Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JKR.
Summary: After the Battle of Hogwarts Harry is given a set of letters that his mother, Lily, wrote for him before she died. Please Review, suggestions are welcome.
Author's Note: This is going to be a 7-10 chapter fanfiction. Please message me suggestions as I have not completely decided the end or some of the themes. Enjoy the chapter and the Harry/Petunia & Harry/Lily fluff!
Petunia Dursley smoothed her peach pleated skirt in an agitated manner. The boy was late. After him sending that filthy bird carrying a letter into her home she had been less than pleased. But Petunia couldn't deny that when she received said letter, she was immensely glad that Vernon was attending Dudley's Smelting's boxing match, and that he had ordered her to stay at home as a boxing ring was not 'a woman's place'. She also could not deny that when she had read her nephew's letter, she has cried upon discovering that he had defeated that terrible Lord who had murdered her sister, and survived after a year of fighting. But Petunia did not understand why she had written back and invited the boy to tea when Dudley was at his next boxing match. She blamed her irrational response to the shock of it all. Yes. She was shocked that her seventeen year old nephew had killed a man. That was it.
A knock on the door startled her. She straightened a piece of the tea set she had laid out immaculately.
"Good afternoon, Harry," she stated primly after opening the front door. The boy had grown. He was now considerably taller than her. He was still rather skinny, hair was still an abomination, and his clothes were still scruffy.
"Hello, Aunt Petunia," he said quietly. She noted that his voice was deeper. "Come and sit down. Would you like some tea?" she asked politely. The boy looked very uncomfortable.
"Please," he murmured. She led him into the living room and poured the tea, and then decided that she had to say something.
"How are you?" She could have sworn she saw an unruly smirk play on his lips before he took a sip of tea and answered.
"Um, I'm fine now, I suppose," after three more silent sips of tea, he asked "How are you?" She straightened herself up and replied.
"Very well, thank you. We are planning on moving back to Privet Drive before Christmas," The boy's face showed no emotion.
"Lovely," he replied.
"And, where are you living currently?" she inquired, resting her teacup back on its matching floral saucer.
"With my friend Ron. You know, the, er, ginger one. With his family," Petunia sniffed delicately.
"They were involved in that.. That war, weren't they?" Harry nodded,
"Yes," After a moment's pause he added, "I don't know if you remember, they had twins, the ones with the er… the flying car," Petunia sniffed again.
"Yes," she said sounding slightly revolted, "I remember," Harry set down his cup.
"One of them died," Petunia, who had just picked up her saucer promptly dropped it on the floor at this news. She shrieked. Harry presumed her distress was more to do with the large brown stain and shards of china littering her cream carpet than Fred Weasley's untimely death. He removed his wand from his jeans pocket and wordlessly repaired the cup and removed the carpet stain. Petunia's staring eyes now resembled those of a house elf. With a strangled sort of croak she thanked him.
"You're welcome. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, um, startle you," he shifted in his seat. Petunia's lips were pursed so tightly it looked as though they had disappeared altogether. "No. I just.." she seemed lost for words, "I just thought you won that… battle thing," Harry smiled slightly.
"We did. But, a lot of our side died. A lot of my classmates at school, and my godson's parents." Petunia frowned.
"I didn't know you had a godson,"
"Yes, his father was one of my Dad's best friends." An uncomfortable silence engulfed them once more.
"And Lord… erm, him, that man, he's dead?"
"Voldemort. Yes. He's dead," Harry replied very quickly.
"You… you killed him?" her lips were now so pursed and tight that she looked like she was trying to lay an egg.
"It wasn't really as simple as that. He split his soul into seven parts and concealed them, and thats where I've been the past year. Destroying them. But I didn't realise until the battle that when he tried to kill me, he put the final part of his soul into me unintentionally. So I, er, had to die so that he could be killed. So I found him and he killed me. Then I sort of woke up again and killed him," Harry was avoiding her gaze. For a few moments Petunia Dursley did not speak. She simply sat and absorbed the information that her nephew had just presented her with.
"I… I…" she seemed to be lost for words. "I… you…you died? And then killed him?" Harry nodded. "Weren't you sent to prison? Because… you killed somebody," The smirk resurfaced.
