In the cold grey of the morning, a thin woman stepped out of a cab in
London. She pulled her coat around her shoulders and tossed a few quid at
the cabbie. As he sped off, she made her way to the imposing stone
building. In her hands she clutched a new scarf, knit for the boy, and a
sweater sent by her friend Molly.
"Petunia Dursley, to see Dr. Malfoy."
The charge nurse nodded and opened the locked gates to let her in. Once inside the ward, the thoughts came rushing to her. Had she done the right thing? Was this necessary? Vernon's voice echoed in her mind.
It's for the best Petunia. The boy...he can't be left alone...it's too much for the family.
Her heels clicked as she walked down the sterile halls, the smell of bleach and human suffering filled her nostrils. From the locked rooms came moans and screams of the imprisoned souls. The orderly led her to the observation theatre, where Dr Malfoy stood waiting. The doctor had helped so much in the past years, he had become a family friend.
"Petunia, good to see you," the doctor said. He was a kind man, with pale hair and eyes, and a warm smile. He drew her from a handshake into a tight hug.
"How is he doctor?"
Malfoy gestured to the window and his face fell. "The delusions are worse I am afraid. Keeps going on about some place called Hogwarts. Poor Rubeus Hagrid, one of the nurses, has been taking care of him in the hard times. From what we can tell, he's integrating real people and events into his delusions. With most people in his condition it's the opposite. Usually a hallucination will meld into real life for the patient, but for him, it seems that the delusions are nearly all he knows."
Petunia stared at the boy in the small room below her. He was waving his hands in the air, as if conducting a symphony. He looks so like James, she thought.
The thoughts of her beloved brother in law brought back the onslaught of memory. She fought vainly against it, finally allowing the thoughts to overtake her.
October 31, 1981
Vernon and Petunia Dursley pulled into the driveway of 62 Godric's Hollow, Little Whinging, Surrey. They were all going to a party tonight, and would be taking the babies with them. Dudley was asleep in the back, dressed as a tiny pumpkin. As Vernon pulled the babe from his seat, Petunia noticed something odd. The door to the house was wide open.
Cautiously, she made her way into the house, leaving her young husband to gather their son.
"Lily? James?"
The house was eerily still. No lights were on. Candy in a bowl sat near the door, waiting for early revelers. Petunia listened intently. Faint singing from upstairs. From the nursery.
"Lily? Is that you? It's Pet, whats going on?"
No response.
Petunia reached the door to the nursery and pushed to open it. It was stuck, as if the door was blocked on the inside. She heard the unmistakeable voice of her sister, singing softly.
"Lily, open up. Come on Lil, you're really scaring me here."
Then, the song was covered by a wail. Harry. Not a normal baby cry, but a cry of pain and terror. Petunia pushed against the door, opening it just an inch. Then again, harder. She slipped her body through the crack and stumbled over whatever was blocking the doorway.
There were no lights in the room, save one candle. Lily sat in the corner, rocking her whimpering child. Petunia squinted her eyes to see what was wrong. She reached across to the lamp on the table.
When she saw, she screamed.
Lily rocked in the chair, her red hair black with blood. Her child covered in red stickiness as well, wailing in pain. In her hand, Lily held a knife.
"My God Lil, what are you doing? Where is Jamie?"
Lily nodded to the door. Expecting to see her brother in law coming to their aid, Petunia turned. She nearly wretched as she saw her darling Jamie, slumped on the floor, eyes glazed. His glasses were askew, and blood pooled from the wounds on his body. That was what had blocked the door. Her dear brother-in-law. Later, Petunia would realize that Lily had dragged the corpse there, to barricade her in with her son.
Rushing up the stairs, Vernon screamed when he saw. He flew to Lily and ripped the boy from her arms.
"Christ Lily, what did you do? Petunia, call the police.Call for an ambulance. He's bleeding."
Indeed. Lily had carved a long jagged stripe down her infant son's forehead. Petunia stared at James's lifeless body.
"Why isn't Jamie helping Harry? What happened? Petunia? Where is your costume? We are going as wizards, remember?" She waved the knife in her hand as if it were a wand. "Abracadabra."
Her voice slurred the words over and over again. "Abracadabra ... Abrakadavra ... avrakedavra .... avadakedavra."
"Lil, it's going to be ok. You're going to be fine..."
"Mrs Dursley...Mrs Dursley?"
"Oh, sorry Doctor, I slipped off for a moment. He thinks he is a wizard, doesnt he?"
Dr. Malfoy stared at the boy, "Yes, I'm afraid so. Seems he's told his counselors that his parents were killed by a 'Dark Lord.' Sent some of them straight to the bishop. Tried to have the child exorcized. Nonsense."
"Has he been ...violent?" Petunia could barely think of it.
"I'm afraid so. Attacked an intern yesterday, a young man named Riddle. Called him ...Voldemort. Does that mean anything to you?"
The woman shook her head. "Is the man alright?"
"He'll survive. But I think it's time we think about more...intense measures."
Petunia looked at her nephew. She watched him talk to people who weren't there, carrying on in a black robe and pyjamas. His messy hair barely hid the scar on his head. How fitting, that his mother would give him an outward scar to match the scar she left on his mind. Harry looked up and seemed to see her, then looked away as quickly. He had long ago vilified her in his mind. In his fantasy world, she was heartless, and cared little for him. If only it were so easy. She clutched the sweater and scarf to her chest and swallowed back tears.
