Disclaimer: I still do not own Harry Potter.

Author's Note: Hi everyone. I hope you all are doing well. For all Americans out there, I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. This year has been very different, hasn't it? My family and I usually get together with my sister-in-law's family for the holiday, but because of COVID we didn't this year. But my boyfriend Ryan and I still had a great holiday. We spent time with my parents down in Maryland for a few days. It's a very sparsely populated area so we felt very safe there.

My parents aren't big Potter fans, but they were very interested in this particular story so I read a bunch of it to them out loud. They loved it, and it was really cool!

I'm glad everyone enjoyed the last chapter. Sirius is definitely going to play a large role in the story.

I really hope you enjoy this chapter.

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Petunia couldn't help the uncontrollable fear that coursed through her body when she heard about Sirius Black's escape. She couldn't believe such a thing had happened; from what Lily had once said, Azkaban was supposed to be impenetrable. Once you were locked up there, you couldn't escape. She shuddered when she recalled the conversation she'd heard between Lily and that awful boy. Severus Snape, with his greasy, stringy hair, sallow face, and hooked nose, was a presence in her life she wished to forget.

But somehow, that deranged man had found a way to get around those Dementors, and now he was God knows where. Petunia was afraid for herself, but a lot more so for those she loved. And Harry was certainly someone who she cherished more than she ever thought was possible. Whenever she looked into his green eyes, she felt pain, but there was so much love there now, too. She would often lie in bed at night and pray that Lily would forgive her, and she hoped with all her heart that she was doing right by her now. As much as she still held feelings of loathing for James, she knew deep down how much he had loved his son too.

She knew those blood wards that Dumbledore had erected around the house were there to protect them, and if Harry was a short distance from Petunia at all times, he was supposed to remain safe. Thankfully, the places he went weren't that far away. She tried to convince herself that everything would be okay, that she was causing herself an unreasonable amount of stress, but she couldn't help it.

And Harry ... her heart ached when she thought of his reaction to the news. It was as if Lily was coming back to haunt her; all the blame she'd cast on Lily for their parents' deaths pummeled her mind like a tsunami. "I don't want you to get hurt because of me." Harry's fearful words, that stricken look in those green eyes ... it was a wonder Petunia had been able to keep herself composed. She'd waited to break down until the boy left to go and be with his friends. She'd gone into her and Vernon's room, shut the door, and sobbed her heart out, whispering apologies to Lily through her tears.

In the days following the fateful news report, things in the house were quiet and still, with nothing out of the ordinary transpiring. But instead of this calming Petunia, it put her more on edge. She spent as much time as she could around Harry, and she reiterated to him on multiple occasions that none of this was his fault. Harry seemed to appreciate the reassurance, but she could tell the worry was eating him alive. Petunia hoped that by doing this, she was atoning for the sins of the past that had irrevocably severed her and Lily's already fractured relationship forever.

As time passed and Harry's birthday grew closer, she honestly didn't know what to buy for him other than the video and computer games he always asked for. She wanted to make this particular birthday special, to try and compensate for the events that had occurred recently. She could tell that Harry wasn't approaching July 31 with the happiness and excitement he usually displayed. Yet another strike against witches and wizards, she thought with disgust. Can't they leave my nephew in peace?

"Vernon, I'm really not sure what we should do," she admitted a week to the day since Sirius escaped. "Can you think of anything else Harry really wants for his birthday?"

Dudley happened to be in the room during this conversation; Harry was upstairs in his own room, so there was no chance of him hearing the topic of discussion. "Er, I have an idea," Dudley said, looking hesitant.

"You do?" asked Petunia, gratified to hear her son joining the conversation. She couldn't be more thrilled at the bond between the two boys - it was obvious they cared about each other immensely. Dudley had been so supportive and understanding about everything, and he'd stuck close by Harry's side more and more since that terrible letter had arrived. He'd even asked her if she'd heard from "those awful weirdos" after Sirius's escape.

And unfortunately, she had. Two days later she'd received another letter from that bastard Dumbledore, assuring her that their family would remain safe if Harry remained close to them. She'd read it, then torn it into shreds and thrown it unceremoniously into the wastepaper basket. Letters, letters, letters. Those wizards loved communicating extremely important and crucial information through pieces of parchment, didn't they? That old geyser had only bothered to come to the house to try and manipulate Harry into going to that pathetic school.

