Petunia Dursley of 4 Privet Drive started that morning as usual. She woke up at six, so that she could have a few minutes for herself, and after her morning visit to the bathroom, with her hair combed, her face clean and her teeth shining, she went downstairs to open the door and bring the fresh milk bottles in, intending to relax with a cup of milk-coffee before starting her day's chores.
She found more than she expected when she opened the door. Besides the milk, she found a bundle of blankets out of which she saw big green eyes looking at her. There was an envelope attached to the blanket. Petunia barely held her surprised cry, not wanting her husband to wake up yet, and certainly not wanting to attract the neighbours' attention. She lifted the bundle, taking another look at those familiar eyes, hugged it to her heart and took it in. She lay it tenderly on the couch before going back to the door and bringing in the milk.
She now took another look at the bundle. She recognized her nephew immediately. Those eyes were the initial giveaway — the same emerald green as her sister's. And then there was the mop of unruly black hair, just like his father's. It wasn't the first time she saw the boy either, although he had been smaller the previous times she had seen him.
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Discover moreFan fiction booksWriting softwareCreative writing coursesOnline writing communityFan fiction merchandisePetunia couldn't understand why Lilly and James would leave Harry on her doorstep and not come in for a quick chat, at least. True, she wasn't fond of the world her sister was now part of, mainly because she would never be able to be part of it, but she loved her sister dearly and quickly became fond of her brother-in-law as well. He was a charmer — good-looking, rich and arrogant, who always knew what to say to make people like him. His best point, though, was his total commitment and love for her sister.
She noticed that the green eyes were closing groggily. Good! Such a small boy needed his sleep. She then noticed a scar on the boy's forehead. It was raw red and peculiarly shaped. She didn't know how he got it, but she was sure to disinfect it and put some antibiotic ointment on it as soon as he woke again. Meanwhile, she took the envelope, made sure the boy was well tucked in, and went to the kitchen for her belated coffee.
With the hot cup resting on the table in front of her, she took the envelope again, noticing for the first time that it was addressed "To Mrs Petunia Dursley" and not just "To Tuney" and the handwriting wasn't Lilly's. She thought it odd, yet her sister would do some odd things at times.
Discover moreClothingclotheFind Family LawyerHire BabysitterstoyShe took out the parchment from the envelope. The handwriting was vaguely familiar, although she couldn't really remember it, yet the contents were almost freezing her blood. It was informing her that her beloved Lilly, along with James, were no more. They were killed by some evil wizard, and she was asked to care for Harry and raise him as her own.
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Her cup forgotten, she started weeping silently, clutching that parchment in her hand. Those damned wizards! One killed her Lilly and another just left Harry on her doorstep, not daring to show his face! Alright! She would raise Harry as if he was her own, love him as much as she loved her Dudley and teach him how to be a good person, like his mother. But she would not let any of them close to him! Not — any…
"What is it, Pet?" she heard her husband's voice, tenderer than usual.
Vernon was a good man and he loved her dearly. She tried to love him back. It wasn't always easy. Vernon had a temper that was easily ignited and then he was almost a different person. Yet he loved her, she had to remind herself repeatedly.
Discover moreBrowse ToysPlan Family TripsToysTrack SleepFind HospitalsPetunia straightened the letter in her hand and passed it to Vernon. She waited for him to read before she whispered, "They're dead! He's sleeping on the couch, the little darling…"
Vernon had never felt at ease with Lilly and James. He could never understand their special gift. He only saw it as some abnormality. In a way he was right. Any attribute which most people lack is not normal by definition. Yet Vernon was brought up with normalcy as an ideal, as something he should try to achieve, maybe because his parents came from families which were much poorer than normal. He wasn't happy to take this child into his home. He had already seen him perform some abnormal deeds, like floating his bath toys in the air. Yet he couldn't deny his Pet's wish.
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"We shall take him in and raise him as ours," he said, knowing it was what she wanted to hear, yet wondering what kind of trouble he was bringing upon himself.
Discover moreAuthor collaboration toolsDigital book publishingStory writing promptsShop Kids' BooksRead Sci-Fi Books–..–
Vernon left for work with a detailed list of what he needed to order by phone or buy on the way home to have the spare room transformed into another nursery. It would be a financial burden, of that he was sure, but he knew Lilly would have done much more had the situation been reversed.
Petunia took care of Dudley, having him washed, clothed and fed, before Harry started stirring awake. She let Dudley play in the crib while she took Harry out of his bundle and had a good look at him. He didn't look hungry, yet he needed a change of clothes. Whoever took care of him since… She couldn't even think of the incident. That person had not had Harry's clothes changed for more than a day, and these were showing signs of his previous meals as well as having a certain smell…
She took Harry to the bathroom. Unlike Dudley, he didn't protest when put in the bath and actually seemed to enjoy it. She noticed that he looked well cared for, with no nappy rash, and quite happy, probably oblivious to what had happened less than two days earlier. He played quite happily with the bath toys and then let her take him out of the bath, dry him and clothe him with no protest. He only looked at her inquisitively.
