Lillian 'Anna' Potter || Chamber Of Secrets

Chapter One: The Bewitching

Lillian stared at the blank canvas in front of her. Usually, the image would just come to her head: a castle, a horse, or even the starry night sky. Each stroke would be second nature. But not this time.

She sighed, throwing her paintbrush back onto the easel, because the only thing she saw when she looked at the easel was the only thing she hadn’t seen before - more of a blank silhouette than a real face. Her brother.

Unlike most families, Harry and Lillian didn’t live in the same house. When Lillian was only a few days old, her brother only a year, their parents were killed in a car crash. Her brother was sent to live with their aunt and uncle, and because they couldn’t stand the thought of having 3 children, they decided keeping a boy would be better suited for their ‘Duddykins’, and Lillian was sent off to live in the foster system.

It wasn’t like her life was horrible. Lillian had gotten lucky in a way that many foster kids didn’t - with a loving family who loved her like their own. They got Lillian her paints and gave her many hugs, but even they knew that they weren’t going to be able to fill in the hole that was left behind when her parents died and Harry and her were separated.

She used to see him more when they were younger, but then the Dursleys refused to go out of their way for a girl they had given up years ago, so the visits stopped. Nowadays, they only sent letters, and Harry’s face had turned into his words and splotches of ink.

Ever since last year, her brother had seemed...happier. More optimistic on his outlook on life. His ‘i’s’ were dotted with purpose, and even his ‘e’s’ seemed to jump off the paper in joy. But he was always so secretive about it. The stories he’d tell her always seemed...off. Like she was missing a piece of it.

Harry used to tell her everything: Aunt Petunia’s latest gossip, describing every nook and cranny of his cupboard, and Uncle Vernon’s anger issues. At one point, he had even written to her about these strange letters that appeared everywhere, but after that, everything was completely ordinary - like he had never told her about any of the strange things that had happened to him before in the first place.

He only wrote on and on about the boarding school he had been sent to, and all the new friends he had made. Of course, she was happy for him. What kind of sister would she be if she wasn’t? But on the inside, she was kind of jealous.

She had always wanted ‘friends’. To Anna, the concept of ‘friends’ seemed foreign. And her foster brother and sister didn’t count - even if she loved them like her own family. Harry now had that and more: a sports team where they had funky names like ‘Hufflepuff’ and even someone to go to whenever he was feeling off for just a cup of tea. Anna knew her foster parents cared about her, but whenever asked about her ‘feelings’, she immediately closed up. Feelings were a forbidden subject that she didn’t really like to talk about, and when your parents were dead, your brother taken away and you had a sorry excuse of an uncle and aunt, you had earned the excuse not to talk.

“Lily! You’ve got something in the mail!” Her foster mother, Andrea exclaimed. ‘Lily’ sighed. Lillian had been named after her late mother, and ‘Lily’ had been her nickname, but she couldn’t call herself that. It felt like she was taking her mother’s place whenever someone called her that. So, she made herself just ‘Anna’. Far enough from ‘Lily’, close enough to ‘Lillian’.

“It’s Anna!” She corrected Andrea as she opened the door to Anna’s room - holding a large envelope. Andrea smiled awkwardly, scratching the back of her neck sheepishly as she cleared a bucket of markers to sit in Anna’s desk chair. “Sorry! You know I get confused. Here’s your letter - you can thank me for coming all the way upstairs to get it for you later.” She handed Anna the letter.

Anna swiped the letter from Andrea, raising an eyebrow as her eyes landed on the address. “To Miss L. Potter, the green upstairs room, 1$5 Woodbury Lane.” She read aloud, her eyes automatically going to her emerald-painted walls. She looked back at Andrea, whose expression had hardened - her sapphire eyes no longer playful, but serious.

Andrea looked at Anna. “We should call the authorities.” She said, already sitting up when Anna quickly stopped her. “No! Andrea, please! It couldn’t hurt to see what’s inside.” She said, curiosity burning through her.

Andrea raised an eyebrow. “There could be a weapon in there! Or poison!” She added pointedly. Anna stood her ground. “What if it isn’t a weapon? What if it’s Harry and he’s in trouble?” She asked. Andrea bit her lip, and Anna fought the urge to smile. Even she knew that when it came to Harry, Andrea couldn’t say no.

“Fine.” She finally agreed. “But I’m staying here to read it with you.” Andrea said as Anna nodded eagerly, tearing through the letter.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

HEADMASTER: Albus Dumbledore

(ORDER OF MERLIN, FIRST CLASS, GRAND SORC., CHF. WARLOCK, SUPREME MUGWUMP, INTERNATIONAL CONFED. OF WIZARDS)

Dear Miss Potter, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31. Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall.

Andrea raised an eyebrow, snatching the letter from Anna’s hands. “Is this a joke? What is a Hogwarts - Anna! What are you doing?” She remarked, looking back at Anna who was scribbling furiously on a spare piece of parchment. “Writing a letter.” She replied smoothly. Andrea scoffed. “You can’t be serious.”

Anna gave her a long look. “Think about it, Andrea. Remember all of the weird things that have happened? The bird with the broken wing? The mysterious disappearance of Mr. Fish? The way my markers just miraculously multiplied?” She asked her. Andrea snorted. “I thought we were blaming that on the ghost.”

Anna glared. “Okay, okay! I’m just saying, a school of magic sounds a bit farfetched. Besides, it says here that you need to return your letter with an...an owl. Unless we rig some sort of device, I don’t think we can get one of those.” On cue, there was a scratching on Anna’s window, a hazel owl perching on a nearby branch with his leg sticking out.

“Ha!” Anna laughed as she opened the window, making quick work of fastening the parchment to the owl’s leg as he flew away. “And that was just a coincidence?” Anna deadpanned to an open-mouthed Andrea. Anna smiled. “I need a ride to London tomorrow and get the stuff on the list. I’m going to Hogwarts.”