Dudley's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "Well ..." he said, and Petunia had the sudden notion that whatever he was going to say would shock her. "Er, there's this stray dog we keep seeing around wherever we hang out."

Petunia instantly fought the initial surge of revulsion she felt. Throughout her childhood, whenever she'd seen a stray dog, Lily was always so compassionate and wanted to pet the creature, feed it, and comfort it. Petunia hated those animals; they were so dirty they seemed to wallow in filth. Her parents had always told her she should be more understanding, and not judge them by their appearances. But Petunia had always been a neat freak; it was part of her personality, and anything that ruined it was automatically considered vile and wrong.

Dudley, recognizing the look on his mother's face, stopped talking. "Er, forget it," he said quietly. "I'm sorry."

Petunia immediately softened, and she talked to herself in her head for several seconds. She'd been doing this self-talk ever since Harry had arrived on her doorstep, trying to break herself out of her old ways. Atonement was hard, harder than she ever would have expected. You know that many of the things you said and thought were wrong, she chastized herself. Listen to your son. He may have something very valuable to say.

"No, I'm sorry, Diddy," Petunia said, immediately causing a scowl to appear on Dudley's face. She realized too late that she'd called him by that silly, babyish nickname again. Dudley used to like it, but not anymore.

"It's Dudley, Mum," her son said, exasperated.

"Sorry," Petunia repeated. "Go on. I'm listening."

"Er ..." Dudley said, trying to get his thoughts together. "I know you don't like stray dogs, and Dad doesn't either, but ... whoever that dog is, it's really growing on Harry. I don't know who it used to belong to, but it keeps turning up around the neighborhood. I've seen Harry outside a fair few times, petting it and talking to it. It first appeared in the park when we were hanging out with our friends, and it took a real liking to Harry then."

"I wasn't aware Harry even liked animals," said Vernon, sounding very surprised. "He never went out of his way to pay attention to them before."

"I know," said Dudley, "but there's something about this dog that's really changing him. Dunno why it's this particular neighborhood it likes to hang out in, but ..."

Petunia contemplated the situation. How much did animals sense when it came to humans? Could this dog somehow sense the magic in Harry, and therefore took a liking to him? The thought of this made her uncomfortable, but the feeling was immediately replaced by the mantra she'd trained her brain to always repeat when these kinds of things came up. Think of Harry, do right by Lily. Think of Harry, do right by Lily. Stop being so damned selfish and think of this poor little boy who has become a victim of the cruelty of the wizarding world.

"Harry's honestly doing better because of the dog," Dudley said, still looking very nervous.

"Can you do me a favor?" Petunia slowly asked, her heart fluttering as she hoped this was the right thing to do. "Next time you see that dog anywhere around here, could you let me know? I'd like to take a look at it."

"Er, sure," said Dudley. "Are you agreeing ... that Harry can have the dog?"

"Petunia, are you suggesting we bring such a dirty thing into our home?" Vernon demanded, looking very startled.

Petunia sighed. She loved Vernon, and she was used to him reacting like this. But still, it annoyed her to know he voiced the same reactions that she had internally. She was trying to get rid of the instinctive part of her that she feared would always be there, and she didn't need to see her own attitude reflected in someone else. I fell in love with Vernon for this very reason, she realized, and she despised herself for it. She couldn't help but still be in love with him, though, even after she'd begun to change from her old, spiteful self; he offered normalcy, security, and routine to her life. She knew she just had to work with him, and hopefully get him to think beyond his instinctive reaction.

"I don't like the idea myself," Petunia admitted quietly. "But think of what Harry's going through right now, darling. Surely you've noticed he hasn't been sleeping well, and he's in constant fear for our safety. It's not fair he has to live like this. He should be looking forward to his eleventh birthday."

"Is a dirty, manky dog really the answer to his problems, Petunia?" Vernon said, his voice still filled with annoyance.

"Dad." Dudley walked over to his father. "I know I'm rather dense, but I've even noticed it myself that Harry's growing to love that dog. We've never been animal lovers but ... that dog seems to have come at the right moment."

