1. The Dursleys

Petunia Dursley was a simple, old fashioned woman. Her childhood overshadowed by her little sister, 'the favourite' of her parents, loved by all, brilliant at everything and beautiful on top of it. Lily wasn't a bad child, but because she was better and more than Petunia at virtually everything, it made her hate her little sister more as the years went by. Their parents did love Petunia, but she was average and that was not enough next to Lily.

Then Lily went away to school and her life became normal again, at least until she wasn't there. The letters she sent were discussed again and again at the dinner and breakfast table, showing Petunia that she just wasn't interesting enough. It proved to her, that her parents were enamoured enough to pay more attention to Lily even when she wasn't there. All in all however, her life with them was much more calm and normal while it was just the three of them.

Petunia was courted by a young man in her early twenties, and while he wasn't handsome or overly good catch, he had a job, a decent income, and promised her a comfortable if average life as a housewife. He was faithful enough and intelligent enough. Not perfect, but that didn't bother her. She married him without much of a fuss. They had an average wedding, to which her sister was grudgingly invited, and settled into a picture perfect average house.

Then some months later she got an invitation to Lily's wedding. She didn't like it, but manners demanded she go. It was a grand thing. It was amazing, magical, colourful, beautiful… It was loud and disgusting.

Lily's wedding was – if she could trust her with the information – her new husband's and his friends' doing. It was full of tropical and magical birds, illusions, and pranks. She had to tell Vernon, much to her distaste. Her mood was only a little alleviated when he shared her feelings on the matter.

Then, when she was twenty-four and Lily nineteen, he went to visit her parents to share the good news. She was pregnant. She arrived to them, including Lily sitting around the coffee table and happily chatting. When she asked, Lily said that she was only there for a bit, to share her good news. Lily was pregnant. Their parents were over the Moon. Petunia's good mood evaporated and she only stayed as long as she had to not to appear impolite. She didn't share her own news.

Her life settled after that. Petunia's parents' death at the hands of Death Eaters cemented both her and Vernon's belief. Magic only brought misery and problems. Neither of them wanted anything to do near those lunatics.

Dudley was born, and their life became picture perfect. The family had breakfast together, Vernon kissed his wife and son before going to work, then Petunia feed, played and cleaned Dudley and kept the house clean and proper. She even took care of the garden a bit in the evenings, but that was a secondary thing compared to her son and house. Then Vernon came home, they ate dinner, played some more with their son, sometimes watched TV and went to bed. It was perfect for her.

On the morning of November the first, '81, it all went to hell. She opened the door, and there was a baby on her doorstep. In the letter Dumbledore – who she only knew as Lily's school headmaster, as she heard enough of his egocentric views when she was forced to listen to her – explained that her sister was dead and that this child was her son, who had to be kept with them as his last blood relatives. It was imperative.

It made her furious.

Not only were they NOT decent enough to tell her the bad news in person, but for the child to be there so early in the morning, most probably he was here for hours, in November. And THEN they had the audacity to DEMAND that they keep the boy around. Not ask, not even give them the chance to decide, but treat it as if it was already fact. Well if they didn't care for their own, she shouldn't either.

As it was a Sunday, she had ample time to talk the issue through with Vernon. They would provide the minimal for the boy, and treat him the burden he is – after all, even the wizarding world didn't want him, to leave him on someone's doorstep. As the child had Lily's eyes, it was not hard to remind Petunia of her sister she wished never to see again. Little Harry was not abused, or starved – though he was a bit underfed – but he wasn't loved either. The Dursley parents' behaviour tipped over by his presence, going out of their way to show both boys where they stood. Petunia gave more food and anything else her baby boy desired – even if she wouldn't have done it by principle and common sense originally – while Vernon did the same, excusing any and every bad he did and exaggerating the good. They knew how Dudley was getting Harry into trouble, but just as they didn't want to praise Harry when he did better than Dudley, they didn't want to reprimand Dudley in front of Harry. They spent long nights talking about it, but left it alone until Dudley was older, reasoning that he would have to understand their point of view and as such, he'd have to be older.

Then came those cursed letters.

Just like with everything concerning magic, they had no say in the matter. They were the guardians of him supposedly, but their words were overridden by that old man. Petunia thought back frequently to her life before the nuisance was dumped on them. Vernon and she would sometimes imagine how their life would've been before falling asleep.

Sure, Harry wasn't a bad boy. He was moderately smart and was taught to be respectful, even if he didn't want to be. He knew the rules, and those were consistent. Even if he wasn't in an ideal home for himself, he was raised with iron hands. That was until the school.

Before, he would sometimes show signs of magic, and would be told that it was a bad thing. He was punished, to show him that he shouldn't do such things. He was not praised for his good deeds, but not discouraged to de well, just discouraged to show off, to gloat and expect praise for anything.

He was taught to work hard and appreciate the things he had. He worked for food and shelter like adults, but on a simpler, more easily understood way. They had a good, if cold system.

Until the school and magic intruded. Then his world was thrown into chaos. Some were worshipping him, others looked down upon him, he was in a new and weird world with no rules to ground him. He was encouraged to break rules he was given, and was shown to be lazy to fit in.

Petunia Dursley may not have been fond of his nephew, but she was responsible, just like Vernon. They despaired at the changes and already knew how his life was going to be in grave danger with those fools around him.

Petunia was glad she didn't treat the boy as a son. It would've hurt more if he was ripped away if she cared more. She didn't even want to think about the 'adventures' Harry would go through, because he sure as hell would with a headmaster steering him and his father's blood in his veins. Petunia would've been crushed every year with every report. Vernon would've had more than one stroke by that point too – if he would've been alive.

As it was, they didn't regret their actions, even if those freaks – because those who believed and used magic freely WERE freaks – made their simple life sad, stressful, frustrating and generally difficult.

In the end, they got their life back, even if they had some baggage from those times and even if it took too much time for their freedom to come.