I've always been preferential to stories where Severus is not an evil bat and Sirius didn't die (still in denial over that one, Ms. Rowling!). Seeing as this is AU anyway, I get to make attitude adjustments as I go to the various characters and I hope you enjoy them! All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I just like to make things up with them as I go along...
Please read and review. How else can I hope to get better?
Part one - Petunia
It was strange feeling to hate one's name.
After so many years of hearing it said with different inflections, many of them harsh, the boy had most definitely grown to hate his.
He stared at his reflection in the mirror: thirteen year old thin, gangly body, coal black hair that couldn't be tamed, huge luminous green eyes that betrayed his every emotion, no matter how hard he tried to hide them. Then of course, there was that blasted scar.
This past school year had been one of upheavals, confusion, fear, and shocking revelations. He'd discovered that his most despised professor, Severus Snape, was really a spy for the light and actually cared a great deal for the boy. His favorite professor, Remus Lupin, was not only a werewolf who had nearly killed him and his friends, but had, horror of horrors, once changed his diapers!
But the greatest revelation was that the man who had supposedly broken out of Azkaban to kill him, was the person who loved him most in the entire world, wizarding or muggle. Sirius Black loved him unconditionally as his godson, as a son, and most of all, just for himself. Not because of what he had done in the past or was expected to do in the future, but because of WHO he was.
Harry Potter.
Yes. That was his name. For better or worse, though most days worse.
"Harry Potter!"
He winced as his aunt's voice screeched through the door of the bathroom, demanding his attention and obedience. Petunia Dursley never said his name in anything other than a screech, and depending on his errors for the day, it ranged between several octaves. If Harry had only missed a spot while cleaning the floor, it was moderately annoying and caused only his ears to ring. If it was something more serious, such as burning dinner, dogs all over England howled in agony over the abuse to their ears.
He opened the door to face her wrath. Head down, eyes fixed on her hideous house shoes, "Yes, Aunt?"
Petunia's finger appeared under his nose causing him to rear back slightly to avoid getting jabbed by it, "My garden club is due here in four hours; what are your responsibilities for the day?"
Still not meeting her eyes, Harry recited, "Trim the hedges, pull the weeds, lightly water the flowers without getting the grass wet, make tea, and prepare the cucumber sandwiches."
He knew he'd forgotten something when Petunia's hands clamped down on her hips and he racked his mind for what he could have missed as she snarled, "And what else, you idiot boy?"
He caught a glimpse of his uncle appearing at the top of the stairs and spared him a quick glance from under his fringe of hair. Vernon Dursley made a slight movement with one hand towards Harry's tiny bedroom, triggering his memory, "Sorry, Aunt Petunia, I thought you meant what I had to get done before I was to stay in my room and not make any noise."
"See that you do exactly that, Harry Potter, or you'll regret it." And with that threat, Petunia swept down the hallway to her bedroom to spend the morning at her dressing table putting on her make-up and choosing just the right clothes to make a good impression. The venom that she imbued his name with lingered in the air as he turned to face his very large uncle.
