CHAPTER ONE
Welcome To Hogwarts
September 1st, 1992

Helena remembered vividly the first time they had brought Harry to the platform. He had been overjoyed, while she had been grumpy from being woken up too early. Still, she recalled it all—the people, the noise, the children, the famous wall. Part of her struggled to believe that this was it; she too would have to leave her parents behind.

Harry had described Hogwarts as the most magical place in the world, and their parents had agreed without hesitation. They had been so proud of him throughout the year—he was the youngest Seeker on the Quidditch team in decades, and he had once again defeated Voldemort by himself. Though they had been angry because Dumbledore hadn't done anything, deep down, they were proud. Helena wondered if she could ever live up to their expectations.

This summer, Harry had been more distant than he was before Hogwarts—all he talked about was Ron and Hermione. Helena knew Ron; they had grown up together, but she had never met Hermione Granger, though she had been described as brilliant. Thankfully, she wouldn't be entirely alone—Ginny Weasley was starting Hogwarts as well.

"Oh, Salazar, I can't believe you're going to Hogwarts," her mum, Daphne, cooed gently as she braided Helena's hair. "Which house do you want to be in?"

Helena shrugged. "I'm okay with whichever," she replied, and Daphne hummed. "Which house do you think I'll end up in?"

"Slytherin," Daphne answered immediately, as though it had slipped out. "You have all the traits to be an amazing Slytherin," she added, sensing Helena's unease. "Your father wants you to be a Gryffindor."

"I know, like Harry."

"Darling," Daphne began softly, turning to face her. "You're not like Harry. I was a Slytherin too, and it was brilliant," she assured her. "My whole family was in Slytherin."

Helena let out a shaky breath, biting her lower lip. "I just don't want Dad to not be proud."

"Lena, he'll be proud no matter what. Just because Harry was sorted into Gryffindor and fought a bloody ogre doesn't mean your father won't be proud of you."

As much as Helena hated to admit it, her mum was right. Deep down, she knew her father would be proud of her regardless. She was just overthinking—it was something she had been doing a lot since Harry went to Hogwarts. There wasn't much to do except sit by herself in the garden, where she and Harry had often spent their days. Helena missed her brother.

Later that day, the family sat around the table as they always did. Dinner began with talk about work. Her mum was now a professional Quidditch coach, and her dad worked at the Ministry as the head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Today, he had argued again with a man over werewolves—Uncle Moony was one.

"Lena?" Harry's hushed voice echoed from behind her bedroom door. Then knocks reverberated through the room, and she opened the door slightly to see Harry standing there with his usual cheeky smile. "Can I come in?"

"What do you want, Harry?"

Perhaps her answer was a bit sharp, but she couldn't help it. Harry being away from her had been painful, and he had never really apologized for not writing.

"I was wondering if you'd like to share your bed for the night," he said with a shrug. "After all, you're going to Hogwarts tomorrow."

Helena rolled her eyes. "I know."

"What's wrong with you? Why are you so—"

"So what?" Helena asked, frowning. "You've been distant all year, Harry. I just—I need my brother, alright? I don't care about Ron or Hermione. I just wanted—" She paused briefly, exhaled, and continued. "I wanted you to be here with me."

"But I'm here!"

She shook her head. "No, not really."

Harry sat on the edge of the bed, realizing he had let down his little sister. "I'm sorry, Lena," he said sincerely. "I promise to be here whenever you need me."

"Even if I get sorted into a different house?"

Harry nodded. "Even if you get sorted into a different house," he repeated. "Mum was a Slytherin."

"But—"

He chuckled. "The Sorting Hat almost sorted me into Slytherin," he admitted shyly. "But I wanted to be in Gryffindor. Maybe the Hat will listen to you too."

"Maybe," she shrugged.

Though Helena had no desire to toy with her fate, she felt somewhat ready for whatever house awaited her. As her mum had said, whatever house she ended up in would be the right one. Besides, if she was sorted into Slytherin, her cousin Draco would be there too.

After a little back-and-forth, Harry managed to stay the night. After all, he had always been her soft spot, and everyone knew Helena had a hard time saying no to her older brother. They spent most of the night talking and laughing, just as they always did when they were together. Harry apologized repeatedly before falling asleep, making Helena sigh and chuckle. He was exactly like their father—if he did something wrong, he would apologize a hundred times over.

"Lena, sweetheart, wake up," her father's soft voice reached her ears. Due to her lack of sleep, she wondered if it was a dream. "Harry, you too."

Definitely not a dream. Helena groaned, shutting her eyes tightly, hoping for a few more minutes of sleep. But the sweet scent of her mother's perfume filled her nose, and she knew sleep was a lost cause. As expected, her mum opened the curtains wide, letting in the light, as Helena and Harry hid under the covers.

"Come on, loves! Harry, it's Lena's first day. Up, both of you!" Daphne cheered, leaving the room as swiftly as she had entered.

Their father scratched the back of his neck with a laugh. "Sorry, I couldn't do anything about your mum."

"It's fine, Dad," Harry answered, sitting up and reaching for his glasses on the nightstand. "Lena, wake up."

"Fine, fine, fine!" Helena nearly shouted, jumping out of bed and running to the bathroom to shower. "Tell Mum I'll be downstairs in a few minutes."

