Petunia Dursley was many things. She had been called horse-faced, nosy, annoying, catty, and bitter. All of this was true, and more. But on one fateful November morning, her life changed. Her life changed forever, and most certainly, for the better.
Vernon grunted and turned away from his wife. She stood over him, rolling her eyes as she gave up on waking him up until food was ready.
She sashayed her way down the stairs happily, yesterday had been a most successful Halloween for her precious baby. As Petunia went to bring in the milk however, she found a most unusual basket lying in front of her.
A sense of foreboding filled her heart. Something had gone wrong. Her sister, the freak, had told her that she and her husband had gone into hiding; that a dark wizard was after them; that things could go wrong. Petunia hadn't replied to her owl.
A soft burbling noise reached her ears, and fear paralyzed Petunia for several moments, before she noticed the blanket moving slightly. A slightly chubby baby fist waved around, and the cover slid down slowly.
And then Petunia's heart broke, as she gazed into her sister's gorgeous, almond-shaped eyes, on a small baby boy. He took in Petunia's face in wonderment, and then looked around. Petunia reached down slowly, and gently picked him up. He clung to her tightly, shivering in the cold. The tall woman shook her head at her foolishness and picked up the basket, noting the slip of paper inside. She pulled out the extra high-chair and placed it across from Dudley's seat, then settled baby Harry into it. With shaking hands, Petunia unfolded the yellowed parchment.
"Mr. and Mrs. Dursley,
It is with greatest regrets that I must inform you of the passing of your sister and her husband. On the 31st of this October, a dark wizard named Voldemort attacked your family, killing James Potter and then Lily. Upon his attempt to murder your beautiful nephew, ancient love magic, invoked by your sister's self-sacrifice, saved Harry and destroyed the murderer. Lily had expressed to me her desire to reconcile with you in times past. Alas, it is that it can never be, however I felt that Harry needed love, and a family, and that as Lily's sister, you are the best candidate for adoption. I should you accept, and if you do I have placed every legal paper, both magical and mundane, regarding adoption awaiting you in the envelope.
My Most Sincere Condolences,
Albus P.W.B Dumbledore"
Tears dotted the paper as sobs began to wrack her body.
"Pet? Honey? What's wrong Nia?" Vernon's concerned baritone washed over the grief-ridden mother. Her sister was dead; her lovely Lily Flower, gone. And she hadn't even been able to say goodbye. Petunia buried her face in her husband's embrace.
"I-it's L-l-lily," she choked out, "Sh-she and her h-husband were murdered." Vernon's face hardened. He had not liked the Potters, but they had been family. However unnatural they might have been, they were family, and Vernon believed firmly in the power of family.
And then a thought struck him. "Petunia… darling… you mentioned Lily and her husband… but what of the boy?" There came a soft mewling sound, as though Harry knew he was being discussed. Eyes widening, Vernon turned to see his dead in-laws' child waving his arms at Vernon excitedly.
With slow, deliberate motions, Vernon picked up the boy, cradling him carefully. A giggle interrupted his concentration.
"What?" he asked grumpily.
Another giggle escaped Petunia's lips even as the tears on her face glistened. "You look so silly, scared of a baby." A sheepish look crossed Vernon's face, but was quickly wiped away by one of thought.
"Are we to keep him? We are the only remaining family he's got that I'm aware of."
A sigh escaped Petunia's lips. "We received correspondence from Lily's old headmaster. Seems he's giving us the chance to adopt. He seems to think this is the best place for him, for us as well." Her forehead creased slightly as she frowned, her eyes narrowing. "Do we have the money for a second child Vern?"
Vernon made a sad noise, lowering himself into a chair with Harry still in his arms, sucking the edge of his blanket contently and watching Vernon with wide eyes. "Not quite love, but we'll make do. Blood is thicker than water and all that eh? Wish I could take a go at the buggering blighter who got your sister."
"Language Vernon! Harry and Dudley will learn terrible first words if you say these sorts of things in front of them." Petunia turned her attention upstairs. Ten minutes later Dudley was ready for breakfast, with a clean nappy and breakfast being fed to him by Vernon while Petunia attempted to feed Harry formula.
Harry, upset at seeing Dudley eating food out of a jar, pointed at another on the counter.
"No Harry, that's not for you, Dudley is bigger." But Harry did not care. He pointed at the jar again and wailed unhappily. The jar floated up and over, settling gently into Petunia's hand.
She stared open-mouthed as Dudley giggled and clapped, singing "Again, again!"
—8—
October 31st, 1981
Lily's body, still warm, was tossed to the side as a tall thin figure, dressed in resplendent robes of black with gold trim, and a waxy grey face, red eyes burning fiercely, stepped towards the unhappy boy in the crib.
"So…you are my opponent? My greatest adversary?" his voice came as a sibilant hiss, "Fools. You will die, my boy, but oh! What a pity to destroy you it is, I can literally taste your magic in the air…" Lord Voldemort raised a wand, pulling his fear-twisted anger to the forefront and exclaimed;
"Avada Kedavra!"
A bolt of sizzling green eldritch flame shot its way at the boy, but at the last moment, a glowing gold dome shot up, and the green magic rebounded onto its caster. His body exploded in magic. No gore, no blood, just gone. But a portion of his dark presence remained yet. As the majority fled, the smaller entity searched for live magic to latch onto and feed off of.
Harry, in his golden dome, felt the black magic assault his own. An inhuman cry escaped him as he felt something touch his very core in a very wrong way. And his magic reacted. Harry's infantile mind, barely capable of any thought process past need, ordered his magic to protect itself and him; and so it did.
That night a phenomena of magic occurred. Harry Potter's magical core turned inside out, there, but not quite detectable, and all of his magic was trapped inside of him. Harry's eyes glowed golden, and the magic, finding no purchase, dissipated forever, its hold on the world gone.
Harry whimpered slightly, alone in the cottage. He felt empty. A desperate cry rent the air as Harry called for his mother, not understanding why she wouldn't stand. Harry reached for his magic to change the world to make him happy, and found it, wrapped away inside of him, with a small amount leaking out to surround the packaged core.
But nothing happened. Nothing changed. Not until a large man the size of a small house picked up baby Harry, and flew him to his aunt's. Harry fell asleep, and as he did, the sound of his mother's singing filled his head, making him smile.