Thank you, to the two reviewers: 'softballpitcher' and 'A Summers' whose reviews have made me smile; thank you :). Here is Chapter 1 (The Revised Edition). I hope you enjoy it! And as ever, please review!
The Dursley's were, or at least through a muggle's eyes, a seterotypical white British middle class family. Their substantial detatched four-bedroom family home, was nothing from the norm, and situated in a peaceful yet uneventful cul-de-sac in Surrey, you would not expect such a large event that was to happen shortly after this account had been written, about 6 Privet Drive and the major importance of the house. The road, Privet Drive, was home to thirty-four identical houses and here lived thirty four regular families where nothing unusual ever happened.
Petunia and Vernon Dursley fitted perfectly into this scenario. They were conscious, almost to the stage of paranoid, at how their friends, neighbours, colleagues and most importantly, their family perceived them. Although, not wanting to draw attention to themselves, they did not want to appear hostile; so they held regular dinner parties, so as to keep themselves within several important social circles. Petunia was determined to not be an outcast or for her family to slip off the scale, so she was very particular about these evening parties and how to impress the neighbours. As part of her O.C.D (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) which she shared with her husband, she kept a small brown leather-bound notebook in the top drawer of her bedside table. In this book, she detailed each event she had held and been invited to, listing what she wore, what she cooked and on some occasions to the extent of writing down the main topics of conversation, or important facts, so as not to repeat herself and appear boring. (She and Vernon spent a fair amount of time revising this before each guest arrived). Mrs Dursley, was always particularly smug, when and if she noticed some hosts on occasions, wearing the same dresses time and time again, whereas she never did.
Vernon, although he would like to think the opposite, was governed entirely by Petunia. She was very dominative and she held the reigns but Vernon had a way of standing his ground; and was old fashioned in the sense that he expected the women to work in the kitchen and care for the house, meanwhile he was out slaving away to earn money to cater for his and his wife's every need. Vernon was several years older than his wife, and he was approaching forty, when his only son, Dudley was born. Vernon had always been a forward thinker, knowing what he wanted in life, and having a strong mental image of his family, work and house. He left school at sixteen, as encouraged by his parents, to earn a real salary, not be indebted to colleges for the rest of his life; although in hindsight Vernon secretly admitted that college would have been the making of him. Vernon was employed at a large company in central London, who manufactured and sold drills. His job title started out as office clerk, but after twenty-three and a half years of loyalty and hard work, he had been promoted three times, to a sales executive; he was in charge of pitching to other companies and generally trying to sell as many as drills as he could. Vernon was incredibly proud of his livelihood, he was not jealous of others and he was not ambitious, and was therefore satisfied with his job.
Petunia was unemployed, but she did not like that term because it was not a case of being unable to get a job, it was the fact that she did not want one, as her husband instructed her. She stayed at home, cleaning and cooking, and of course looking after her beloved son, Dudley. Although Dudley took up a lot of Petunia's time, she still had time to listen to all the gossip that she could; even to the extent of leaning over next doors fence, to listen to telephone conversations.
The family of three were more than happy with life; it was all going to plan. Dudley had loving and caring parents. Petunia was happily married and she lived comfortably, without having to contribute a single penny. As for Vernon, he could not be happier, everything he had dreamed of had come true, and nothing could possibly go wrong until one rainy August day when his and his family's lives would be turned upside down.
Petunia Dursley, put down the phone softly and began to weep quietly to herself. Her sister Lily, had been mysteriously brutally murdered along with her husband at their home. Although, the police were treating the case as very suspicious and had no idea of the situation, Petunia concluded that her sister's death was the cause of magic. Lily was a witch, and her husband James, a wizard.
When Petunia was nine, and her sister Lily was eleven. A letter was delivered to her sister, inviting her to join the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Her father was strongly against it, trying to deny the situation; saying that it was a hoax. Her mother was surprised and had an undecided view of her daughter's education. Lily, determined to accept the offer travelled from Kings Cross Station to the school in the autumn, despite her father's strong negative attitude towards the school. Petunia had tried to research the school and witches but was only able to find myths not facts. Petunia's father who strongly favoured his younger daughter due to him only seeing Lily for several weeks a year, she tried to do everything she could to make him happy. Her father, Thomas, warned her not to tell anyone of her sisters magical education, for it would make her seem either mentally ill or attention seeking. She never told her husband Vernon, of her sister and her magical capabilities. In fact, she had lost contact with her sister, although she had been informed that her sister had had a son at a similar date to when Petunia and Vernon's son Dudley was born.
Vernon parked his car in the driveway and marched into the house with a large grin on his face, hung his coat and umbrella up, and walked into the dining room where his son Dudley was sat in the highchair. He ruffled Dudley's hair and chuckled before turning to Petunia to tell her of the successful day he had had. He turned, but stopped in his tracks when he noticed his wife. She was pale and was sat on the sofa with her legs tucked into her stomach and rocking from side to side whilst tears trickled down her cheeks.
"Petunia," Vernon cried "What ever is the matter?"
She gestured for him to take a seat so he sat down next to her.
"What has happened?" he repeated, more frightened this time.
"It's my sister" Petunia sobbed, "She died!"
"Oh my goodness" Vernon said. "What on earth happened?"
"She was murdered" Petunia said through deep breaths. "The police said it was mysterious circumstances," she paused for a second, "I think it might be do with the wizard world"
Vernon knew that Lily was an outcast of the family but that was as far as it went so when Petunia later explained to him in bed, that night, what she knew of Lily and her magical life, Vernon could not believe his ears.
The next morning, Petunia felt a bit better, she had no more tears left to cry, and she did not feel sad much longer, she had not seen Lily for over a decade, she could barely remember what Lily looked like. After waking up early to feed baby Dudley, she took two empty milk bottles from the kitchen and took them outside to be replaced when the milkman arrived, later that morning. She opened the front door and stepped outside which was when she nearly tripped over the bundle that lay outside, lying on her front door step, amidst a pile of poorly woven sheets lay a tiny baby, with a scar shaped as a lighting bolt, in the centre of his forehead, a small envelope rested, tucked under the baby's right armpit, in green ink, green ink which would continually to haunt them for many years to come. This was when she screamed