"Alright, doctor. Whatever you think is best."
"Petunia Dursley, to see Dr. Malfoy."
The charge nurse nodded and opened the locked gates to let her in. Once inside the ward, the thoughts came rushing to her. Had she done the right thing? Was this necessary? Vernon's voice echoed in her mind.
It's for the best Petunia. The boy...he can't be left alone...it's too much for the family.
Her heels clicked as she walked down the sterile halls, the smell of bleach and human suffering filled her nostrils. From the locked rooms came moans and screams of the imprisoned souls. The orderly led her to the observation theatre, where Dr Malfoy stood waiting. The doctor had helped so much in the past years, he had become a family friend.
"Petunia, good to see you," the doctor said. He was a kind man, with pale hair and eyes, and a warm smile. He drew her from a handshake into a tight hug.
"How is he doctor?"
Malfoy gestured to the window and his face fell. "The delusions are worse I am afraid. Keeps going on about some place called Hogwarts. Poor Rubeus Hagrid, one of the nurses, has been taking care of him in the hard times. From what we can tell, he's integrating real people and events into his delusions. With most people in his condition it's the opposite. Usually a hallucination will meld into real life for the patient, but for him, it seems that the delusions are nearly all he knows."
Petunia stared at the boy in the small room below her. He was waving his hands in the air, as if conducting a symphony. He looks so like James, she thought.
The thoughts of her beloved brother in law brought back the onslaught of memory. She fought vainly against it, finally allowing the thoughts to overtake her.
October 31, 1981
Vernon and Petunia Dursley pulled into the driveway of 62 Godric's Hollow, Little Whinging, Surrey. They were all going to a party tonight, and would be taking the babies with them. Dudley was asleep in the back, dressed as a tiny pumpkin. As Vernon pulled the babe from his seat, Petunia noticed something odd. The door to the house was wide open.
Cautiously, she made her way into the house, leaving her young husband to gather their son.
"Lily? James?"
The house was eerily still. No lights were on. Candy in a bowl sat near the door, waiting for early revelers. Petunia listened intently. Faint singing from upstairs. From the nursery.
"Lily? Is that you? It's Pet, whats going on?"
No response.
Petunia reached the door to the nursery and pushed to open it. It was stuck, as if the door was blocked on the inside. She heard the unmistakeable voice of her sister, singing softly.
"Lily, open up. Come on Lil, you're really scaring me here."
Then, the song was covered by a wail. Harry. Not a normal baby cry, but a cry of pain and terror. Petunia pushed against the door, opening it just an inch. Then again, harder. She slipped her body through the crack and stumbled over whatever was blocking the doorway.
There were no lights in the room, save one candle. Lily sat in the corner, rocking her whimpering child. Petunia squinted her eyes to see what was wrong. She reached across to the lamp on the table.
When she saw, she screamed.
Lily rocked in the chair, her red hair black with blood. Her child covered in red stickiness as well, wailing in pain. In her hand, Lily held a knife.
"My God Lil, what are you doing? Where is Jamie?"
Lily nodded to the door. Expecting to see her brother in law coming to their aid, Petunia turned. She nearly wretched as she saw her darling Jamie, slumped on the floor, eyes glazed. His glasses were askew, and blood pooled from the wounds on his body. That was what had blocked the door. Her dear brother-in-law. Later, Petunia would realize that Lily had dragged the corpse there, to barricade her in with her son.
Rushing up the stairs, Vernon screamed when he saw. He flew to Lily and ripped the boy from her arms.
"Christ Lily, what did you do? Petunia, call the police.Call for an ambulance. He's bleeding."
Indeed. Lily had carved a long jagged stripe down her infant son's forehead. Petunia stared at James's lifeless body.
"Why isn't Jamie helping Harry? What happened? Petunia? Where is your costume? We are going as wizards, remember?" She waved the knife in her hand as if it were a wand. "Abracadabra."
Her voice slurred the words over and over again. "Abracadabra ... Abrakadavra ... avrakedavra .... avadakedavra."
"Lil, it's going to be ok. You're going to be fine..."
"Mrs Dursley...Mrs Dursley?"
"Oh, sorry Doctor, I slipped off for a moment. He thinks he is a wizard, doesnt he?"
Dr. Malfoy stared at the boy, "Yes, I'm afraid so. Seems he's told his counselors that his parents were killed by a 'Dark Lord.' Sent some of them straight to the bishop. Tried to have the child exorcized. Nonsense."
"Has he been ...violent?" Petunia could barely think of it.
"I'm afraid so. Attacked an intern yesterday, a young man named Riddle. Called him ...Voldemort. Does that mean anything to you?"
The woman shook her head. "Is the man alright?"
"He'll survive. But I think it's time we think about more...intense measures."
Petunia looked at her nephew. She watched him talk to people who weren't there, carrying on in a black robe and pyjamas. His messy hair barely hid the scar on his head. How fitting, that his mother would give him an outward scar to match the scar she left on his mind. Harry looked up and seemed to see her, then looked away as quickly. He had long ago vilified her in his mind. In his fantasy world, she was heartless, and cared little for him. If only it were so easy. She clutched the sweater and scarf to her chest and swallowed back tears.
"Alright, doctor. Whatever you think is best."