Brave New World
Number 4 Privet Drive
Friday June 14, 1996
To say Petunia Dursley was a normal middle-aged woman with nothing overly interesting about her would be correct. She has a beautiful normal home, a well to do husband; her son had finally stuck to his diet, in no small part (in her opinion) do to her influence. So it was with a great deal of trouble that she sat at the kitchen table of the before said home with not just her nephew and son, but three adult wizards. Little did she know when she awoke this morning she would, in her opinion, be forced into this much abnormality. Oh how she wished her husband was here to protect her.
"Do pardon the intrusion Mrs. Dursley, but given what happened last year, and the events of this morning. I thought it best that we had a little talk with you and your family about a great many things." At that there was a loud crack of Apparation, and there before everyone was a very freighted and petrified Vernon Dursley and a very smug looking Nymphadora Tonks.
"Sorry it took so long but Apparating with big boy here took a couple tries. He keep running from me when he realized I wasn't, in his words "Normal."" With that Tonks released the Petrificus Totalus. With a shriek Vernon ran to his wife and began to pull her out of the house, only to find that the doors and windows were magical locked.
"Please do forgive that, but I thought you might try to run before we had the chance to talk. If you prefer we can provide you with a Draught of Peace or perhaps some whisky is in order. Harry would you mind poring us all a finger of whisky, I trust you know where to find it?"
Harry did as he was told, and truth be told was actually looking forward to the drink. Not only was he and his "Family" about to sit down and finally talk about his life but he was also about to have to tell his Headmaster and the greatest wizard alive how he got the drop on him but that he was going to say it in front of his magic hating relatives. Yes, a drink was very much called for.
He set out the glasses of whisky, one in front for everyone but Moody. In front of Moody, with a wink, he simply gave an empty glass. Moody gave a short nod, and a smirk, filling it from his hip flask. Harry sat down next to Dudley and sipped from his own glass. Waiting for whatever was to come next, and he didn't have to wait long.
"Now that we have all calmed down a bit. I think a brief set of introductions is in order. I will begin." With that Albus stood to his full height.
"My name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, and was awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class for the defeat of the Dark Wizard Grindelwald in 1945. Please forgive me for that last bit, one of the thing that goes along with the award is that when ever you make a formal introduction you must, under penalty of magic, state that you have received the award and for what reason you were award it. Remus your next."
"My name is Remus John Lupin, formally the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, friend of Harry's parents. Also this past year a counselor at the Smelting Academy assigned to Dudley Dursley." Here he stopped at the shriek that came from Petunia. And the out burst from Vernon.
"This…this…Freak was in charge of taking care of my son!! How could they allow…"
"Oh shut it Dad! This "Freak" as you put it. Made it so I could sleep and not have nightmares over what happened last summer. He is the reason I'm doing so well in school! And while we're at it if it wasn't for Harry and his "Freakishness" I would be dead! So why don't you just shut it, and lets get on with it. These people just showed up this morning to rescue us when they thought there was a chance that Harry and I were in trouble again. They have nothing but our safety at mind here." Harry wished he had a video of what he was seeing here. Vernon Dursley the whale of a man that he is, cowering from is now larger, taller, and if it was possible more purple faced son.
"Dudley, while I appreciate you defending me, you need to control your temper. I hope you haven't forgotten everything I taught you this year." Remus said with the slightest of a smile on his face.
"Sorry Mr. Snider, or is it Mr. Lupin."
"Remus will be fine. That goes for you too Harry. I haven't been your professor for a few years now."
"That goes for me too Potter, I technically was never your professor. You can call me Moody or if you feel ballsey you can try Mad-Eye."
"Well we seemed to have gotten off topic. Shale we forgo formal introductions and just simply state our names. Then get onto the reason we are all here."
Introductions continued from there with everyone just stating their name. With Tonks simple saying "Tonks" with a glare at Dumbledore for saying here first name earlier. After the adults that wished to refill their drinks, which Vernon did, twice. Dumbledore asked the question Harry was dreading.
"So Mr. Dursley, what do you know of our world?"
"Nothing, and I would prefer it stayed that way. We have sheltered this boy for too long as it is. Now he seems to have bewitched our son into thinking that he owes him his life. I don't know what you've done to him Boy, but you undo it right now!" Before Vernon could even get three steps in Harry's direction, his son stood took one step and had his father on the floor, bleeding from the nose, unconscious.
"Mom, Mr. Dumbledore, I'm sorry but it had to be done. There is no reasoning with him when he gets it in his head that Harry has done something wrong. Harry I'm sorry I didn't do that for you ages ago. Mr. Lupin, sorry Remus would you mind helping me get him to his room. I think Harry is just going to catch my mom up on his life and I think we both know that story by now. Mom, stop looking like I grew a third head, and listen to them. I think it's for the best."
As Dudley and Remus hauled Vernon out of the room Harry began what as of late had become a common thing. He explained his life in the magical world. But unlike Dudley who asked questions every so often, Petunia just sat there. The only way Harry knew she was listening was the almost constant change in her facial expressions. They ranged from disbelief to terror to pride to sadness. It almost seemed like no time had past from Harry beginning at the start of his first year to the tragic events of the past month. When it was all said and done there was a silence like no one had ever heard.
Dudley and Remus had returned just in time for Harry to talk about how in third year he had the pleasure of having Remus as a professor. So it was a great surprise to Dudley when his mother stood without a word and hugged Harry. If that was surprising what she said could only be defined as unbelievable.
"Harry, I'm so sorry for what we have done to you. If only I hadn't let Vernon convince me that you could only bring harm to us, if you thought of us as anything other then "Normal." How odd that sounds now. You see we have always known you would be in danger. That if this Voldie-whatever came back for you here, we could be hurt if he thought you loved us. So he had us try and keep our distance. Try and make you normal, not what you are. So that we would be safe form him. But all we did was make your life hell. I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry."
This would have been a touching site, if it weren't for Moody abruptly standing, wand at the ready. But no mater how fast Mad-Eye was he wasn't fast enough. For at that very moment Vernon Dursley burst into the room brandishing a .45 Luger. Before Harry or anyone else could react he fired…
***HP***
Location Unknown
Time Unknown
A griffin flew through the air over a beautiful field. The sun is high in the sky, and the shade is cool out of the afternoon sun. In the shade of one particular tree there sat a beautiful woman with long black hair. She lay dosing as the griffin lands next to her. Without opening her eyes she reaches out and pets the brilliant red and gold fury shoulder.
"It is time, old friend, for you to go to him. He will be in need of you soon."
With that the beautiful creature is gone from this place with a tremendous flap of his wings.