AN: Hi! I don't own anything recognizable or else I'd be vacationing in Thailand right about now.

The knock that changed the course of history was quick, precise, not too loud and not too soft. The lady of the house, an anorexic looking woman with an equine face, scowled and brushed imaginary dust off her a-line skirt. Her rude answer changed before she even began to utter it and a sickly sweet smile spread across her face.

"Sorry to bother, are you Petunia Dursley?" The woman was pretty and elegant looking. Her clothes were much better than what the Dursley's could afford, Petunia could see a shiny new car over her shoulder.

"Yes, how can I help you?" the woman handed her a simple white card of thick, smooth, creamy paper.

"My name is Elena Evan, your father was my father's younger brother. I have something to talk to you about." Though she was already planning on how to kick the woman out if she asked for anything, she gestured for her to come in. She led the woman through to the parlor and offered tea.

"Is something the matter? I have to say I'd forgotten I have an uncle." The woman sighed.

"That's exactly what I wanted to speak to you about. First, is there a way to get a hold of Cousin Lily? I had to resort to a private detective to find you, however, he wasn't able to find her." Petunia half sneered at her sisters name.

"Lily passed away six years ago."

"Oh. That is unfortunate, my condolences. Actually, I've come because my father has passed away." She waved a hand at Petunia's gasp and 'heartfelt sympathies'. Apparently, Elena wasn't a very warm, emotional woman. "Yes, yes. Well, anyway. As his only child, I inherited. This of course includes his house, which had been in the family for six generations." Petunia waited for her to get to the point. Though Mrs. Dursley loved to brag, she didn't like it when it wasn't her who was bragging.

"I'm a military woman as my father was a military man. Now I do mostly office work but I'm afraid I have been told I'm expected to move to the States by the weekend. As it stands, I can't inhabit the house and neither can I sell it. Father was quite vocal about keeping it in the Evan's line. I was hoping either you or Cousin Lily would like to have the house. I understand both of you had children?"

It took Petunia a second to gather her thoughts. After all, a complete stranger had come to give away a house! " Yes, yes, my darling Dudley and her boy. Dudley's a precious little tyke, already so popular and handsome."

"And Cousin Lily's?" Petunia looked like she'd been forced to bite an unpeeled lemon. "One boy, named Harry. After my… sister and that husband of her's died, we took him in. He's a little devil, always breaking something or getting into trouble."

"That's incredibly kind of you. If I were the boy, I'd be more appreciative of all you've done for him. I've seen what boys like him grow up to be, you know. I see plenty of those kind become good members of society through the tough training of the military and the marines."

"We considered sending him to a military academy but with two boys to consider…"

"I wish I had known. The same blood flows through our veins, after all, and it makes me just as responsible for the boy. More, actually, since I myself am unmarried and unable to bear children."

"And the house?" Petunia tried to be subtle. Her cousin pulled a picture from her purse and handed it over. And Petunia, in vulgar words, almost pissed her granny panties. The "house" was more on the mansion side of the spectrum. Even if the Dursley's were to save everything Vernon earned for ten years; they wouldn't have been able to afford it.

"I had planned for the detective to find you weeks ago, to give you time to visit the house and see the town but it took him much longer. As I said, I have to be at work on Monday so I would very much like to meet your husband so we can all go over the paperwork together. For now, I have an appointment soon so I'm afraid I have to go. My number is on my card so feel free to call me anytime in the next two days. I'll bring everything over and we can decide if you want the house or not. I really must get going though."

Petunia made vacant pleasantries as Elena left. Want the house? Of course they wanted the bloody house! She couldn't wait for Vernon and Dudley to get home.

Harry James Potter, age seven, had been busy brushing, washing, scrubbing, wiping, dusting, and polishing every surface in the whole of his aunt's house since he'd gotten home from school. While he was used to cleaning the house, he'd only been made to do it this intensely maybe twice in all his life. What really had him worried was the fact that he'd been given new hand-me-downs. Of course, they were clothes that Petunia had saved from when Dudley was four and even then they were too big. The reason Harry was worried was because the new clothes meant that whoever was coming to visit was going to want to see him. No one had ever wanted to see Harry before.

Something weird had been going on with the Dursley's since the day before. They'd been over the moon about something and had spent hours staring at a picture and laughing. Uncle Vernon and even Aunt Petunia had had a little too much too drink in celebration the night before. Harry thought it had something to do with tonight's dinner guest. The Dursleys as a whole loved very few things: money, shiny cars, big houses, food, the telly, anything bad that happened to Harry, and Dudley. Since Dudley looked perfectly fine, Harry was stumped and a little afraid of the reason for their excitement.

