Explaining Petunia Chapter 3

By Ambush

A/N Yeah, it's going slow. What can I say? I'm rusted.

There were a few sheets in the envelope, and the first slid out into Petunia's hand, as though eager for her to read it. She examined it front and back, and then read:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sroc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards.)

Dear Miss Evans,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Suddenly, the afternoon sunshine seemed cooler. Petunia lowered the letter. Then she read it again. The she put I back down, on the grass by her knee.

This would make sense, She thought. This would explain the things I have done.

Petunia sometimes made things happen, when she was very very happy, or terribly angry. Just the last week of school, she had done something strange again. Her teacher had read the last maths test scores out loud. Petunia was good at maths, but she'd been beaten by one little boy in her class. And Jeremyand his gang had laughed out loud, and called her dumb, as soon as class let out. Jeremy never let her alone, and she had been sick of it.

Blinking back furious tears, Petuinia had kept her head up and walked quickly towards her neighbourhood. Jeremy's taunting voice floated after her on the new summer breeze. She had turned to face him, when suddenly the pavement square had moved! It jumped sideways under his feet, and Jeremy fell flat on his back in mid taunt, and choked on his bubblegum. It took him a moments to spit it out, but when he managed, he turned to say something menacing to Petunia.

She found it hard to be intimidated by a purple-faced boy with drool on his chin, however, and had walked away, laughing and grinning.

I must have imagined that, though, because pavement doesn't move. Not normal pavement, anyway. Petunia glanced back at the letter, coming out of her memory. The wind whistled through the tree branches, making the letter rustle for her attention. Maybe…maybe it's not the pavement? Maybe it was me. I did that…?

She shook her head. There was no way, NO WAY, that she was a freak like that! She was made fun of at school by boys, for being tall and skinny, and when she was mad… well, look what happened! And that didn't improve anything. It just made the boys angrier, and they came up with fresher insults for her.

No, she was not different.

No way. Not going to happen. Sorry, Minerva-whatever-your-name-is, I'm not going!

Petunia rose with resolve, and tore the letter into tiny confetti-like pieces. She then scattered them in the garden, and went inside to play with Lily.

She had forgotten about the envelope, with the supplies list inside. It lay propped against the tree trunk, waiting. It didn't cross her mind over dinner, nor did it ente her thoughts the next day.