If there was anyone Vernon listened to, it was Dudley. He still looked unconvinced, but he was paying more attention now. "It might help Harry with his ... you know," Dudley continued. "Then those weirdos might stop bothering us."

By "you know", Petunia knew Dudley meant accidental magic, and she wished she agreed with his naive view that if the dog was some kind of emotional support for Harry, the wizards would never knock on their door again. But the fact that Dudley was looking out for her nephew's needs struck a chord in Petunia.

xxx

After that conversation, Petunia continued to work on Vernon. She'd realized early on in their relationship that if she talked about something long enough, something Vernon initially disagreed with, she could pick and pick at it until he went along with her. When it concerned Harry or Dudley, it always took a shorter time. One prime example was imploring Vernon not to send Dudley to Smeltings, his old school, and instead send him to Stonewall High with Harry.

Therefore, in the few days that followed, the Dursleys discreetly watched Harry bond with the stray dog. When they first saw it, they were horrified at the state it was in. Its fur was matted, it was emaciated beyond belief, and it was so unbelievably dirty that the thought of it being in their clean, spotless home turned their stomachs.

But there was something about watching Harry truly start to regard the dog as a companion. He talked quietly to it, petted it, threw a ball to it, and when his mates came over, they looked at him with surprise, shocked at the trust that was forming between the two. Harry managed to procure some table scraps for it quite a few times, and though he tried to do it when he thought the Dursleys weren't looking, they saw it all. They didn't reprimand him on it, however, and just continued to watch.

Early in the morning on Harry's eleventh birthday, Petunia and Vernon went outside to look for the dog. They didn't have to go far; it was lying down across the street from the Dursleys' house. When it saw Petunia and Vernon heading towards it, its ears pricked up.

The Dursleys had been around the neighborhood, asking many people whether they had seen the dog before and who might be its owner. If anyone told them, they would make some phone calls and report that the animal was being abused, because what decent dog owners would leave it in this state? But over the last several days, as they spoke with person after person, no one had ever seen the creature before. Where had it come from?

But no one knew.

And so, doing something that was against their nature but knowing deep down that it would do their nephew a world of good, they took the dog into the house. Petunia gave him a bath; she and Vernon now knew it was a male dog. They cleaned him up as best they could, and knew in the days to come they must phone the local vet and explain the situation. They'd watched Harry and the creature thoroughly, and reasoned that in no way was he harmful or infested with disease.

The dog gobbled up the food Petunia had bought from the pet store yesterday. His fur was still matted after the bath, but he was now as clean as he could be. He'd whined and complained while in the water; no dog liked being given a bath, after all, but in the end he'd put up with it. Petunia and Vernon tried as best they could to treat him decently; both were completely out of their league, having never cared for a pet in their entire lives.

And then, the time was upon them. Harry came down the stairs, and the three Dursleys met him at the bottom. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HARRY!" they chorused, making Harry jump. Petunia held her arms open, and she hugged Harry close. She could see that the boy was definitely not in his usual mood that she'd seen him in for every recent birthday.

"Thanks," Harry said softly, accepting Petunia's hug and Vernon and Dudley's pats on the back.

Petunia cleared her throat. "Harry, we have something for you," she said quietly, her heart beating fast. "We've been thinking about it, and we knew exactly what to get you for your birthday."

"We know you've been having a difficult time lately, mate," said Dudley. "And we want to help you."

"I didn't much like the idea at first, but they convinced me," said Vernon, looking at his wife and son. "And you're ... you're a good boy, Harry. I hope this makes you happy."

Harry's surprise was evident on his face, his green eyes wide. "What is it?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

Suddenly, there was a sound from the living room. "WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!"

"Gee, does he want attention or what?" asked Dudley with a laugh. "We leave him alone for one minute and he starts barking? You'll have to teach him patience, Harry."

Harry's eyes had gone impossibly wide as he ran into the living room, any negative thoughts seeming to have left him.

And there he was, the dog who had constantly been in the neighborhood lately. Unable to believe his aunt and uncle had actually done this, he began to pet him with an astonished look on his face.

"He's yours," said Petunia, going over to Harry and patting his shoulder. "You can keep him."