Jami Evans and the Sorcerer's Stone - Year 1

Forbidden Letters

Dudley tried to grab the letter to read it, but Uncle Vernon held it high out of his reach. Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line. For a moment it looked as though she might faint. She clutched her throat and made a choking noise.

"Vernon! Oh my goodness -- Vernon!"

They stared at each other, seeming to have forgotten that Harry, me and Dudley were still in the room. Dudley wasn't used to being ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his Smelting stick.

"I want to read that letter," he said loudly.

"I want to read it," said Harry furiously, "as it's mine." I backed away, inching slowly towards the cupboard, my hand still casually tucked into my pocket where my letter was. Dudley noticed unfortunately.

"Dad-Jami's got one as well!" He shouted.

Uncle Vernon narrowed his eyes. "James--give me that letter."

I flinched as he used my full name. "No." I stared hard at him. "It's mine."

"James Remus Potter, give me that letter now. Or you'll and Harry will be separated." Vernon snarled.

Harry's eyes were wide. Uncle Vernon had never used the full name thing on me. Not once.

Hesitantly, I surrendered my letter, my eyes full of loathing at my uncle. With a huff, Harry and I went to our cupboard, each step making the floor shake. It was almost coincidental that I was the bigger of us and sometimes during the winter, Harry would cuddle up next to me to share his warmth. But despite all of that, we were both skinny, long-legged and had glasses and the messiest hair possible. I often heard Aunt Petunia say "She looks just like that Potter boy my sister married. I knew he was trouble the minute I saw him."

"I'm sorry." I said in the darkness of the cupboard.

"For what?" Harry peered back at me, his emerald eyes flashing. I always found them rather soothing to look at and sometimes, we'd just stare at each other for hours, waiting for the other to crack up with the intensity of our staring contest.

"I don't know." I sighed. "I always seem to be more of a burden on us. I get away with mostly everything I do for some reason." I saw Harry frown a little in the small light that came from our alarm clock.

"You're not a burden." Harry pulled me into a hug. "Don't ever say that. We'll get out of here soon, I promise." he smiled at me when he drew back. "I'll even help you find that dream boy of yours if that's what you want. We'll get as many candy bars as we want to. Maybe we'll even get ourselves a dog of our own...what kind did you say you wanted? A black German Shepherd? We'll get one of those and name it Snuffles. You always liked that name, right sis?"

"You know me too well." I teased him and he laughed.

"We're family. Family sticks together. Even if you are a bit unusual." Harry smirked, ruffling my hair.

I huffed. "Says the boy who leapt up onto our school's roof to avoid Pig."

Harry chortled. "Good point."