It was a dark night in July of 1976. All the lights on the quite little street in Cokesworth were out, except for the lights in Number 17. This small blue house was home to the Evans family; Mr and Mrs Evans as well as their two daughters, Petunia and Lily.
The younger of the two daughters had spent the majority of the day locked in her room, something that was very unusual for Lily. Unbeknownst to her family, she had been creating a portkey to the McKinnons house. Marlene McKinnon was one of her best friends from school, and Lily promised she would visit. A portkey would just make it easier to leave her muggle neighborhood and get to Marlene's secluded wizarding home.
Footsteps padded down the stairs as the redheaded girl made her way into the kitchen. Her arms were folded neatly behind her back as she approached her parents.
"Mum, Dad, I've been meaning to speak with you to about the rest of the summer..." Lily trailed off.
"Is this about visiting your friends from school, Sweetheart?" Mr Evans asked. By school, he meant none other than Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the school that his youngest daughter had been attending for five years now. "We already said that you would be able to visit some of them in August," he continued in a no-nonsense sort of voice.
"I understand, Father," Lily said sweetly. She turned around and folded her arms in front of her as she started toward the stairs. If her odd behaviour during the day wasn't enough, her parents could tell something was wrong the second the word 'father' left her mouth.
"Is there anything else you wanted to talk about, Lily dear?" Mrs Evans asked curiously.
"Oh, yes, I almost forgot," Lily said half turning, her voice completely level, "one more thing," Both of her parents looked at her expectantly.
The sixteen year old attempted to raise her right hand steadily, her willow wand held firmly in her grasp. "Obliviate" she whispered.
Mr and Mrs Evans dropped to the floor of their kitchen, unconscious due to the power and effect of the charm on their muggle bodies. Lily made her way back up the stair to her room where she grabbed her school trunk, filled with all her clothes and everything she would need for her sixth year at Hogwarts. She quietly crept downstairs, hoping to make a quick exit from the house where she had grown up.
"You killed them!" a shrill voice yelled from the kitchen. Lily whirled around to find her sister standing over her parents unconscious forms.
"No! I would never..." Lily began, but she was promptly cut off.
"You killed them! I knew you were a freak, but to murder our parents?!" Petunia continued to shriek.
Lily pulled out her wand, and cast a silencing charm upon the room to ensure that none of the neighbors would be awoken, or alarmed by Petunia Evans' yells.
"They're just knocked out!" Lily interrupted her sister. "They aren't dead, just knocked out. And I'd best be off before they wake up Tuney," the younger finished in a quiet tone, eyes staring at her feet as she played with the hem of her shirt.
"I see," the elder began, "don't want to be caught sneaking off, do you? Don't want Mum and Dad to know that perfect little Lily was leaving without their permission?" Petunia took a step closer to her sister with every accusation. "We wouldn't want our magical Lily Flower to get into trouble now would we? What ever shall we do about that? I know! Hex the living daylights out of them!" She spat.
"No," Lily responded quietly, eyes still downcast. She hated it when her sister antagonized her about being a rule follower, but she hated it even more when she was antagonized for being a witch. Lily couldn't help what she was.
"Speak up," Petunia barked
"I said no," Lily spoke, meeting her sister's icy gaze. "I didn't hex them, Tuney. I would never... I just... I have to..."
"Well? Spit it out, If you didn't hex them, then what did you do to them?" the elder pressed.
"I.. I charmed their memories." Lily hesitated. "I made them forget me. And not just for the night," she added hastily as she saw her sister about to say 'I told you so'. "They aren't going to remember me when they wake up, Tuney. You'll be an only child, just like you always wanted," Lily said softly, tears beginning to make themselves known in her eyes.
"You what?" Petunia asked indignantly. She looked at her sister's trunk by the door. "Why on God's good Earth would you ever -"
"Because!" Lily yelled, "Because if they know who I am they are in danger! If they remember anything about me, the Death Eaters are gonna torture them to find me! If they think that Mum and Dad know where I'm going, then they are as good as DEAD!" Petunia stood in shock as she looked at Lily, who had tears running down her face. It was the first time the younger sister had yelled at Petunia in over eight years, and Petunia didn't know how to react.
Lily looked at her sister. She wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her sweater. "If you have nothing else to say, I have to leave now Tuney. Please, don't bring me up. Just pretend I don't exist," With that, Lily turned around and started, once more, for the door.
"Lily," Petunia struggled to find her voice as her sister continued to walk away from her. "Lily, wait!" she cried, running up to the younger, catching her arm. Petunia searched her sister's eyes, "Can you please wait? Just long enough to tell me what's going on?" she asked.
Lily bit her lip nervously. Her brilliant green eyes darted around, as if to make sure it was safe. "Ok," she whispered, barely loud enough to be heard. "But not so long that I am still here when Mum and Dad wake up,"
"Deal," Petunia chuckled nervously as she and her sister went into the sitting room. Contrary to popular belief, Petunia did not hate Lily. They had their arguments and their fights, mostly about magic, but the two sisters had reconciled after that first year Lily went away. Each resigned to the life that fate had set for them. Petunia studied her sister. She saw worry lines almost permanently set on the younger's brow. Petunia furrowed her own as she wondered just how much her innocent little Lily had grown up in the past 6 years, especially if she was talking about death and torture.
