⌗ ⌗ ⌗

After a tense dinner, Iris and Harry were set with the task of cleaning up all the dishes. Not that she minded, it was an excuse to leave the table and Aunt Marge's constant scowls in hers and Harry's direction.

"Can I tempt you, Marge?" Uncle Vernon asked, holding up a large bottle of brandy.

Marge looked delighted, "Just a small one. A bit more... a bit more... That's the boy."

She took a sloppy sip from her full glass, "Aah. Excellent nosh, Petunia. It's normally just a fry-up for me, what with twelve dogs."

Iris watched, transfixed, as she smacked her lips, lowered her brandy and let Ripper take a slobbery lap out of the glass.

Aunt Marge looked up and caught Iris and Harry looking.

"What are you two smirking at! Where is it that you send them, Vernon?" she questioned.

Uncle Vernon looked nervous as he says, "For the boy, St. Brutus's. It's a first-rate institution for hopeless cases. And the girl is going to St. Catherine's Finishing School."

Iris noticed that upon hearing this, Harry frowned and glanced at Uncle Vernon, who glared darkly at him.

"I see. And do they use the cane at your schools, children?" Aunt Marge questioned.

Iris knew the expression on Harry's face all too well. It was his 'I enjoy making trouble' face.

"Oh, yes. We've been beaten loads of times," he said sarcastically.

Iris elbowed Harry in the ribs.

Aunt Marge hadn't appeared to have caught on to Harry's sarcasm and said, "Excellent. I won't have this namby-pamby wishy-washy nonsense about not hitting people who deserve it."

The twins turned so their backs were facing the table and Iris used legilimency to force her way into Harry's head, 

Just a few more minutes, Harry.

Yeah and then the rest of the week, Harry rolled his eyes.

Iris turned back around though Harry stayed in place. Aunt Marge took another sip of brandy and continued on with, "Still. Mustn't blame yourself for how these two've turned out, Vernon. It all comes down to blood. Bad blood will out. What is it their father did, Petunia?"

"Nothing. That is... he didn't work. He was -- unemployed," Aunt Petunia stuttered out nervously.

"Of course. And a drunk, I expect --"

"That's a lie," Harry said loudly. Iris' eyes darted between the two in worry.

Aunt Marge pauses on her wine, eyes narrowing on Harry.

"What did you say?"

"Our dad wasn't a drunk," he said forcefully, turning to face her.

POP!

The glass in Aunt Marge's hand exploded. Aunt Petunia shrieked. Iris' eyes went wide and she glanced at Harry, grabbing his wrist in warning.

"Oh my goodness! Marge!" Aunt Petunia gasped.

"Not to worry, Petunia. I have a very firm grip."

Harry and Iris stared at the shattered glass in surprise. Iris looked to her Uncle and nudged her head toward the stairs in a gesture to send them out.

"You go to bed. Now," Uncle Vernon said pointedly.

"Quiet, Vernon," Marge snapped at Iris, "You, clean it up."

Iris hurried to grab a towel from next to the sink and brought it to Aunt Marge, attempting to soak up the spilt brandy on the table.

Aunt Marge readjusted her seat and continued on, "Actually, it doesn't matter about the father. In the end, it comes down to the mother. You see it all the time with dogs. If there's something wrong with the bitch, there'll be something wrong with the pup..."

That was the last straw. Iris opened her mouth to say something but didn't have the chance as Harry shouted,

"Shut up!" Everyone looked at him. "Shut up!"

Aunt Marge starts to reply when she pauses. Suddenly a button on her shirt flies through the air. Iris stepped back and noticed the seams on her jacket were stretching. Threads started snapping.

Her cheeks billowed. Her entire body grew.

And she began to inflate like a monstrous balloon.

The whole room stared in horror as she began to rise out of her chair, floating.

"Marge!" Uncle Vernon gulped

"Vernon! Vernon, do something!" Aunt Marge yelled at her brother.

As she rose, Uncle Vernon leapt for her.

Ripper growled and charged at him, fixing his teeth onto his trousers.

Iris and Harry stood, shell-shocked, frightened by what Harry had done, and watched Aunt Marge bounce gently across the ceiling and into the conservatory.

As Harry turn and ran down the hall and upstairs, Iris stood in the kitchen, not knowing what to do.

The others raced outside. As Aunt Marge began to float away, Uncle Vernon griped her hands.

