I groggily blinked my eyes open, and took a minute to take in the surroundings that were my dingy old basement. I yawned once, fumbling to reach my hand under my pillow, which had once again fallen off my twin mattress that lay on the floor. I reached inside the pillowcase to grab the iPod I'd stolen from Dudley, and noticed I had only 15 minutes before I'd need to get up, seeing as my Aunt Petunia wanted me and my twin brother, Harry, up at 7:45.

I briefly glanced at the picture of my mum and dad on the floor beside the mattress. I sighed, picking up the frame and glancing at the picture through cracked glass. I wish they were still here. I wouldn't have to live with Vernon and Petunia, and lastly, their son, the pig, Dudley. If that drunk driver hadn't hit us, we'd still be a family. Harry and I escaped with only two lightning bolt scars on our foreheads.

That always made me curious. How did Harry and I manage to get the exact same scar, in the exact same place? And how did we get such a scar? Harry and I had come up with many theories, our most realistic being that a bent up piece of metal had struck us both in the head.

I turned on the front facing camera on my iPod, and fixed my dark red hair, which as always, was a complete mess. I flipped my long bangs from my hazel eyes, which I inherited from my dad. I punched in my passcode, and pondered on what to do.

I decided I wanted to talk to Harry, so I quickly FaceTimed him only the other iPod I'd stolen from the same cousin (both times he thought he'd lost it, while in reality I'd been taking them. He got a new one within days of its 'dissapearance'). Harry was in his room, the small cupboard under the stairs, while I had my room, in the basement only lit by four, dying lightbulbs, full of cobwebs, and cement walls and flooring. Though, it was about four times bigger than Pig's room.

Harry quickly picked up and scowled. "Melody, why don't you just come up here and talk to me?"

"What did you call me?" I asked sweetly. As I did, one light in the dingy room brightened, and my hair seemed to turn a shade brighter.

"Sorry Lily," he grumbled. "But why don't you just come up here and talk? We have five minutes until Aunt Petunia gets up."

"Exactly. By the time I get up there, Petunia will be yelling for us to get up," I said, rolling my eyes at my ridiculous twin.

"Whatever. You're ridiculous by the way. Not me."

I blushed, figuring I must've said it out loud. "Shut up Harry."

"Harry! Lily! Up! Up you get! Time for you to make breakfast and get over to Ms. Figg's! Now! Come on! Hurry it up! Harry, Melody up!" I heard Petunia's shrieking voice floating down the stairs, and I heard her knocking continuously on the door.

"Don't call me Melody!" I screamed up the stairs.

"That's your name!" she screeched.

"My name is Melody Lily Potter! And I go by Lily!" I retorted loudly.

"I'll call you whatever I want as long as you're living under my roof," Petunia said, still rapping her knuckles on Harry's door.

"It's not like I want to be living under your roof," I mumbled so only Harry could hear.

Harry chuckled at my words and glanced at the door as Petunia continued to knock. He groaned quietly and glanced back at the camera.

"See you soon I guess," he groaned.

"See you soon then Harry," I said.

We hung up, and I shut off my iPod, and tucked it back into my pillowcase. I stood up and went to the cardboard box in the corner of the room. I opened the box and looked at my small collection of reasonably nice clothes. I pulled on a pair of navy skinny jeans, some plain white socks, a black t-shirt, and a light grey zip-up hoodie, which I left undone.

I trudged miserably up the stairs, meeting up with Harry, who's door was across the hall from mine. He wore a baggy pair of dark jeans (his only pair that he hadn't had handed down from Pig, all of which were at least four times too big for him), plain white socks, a white tee, and a black pullover hoodie. His round glasses looked like they had more tape on them than they had the day before. His glasses made his emerald green eyes, which he got from mom, stand out.

I grinned at him slightly. I reached over and swatted a spider off of his hoodie, causing Harry to chuckle. Harry, was used to the amount of spiders in his room under the stairs, but it still gave me immense shivers. Spiders weren't my favourite.

We then headed off for the kitchen. We quickly got started on bacon, eggs, toast, and coffee, being extremely cautious not to burn anything. Pig waddled in soon after, wearing his pyjamas which he'd gotten only a month ago. They were already getting too tight for him, and a few buttons had popped off. Petunia let out a squeal and covered her mouth.

