Brother Against Brother
Warning:
I was thinking about the themes of Harry Potter and how they could correspond with the American Civil War. Brother against brother, the South fighting for their way of life, Pure-blood wizards fighting for theirs, muggleborns fighting for their right to magic, and people of color fighting for freedom. But if not the muggleborn to rally against, then who? The Jewish of course. In 1860 the Temple was the first established reform synagogue in Atlanta, Georgia to serve the needs of German-Jewish immigrants. While on the East coast different faiths have historically been better tolerated, I can imagine the strain a Jewish synagogue being built in 1860s Georgia would bring to a country already struggling through rising tensions leading up to the Civil War one year later. This was also the time Abraham Lincoln was voted president. The Jewish have faced much persecution throughout history. I do not proclaim to be Jewish, so I am learning as I go. I'm not sure the direction I want to go with this story but so far my overall feel for it is historical fiction with an eventual dash of smut. I can foresee Dudley being spoiled, but in those days unless one was very wealthy you couldn't afford laziness. I also cant see making Vernon anything besides the White privileged male he is with the acceptable beliefs and desire to be viewed as normal. I could see Petunia converting to Vernon's religion but secretly practicing her own. In this timeline Harry would have been born in around 1845 to James Potter, descendant of a wealthy founding family of Savannah, GA, and Lily Evans, descendant of German immigrants whose mother was Jewish.
It was a dreary day, this day of November the first. Crows took flight into the gray, chilly sky streaked with smothered rays of sunshine glowing faintly orange. There was a slight ominous undertone of the type after a great violence has occurred and the world is still suffering the after-shock.
A different type of blackbird appeared on the horizon; this one the type with a starched white collar and a sister at his side in similar, somber garb. The man was Father Dumbledore, long white beard entwined with his wooden cross on his chest. Sister Minerva wore a wimple over her silver streaked hair, a swaddled bundle held protectively to her chest next to her own wooden cross.
They had traveled by train to Atlanta to come on this special mission bearing precious cargo. They walked the rest of the way to the Dursley home on foot. The small family lived a little ways outside city limits on a good sized plot of land. Lily Potter had letters from her sister, Petunia, about raising some livestock and growing vegetables and small crops for the families use while Vernon worked at Atlanta's First Bank. Petunia had given birth to a healthy baby boy, Dudley they called him, a few months before little Harry was born Minerva thought fondly as she tenderly stroked the sleeping lads face. Lily said her sister had always wanted a large family, as had Lily and James themselves. Harry was a little over a year old, poor lamb.
They came upon a large, well kept brick home. Visible was a tended garden with a kissing gate and bench. A pen with goat's and a chicken coop were on the far side of the house in an enclosure. A milk cow moo'ed from behind a fence. Minerva recalled she had been told Vernon's family had invested wisely in the railroad and were fairly well to do. Vernon had attended good schools and was now working directly under the president of the bank. While James family was very wealthy most of it would be held in trust until Harry was old enough to properly manage his finances. Although there would be a monthly stipend, it was good the Dursley's were financially stable.
Using the brass door knocker, the party waited until the door creaked open a fraction to reveal part of a swollen, tear streaked face. As soon as the woman spotted the bundled babe the tears started anew.
"I thought I had cried myself out of tears," Petunia sullenly stated, opening the door the rest of the way and showing a heavily pregnant form swathed in mourning attire. With a hand on her massive pregnancy and the other on the small of her back she led the way to the parlor.
Dudley sat on a rug playing with a wooden train and blocks, looking up at the newcomers curiously before going back to his play. There was a wooden rocker Petunia gingerly sat in before gesturing impatiently for Harry. Minerva rushed to hand the grieving sister the baby. The jostling roused the toddler, causing him to purse his lips into a moue of dissatisfaction. Shushing the baby, Petunia took a burp cloth and covered herself as she pulled a tit out for him to suckle which he hungrily and noisily did. Minerva looked slightly disgruntled, "Lily had just weaned him, we fed him goats milk since...," she trailed off in distress.
"I still nurse Dudley and when the new baby comes, maybe then I will think about weaning. With all the stress the tykes under he doesn't need weaning right now but comfort ," Petunia stated defensively as she cradled her nephew to her bosom. He sleepily peered her sister's eyes up at her as he strongly suckled which started her crying again.
The forgotten Father Dumbledore ahemed to catch the womens attention.
"I hope little Harry is most happy here. You have a lovely home and I am sure he will be most comfortable in the bosom of his family after being orphaned so abruptly. We or others from the Potter's church family may check in from time to time, with your permission of course," the kindly old man stated.
"I suppose, as long as you send word well before you arrive," acquiesced the newly calmed Madonna with the suckling babe at her breast, her own son crawling over to her lap to be placed at the other. With two suckling toddlers cuddled up to her belly full of babe she fell asleep. They showed themselves to the door.
When Vernon arrived home to his very pregnant wife sleeping and two toddlers playing on the floor he decided to make them all supper then settled in to play with his rapidly expanding family. Petunia eventually woke up and Vernon had to help haul her girth out of the rocking chair to eat supper. All was well.
Day-to-day life progressed nicely in the Dursley household. Little Harry was a good fit and a great playmate for Dudley. The two toddlers got into much and caused much work for Petunia who was getting rounder by the day if possible. Finally the day came she gave birth to another son, Vincent. As the three children fought over the womans breasts at any given time she decided the two older boys could finally be weaned. Little Vincent was much happier the only recipient of his mothers milk.
As the boys got older they were given age appropriate chores, helping Petunia tend the crops and animals. When the boys were 5 Petunia became pregnant again, giving them a little sister, Rosemary. Petunia also taught all the children to read, write, and do maths.
Vernon achieved great success at the bank, becoming president when his predecessor retired. Soon they had achieved enough financial status they could afford to hire a freed black woman to come daily to help Petunia. Mrs. Thomas brought her children as well to spend the day with the Dursley children. Her son Dean was the same age as Dudley and Harry. Petunia was also pregnant again, working towards her large family.
Harry was a beloved member of the family. He was taught about his parents. Some of his parents friends came to visit him and brought him gifts. His godfather was in the military and gone a lot, but his scholarly uncle Remus brought him books that Sirius had sent from overseas. He was told how his parents died, murdered by some folks who didn't like the fact James Potter of the Savannah Potters took up with a Northerner of mixed pedigree. No one was ever tried or arrested.
When the boys were eight they started going to the local school in Atlanta. They made friends of the local children. Life was peaceful and good.
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