A True Sister

There was an unnaturalness to the forest, in the space of a few years it transformed from a welcoming family day out into a place people pointed out on a long drive, and frowned. Never approaching, at least not alone. People disappeared in its vast recesses, some were found, others not and sometimes it was difficult to understand which was more terrifying. The details were rarely released and yet rumours of mauling after mauling and bodies found as little more than twisting bloody messes. Almost overnight the trees went from pillars of strength to the dulling gatekeepers of something which hissed and growled in the night, every path led to an uncertain destination and the few forced to enter did so with a heavy heart and quick movements. Trails, benches and parks went without cleaning for months on end and little by little, despite all common sense and reasoning, it became almost devoid of human life.

Though on a bright, warm morning an owl penetrated the thickly woven trees. Glided past mounds of autumn leaves, layer after layer of which covered the ground all year round, and flew towards a small cave. It didn't particularity stand out and yet the driven owl slipped into without a second thought and suddenly the foreboding forest was the most homely place in the world. Rock transformed in a thick black substance, pulsing, twitching as every second passed. Sewn into the very caves and once or twice it branched out, though at times it seemed patchy and in need of work.

Eventually the bird reached a much larger area, a dome sort of thing; still coated with that thick resin. Though it noticed a tattered, small red chair in the far corner, a table in the dead centre and other damaged objects of furniture here and there. All barely seen by a light source somewhere high up, though it was more than enough for someone to make out the environment. An owl however didn't really need that but it helped, allowing it to see the ideal place to complete its task. It dropped the package, prepared to turn. A blade shot through it in the next moment and the small bird fell to the floor.

The hell is that? Lucy demanded once the intruder was dead, they had felt it the moment it entered the cave. It's soft movements hitting the cocooned walls and sending signals flying forward, though it didn't seem like a particularly dangerous threat.

"An owl," a feminine voice spoke in clear English, the bladed tail having already vanished into nothingness.

I'm not going to start looking up types of flying birds you people have, why do you have so many names? Don't answer that, I don't have the willpower to discuss human society again Lucy sighed from within her mental prison, she had been an advisor for three years now. She had regained some control over her physical body and she would eagerly exercise it when her sibling was tired, somehow she could accurately pinpoint a stab with their tail with far more accuracy than Harry could even fathom. However sharing a body had some unexpected side effects.

"I would say we eat it but I think we ate a while back," the voice muttered, a shadow fell over the owl. Only half visible in the flickering light.

Two months but we have great metabolism, I wonder why it didn't fly down, maybe that light source at the top is smaller than I thought. Anyway watch my waistline, Queen remember. Lucy remarked and two emerald eyes were rolled.

"I'll throw it out next time we leave, the bigger question is why the hell an owl would fly here." It took a few seconds for the envelope lying on the table to be noticed. The table had actually been dumped, it was a tad worn down but it was serviceable. It made the place feel more like home.

An envelope? Ok whoever mailed that has the greatest postal service in the world because we live in a nest, in a cave, in a forest and we kill people. Better question who sent this? Lucy muttered aloud,

"Remind me where you picked sarcasm up from?" Long pointed nails sliced through parchment as the question was posed. The address

You learn a lot when someone steals your body and gives you little more than a tail to work with, now read the letter. She demanded and a few long seconds of silence passed over the pair, the letter was embroiled with a symbol of sorts and little by little waves of intrigue crept into them.

"Hogwarts school... something about an Albus Dumbledore and supreme something or other, we are pleased to inform you." The feminine voice muttered aloud.

Would you like some light? The question was self explanatory and a graceful waving allowed a small ball of light to illuminate the room, allowing the letter to be a read.

The reader occupied a tall, poised body seemingly ready to pounce in a heartbeat moved in a circle around the source of light that was only needed to read, the rest her own emerald green eyes could take care of. She walked in a predatory way, a slow movement alert at all times and her head could turn in a second to face anything which provoked her heightened senses. Revealing a face which was permanently observing the world around her, reacting and preparing for the worst, she was a predator at heart. Something that could be picked up after only a glance, perhaps it would be the creeping darkness to soft smooth skin or the way her jet black hair seemed to breathe as it trailed down her back. It was a new body in some ways, she had only seen it for the first time on Lucy whilst in the confines of her own mind.

Witchcraft and Wizardry, I feel like the magic should be a bigger shock but I'm more held up on the whole, I think this is why you stole my body thing going through my head.