Lily took several deep breaths before glancing at her sister. She had never seen Tuney so concerned, so worried over a bit of magic. Petunia gently squeezed her sister's hand in encouragement. No, Lily corrected, Tuney was concerned about her, and magic just happened to be in the mix of the problem. Lily decided to start from the beginning. She began with the background on what Dark Magic was, and about the blood prejudices that existed in the Wizarding World. She then continued to tell of Lord Voldemort, a blood purist who was gathering followers called Death Eaters. Lily spoke gently to her sister of how they were responsible for hundreds of deaths across the country already.
"And then I broke things off with Severus because he still wanted to be around the Dark Arts," Lily continued, speaking of her argument with her former friend last school year. "He is going to join them soon, and he knows that I never will. Snape knows where we live too, so if he's asked, he could lead killers to our doorstep," she stole a glance at her sister, who was pale with horror. "You see? That's why I have to leave. I'm going so that I can protect you all," Lily finished.
Petunia thought over the situation that her little sister was in. No, younger sister, Lily had grown into quite the young lady while she was away, Petunia concluded. "Won't it be dangerous, though? Being alone for the rest of the summer? I mean, during the year you're protected by Dumbledore, but there is still a month and a half left of summer where you could be attacked or worse," Petunia was beginning to hyperventilate as she thought of the awful situations that her sister might be in.
"Tuney, Tuney slow down. Slow down," Lily soothed. She was slightly impressed that blond had remembered her headmaster's name. "Dumbledore is still protecting us. Muggle-borns, I mean. That's where I'm going. I can't tell you exactly where, but just know that I will be safe, Tuney," Lily thought briefly of the McKinnons; they would be worried if she didn't show up soon.
Petunia visibly relaxed with that statement. "You'll write, won't you? Tell me how you're doing?" she said uncertainly.
Lily shook her head sadly, "I can't Tuney,"
"But-"
"No! If they do come here, the Death Eaters, and they think you know even the slightest bit of information, then," Lily was unsure of how to continue without scaring Petunia. She knew her sister was alway more frightened of magic, simply because she didn't understand it. "Then they'll torture you."
"I don't care," Petunia stated bluntly, "I am your sister, I deserve to know how you are doing!"
"You don't get it do you?" Lily bursted out, "Those people will torture you to an inch of madness, and then laugh as you fall over the edge! They'll kill you Tuney! No, they'll hurt you so badly that you will wish the killed you!" Lily cried, tears were streaming down her face for a second time that night.
Petunia let tears slip down her face as well. "What am I to do, then?" she asked quietly, "How will I know if you are alright? You told me about these horrible people who are after you, and then you expect me to be fine not knowing anything, not even if you're alive?"
Lily looked at her sister. She hadn't thought about it that way. "As soon as it's over, Tuney, I'll let you know. But you have to promise me one thing," Lily said, hating herself for what she was about to ask.
"Anything, Lils" Petunia said, using a nickname that she hadn't used for her sister in years.
Lily smiled slightly through her tears, "Promise that you'll pretend to hate me, or at least dislike me,"
"What? Why would I-"
"Promise me," Lily said firmly, silencing any protest her sister had left to offer."Snape thinks you still hate me, and if they think you want nothing to do with me, then you'll be safe"
"Fine," Petunia sighed, resigned to what she had to do. "I promise,"
Lily took her sister's hands as she rose from the coach. "I'll be going now. Remember, Mum and Dad will have completely forgotten me, if they ever ask about the pictures on the mantle, tell them I was a friend who moved away,"
Petunia nodded, unable to do much else. She walked Lily to the door, where the two Evans girls hugged, unknowingly doing so for the last time. Lily took her trunk and grabbed a small coin from her pocket. She muttered something, and was gone.
Petunia stood there, for what seemed like hours, staring at the last place she saw her sister, until Mr and Mrs Evans pulled her out of the doorway. Petunia went on with her life, but waited on baited breath for any news of her sister. She put up a facade, just as her sister had asked, and told anyone who would listen about her troubled sister. Lily Evans was no longer remembered in the town of Cokesworth as a sweet little girl who went to a boarding school for gifted children, but as a troubled girl whose parents left her at a school for troubled kids and completely forgot about her. It broke Petunia's heart, but she knew it had to be done to keep Lily safe.
Petunia left their quaint home in Cokesworth later that year, which had turned into more of a prison haunted by Lily's memory. The following year, she met Vernon Dursley, a rather rude fellow, but somewhat endearing. She knew that she could use him as a cover, a cover that she wanted a normal life, far from the life her sister had. The two were engaged, and by the end of 1977, they were married and had a home of their own in Surrey on Number 4 Privet Drive.
Within the next three years, Petunia had received two notices by owl, neither from her sister, but both about her. Dumbledore had written her about her sister's marriage to James Potter, and about the birth of their son, Harry James. Vernon was nosy, and Petunia had to lie to her husband about her darling sister, saying that Lily was a troubled girl. Her heart shattered whenever she saw her husband's disdain for Lily and others like her. Yet Petunia still held out hope, knowing she would hear from her sister the minute that the whole war business was over.
It wasn't until November 1, 1981 that Petunia realized how wrong she was. It was that morning that she found her nephew, asleep on the front step, and she knew, without reading the letter, that Lily was gone. That night, five years ago, was the last memory that Petunia would ever have of her redheaded younger sister. That night, five years ago, was Lily's last goodbye.