Muggle
Chapter 1- Morning post
"Tuney, get the post, will you dear?"
Petunia ran to the front door and collected all the small envelopes and packages, and rifled through them hoping there was another birthday gift for her. She found a small card from her Grandmother that was addressed to her, tucked the other bits of post under her arm, and went into the kitchen. "Anything mildly interesting?" asked her father. "Yes!" Petunia said excitedly. "There's a card from Grandma to me and …" she shuffled through, "Coupons, Bank Company, a card for Lily!!" She turned her sister's card over and saw some melted wax with an H engraved in it. "Ooh, Lily's looks fancy!" exclaimed Petunia. She ran her fingers over the dried wax, considering opening it, when Lily bounced into the room. "Watcha got there Tuney?" She asked. "Oh, it's a letter. For you!" said Petunia, hastily handing it to Lily. Lily's eyes grew wide as she saw the fancy writing and the wax on the back. "Mum, Dad, look! I'm invited to a royal party!" said Lily, who started opening the letter. Their father and mother came over and looked over Lily's shoulder. Then very quickly her father grabbed the letter. "I think we had better talk about this", he looked at the girls, "without the girls in the room."
Petunia and Lily were ushered out of the room and as Petunia started to go upstairs, Lily pulled her to sit on the stairs just in front of the sitting room door. They moved their ears to the door and listened intently. "….know what this means?" She has been chosen to do wonderful, amazing things! She will make us proud!" Lily and Petunia looked at each other. "But what about Tuney, how will she feel about her sister not being here anymore?" "Not here anymore? She will at Christmas and...And Easter, it's not like she will be gone forever!" Lily couldn't stay there any longer; she opened the door and shouted, "I'm leaving?" Petunia stayed where she was on the bottom stair. Everything was going to change; she knew from the tone of her parents voices.
Chapter 2- The letter
Mr. Evans put Lily's trunk beside the front door, "We're going to be late at this rate!" he said impatiently. Petunia turned away from Lily's outstretched hand. "I won't change or anything Tuney, I promised to keep in touch everything," "I just want to go with you…." said Petunia quietly, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I … know", Lily hugged her sister tightly and left the room. As the car drove away, Petunia looked out the window of her room. A mixture of jealousy, despair and loneliness swept like a wave over her. "It's a freak world", she said herself stubbornly. But you do want to go, don't you… said another voice in her head. Yes, a wonderful, new world was somewhere out there; magic…flying on broomsticks, like on the Halloween shows her and Lily used to watch together, and other things that Lily would live and see. A world that Petunia would never know… why not her as well? Why didn't they write to her also? They…the people-or the person who was head of the school Lily was going to, maybe she could persuade this person by writing a letter asking if she could go too. She wouldn't let anyone know but the person she was writing to. She sat down, wiped her eyes and started writing the letter.
Dear Head of Hogwarts School,
A few weeks ago my sister Lily Evans received a letter saying that she had been accepted to Hogwarts. Well, I didn't see a letter to me so I thought there must be some mistake, but later I realized that it was only Lily who would be going. Please could you possibly have a place for me too? I would work really hard and obey all the rules. Please let me come too.
Petunia Evans
Petunia read over the letter twice to check for mistakes, her desperation could not be put into words, but it would have to do. The Headmaster will understand, she thought. This must be the right thing to do, I don't want to live the rest of my life not knowing, not experiencing just a bit of magic.
Meanwhile in the car, Lily was looking miserably at her robes folded on her lap. "Dad, will Tuney be okay?" Her father looked at her as they stopped at a red light. "Lily, please don't worry, this is for you, try to enjoy the experience you have had been welcomed to, Tuney should really be happy for you and celebrating the fact that you can learn in a wonderful place like Hogwarts." "But she looked really upset that she couldn't come with. I'm going to miss her loads." Her father sighed and didn't know what to say to his daughter. He had had this argument with his wife, Petunia would be fine, and she would just have to get on with it. "No, this can't be right; I'm worried about what will happen between them." His wife had said. He had argued back saying that they would be fine. He was also, however not entirely convinced.
Chapter 3-Realisation
"Lily Evans". Lily slowly walked up onto the platform and sat down on the rickety old chair. It creaked and echoed across the hall, a couple of people sniggered rudely. The hat was placed upon her auburn hair and she jumped in surprise as it started to talk to her. "Well, you certainly have strong loyalty to your friends and family, so this could lean you towards Hufflepuff, however you are strong inside and are willing to face your fears, it will have to be Gryffindor!" Lily jumped up from the chair quickly and ran to the Gryffindor table. There were cheers and hoots from the crowd, she was pleased, and she had heard on the train that Gryffindor was one of the best houses of the lot! She looked down the long dinner table, and noticed that a particular boy with jet black hair had his eye on her. She quickly turned around feeling uncomfortable. "Severus Snape", said the professor, holding the talking hat. This was the boy she had met on the train. "Um, hello, could I sit here please?" She had asked him. "Yeah", he grunted pulling the string off his bag not looking up, and then he saw her and his face softened. They had had an enjoyable journey, talking about what they were looking forward to at school. Lily had told him her concern about her sister and he had comforted her, telling her about how he would also be homesick but they would get through together. Lily very much hoped he would also be in Gryffindor too, but the hat was not so kind "Slytherin!" it said. Severus walked slowly over to the Slytherin table and waved sadly to her. She was disappointed but she knew that they could still be in lessons together and have fun talking.
