Whispers in the Dark

Chapter 1

My name is Allison Lily Potter.

I'm 13 years old, I hate (most of) my only living relatives, and I have a twin brother.

Did I mention that I'm a witch?

Yes, we do exist. No, my skin is not green, nor do I have warts or cackle...well, not most of the time anyways.

"BOY! GIRL! Get down here!"

I sigh as I prop myself on my elbows and look across the room to where my brother, Harry, was sitting on the mattress. "What did you do?"

"Why would I have done something, Ally? Why could you have done something?"

"Because I know I haven't," I bite my lip worriedly as I push myself off the cot that was my bed and leave the room behind Harry and we both sprint down the stairs. If there's one thing we've learned over the past twelve years since our parents, Lily and James, died and we came here, it's this - when Uncle Vernon calls, you come. And you come quickly.

"Yes Uncle Vernon?" Harry asks levelly while I wait just behind his shoulder.

"Don't give me that cheek, boy! Now, I wanted to let you two freaks know that my sister, Marge, is coming over later tonight. Her train comes in at seven-"

I mentally groan; Aunt Marge was coming? She's one of the Muggles - non-magical people - that hates anything abnormal, much like her brother.

And Harry and I are the textbook definition of 'abnormal'.

"-and I want to go over a few things before she arrives. First, you won't dare mouth off to Marge."

"Okay," Harry nods.

"I will when she does," I mutter under my breath, but not without a fearful glance at Uncle Vernon.

"Second," he continues, apparently not hearing me, "there will be absolutely no...freakishness...while she is here, understand? You two had better behave yourselves!"

Harry nods obediently while I repeat my earlier statement, just a little louder.

"SHUT UP, YOU FREAKISH GIRL!" my Uncle bellows, and I take one step back as Harry shifts slightly to be in front of me.

"Vernon, calm down!" a shrill voice calls from the kitchen as Aunt Petunia rounds the corner, her thin, horse-like face cautious. For, one fleeting moment I think she's going to come to my rescue. "The neighbors might hear!"

Well, there went that hope.

Uncle Vernon glares at me for another moment before straightening up and looking very blustered. "Right, sorry dear. Anyways, you two have work to do! I don't want to see a spot or stain in this entire house!"

I stare at him for a second in shock before Aunt Petunia shrieks "Your Uncle told you to do something! Get on with it!"

I nod before shooting a quick look at my brother, who just gives me a weary shake of his head.

"Dudders, do you want to go to the train station?" Aunt Petunia asks sweetly.

"No," my cousin, Dudley Dursley says simply before returning to the huge piece of triple chocolate cake he was inhaling.

And they wonder why he looks like a baby whale.

Uncle Vernon just smiles and claps a fat hand on his son's equally fat shoulder and kisses his wife on the cheek before grabbing his coat and heading for the door. "Get to work, freaks!"