-Chapter Two-

Petunia's Letter

The journey to Platform Nine and three Quarters was a slow and quiet one. Only Harry, Ron and Hermione seemed to be the only living beings on the train. Mrs Weasley had allowed Ron to go to Harry's Aunt and Uncle's much to the coaxing of Mr Weasley. Ginny had gone home with them not looking at Harry as he said his goodbyes. She was obviously still broken up about them breaking up.

The train fell into a stand still on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. Harry, Ron and Hermione were the only ones standing in the deserted platform with recruitment posters pasted across the walls with a picture of Merlin pointing towards Harry a stern look across his face and words underneath his bearded face saying:

MERLIN

WANTS YOU TO JOIN UP!

Harry ran through the barrier to King's Cross Station where as he looked through the sea of business men passing the platform to their train, was the Dursleys standing, waiting for Harry. Uncle Vernon stood there peering at Ron and Hermione with his tiny eyes with disgust.

"Hi," Harry said nervously, he had rehearsed what he was going to say the entire train ride. "Listen, I know you aren't going to like this but... Ron and Hermione are going to stay with me for the summer… until my birthday," Harry said hastily, "then you'll never see me again."

Uncle Vernon went red as he heard what Harry had just said staring furiously like a raging rhino. "I-will-not-have-any-of-your-lot-in-my-house!" He snarled his moustache almost disappearing under his nose menacingly.

"Vernon," breathed Petunia, looking wearily at the crowd looking at a red faced Uncle Vernon bearing down on Harry, Ron and Hermione. "People are watching."

Uncle Vernon's eyes narrowed to the crowd. He regained his composure. Sniffing snottily, "fine," he growled turning on his heels and walking to the car, "come on, boy."

Harry, Ron and Hermione followed behind. Ron and Hermione looking a little nervous and afraid.

No sooner Harry, Ron and Hermione stepped through the threshold of Number 4 Privet Drive did Uncle Vernon turn his threatening narrow eyes onto Harry. "Now, you tell me what is going on, boy? You know how I don't like any of," he glared at Ron and Hermione, "your lot in my house."

"They here for my protection," Harry said angrily.

"Protection?!" Uncle Vernon barked, "from that Lord Voldey-thingy?"

"Yes," Harry said lazily, "he'll be coming after me next."

"next? Snapped Aunt Petunia from behind Harry. Harry turned to her, "what do you mean next?"

"Well, now that he had Dumbledore killed, he'll be coming after me," Harry replied.

"Dumbledore is dead?" Petunia gasped.

"Wait a minute!" Uncle Vernon barked, "are you telling me that this Voldemort fellow," he looked at Ron oddly as he flinched, "is coming to kill you?"

"Yes," Harry said, but before he could finish Uncle Vernon stampeded at him like a raging antelope.

"OUT! GET OUT! I WILL NOT HAVE YOU ENDAGERING MY FAMILY!" Uncle Vernon roared grabbing hold of Harry's shirt moving him to the door. Harry whipped out his wand pointing it at Uncle Vernon. "You can't do magic out of school!"

"I can't," Harry smirked, "but they can." He motioned to Ron and Hermione. "Now, listen Voldemort can't come near me here. Dumbledore placed a charm so that he can't harm or touch me here. You're safe as long as you keep me here."

Uncle Vernon was about to say something, but, Aunt Petunia barked at him, "Vernon!" he looked up at her shocked, "they stay," she turned to Ron and Hermione, "you lot can stay in the boy's room. No doubt you can use some of your... freaky stuff to make it more comfortable."

They both nodded walking up the stairs. Harry followed staring at the Dursley family. Uncle Vernon looked shocked at what had just happened. Dudley was cowering by the living room door and Aunt Petunia stood by the door with her arms folded. Harry felt in his back pocket taking out the envelope, "err... Aunt Petunia," he held the envelope at her, "Professor Dumbledore wanted you to have this." She snatched it from him nodding, putting it in her pocket. Harry turned and walked up the stairs. All the while, wondering about the contents of the letter. What was it Dumbledore wanted to tell her? Harry thought.

Hermione took out her wand as she reached Harry's room placing her trunk at the adjacent wall. Ron looking around at Harry's room then looking at the door nervously as Harry walked in. "Are they always like that?" he asked nervously his freckled face going a bright colour of red.

"Pretty much, but, as long as you don't mention anything remotely about magic, they should leave you alone," Harry replied warningly. Ron nodding slowly and turned to Hermione who had her wand out looking around the room.

"Engrogio," she said pointing her wand at the room. Which was once a small six-by-seven feet bedroom, turned into a large thirteen-by-eleven feet bedroom. This was enough room to have three beds inside. Though, some moving about would be needed.

Ron must have thought this as well as he took his wand out flicking it at Harry's desk and wardrobe, which both floating a foot of the air. Ron moved his wand over to the corner of the room of which the wardrobe and desk dropped down in the corner. Hermione turned her wand to the opposite wall flicking her wand and two small beds appearing besides Harry's bed. Hermione flicked her wand positioning them so that they sat neatly in the room. Harry felt a twinge of jealousy after seeing his friend using magic so naturally. He couldn't wait until he was of age and able to use magic.

"So?" Hermione asked turning to Hermione, "what first on the agenda?"

"Well, firstly, we going to find out who this R.A.B. is," Harry began, "then we're going to find out where the other Horcruxes are."

He walked over to his bed throwing his case on it and opening it. He scoured through his clothes and books until he reached a long metal thing at the bottom of his case. He pulled it out to see that it is Godric Gryfindor's sword. He looked at his reflection a feeling of power and determination shone back at him as the sun shone through the open window. Harry held the sword tight in his hand almost not wanting to let it go. His eyes flickered as the sun glazed his eye. He placed the sword down on his desk carefully.