Uncle Vernon tried to reassure his sister by saying, "Don't worry! I've got you..."

Except, slowly to his horror, Uncle Vernon himself began to rise. Aunt Marge looked fearfully into his eyes...

"Vernon. Don't you dare --"

But he did. He let go and fell to his knees, watching Aunt Marge float away.

They all watched for a minute as Aunt Marge floated into the distance before Uncle Vernon turned with a murderous look on his face and ran back inside with Petunia following.

He went right past Dudley, who was watching the television as if nothing had happened and continued straight to Iris, yelling at her,

"You bring her back! You bring her back right now and you fix her!"

Iris blubbered in her spot for a moment. She didn't know how to fix it, but she was saved by the sound of two very loud booming noises coming from the stairs.

Iris followed anxiously as Uncle Vernon ran out into the hall where Harry was dragging both his and Iris' trunks down the stairs,

"YOU BRING HER BACK NOW AND YOU PUT HER RIGHT!" Uncle Vernon yelled in his face.

"No! She deserved what she got! And you... you keep away from me," Harry took out his wand and waved it at Uncle Vernon. He pulled Iris to his side and gestured for her to take her trunk.

Iris felt as though she was stuck in a very bad position between two angry people.

Uncle Vernon eyed Harry's wand nervously then grinned with knowing cruelty.

"You're not allowed to do magic out of school. They won't have you now. You've got nowhere to go."

Iris and Harry realized it was true and faltered.

"Anywhere's better than here," Iris said irritated.

⌗ ⌗ ⌗

Harry and Iris walked and walked and walked, and then Iris stopped, the realization of what they had done setting in.

"Harry, I need to find Buttercup," she said sitting on the street curb.

Harry sat down next to her and the two glanced around.

Behind them was an empty playground. Swings creaking gently on rusted chains. A tiny carousel, kissed gently by the wind, turning slowly.

Iris put her head into her hands and leaned into Harry's side, sighing deeply.

Iris jumped as she felt something soft brush her ankles and looked down.

There sitting at her feet was her cat, Buttercup.

Buttercup was a fluffy white and grey ragdoll cat with huge light blue coloured eyes. Iris leaned over and picked her cat up and into her lap.

Hugging her tightly, Iris was reminded of the day she had gotten her loyal cat:

She had found the fluffball wandering down the street of Diagon Alley all alone. Iris had swooped in to take care of the unnamed cat, realizing it was a stray. As she got closer to the animal, Iris had watched amused as her new companion attempted to eat a couple of buttercups that had grown out of a crack in the pavement. It was then that Iris dubbed the cat Buttercup.

Squeezing Buttercup, Iris sat on that curb wondering what in the world they were going to do.

Deep in the night, an alarm shrieked before going silent.

Suddenly, Iris went still as a statue. Listening. In the trees above, leaves tremble. The wind gathers.

"Harry... we're not alone," Iris whispered, sensing another active mind close. It was odd, almost blurry, the mind. Usually, it was easy for her to intrude in other's thoughts, but this was different. Like it wasn't a full mind.

The twins turned, studying the swaying swings, and the carousel. Then, they stiffened and turned back.

Sensing something in the shadows across the street, they both rose.

Slowly, Harry drew his wand.

Then they saw ... it. Something big. Darker than the shadows which conceal it. It had wide, gleaming eyes.

Iris stared into the eyes of the unknown thing. There was something odd about them.

The two Potters stepped back. Afraid to look. Afraid not to.

When they took another step back, Harry's legs hit his trunk and he tripped. His wand flew out of his hand as he flung out an arm to break his fall, and he landed, hard, in the gutter --

Iris continued to stare at the dog, trying to figure out what it was about the eyes that made her so confused.

There was a deafening BANG, and both twins threw up their hands to shield their eyes against a sudden blinding light --

With a yell, Iris jumped and Harry rolled back onto the pavement, just in time.

A second later, a gigantic pair of wheels and headlights screeched to a halt exactly where Harry had just been lying.

As the bus rolled up to the curb, Iris saw a flash of fear in the dog's eyes that gave her the realization of what was so strange about them.

They were... human eyes?

⌗ ⌗ ⌗

Hey guys! I cut the first chapter in half because I realized nobody in their right mind would read that much.

So I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

-date chapter published: 31.7.18