Ariving in Hogsmead, Sarah disapparated as soon as she stepped out of the carriage, apparating just outside the barriers that surrounded Number 4 Privet Drive. She was wearing jeans and a peasant top, not looking anything like the witch she was. She then walked the rest of the way to the Dursley's house, and timidly knocked on the door. She flinched, then, as she hadn't intended to knock that loud. It didn't matter, though, as a horsefaced woman with a long neck soon came to the door.
Was THIS Petunia Dursley? Sarah wondered. She looked nothing like her own mother, except perhaps hair color and a little around the eyes. But Linda had been much more beautiful. Sarah decided the lack of similarity must have been due to the fact that they were only half-sisters. She realized the woman was waiting impatiently for her to speak first. "Um, hi," Sarah said, softly. "Are you Petunia Dursley?" she asked. She was trying to be polite, not wanting the door slammed in her face before she found out anything.
"Who are you?" the woman asked suspiciously. "You're not one of them are you?" Sarah just raised an eyebrow. What did she mean? "One of who?" she asked. "I'm Sarah Williams. My parents are Robert and Linda Williams, and my mother's last name was Evans. She got a note fourteen years ago about her father and step-mother's passing, and she finally found out about a sister she had. Petunia Evans. I found out Petunia had married a Vernon Dursley, and I was hoping I'd finally found her," she explained.
Petunia nodded. "You've found me. I was wondering if you or Linda was ever going to introduce yourselves. Quite rude to wait so long," she said, allowing Sarah to come in. Sarah only nodded, deciding not to let the woman know how rude SHE was acting. "My mother was never very good with family. She was always more concerned about her acting career. In fact, she left me and my father for it several years ago. As for me, I only recently was able to save up the money to come to England. My job doesn't pay much."
"And what is it you do?" Petunia asked. She had to make sure this relative was respectable before she claimed her, not to mention introduce her to the rest of her family. "I'm a librarian. I work mainly in the reference section," she said carefully. Petunia nodded. A reference librarian was definately a respectable occupation. She was suddenly glad Harry was at his ruddy school. Sarah didn't seem to know about him or Lily, and that was just fine with Petunia if Sarah never found out about the freaks.
Suddenly, a loud wail errupted from the kitchen. "MUUUUUUUUMMMMMMYYYYYYYY! I want MOOOOOOOOORRRRRREEEEE!" Sarah was startled. Petunia just smiled. "You'll have to excuse Duddy-kins. His school nurse thinks he needs to be on a diet, and if we don't hold him to it, the school threatened to keep him over the summer as well to make sure he was stuck with it, and then we'd never see him. Duddly, honey!" she called into the kitchen. "You know you can't eat any more at breakfast. But to get your mind off it, why don't you come in here and meet Sarah?"
Sarah took the chance while Petunia's head was turned to glance around the room. All over were pictures of Petunia, Vernon, and Dudley. In not a single area did she see a picture of Harry, though she knew from Dumbledore he had lived there for fourteen years now. After a few moments, in waddled a rather large fifteen year old boy. It wasn't possible, Sarah thought, for anyone to be wider than they were tall. Had Harry cast an engorgement charm on Dudley before heading back to Hogwarts for the year? she wondered to herself.
"Dudley, honey, this is Sarah. You remember how Mummy told you you had an aunt and cousin in America? Well Sarah here is your cousin." Aunt Petunia seemed to be happy about her, so he guessed she wasn't a freak like his other cousin, Harry. If Mummy was going be nice to her, then so could he. "Hi, Sarah," he said. "Mum and I have been wondering if we'd ever get to meet you or Aunt Linda. Did she come along?" he asked. Sarah almost raised an eyebrow at the sudden change in the boy's manners. But she could tell it was an act.
"I'm afraid my mother is not a family woman," Sarah told him. "She's too interested in her acting." At this, Petunia wrinkled her nose. "Actresses. Almost as bad as those freaks we had in the family. I know you've been trying to avoid the subject, Sarah dear. You must be as appalled by having one of THEM in the family as much as I was. I mean, certainly the letter mentioned my other sister, Lily. She'd come home from that school of hers every summer, with frog spawn in her pockets and turning one thing into something else."
Dudley looked surprised. His mother hadn't spoken of her younger sister in four years, since Harry had found out he was what his parents termed a freak. Dudley himself was scared to death of magic. He fought the urge to move his hands protectively to his bottom as his mother continued.
And then she married that James Potter and had Harry, and then she and that no-good, lazy husband of hers got themselves blown up and Harry got left with us." Oh, now Petunia had gone too far with her ignorance. Sarah had to speak up. "Actually," she said, "wizards and witches are not freaks. And, as far as I know, the avada kedavra curse, the one that killed Aunt Lily and Uncle James, does NOT blow people up. It simply draws all life out of them, leaving a look of horror on their faces. Harry is the ONLY person ever known to survive it because there is no counter curse and no way to block it."
By now, Sarah was mad. She had heard these people badmouthing her kind long enough. She had to set them straight.