Later that night, when they were all full of chocolates, (they had all taken Lily by surprise because they were in the shape of a frog and they could move!) they sat down and revealed were they lived and other secrets and gossip. Lily had found a nice friend called Jenna, who was quite shy and quiet. They talked about their families and if they missed them or not. One girl, who was outgoing and loud said that she was not going to miss her family because she didn't cry. "Well, I had to leave my sister behind, and she was really upset that she couldn't come." Her heart sank as she realized that she missed her sister very much and wished she was with her eating chocolates. The loud girl, who's name was Mary, said, "You have a muggle sister?" Her friends all looked at each other smirking. "What's a muggle?" Lily asked feeling sure that it wasn't good. "Well, it is a person who has absolutely no magical blood in them, bit boring really." She sniggered. Lily stood up, suddenly fuming. "Don't you dare talk about my sister like that!" She left the common room and stomped upstairs to her bed. Wiping away angry tears, she opened the chest she had brought with them and took out a necklace that had a green jewel in it. Petunia had a purple one; their parents had bought it for them just before Lily had left. "I don't care if you're a muggle Tuney!" She whispered to the necklace.
Chapter 4-The Letter is found
Dear Miss Evans,
I appreciate your letter to tell me your concerns and worries; however, I am afraid that I cannot accept you into my school. You do not have the magical capabilities. Do not be disappointed or sad, for I am sure that you will be very successful in your world. When someone is not with the magical acts or cannot perform them they are called muggles. You are a muggle, my dear, and accept it, be proud of it.
Once again, I am truly, sincerely sorry,
Albus Dumbledore
Petunia read the letter again, the tears forming in her eyes. "A muggle", she whispered. She wasn't upset or disappointed, she was angry. "They're the freaks…" She threw the letter down into the bin out of anger. She hoped her sister would never come back from the freak school, she didn't want to be apart of it, she didn't want to speak to her again. Petunia ran downstairs, grabbed her coat, and went to the park down the road. She sat on the swing and closed her eyes against the sun. However much she hated that Dumbledore man, she knew he was right, she could be much more successful here. She took the necklace that she was wearing off and put it in her pocket. "I don't care what you think Lily; I won't be wearing it any more".
Lily was sitting beside the lake reading when it happened, she felt a sudden wrench in her stomach, and she wasn't sure why. Her friend Jenna noticed her face and gasp so she turned around to face her. "What's wrong?" she asked quietly. "Nothing, really, just something I read, that's all." She tried to ignore it, but she knew deep down, something was wrong.
***
The term passed quickly for Lily, for there was so much to do, and it was finally time to go home for Christmas. There were many cries of, "I'm going to get a broom this Christmas, a broom!!" and "Well, I overheard my parents talking about getting me a dragon!" Lily didn't care what she would get; she just wanted to see her parents and most of all, her sister. They boarded the train and talked excitedly about upcoming events waiting for them during the holidays. When they finally reached the station there were many cries of "Mother!" and "Father!" Lily looked excitedly out the window of the train searching for her parents and her sister. There they were, beaming and waving. Lily couldn't contain her excitement; she grabbed her bag and jumped off the train as soon as it stopped. She ran to her parents arms, laughing. "Darling, how are you?" they asked happily. "I'm very well, where's Tuney?" she looked around possibly spotting her sister looking at the animals that were being unloaded in their cages off the train. But she was not there. "Well, Tuney wanted to stay behind, but you'll see her when you get back." She saw her parents give each other a look of concern.
"Is she ill?"
"No, well, she wouldn't come with us but she may tell you why."
Lily felt a stir of disappointment in her stomach. Why didn't she want to come and greet her? A sudden flash back of Petunia's water filled eyes as she waved goodbye stung her. "She's angry at me still, isn't she? She still hates me!" Her mother bent down on her knees to Lily's height. "Sweetie, I think you might need to talk to her about a few things, you may need to make her feel better."
The journey back was quiet. Lily was happy to be back with her parents but was apprehensive about seeing Petunia. She reached for the necklace and held it as if she felt she couldn't let go. They reached the driveway and unloaded Lily's trunk.
Chapter 5- Never Again
"Please talk to me Tuney!" whispered Lily. Tuney sighed and rolled over; she turned on the night light in the room just below her bed. "What do you want?" she asked, feeling the anger building up in her once more. "Well, why are you ignoring me? You've done it all evening!" Lily voice sounded desperate to Tuney, but she didn't' care, "Some sister you are, leaving me here to go off and have a jolly good time in Pig Pimples or whatever your school is called!" Tuney felt like being mean, she wanted to hurt Lily as though it was her fault the letter came to change their lives. "It's called Hogwarts and it's a wonderful school and I'm sorry you couldn't come but you can't do this to me Tuney!! It's unfair!"
"I don't want to talk about it, Lily." Tuney switched off the light and rolled over on her other side.
"Tuney, I found it, you know, I found the letter."
Petunia froze in shock, her heart beating fast. "What letter?" she asked quietly.
"The one from Professor Dumbledore…I know about it, because, well, I found it in the bin."
Petunia sat up quickly in bed, breathing fast.
"Don't tell anyone! Promise!" She felt sick and embarrassed, no one was supposed know about it, especially Lily.
"I won't Tuney, but don't blame me just because Professor Dumbledore said no."
Petunia could only think of the meanest, most horrible thing to reply,
"I'm not jealous, and I'm not going to blame you anymore, because you and your new friends are freaks!!"
Lily gasped in horror. "You don't mean that, Tuney, you don't!!"
"I do, you are all freaks, and there is nothing you can say or do to change my mind".
Petunia pulled her blanket over her head and ignored the quiet weeping she could hear from her sister across the room. Little did she know that a small twelve year old grudge could change her life, forever.
