Mrs. Dursley woke up at precisely six o'clock every morning. Her alarm clock would ring no more than two times before she turned it off and swung her feet out of bed to put her slippers on. Her morning routine was very strict: wake up at 6 am, shower, fix her hair and get dressed, get started on breakfast, make the bed (once Mr. Dursley was up and about), and then tend to baby Dudley.

On this particular morning, Petunia Dursley had woken up with a bad attitude left over from yesterday. Vernon knew how much she hated to talk about her sister, yet he had been pestering her with questions about Lily and her son the night before. She started on the French toast, whisking the eggs a bit more harshly than usual. Instead of thinking about her own family problems, she turned her thoughts to the gossip her neighbor had confided in Petunia about her daughter the day before. Peunia finished up the last of the milk as she put the toast on the stove, then wiped her hands before grabbing the milk bottles to set out on the front step.

However, as she opened the front door, there was something already on the front step- a baby. Petunia screamed and dropped the milk bottles. The scream, mixed with the tinkling of the glasses as they hit the ground, woke the baby up. Petunia could hear Vernon calling out from inside the house over the wails of the baby, "Petunia, are you alright? What happened?"

As she bent down to examine the baby, she got a closer look at his face. Despite the fact that she had not seen her sister in years, she had a sudden feeling that she was staring at Lily. This baby had the same bright green eyes as her sister, and although she hadn't seen Lily's husband James in even longer, the baby's tufts of hair had a similar resemblance to James's scruffy mop.

Petunia picked up the child, and felt a piece of rough paper at the bottom of his swaddled blankets. She recognized the wax crest on the outside. She herself had gotten a letter with the same crest years ago when she was a child, when she wanted to join her sister at that insane asylum called a school. Vernon's footsteps were coming down the stairs, so Petunia stuffed the letter inside her apron pocket before her husband could get a good look at it.

"What in the blazes is going on, Petunia?" Vernon came up behind her. He could see that she was fine, and was now cross that her scream and the broken bottles had gotten him so worked up.

Petunia, still holding the baby she was sure was her nephew Harry, turned around to face her husband. Vernon's face turned a strange green color as he tried to process the fact that his wife was holding a child that was not their own, one that was seemingly dropped on their doorstep like a package from the post office.

She held the infant in her arms, trying to soothe Harry. Petunia seemed at a loss for words. "It's…he's…I don't know how, Vernon…"

"He's who?" shouted Vernon, which only made Harry wail louder.

"He's our nephew, Harry Potter!"

After settling Harry down and feeding both the children, Vernon finally went off to work. Petunia got Harry wrapped up in the blankets they found him in and settled in a cardboard box, which she placed at the foot of Dudley's crib. When both children were asleep, Petunia finally had a moment to herself to process everything that had happened that day. She got the letter out of her apron and, with trembling fingers, broke the wax seal bearing the badger, the eagle, the lion, and the snake. She recognized the distinct loopy handwriting from the letters she had gotten as a little girl. It was a letter from Dumbledore, the headmaster at that horrid school.

My dear Petunia,

We have not corresponded since you were a young girl. I am pleased to see you seem to have all you wanted for a comfortable life- a lovely house, a husband, and a child. Although you were unable to join your sister at Hogwarts, I had hoped that she would be able to share some of her magic with you. Clearly that never happened.

It is my unfortunate burden to inform you that it will never happen. The Dark Lord that Lily and James evaded for years, known as Voldemort, found and murdered your sister and her husband last night. I understand the loss of losing family. I know this will not be an easy time. But not all is lost. Their son- your nephew- still lives.

Although Lily could not share her world with you, I ask you to share yours with her son. As long as Harry remains with his family in your home, you will be safe. Your husband and son will be safer that Lily and James ever were, because of your sister's sacrifice to protect Harry. Lily gave her life for Harry's. Now you can give Harry the life your sister wanted for him.

I wrote many letters to you years ago, Petunia. This is my last. I trust Harry to your care.

Albus Dumbledore

Petunia wiped the tears from her eyes, but some still dripped onto the letter and made the ink run. She couldn't believe it- her sister was dead. Petunia often put Lily and her awful husband out of her mind. She had always thought that there would be time to reunite, to repair what had been lost. But now they would never have the chance. Magic took Lily from her when she turned eleven and began at Hogwarts. Now it had taken Lily forever.

Petunia stuffed the letter back into her apron, not sure if she should destroy it or save it forever. She went into Dudley's nursery, and stood over Harry in his box. She examined him as he slept, looking for any family resemblance. Unfortunately, he was the spitting image of James, down to the scruffy black hair. Harry was the last piece of Lily that remained, and there was none of her in him.

But as Harry stirred in his sleep and he started to wake, Petunia's green eyes met his.