He dug through the case again until he took out a small box. Opening it to find seven vials placed carefully in a velvet fabric. A slivering silvery-white substance inside each one of them. Also sitting next to uncle Vernon's old mangy socks was a miniaturised version of Dumbledore's pensive. Harry took it out. "Err... Hermione, could you?" Harry asked a little embarrassed about asking Hermione to do everything for him. For the first time he felt like a muggle. Hermione pointed her wand at the pensive enlarging it until it was a large stone basin etched with odd markings around the rim.

Hermione looked at it in awe, "is that a pensive?" she asked her eye wide with awe.

"Yeah, Dumbledore must have left it along with the vials of memories," Harry said taking his wand out. Hermione and Ron did the same following Harry into the memories Harry poured in the pensive.

For the next few days while, Uncle Vernon and Dudley left the house, Uncle Vernon going to work and Dudley terrorising the neighbourhood, Harry, Ron and Hermione delved into the pensive to find the clues as to where the Horcruxes would be.

"It could be at the Hog's Head," Ron concluded, after another venture into Voldemort's past.

"No," Harry replied shaking his head, "Dumbledore's brother's the barman. If Voldemort would have hidden his Horcrux there, Dumbledore would have known."

"What about the orphanage he grew up at?" Hermione asked inquisitively as she peeped her head from her edition of Dark Wizards & their followers through the ages by Gidian Trunchball. She had been looking through the entry on Voldemort for the past two days since it came from Flourish and Blotts.

"That is a possibility," Harry said, pinning up a piece of parchment that said: Tom Riddle's Orphanage next to another two parchments saying: Hepizah Smith's Home and the Riddle House, all of them had a line leading to a piece of parchment saying: Horcrux. "Any luck on finding R.A.B?

"No," Hermione replied, "who ever he was he mustn't have been well known or claimed he was under the Imperious Curse because even Lucius Malfoy isn't even mentioned."

"Ron, do you think your dad could get some old documents from the Ministry?" Harry asked turning to Ron.

"I'll ask, but, a lot of them files are locked away," Ron replied unsure, "he'll have to ask some major favours if he wants to get to them."

"Okay, ask him when we go for the wedding," Harry said before walking out the room to the toilet. He passed Aunt Petunia's new cabinet, which had a varnished finish that shone as the landing window reflected rays of golden sunshine at it.

A small piece of paper floated down to the floor like a tiny helicopter until it touched the carpet gently like a bird on a branch. Harry turned to see it. He bent down to pick it up only to see green fluent writing etched across the parchment. Before, Harry could resist the temptation and place the letter back onto the cabinet; he was half way through the letter, which read:

Dear Mrs Petunia Dursley,

If you are reading this I have left this realm and gone on. Now, as I explained before one Harry's 17th birthday he will become a man and will be able to leave your household expelling the magic I evoked when you took him in.

Now, as I explained in my letter to you 16 years ago, this protection will protect you and your family from any sort of danger Voldemort may try to cast at you.

As agreed I have relinquished any sign of magical properties from your son and of you ever being a liaison for the Order of the Phoenix.

Yours Sincerely

Professor Albus Dumbledore

Harry looked at the parchment his mouth dry and his eyes wide with shock as he looked up to see the shrill horse face of Aunt Petunia bearing down on him. "What do you think you are doing?" she breathed dangerously.

"You…" Harry breathed, realising at last why Aunt petunia knew so much about the Wizarding World. All those years and she and him were one and them same, "you're – you're a witch?"

"No," she said snatching the letter from Harry hands the paper cutting his thin fingers, "they tried to make me into one of them. But, I refused," she looked at Harry in disgust, "to be turned into one of you."

"You were a liaison for the order," Harry replied unblinking, his mouth dry.

"Yes, when I had Dudley," she snapped, "Dumbledore said he'd make sure that Dudley was normal as long as I sent messages to Order Members using our post."

"You made it so Dudley wouldn't be magical?" Harry breathed disbelieving.

"At first he showed signs I tried to squash them as I did with you. I would not allow my son to go through the same embarrassment I had to endure." her eye flared at Harry as she stuffed the letter into her apron pocket, "now, get back to your room and stay there."

Harry nodded walking over to door, before stopping. Anger filled him as he felt a sting of pity for Dudley. It was then that he realised what Dudley had heard that night, all the times Dudley had used magic Petunia must have shouted at him. He was just a baby. How could she say she loved him? Harry thought turning to Aunt Petunia. "You know, Dumbledore was right," Aunt petunia looked at him her raging eyes glaring at him, "I did escape the mistreatment you gave Dudley."

"GET IN YOUR ROOM!" Aunt Petunia shrieked, "and don't you dare tell Dudley or Vernon what I just told you or so help me."

She turned on her heels walking down the stairs. Harry turned and walked into his room.

"So, she's a Muib?" Ron said shocked when Harry told him of what he had just found out.

"What's that?" Harry asked confused.

"It's a Muggle-born that refuses to use their powers," Hermione said a matter-of-factly. "They are then wiped from the any records in the Wizarding World since their powers are sapped."

"You mean, like what happened with Voldemort's mother?" Harry replied.

"Yes, but, with Muibs they are wiped clean of any sort of magical powers," Hermione said, "but, with Wizards it's different. Their powers maybe sapped but, they still have some powers in them."

Harry looked out of the window as he heard Uncle Vernon's car pulling up into the driveway. Uncle Vernon stepping out of his car unaware of what had just happened just five minutes ago. And for Petunia's sake, he never will.