u/Gortriss

When Harry Potter time traveled back to 1991, he was surprised to find that he wasn’t alone in the cupboard.

There was a girl next to him, sharing the tiny mattress with him. She was asleep, and Harry could just barely make out her features in the dim moonlight seeping through the floorboards. 

She was small and frail, wearing castoff pajamas that were far too big for her. She had red hair, and her face bore a striking resemblance to Lily Potter. And, she seemed to be the same age as him.

A twin sister.

As he looked down at the little girl clinging to him, he noticed that she was shivering slightly. Harry wasn’t sure if it was because of cold or hunger. Probably both. He put his other arm around her, and she unconsciously leaned into his touch.

As Harry’s eyes adjusted to the dim moonlight, he began to make out more of her appearance. She was scrawny, and her face had a certain hollowness to it that Harry knew came from never having enough food to eat. Harry came to a sad realization. This little girl in his arms was just as damaged and broken as he used to be. It was like looking at a younger, female version of himself.

Had he really looked as scrawny as that? Or, rather, was he that scrawny, since he was also back in his 10 year old body? He knew he had always been on the smaller side, growing up, but he didn’t think it was that bad. Although… Thinking back to all the times Ron and Hermione would pile food onto his plate in first year, he probably had looked just as malnourished, but had simply not realized. Still, seeing another person who was just as gaunt put things into a new perspective.

If Harry were by himself, he wouldn’t have minded staying with the Dursleys for the summer, until Hogwarts started in the fall. But this girl’s presence made him rethink that plan. The thought of another person being subjected to the Dursley’s treatment made his skin crawl.

Harry spent several long moments staring into the darkness, feeling the warmth of the girl next to him. She was nestled into his side, sharing the too-small mattress, with the ratty blanket barely covering them both. Her head laid next to his on the lumpy pillow.

Harry didn’t know how long he lay there, listening to his sister’s rhythmic breathing, feeling her clinging to his side. 

A sister. He had a sister. Harry’s mind was spinning. He had family. Real family. 

As he looked down at the girl’s gaunt, hollow face, Harry’s mind was made up. The thought of this girl spending another day with the Dursleys filled him with revulsion. He would find some other place for them to stay until Hogwarts started. Perhaps the Leaky Cauldron? 

As his mind wandered, he looked up to a familiar spot on the floorboard above the bed. When he was younger, he remembered painstakingly carving the words ‘Harry’s Room’ into that board. He had been locked in the cupboard, and he performed that monotonous task to keep his mind off of the hunger he had felt at the time.

There were still words above him, similarly carved into the wood, except they were slightly different. Harry ran his fingers along the board, and felt the inscription.

Harry and Daisy’s Room

“Daisy…” Harry whispered. His sister's name was Daisy.

The body next to him shifted slightly, awoken by the noise and movement. She must be a light sleeper, Harry realized. She opened her bleary eyes, and Harry’s breath caught in his throat when he found himself staring into a pair of emerald green eyes, identical to his own. 

But that wasn’t the only reason his breath caught. He now had a clear view of Daisy’s face, and on her forehead, he saw a very familiar lightning bolt scar.

Harry absentmindedly brought his own hand up to his forehead, and was shocked to find smooth skin, with no trace of a scar. His mind was spinning. He wasn’t the Boy-Who-Lived. Instead, his sister was the Girl-Who-Lived. He was brought out of his thoughts when Daisy spoke up.

“Harry?” Daisy asked in a soft voice, eyes full of concern. “Is something wrong?”

Harry froze for a moment, unsure how to talk to a sister. The closest thing to a sister he had was probably Hermione, but this felt different. Daisy’s gaze grew more concerned the longer he didn’t speak, so Harry eventually decided he had to say something.

“Erm, nothing.” Harry mumbled. “Couldn’t sleep.”

“Oh, OK.” Daisy replied. She laid her head back down on the pillow, and her eyes began fluttering closed. “Goodnight, Harry. Love you.”

Harry’s heart skipped a beat at the casual declaration of love. He felt warmth fill his chest. So this was what it was like to have real family. Harry shook his head slightly, deciding to save his thoughts for another time. Right now, getting his sister away from Privet Drive was more important.

“Hey, Daisy…” Harry began, “Let’s leave Privet Drive and go somewhere else.”

Daisy turned to him. Her eyes lit up, and a slight smile appeared on her face. “Oh, did you want to play this game again?”

“Game?” Harry asked, confused.

“You know, the game where we pretend to run away, and imagine getting to live somewhere else. Let’s do Australia, this time. I hear they have lots of beaches, and we’ve never been to the beach before. I’ll go first.” 

Daisy leaned back onto the pillow and began speaking. “We’ll get a nice house, on the beach. And we’ll have a huge bed, with as many blankets and pillows as we want. And our bedroom will have windows! We’ll be able to see the sky at night… Doesn’t that sound wonderful?” Daisy’s eyes were full of wistfulness and longing. She turned to Harry, a smile on her face. “Alright, your turn. What else will we have?”

Harry couldn’t help but feel a deeper connection to Daisy. Bedroom windows also used to be one of his dreams, from when he used to sleep in the cupboard. But still, Harry’s mind caught one particular detail that he couldn’t help but question.

“Why do we only have one bed?” Harry asked.

Daisy drew in a sharp breath, and leaned away from Harry, looking at him with wide eyes.