Harry and James shared a knowing look. "Grumpy Lena is back," James said.

Once they were all downstairs, James and Daphne took the time to remind their children about safety and rules. Harry was forbidden from wandering alone through the castle, and so was Helena. Both had to listen carefully to the teachers, and if anything bad happened, they were to send an owl immediately. Neither parent wanted any accidents to happen again.

With quick kisses on the cheek, they all apparated to the train station, where Amalthea Rosier was already waiting. As soon as Amalthea saw her grandchildren, her smile widened, and her arms opened to welcome them.

"Hello, Grandma," Helena said, a cheeky smile on her face. She and Amalthea had grown rather close over the years.

Amalthea kissed her forehead. "How are you, my dear? You must be excited!"

"Yes," Helena replied.

Amalthea frowned slightly. "I can see you're scared as well," she noted, making Helena grimace. She kissed Harry on the cheek, then turned her attention back to Helena. "What is it, child?"

"I'm scared I'll end up in Slytherin," Helena admitted.

The fear sounded a bit silly to Helena as she voiced it. There was nothing wrong with being sorted into a house other than Gryffindor. Every house had its own qualities and ambitions.

"Don't be afraid of it," Amalthea said, poking her cheek sweetly. "You would make an amazing Slytherin, just like your mother. Your uncle Evan was in Slytherin too, and he was a lot like you. I always thought he'd be sorted into Ravenclaw."

"Weren't you scared?"

"Of what? I may not have been a perfect mother, darling, but I wanted the best for my children. I didn't care if they were sorted into Hufflepuff."

"Right!"

The small talk with her grandmother eased Helena's nerves. She hadn't even realized the station was packed as they approached the magical barrier. With a shaky sigh, she tightened her grip on her cart and ran through it. Helena had gone through the barrier twice before, but it still felt strange.

"Oh, look! The Weasleys!" Daphne pointed, and Helena felt a pang of jealousy, knowing Harry would rush to Ron and then to Hermione. But Harry seemed to notice, and he stayed close to her, linking their arms as the Potters made their way to the Weasleys. "Molly, hello!"

"Oh, Daphne!" Molly exclaimed in surprise, embracing her warmly. Arthur did the same. "Hello, Harry and Helena."

"Hello, Mrs. Weasley," the siblings replied in unison, making Molly smile.

"There you are, little one," Fred exclaimed, pushing his mum out of the way to ruffle Helena's hair. "We thought you wouldn't make it."

Helena rolled her eyes, used to their teasing. "Very funny, Fred."

"I'm Fred," the other twin said, pointing at his brother. "He's George."

Helena stuck out her tongue. "I can tell you apart. Fred, your face is less defined than George's."

Fred frowned. "Oi, what's that supposed to mean?"

Helena shrugged, ignoring him as she looked around. "Where's Ginny?"

"Lena, what did you mean by that?" Fred whined as George chuckled, patting his twin on the back. "Lena!" he called after her as she walked towards Ginny.

"Ginny!"

"Lena!"

The two girls hugged tightly, breaking into giggles afterward. Ginny and Helena understood each other on a deeper level, perhaps because they had always had each other. Ron and Harry had always been closer, sharing the same interests, but Ginny and Helena had formed their own bond.

After a few moments of chatting and laughing, the train's horn echoed across the platform as children began to hug their families. Helena made her way back to her parents, her bottom lip quivering. She loved her parents too much to leave them.

"Darling," Daphne cooed, kneeling down so they were at eye level. "Everything will be alright, yes?" Helena gave her mum a hesitant nod, sniffling. "Come here, my love," Daphne whispered, pulling her into a hug as James and Harry joined them.

Anyone watching the family on the platform would never have guessed that Daphne Potter had once been a Death Eater who had lost so many loved ones. Nor would they have guessed the grief James Potter had endured over the years. They were simply a happy family.

"Stay with your brother, alright?" James told Helena, gently wiping away her remaining tears. "If anything goes wrong, owl us. We're always here for you."

"Okay," she replied shakily. "I love you."

"We love you too."

Harry took Helena's hand and led her onto the train, hurrying to find an empty compartment. Once they found one, he motioned for her to sit down and told her he was going to look for Ginny, Ron, and Hermione. Helena waved sadly to her parents as the train began to move. A short time later, the compartment door slid open, revealing their friends.

"Hello, Helena, isn't it?" a high-pitched voice greeted her. Helena turned to see a girl with porcelain skin and a mess of hair, though still beautiful.

"Yes," Helena replied. "You must be Hermione."

"Yes," Hermione nodded. "It's nice to meet you. Harry's been talking all year about his sister. He couldn't wait for you to see the castle."

The thought of Harry missing her as much as she had missed him warmed her heart, bringing a smile to her face. The journey to Hogwarts was filled with laughter and reassurances from Hermione, making Helena relax before the Sorting Ceremony.

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authors note, i can't believe this book is finally out after a year of finishing illicit affairs. it makes me so happy to write daphne and james as a happy and married couple BUT also parents?!? they are parents? can you believe it?????

anyways, enjoy this lovely chapter (hope so) and buckle up for a tough ride (again).