At exactly six, Dudley pushed Harry into a wall when he went to answer the door. He came back with a stiff looking lady with a no-nonsense air about her. She looked expensive and she smelled like some kind of flower.

"Welcome, Elena, welcome. May I introduce my husband, Vernon and you've met my darling Duddy. Vernon, this is my cousin Elena Evans." If she was Aunt Petunia's cousin, then wasn't she Harry's aunt as well? Would she be like Aunt Marge?

"And Lily's boy?" Harry shuffled forward ever so slightly and winced when Petunia grabbed him roughly and dragged him forward.

"Forgive the state of his clothes, he's destroyed everything we buy him." Harry turned red at his aunt's disdainful tone and the new aunt's raised eyebrow.

"I can see. Tell me, Vernon, what has Petunia said to you about my offer?" Harry, taking that as his cue to leave, marched himself into the kitchen to finish washing and chopping the fruit salad for dinner.

By eight, Harry knew that this new aunt was going to be exactly, if not worse, than aunt Marge. She was cold, and stiff, and thought Harry should be sent to an academy that would straighten his act up and 'teach him to be a productive member of society'. After dinner, Dudley ran off to watch the telly in his room and Harry served tea and coffee in the parlor. While the adults talked and looked over some papers, Harry sat against the wall behind the couch. He was happy he was allowed to sit after running around all day.

"Well, that's all of that then." He heard the woman say. "Tell me about the boys. I'm not too sure I want Harry anywhere near the house. All those precious antiques, you know. I already feel responsible for how much trouble he's been. Had I known the situation I would have found some way to help you."

"We're family. He's our responsibility."

"But so am I, and I have much more time than either of you. If only Lily had seen fit to leave him with me. It can't be easy, after all, having to look after him when you have your own son to raise. Not to mention the things poor Dudley must have to bear with just living with that little hellion. It's frankly amazing he hasn't hurt Dudley or gotten him in trouble." Vernon and Petunia made little agreement noises and Petunia saw fit to recount all the latest of "Harry's misbehaviors" which had all been Dudley's but Harry had gotten blamed and punished for.

"If I had a son….." began the woman and suddenly stopped. "Well, that is an idea. What if I were to take custody of the boy?" Harry overbalanced and fell over in his surprise. The silence was incredibly ….loud, almost. It was as if time itself had stopped.

"Oh, oh…we couldn't do that to you, we couldn't ask you to-" Harry had never heard his aunt so flustered.

"I'm family, the same blood that runs through your veins and ran through Lily's runs through mine. I have time, and the money to take care of myself as well as another. And I believe I could make him behave." Harry didn't like the way she had said that. It sounded bad.

"I-I don't know what to say," began his aunt again but Vernon broke in.

"Will you excuse us for a moment." Harry saw his uncle pulling Petunia behind him in a brusque way normally used only on Harry. The two disappeared into the kitchen and he crawled as close to the door as he possibly could.

"Petunia just give her the boy! We'd be free! And the house!"

"You know what they said when they left him. He has to stay with-"

"someone with the same blood as your sister's. That cousin of yours has the same blood!"

"What- what if they find out?"

"They said blood of her blood, that stuck up woman has that blood. I want that house!"

"Alright, Vernon, alright. She has to be gone by this weekend so it's best we get the boy out as soon as we can."

The only two somewhat parental figures Harry had ever had were giving him away. Vernon was even smiling as he came back into the room. Harry scrambled back behind the couch and pressed himself tightly against the stiff fabric. A hand went to his lips and he bit down on his skin, trying desperately to stop any sound that might break through. Even though he knew they didn't care much for him, he'd never expected to be given away. Sadness and anger and so many other emotions a seven year old couldn't explain or name were fighting inside him and his tears were blurring his vision more and creating droplets on his hideous glasses.

"Though it pains us, I think that would be the best for the boy." Said Vernon gruffly. "Will you have the time to finish the paperwork for him too?"

"If you have the time, my solicitor can come by tomorrow with both sets of documents. I think I should take the boy now, get him used to things as quickly as possible."

"Good idea, very good." T here was the clink of china against china for a second, "Boy!" Harry roughly wiped his eyes on his huge shirt.

"Y-yes Uncle Vernon?" He stood next to the couch, watching the two self-satisfied adults and the uncaring stranger they were giving him to.

"Go grab that old suitcase from the linen closet upstairs and pack your things. You're going to live with your Aunt." Harry knew he was expected to say something but he felt like he might vomit if he opened his mouth, like lava would flow from his mouth if he didn't keep it bubbling inside of him.