"I was going to say this would be more of a shock if not for the fact we worked out how to look like a human." Was the response,

Correction I worked it out, me. Not you, remember I have complete control of that power... magic I suppose. Don't like the name, but me sister, not you. She corrected, prompting a sigh from her sibling.

"Of course Lucy, it was all you." Came the sarcastic and yet still reluctant response. "Let's focus on the here and now, what do we do about the letter?"

What do you mean what do we do it about it? The question we should be asking is will this help our ambition to become Queen?

"Is that still an ambition? We can't moult, we hibernated for a six months remember, we didn't get pass... what was it the warrior stage?" She was asked, the answer however was not relevant.

Look whatever thing, ok magic, that exists within you is resisting the moulting period. Why I don't know, all I do know is it is powerful, not powerful enough to completely stop the process but enough. So we need to get rid of it, or tame it.

"Well you have a plan, exactly how are you intending to fulfil it?"

No plan, though on the bright side this magical school thing may help...

"I worked that one out," her sibling quickly interrupted, "Though there's a slight problem with the whole I'm now a girl." The letter was after all addressed to Harry Potter, though the name had been dropped over the years. Lucy had never used it and once the female form had been discovered, and the inability to change it, it seemed inappropriate.

Is that a big deal? The owl found you, isn't that enough? That's a good point now I think about it, how do they even know your alive? I mean we killed everyone but your cousin and your old body... it was left in a slightly less than perfect state. So do they know your alive?

"I don't know, I've never even heard of this magical world!" Came the sharp retort. A growling seemed to resonate from inside her own head and even into what could just be classed as a living room.

Why are you people so difficult? Why couldn't have someone else have been implanted, I could be queen by now, taking over the whole planet with wives, maybe even Empress. But no, the carrier I got chose you and the next thing I know... this.

"In my defence I was raised by... well them." A chuckling followed.

Well they raised you for eight years, having your face eaten off kind of revokes any parental duties. A smile spread across thinned lips.

"Good point, and doesn't the owl finding us mean they know where we are?" That was a concern, yes they did not want the hive compromised.

I don't know how owl travel works, though we might as well presume we're safe as I'm not sure how they would react if they knew you were alone, in a forest, for years that no one visits because of mysterious murders. I'm going to guess they'd be a little concerned.

London

Well you know I'm concerned by the amount of people willing to pick-up an eleven year old human hitchhiker and not ask a question. It had taken them the whole of a night to reach the city, it didn't take long to find the motorway and they were on route a few minutes after.

"Let's not dwell on what was going on there, what time is it?" The question was mostly directed towards herself but her sister heard none the less.

It's now noon if we are to believe the positioning of the sun...we must have left earlier than I thought and wait a moment... where are we, what is this place They had turned onto a street corner and were already seeing people teeming all over, of course they were already getting odd looks. Clothes hadn't really been a priority for either of them and they grabbed the closest thing, it turned out to be an oversized dress which had to be tied around the waste. It looked odd and yet they did not care.

"It's a city, London to be precise, did you not know that?" She was inside their mind, surely she would have had access to what a city was.

I heard of one but... thousand of people gathered in one place. This whole place is a giant present, buildings to create a hive, an endless supply of food and hosts, this planet is ripe for us. If I had been born in anyone else then I would have already won.

"Are you done wishing you hadn't met me yet?" The question came from a voice clearly irritated.

Pretty much ,though I suppose I wouldn't have access to this magic thing. I'll seethe in my own time, now onto slightly more important matters. What are we looking for.?

"The leaky cauldron, apparently we need to go into it and find our way through," was her answer and a deep inhale followed, a predatory instinct designed to pick up a scent... thousands followed but one stuck out.

"Magic has a scent?" The question was spoken a little too loud as a few people turned to look, not that they took too much notice of her after a second or two.

Yes it does, if you want to know why that one is standing out is because I know which one leads where, call it a genius's intuition. Lucy revealed after a second, it made some sense and in around half an hour they were standing in front of what looked like a broken down pub. Though in a flash it was a real building again, then it was run down.

"I think we are in the right place." Came the eventual remark

If I had hands to clap I would be doing so, now hurry up already! It was more of a command than a request. The next thing they knew was in pretty soon every person in the pub was staring at the scruffy looking girl who strolled in, with a lightning shaped scar on her head.