“Y-you want your own bed?” she asked nervously. “I- Sorry, I- I hadn’t realized. I just figured, well, um, you know… We’ve always slept in the same bed, for as long as we can remember…”

At that moment, Harry realized the full implications of having someone else in the cupboard with him. Daisy had spent every night of her life within arms reach of him. Not only that, but growing up with the Dursleys, he and Daisy were probably each other’s only source of love and affection. It was no wonder the thought of being separated from him filled her with anxiety.

“Is- is this about the other night? When I said that I hated how you always hogged the blanket? I’m so sorry, Harry. I promise I didn’t mean it. I was only saying that because I wanted to cuddle.” Daisy had an imploring look in her eyes. “Do you have to have your own bed? Please, you can pick out everything for the rest of the house, just please don’t make me sleep by myself.”

“Alright, we can share a bed.” Harry acquiesced. It was only pretend, so Harry didn’t really care how many beds their imaginary Australian beach house had.

Daisy sagged in relief. “Oh, thank you, Harry. I don’t mean to make a big deal out of it, it’s just… Well, I’ve been having these awful nightmares lately, and you’ve reminded me of them.”

“Nightmares?”

“I had this terrible nightmare that you would hate me for being different. That you would think I was a- a freak, like the Dursleys. And then you would move into Dudley’s second bedroom, and leave me all by myself in the cupboard. And then you would join Dudley’s gang, and start being mean to me.”

“I would never!” Harry protested. And he meant it. 

“I know,” Daisy sighed, “I know it was just a stupid nightmare. But still, I don’t think I could live without you, Harry. I can’t even sleep without you next to me."

She leaned back into the pillow, her eyes fluttering closed. She yawned, and her voice filled with sleepiness. “It’s just a stupid fear I’ve had, ever since I discovered my powers.”

“Powers?” Harry asked.

Suddenly, Daisy sat bolt upright. There was no longer any trace of drowsiness in her eyes. Instead, her eyes were wide and filled with genuine panic. “I- That was- I can explain, Harry. Please, let me explain.”

“It’s alright.” Harry said quickly, noting the relief in Daisy’s eyes as he said those words. Harry had an idea of what these ‘powers’ actually were. It was obviously magic. Still, it seemed as though his sister had some level of control over her magic, which was very impressive for her age. 

“It’s just your magic.” Harry explained. He would have to tell her about magic anyways if they were going to stay at the Leaky Cauldron, so he might as well tell her now. “You’re a Witch, Daisy.”

There was silence. Daisy had frozen, her face expressionless, but her eyes were flickering back and forth.

“Magic?” She repeated in a whisper. “It’s... it’s magic, what I can do? I’m a Witch…”

“Erm, yeah, magic.” Harry confirmed.

“I always knew I was special,” Daisy whispered breathlessly. “But.. A Witch…”

Suddenly, her eyes flicked to Harry’s. “You have magic too, don’t you? Of course- Of course you would be special too. You’re my brother, after all. I remember when Dudley was chasing you, and you wound up on the school roof. And when that teacher had her wig turn blue while she was yelling at you. I thought I was the one doing it, by accident, but… But that was you, wasn’t it? You’re a Witch too!”

“A Wizard, actually.” Harry coughed. He remembered those things happening in his own timeline. It would seem they happened in this timeline too.

Daisy looked at him with a brilliantly wild smile, and she had tears prickling the corner of her eyes. “I can’t tell you how happy I am right now, Harry. I can’t wait to show you all the things I can do!”

“What is it you can do?” Harry asked.

“All sorts,” breathed Daisy. A flush of excitement was rising up her neck into her hollow cheeks. “I can make things move without touching them. I can make animals do what I want them to do, without training them. I can make bad things happen to people who are mean to us. I can make them hurt if I want to.” 

For some reason, Harry felt a prickle of unease in the back of his mind. There was something hauntingly familiar about the words she was saying, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. It was as though he were searching for a memory of a memory.

Daisy was trembling with excitement. She stumbled forward and wrapped her arms around Harry, resting her head against his chest.

“I knew I was different,” she whispered into his shirt. “I knew I was special. Always. I knew there was something. I’m so sorry for not telling you earlier. I was afraid of what you would think. I should have realized that you would be special too.”

When Daisy leaned back and lifted her head, her face was contorted. There was a wild happiness upon it, yet it did not make her seem warm. On the contrary, her delicate features seemed somehow rougher, her expression almost bestial. The unease that Harry felt grew. Daisy reminded him of someone, but he couldn’t say who. 

“Do you remember Aunt Marge’s dog Ripper? The one that chased us up a tree, and then disappeared mysteriously?” Daisy rambled, her words spilling out in her excitement. “That was me, Harry! I strangled the stupid mutt, and then I strung it up in the rafters. And do you remember that school field trip, at the end of last term? Well, I found this cave, and I lured some of Dudley’s gang into it, and I made them hurt!”

Suddenly, it clicked, and Harry realized with horror exactly who Daisy reminded him of. 

Tom Riddle.

Specifically, the young Tom Riddle he once saw in Dumbledore’s pensieve, when the Headmaster went to visit Wool’s Orphanage. Harry’s head was spinning. This girl, his twin sister… Reminded him of a young Tom Riddle. The boy who would grow up to become Lord Voldemort.