"Look at little Duddy-Kins! How's my big eleven year old boy?" she crooned.

"Mpf. Food," Pig grunted, enclosed in his mother's bony arms.

I snickered. All that Pig ever did was eat, play video games, watch TV and sleep. Often, he did multiple at the same time. I'd once found him with both his TV's on. On one he was playing video games, on the other he was watching TV, all while he was pigging out on a slice of cake.

"Oh Dumpy-Diddy is all ready for his Birthday Breakfast!" Petunia squeaked, and ushered Dudley over to his seat.

He sat, and his fat bottom hung over both sides of the chair, much like his father. He eyed the food with his watery blue eyes, and as was daily routine, glared in my direction. He'd always hated me more than Harry, because I was the troublemaker, and Dudley was my favourite prank victim. I rolled my eyes at him, careful to make sure Vernon didn't pay any notice in hopes that maybe Harry or I would get a slice of bacon today.

Harry and I finished breakfast quickly, served it to the Dursleys and waited until they were finished their breakfast, so we could have the leftovers. We sat quietly off to the side, watching as pig stuffed his face with every piece of food in reach. I turned away, disgusted.

"Come on Harry, let's go wait downstairs," I muttered.

Harry and I stood from our spot on the floor, and started off through the kitchen. I snatched a slice of bacon as we walked, and it went unnoticed. I gave half to Harry, and we savored the taste. We didn't usually didn't get bacon, because it was usually gone by the time the Dursleys were finished.

Harry and I headed down the rickety old stairs into the basement, where I collapsed onto the mattress, and Harry took a seat on the end. I pulled my iPod out and realized the camera was still on, and focused on Harry. I laughed, and snapped a picture. Harry looked completely clueless.

"Did you even try to tame your hair this morning Harry?" I laughed.

"Shut up Lily," he glanced at the picture of mom and dad behind me. "Look it's all Dad's fault."

I glanced at Dad's equally messy hair in the picture that sat behind me. Harry was the spitting image of Dad, but with Mum's emerald green, almond shaped eyes. I was the opposite. I was the spitting image of Mum, but with Dad's round, hazel eyes. It was nearly impossible to tell we were twins.

We sat around for a little while longer, mostly playing games on my iPod, of taking pictures of one another and laughing at how bad we looked. A few minutes before we figured the Dursleys, or rather Dudley, would be finish, I took a glance toward Harry. The knee of his jeans were finally beginning to wear, and his skin was visible through a quickly growing rip.

"Harry let's go buy you new clothes tomorrow," I said, shaking my head at my twin. "Those are the only pair of jeans you have that fit."

"But Lily, you know the Dursleys will never give us any money," Harry argued with a sigh.

"I know, but they don't have to give us money. I've been collecting money from around the house for years, and it's added up. The Dursleys are well off. They don't notice when money goes missing," I laughed lightly. "Especially when it's only bits at a time."

"How much do you have Lily?" Harry chuckled.

I laughed again. "A lot."

We sat around, debating about where we'd go tomorrow. Nothing expensive was even touched on. Although I had the money collected from the past few years, we didn't want to use it all in one go, nor did we want to waste it. Harry didn't want to go to any of my 'Girly Stores' and he kept complaining that I would drag him there.

"Harry! I don't want to go to 'Girly Stores!" I like plain shirts! And no pink! No skirts! No dresses! You know we're not going to any 'Girly Stores' so shut up!" I retorted, chuckling slightly.

Harry just shook his head at me, and grinned. I shot him a glare, and when his back was turned, hit him in the back of the head with my pillow. He whirled around with a glare in his shining green eyes. I smirked.

"You reckon they're done yet Harry?" I asked, avoiding giving him time to try and hit me back.

"Probably. Let's go check it out then," he said, the thought of food had obviously distracted him from the fact that he'd grabbed my pillow from my hand with the intent of swinging it directly into my face.

We marched back up the stairs to find Dudley and his parents in the living room. Dudley sat in the midst of piles of unopened gift boxes. His round face was crinkled into a look of anger, and as his father's often did, was going through shades of red and purple.

"Thirty six?! Last year I got thirty seven!" Dudley was screaming.