Discover moreWatch Sci-Fi FilmsDiscover Sci-FiBrowse Clothingclothesclothe"Mama?" he asked innocently.
This was the last straw. Petunia hugged him tightly, her tears falling freely. "I'm sorry, darling. I'm not your mama, I'm your auntie. Mama loves you dearly, but she can no longer be with you…"
She spent the morning watching the two boys playing in the pen. At this age they were each playing alone, paying almost no attention to the other. Petunia only had to intervene when Dudley tried to forcefully take a toy from Harry's hands. "No, Dudley. You must wait for Harry to finish playing with this. You can play with other toys now."
Dudley looked at her and started crying loudly. This was usually making his mother do as he wished. Not this time. It only made Petunia more determined. Little children are fast learners. Dudley soon stopped crying and tried a different approach. He moved several toys towards Harry, catching his interest. Harry let go of the toy he was holding and grabbed another, letting Dudley take the toy that he wanted.
Both children were soon tiring. Petunia gave them some food, noticing how well-behaved Harry was, and then tucked them in Dudley's bed on opposite ends.
–..–
She had two visits during that day. Shortly after tucking the children in, there was a knock on the door. She opened it to find two police officers.
"We're sorry to inform you that your sister has been the victim of an accident," the older one said. "It looks like they had a gas leak that killed both your sister and her husband. We're really sorry." Petunia only nodded, her eyes filling with tears once again. "There's no sign of their child, though. Do you know who could have taken him?"
Petunia swallowed her tears. "He's here. I found him on our doorstep this morning with a note telling me what had happened."
The policeman seemed interested. "May we see that note?"
"I'm sorry, sir. I was so upset that I set it on fire."
"And where is the child?"
"He's sleeping upstairs along with my son. They are only six weeks apart age-wise. I believe they would be able to grow like brothers."
She let the policemen see the sleeping children and she also showed them the bundle in which she found Harry. She knew better than to show them the parchment mentioning wizards and dark magic.
–..–
The other visit was in the afternoon, when the children were resting after lunch. She opened the door to a tall man with dark long hair that looked a bit greasy, dark, sad eyes and dark clothes. It took her a moment to recognize him. "Severus? What are you doing here?"
The man seemed unable to speak for a moment. Was it grief or was it something else? "Hi, Tuney," he said forcefully. "I believe you already know…"
"I do," she said, her eyes tearing again. "Were you close?"
"Unfortunately not. Maybe this could have been prevented had we stayed close… Anyhow, the Headmaster sent me with these…"
He took two wands out of his robes and handed them silently. He then took out his own wand and a small package, which he put on the floor. With a swish of his wand and a murmured spell, the package grew into a large trunk. "These are their magical belongings, the ones which could not be left for the police to find. Keep them… for Harry's sake."
He seemed to hesitate before he asked, "How is he?"
"Too young to understand, yet he keeps asking about his Mama."
Severus seemed to hold a tear. "I wish I could bring her back for him…" She couldn't hear him thinking, 'and for me.'
He regained his composure. "I also need to tell you that the funerals will be held tomorrow at ten at the church of Godric Hollow. An elderly woman named Mrs Figg will be here at eight to babysit and somebody will come here before ten to take you and your husband there."
"Can't we drive there?" Petunia wasn't sure she would like magical travelling and was sure Vernon would not.
"It's about five hours drive; more in the morning, due to the traffic. I don't think it's preferable."
He was already turning to leave when he remembered something else. "Do you know if they had any will deposited somewhere? None was found at their house."
Petunia shook her head. "Why should such young people even have a will?"
Severus didn't answer. "Let me know if you need anything. You can send me a message with Mrs Figg. She's moving to Magnolia Crest in a few days." He turned and left without another word.
–..–
They were very busy that evening. Vernon came home late with all the shopping he had been asked to do, and the bigger stuff was brought to them a bit later, before they even finished preparing the room. Still, by the time both Harry and Dudley were ready for the night, Harry had a fully equipped room and he also had a few new sets of clothing, along with some older ones brought from the ruins of his old room. Even some of his old toys were brought to him, but not his toy broomstick. That was packed safely away with the other magical stuff.
It was only before they went to bed that Petunia remembered to tell Vernon about the funeral.
"Well, I told them my in-laws were killed in an accident. It would not surprise them that I need to attend the funeral. Where is it going to take place?" Vernon asked.
"At Godric Hollow."
"It's in Wales, isn't it? That means we must leave as early as four in the morning. We shall have to take the children with us, as we can call nobody at such an hour." Vernon was starting to get worked out.
"No. Somebody will come to babysit at eight and somebody else will be here to take us," Petunia told him.
"One of them?"
"Yes, dear. Would you rather drive six hours in each direction after sleeping only half a night? It would be safer this way." Vernon grumbled some more but didn't object. He never liked his sleep shortened.
Petunia was ready before eight, when an elderly woman who looked friendly and caring knocked on the door. "I'm so sorry! Such a great loss! They were so young and talented. It's a shame this had to happen."
