Kodachi had been portrayed as willing to give up her station, pride and honor, indeed all of the things she'd cherishing in life for the love of a man who barely tolerated her. It was even less surprising that she adapted herself to the desires of those who'd treated her so kindly.
All through that train ride the cluster of students began to form as friends.
Harry and Kodachi had pretty much given up doubting that they were siblings. Everyone they met seemed to take it for granted. True, most of those they'd talked to initially had been Weaselys, but then there had been that Draco guy and from what everybody said his sort were obsessive about tracing bloodlines.
Of course, everyone on the train had heard the gossip about Harry's sister and had wanted to appear 'in the know' when they greeted them. For all the brouhaha about Harry himself, most of the books and recounts of his legendary encounter with You-Know-Who put very little emphasis on his family. Sure, some mentioned that his parents died in that attack, but they always went on to say he'd been placed with relatives.
A sister was a relative, right?
From the accounts about Harry it was difficult if not impossible to tell if he'd been raised as one sibling out of twelve. Plus, given how many secrets had been kept during those dark days of You-Know-Who's reign of terror you'd have to know the Potters personally to think otherwise. And only a handful of people had been that close, close enough to know better.
After all, there was Harry openly acknowledging this girl as his sister. What was everyone supposed to think?
Hagrid was one of those few who knew Lily and James Potter close enough to know. After all, he'd only pulled one baby out of the fire of their ruined house, hadn't he? If there was another one it would have burnt crisp, like toast, because he hadn't saved it. And if he hadn't, who would have? He'd searched everywhere.
So when the load of students began disembarking from the train and the half-giant heard the sort of gossip they'd been sprouting, he knew sure enough that something was going on. So after guiding the first years to the boats and before he got in he got this girl who was claiming a relation to the Boy Who Lived aside.
"Now look you ere." Hagrid was trying to be stern with the girl, glancing back over the boats' way so he could be sure no one was overhearing anything he had to say before drilling this girl with a glance. "Now I don know what yer up to, but listen close. I was a good friend o the Potters an I know sure as anyone that Arry ain't got no twin. Ye see?"
Kodachi, sheltered from view by the half giant and his massive coat, blushed and shrank in on herself. "I know, sir. You see I only got a letter a couple of months ago, saying that... well, here, let me show you."
She took a stained parchment out of her pocket and handed it over to the giant, who took it in fumbled fingers and read:
"Miss Kuno,
Due to a recent set of difficulties, it seems that your name has been overlooked for some time. While it is now far beyond the normal time for acceptance into our center for learning, it has come to my attention that a certain extra-dimensional establishment occasionally takes up residence within the local mall.
If you would present these letters to the proprietor of one Spells R'Us, you could, if desired easily find a method to reduce your age to the appropriate level and begin studies after all. Otherwise I would not have contacted you.
We would be honored to have another member of the line of Hecate attend. House Slytherin has especially suffered from the lack of your family's firm, if odd, sense of honor.
Sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
The scrap of letter ended below that line in some kind of potions burn (it had been in her pocket during a particularly nasty accident while experimenting). But Hagrid knew that signature well enough.
Kodachi looked very small and unimposing as she shrugged. "I'm seventeen, but the potion they gave me reduced me to this age. It wasn't until the train that people were calling me Harry's sister. Everyone seemed to know about it."
She shuffled her feet. "I don't mean to presume, sir. But Harry...""
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(Posted Sun, 06 Mar 2005 06:38)
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