"Oh come on pumpkin, later on Mummy's going to buy you two more presents alright?" Petunia was trying to comfort.

"At this rate, by the time he's 17 they're going to need to buy him 44 gifts," I snickered into Harry's ear.

Harry chuckled quietly before we tip toed towards the kitchen, as not to be noticed. I walked to the counter and fixed myself and Harry both some tea. I brought it to the table, where I sat down and started munching on some leftover toast. Today was Dudley's birthday, and the family was going to the zoo, and Harry and I were being left with old Mrs. Figg and her cats. I groaned aloud.

Mrs. Figg was always insistent on showing Harry and I pictures of all seven of her present cats, and her cats that had died sometime ago. Some were probably before Harry and I were even born. I hated her house even more, because it always smelled like cabbage, and it just wasn't a pleasant place altogether. 

As we continued to eat, I heard to phone ring beside me. I didn't dare try and answer it. Last time I had, it had been a friend of Petunia's, who hadn't up until that time known I'd existed. I'd managed not only myself, but also Harry, confined to our rooms for three weeks. I watched as Uncle Vernon waddled in and picked up the phone.

"Hello, Mr Vernon Dursley speaking... Hmmm... Oh no... That's ruddy terrible... Are you sure?... No... Okay... Bye."

Vernon hung up the phone, and started back towards the living room, but not before shooting Harry and I a quick glare, and reminding us he wanted a spotless kitchen when we were done. Having not intended to leave it in any state but that, we nodded our heads and spoke not a word until Vernon had left the room, at which point we stood, having finished our breakfast.

I started washing the dishes, and I listened in to the Dursleys conversation as I did. They were discussing something in the living room, and it took a moment when I heard my name. I soon realized they were trying to decide what to do with Harry and I. I beckoned Harry and we went to stand quietly in the doorway.

"Mrs. Figg's broken her leg," Vernon said. "She can't take them while we're gone."

"Well what do you suppose we do with them?" Petunia asked worriedly.

"What about your friend, Yvonne?" Vernon practically pleaded.

I liked Yvonne. She always offered Harry and I a freshly baked tray of chocolate chip cookies, and allowed us to watch TV while we were at her house. Petunia and Vernon didn't know of course. I didn't know whether this was because Yvonne knew the Dursleys would disapprove, or because it was so ordinary that she felt no need to tell them. Exchanging a look with Harry, I silently hoped that we could stay there.

"No. No she's on vacation," Petunia said, to which my heart dropped.

"Oh anybody!"

Petunia didn't answer and the room went silent. Vernon was pacing up and down in clear frustration. Dudley didn't care at all, he was looking over all thirty six presents that were lying scattered, now unwrapped, across the room. After a few moments, we dared speak.

"You could always leave us here," Harry piped up.

"Why don't we bring them, and leave them in the car?" Petunia suggested, ignoring Harry.

"Hey!" I said, feeling suddenly defensive. "Don't you just ignore Harry like that! He is helping you by making a suggestion to your problem!"

"No. We are not leaving you here, alone," Vernon snarled.

I shot Vernon a deadly glare, daring him to disrespect my brother once more. He didn't pay two glances in my direction. I muttered under my breath, flipped my hair, and huffed. I paid no mind though, and continued to listen to the conversation occurring between Vernon and Petunia. We didn't try to offer any suggestions again.

"Now Petunia, that's a new car," Vernon said, going back to what we were saying before.

Dudley burst out into loud, unconvincing fake sobs, but of course, with the whole family being bloody idiots, both parents fell for it and went to comfort their over sized son. I was glad their stupidity wasn't in my mothers blood. I imagined my mother to be exceptional, and no matter what Petunia told me, there was no way I would believe otherwise.

"Now, now, Diddy, we won't let them ruin your big day," Petunia said soothingly, patting Dudley's back. "Vernon, I think our only other option is to take these two."

Vernon growled, but offered no other solution. With a now unreasonable anger toward Harry and I, who had done absolutely nothing wrong, he shot a glare at us. He pointed a meaty finger towards our 'rooms' and turned back to Pig and Petunia.

Harry and I started off slowly towards our rooms, but we were both grinning from ear to ear, excited for the trip to the zoo.