Petunia led her in. The boys were already stirring awake, so both women took care of them and brought them to the kitchen for breakfast just a moment before Vernon joined them. "Are you one of them as well?" he asked, not in a friendly tone.
"I wish I were," replied Mrs Figg. "My parents were both magical, but I'm no more magical than any of you. They used to be so ashamed…"
Vernon grumbled something unintelligible and sat at the table. With Mrs Figg's help, both children were quickly fed and put in the pen to play. Petunia showed her all the diapers, baby clothes and toiletry she might need in their absence. "Do you know who's coming to take us to the funeral?" she asked.
"The headmaster said he will take you ten minutes before the beginning of the funeral."
"You mean Dumbledore?"
"Yes, he's the greatest wizard alive." Mrs Figg sounded admiring.
Petunia just shrugged. She remembered Lilly's Hogwarts letter and the letter she then sent to Hogwarts, asking to be accepted as well. Dumbledore replied very politely, but it was still a negative answer. Petunia had never told anybody why she thought she had a chance at all. She could see auras. She found it out when she was very small. She saw each person with a kind of halo around, yet she could also see without the halos just by setting her mind to it.
She had seen Lilly was different long before her parents started noticing anything. She hadn't seen many stronger halos since, though. James had almost as nice an aura and much more colourful and the few magical friends of Lilly and James which she had a chance to meet had all less impressive auras. Harry was different once again. He had a very wide aura, larger than Lilly's, and as colourful as James's but it also had some dark holes in it, mainly near his scar. She was sure it had some serious meaning but she didn't know what it was or who could help interpret it.
Dudley also had a different halo than other children. It wasn't much wider or stronger, yet it felt different. She didn't know what it meant. This actually frightened her.
–..–
By nine-thirty they were both ready, wearing their black mourning clothes. Vernon had also gone to the nearest florist and bought two garlands to put on the graves. They were both very nervous. Mrs Figg silently made some tea and let them sip it until they had to leave, trying to help them calm down a bit.
They heard somebody at the door a few minutes before ten. Vernon opened it to a tall old man with a long beard and multicoloured robes in subdued colours. Had he not seen the pointed hat and the wand in hand he would have probably sent him away, as was his first thought.
"Good morning, I'm Albus Dumbledore and I'm here to take you to the funeral of your dear sister," he addressed Petunia. "May I only have a look at Harry before we leave?"
Petunia led him upstairs, to where both boys were playing on the padded floor of Harry's new room. The toddler looked up once, smiled, and went back to his toys. Dumbledore sighed heavily and turned to the Dursleys. "Will it be alright if we leave from here? I'd rather not be seen by the neighbours."
Vernon just grumbled, as was becoming his habit. Petunia nodded. "We only need to put on our overcoats and take the flowers."
It took them only a moment to be ready. "Hold my arms tightly, please, and it would only take a moment," Dumbledore told them, giving them his hands. Vernon held so tight it looked like he was going to break the old man's arm. Petunia held tight, but not as forcefully. The three disappeared in a swirl of colour.
They found themselves behind the church at Godric Hollow. Both Dursleys were feeling a bit nauseous and quite disoriented. Albus waited a moment for them to readjust and then led them to the front of the church, where several more people were already assembled.
Funerals are always sad. Funerals of young people are much sadder. Petunia was unable to hold her tears and even Vernon had some suspect moisture near his eyes. Many people came to shake Petunia's hand and mumble condolences. She knew none of them. Of the few friends of Lilly that she had met, only one was present, a sombre man named Remus Lupin, and he also left as soon as the ceremony was over.
Dumbledore, who also said a beautiful eulogy during the ceremony, offered them his arms for the trip back home. A moment later they were back in their living room.
"I have a few questions if you don't mind," Petunia said before he had a chance to leave.
Dumbledore waved his hand as if inviting her to continue.
"What happened the night Lilly was killed?" she asked.
"Nobody knows for sure, as there were no witnesses. My investigation gives me a reason to believe that the Dark Lord had found their secret and attacked. James was killed downstairs, probably trying to gain some time for Lilly to escape with Harry. Lilly was found dead near Harry's crib, probably killed while trying to protect him. In a way she did, as Harry was only hurt slightly, gaining that scar, by what was probably a curse intended to kill him."
"What happened to the murderer?" There was venom in Petunia's voice.
"I wish I could say we caught him, but he just disappeared, leaving his robes and his clothes behind. Some say he was actually killed, but I have my doubts."
"So — he may eventually return?"
The old man sighed. "Unfortunately."
Petunia thought this was not leading anywhere. "What about Harry?" she asked.
"I'm trying to find his parents' will. If we find it, that will dictate his future. Currently, it looks like there was no will. Such young people are not really expected to have one. In that case, I believe you should raise Harry, being his closest living relatives. Maybe the only ones. I'll do what I can to help you get legal custody and protect him from whatever evil may seek him."
"Can you heal his scar, at least?"
"Unfortunately not. That scar was caused by a very dark curse and I know of no counter-curse. Hopefully, it will seal and fade with time. Maybe your doctors will be able to do what our healers are unable at this stage."