"No, Aunt Petunia. It was sort of like a public service. I got this award thing from our government. It's a bit like getting a medal from the Queen," A strange feeling swelled in Petunia Dursley, although she had no idea that Harry was referring to his Order of Merlin. For a bizarre moment she thought she was going to cry, but then she realized this was a different emotion all together, it was a feeling she had never felt or even associated with her nephew. With an internal jolt she realized it was pride.
"I am proud of you, Harry," Harry said nothing so Petunia continued, "I'm sure my sister would have been proud of you too," Petunia was horrified to see a tear roll down Harry's cheek. He was sitting, completely motionless, saying nothing. She tentatively patted his arm. It was an uncomfortable gesture between two people who were hardly close to one another.
"These were your mother's," Petunia whispered, leaning over to a side table, opening the bottom drawer and extracting a worn, large bundle of envelopes tied together with a scraggly ribbon. "I believe she wanted you to have them at.. At certain points of your life. We did not see fit to give you them, but as you are now an adult in your world I feel I can no longer keep them from you," She extended her arm and Harry took the bundle.
"Um, thanks," he muttered.
With no further words, Petunia stood and sniffed one final time, before saying "I think you should leave. Vernon and Dudley will be home soon," Harry stood, still clutching the letters.
"It was… nice to see you Aunt Petunia," he mumbled. "Goodbye," She followed him out into the hallway and opened the door.
"Goodbye, Harry," she stated forcedly.
It was only after she had closed the door and lost sight of him walking away that Petunia Dursley allowed her tears to fall.
Many miles away in Ronald Weasley's bedroom at the Burrow, Harry Potter, with shaking hands, untied the bundle and read the unfamiliar writing on the first envelope. It read 'For Harry Potter on his 11th Birthday'. Without hesitation, he tore it open and read.
Dear Harry,
Happy 11th birthday sweetheart. I hope you have a wonderful day filled with happiness and the people you love. In case you are wondering, I am your mother, Lily, and I heartily apologise for missing the festivities.
Just so we are clear - I am writing these letters in September 1981. You are one year old. I am sure you know of the wizarding war and if you are reading this letter then I unfortunately did not survive it. I am sorry. I know however, that even though you have not grown up with your Mother, you have been raised by the many people who love you.
Now, enough of the morbidities! Today you received your Hogwarts letter! In just over a month you'll be off to school on the Hogwarts Express. I know you may have inherited your father's knack for breaking the rules, but try not to get a detention in your first week. That'll be better that your Dad at any rate. First night, he got his first detention. Something about the staircase leading up to the girls dormitories and getting confused. He never told me what. I didn't want to know and still don't. That was the day your father met Sirius Black, who I'm sure you know and love as a second father. He probably still spends nearly every waking moment with your Dad. They were always inseparable.
My point is, both your father and I met our closest friends on that first day at Hogwarts. So don't judge people by first impressions or where they get sorted, but if in doubt avoid anyone who tries to smuggle dark objects, cursed objects or anything purchased from Knockturn Alley into school. In our year a boy called Mulciber had stashed no less than twelve shrunken heads and the skeleton of a Blast-Ended Skrewt into his trunk. Consequently, I did not walk over to the Slytherin table and introduce myself.
Thats something else: Just because someone is a Gryffindor they aren't necessarily going to be on the lookout for lives to save, a Ravenclaw won't always be buried in a book, Slytherins are not all the spawn of Satan or his fiery minions, and contrary to popular belief the majority of Huffelpuffs do in fact have backbone.
Your classes will test you. I'm sure your father has told you of long Transfiguration theory essays and tedious History of Magic lectures, but stay focused. I know some day you will become a remarkable wizard, Harry and Hogwarts is the place that will allow you to become just that. Work hard and try not to get yourself banned from the owlery by feeding them laxatives before they deliver the morning post (your father's 'finest moment' apparently, but it certainly wasn't for those who didn't get their hoods up in time) but now enough of Daily Prophets covered in owl excrement - it is your Birthday - go and enjoy.
Your mother wishes you the happiest first year at Hogwarts. Although I can't be there to share it with you, I will be watching you every step of the way. Good luck. I love you.
Mummy.
P.S. I think I will write you a letter for your twelfth birthday too now. After all, second years can play Quidditch for their houses and you will (like your Father) almost certainly regard this as the most important thing in your entire Hogwarts career.
Please Review with suggestions of what you would like Lily to write to Harry about! Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!