of the steps.

"Dumbledore sent you?" I questioned.

"Trust me when I say I'm as surprised as you are to find out I have a little sister." He smiled at me.

"Cut the crap Potter." I sneered "We both knew the other existed, you just preferred the fame more than I did." I turned away from him and headed into the kitchen to find the alcohol. I was going to need to do some serious drinking if I was to work with Harry Potter and Hermione Granger.

"What? You knew I was your brother and never said anything?" He questioned, following me closely.

"Of course I did Harry! How could I not know about Harry Potter 'The Boy Who Lived'? Dumbledore kept me hidden away for a reason! Now look at this mess! Bellatrix is after me and everything I love now." I became furious with his little game of pretending he didn't know as I found my bottle of vodka and settled onto a bar stool.

"At least she's not as bad as Voldemort. We can handle her." Hermione spoke confidently making me roll my eyes.

"Not as bad? Think of the dark witch that was behind all of his little plots! She's been around for ages Hermione! She knows countless ways to manipulate dark magic that not even your little disarming expelliarmus charm can stand up against! It's not only me that she wants to destroy. Its everything that I've ever been apart of or done. It's my family, Hogwarts, the wizarding world, everything! If I can't stop her it will be all of my fault." I took a massive swig and sighed deeply.

"It's okay Charlotte." Harry was suddenly hugging me from the side.

"Please don't touch me." I pulled away from him and his false hurt expression.

"Knock knock." Edward came into the room with my sister trailing close behind.

"May I be a mediator?" He asked and we all nodded apprehensively.

"Harry, she's hurt. She's been hidden away for years, never receiving her due credit while you were pushed out into the limelight for everything you did. She's scared to get you involved because she's scared you'll get hurt too." Harry adopted a look of pure shock.

"Charlotte, he's confused. He's never enjoyed the attention from everyone and he doesn't think he deserves even half of the credit. He's just found out he has a little sister and wants to get to know you. He genuinely wants to know you and help you." Edward smiled at me.

"And you" he pointed at Hermione "You think way too much about that ginger of yours." Edward and Harry both laughed while Hermione blushed deeply.

"Um, sis, vodka?" Bella looked at me with probing eyes.

"Let her have it Bella, it calms her down." Edward shook his head and pulled Bella back out of the room and off somewhere.

"That's the vampire that's involved with our sister?" Harry asked.

"Our sister?" I questioned and he nodded and I continued "Yes that was Edward, a mind reader, and my little sister Bella Swan." I answered.

"Ah that explains why he knew me so well." He smiled at me and I had to take another long drink.

"Shall we get to work?" Hermione questioned.

"Yeah...about that. You two won't like it." I grumbled taking another long drink.

"Oh, sure we will! What's up first Defense Against the Dark Arts refreshing?" Harry sounded so excited and he was actually bouncing up and down.

"Close, Dark Arts training with professor Swan." I winked and they both visibly paled.