CHAPTER 2 - DAFFODIL
"Petunia! What is it? What's wrong?" Vernon tried to speak quietly and calmly, in an effort to comfort Petunia.
"The.baby!" Gasped Petunia. "It's a.it's a witch! Aaarrgghhh!" Her shrieking echoed through the house.
Vernon was dumbfounded. "What do you mean, a witch? She couldn't possibly be a witch! It's not possible! Not our baby!" He was rambling now. "You know how we feel about those people! How could our child possibly be a witch! Petunia, dear, what makes you think that our sweet little Daffodil is a witch?" Harry rolled his eyes at this. How anyone could call a biting machine like Daffodil sweet was beyond him.
Petunia was gasping for air, she was crying so hard. Vernon shook her a little, and she found the strength to speak. "I was dusting.the pictures.upstairs.and she.she was crawling around.giggling. Then, she fell.down the stairs.and.she..Oh!" Wailed Petunia. "She bounced!" With that said, she collapsed and lay, a pitiful heap on the floor, bawling like she'd never bawled before.
Vernon was speechless. "It's.it's not possible! He stared at the baby, still sitting on the floor, but no longer laughing. Now she was staring at her parents, unable to figure out what was going on. Dudley's face grew red from both fear and anger, then he stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him.
Harry winced from the vibrating of the walls. He, too, was staring at Daffodil, but he was not angry. He was afraid. Afraid for Daffodil. He knew how his aunt and uncle felt about magic folk. Now that they were the parents of one, there was no telling what they would do. Would the throw her out? After all, Dumbledore hadn't asked them to care for her as he had Harry. Would they keep her and love her like Dudley? Not likely. Would they throw her in with Harry? Leaving him to care for the baby? That, perhaps, was the best option, but how could he possibly do that? He still had to go to school!
His thoughts were interrupted by Vernon's sudden outburst. "What are we going to do with you girl?" He started heading towards Daffodil, who began to whimper. Harry could only watch and await the worst. Vernon's face was growing redder and redder by the minute. Petunia stopped crying and sat up to watch. Vernon reached for Daffodil, who let out a cry and scooted away.
But she wasn't fast enough. Vernon grabbed her and lifted her so she was eye-level with him. He turned and headed for the door.
Just as his hand reached out for the doorknob, Petunia spoke. "Vernon, wait." He stopped. "We can't throw her out. She's only a baby." Vernon opened his mouth to speak, but Petunia cut him off. "No Vernon. She is my baby, and I won't throw her out." There was a short pause, with a sigh of relief from Harry and a sigh of disgust from Vernon. "But", she continued, "I will not raise a witch with my son. We already did that with him", she shot a glare at Harry, "and I won't do it again." Now everyone was watching Petunia.
"What do we do with it then, Petunia? You won't throw it out, and you won't raise it with Dudley. What options are left?" Vernon was clearly confused, and he did not like being confused. Harry was also confused, and he held his breath, awaiting Petunia's answer. But she obviously didn't know what to do. She sat, looking at Vernon and Daffodil, with no sound coming from her mouth. Harry decided to butt in.
"Why don't we send her to stay with my friend's family? They'd take care of her and you'd never have to see." He didn't even get a chance to finish his sentence before they turned on him.
"Send her with you friend? Send her with your friend! I think not! This is our baby and I will not send her away to live with some weirdoes!" Vernon had barely finished when Petunia started up.
"No way, boy! My daughter will never be one of them! We'll squash it out of her, Vernon. It will work this time. Or, we'll just forbid her from going to that.that place. We are her parents, after all. My daughter will not."
"But you can't stop her! She's a witch whether you like it or not! I'll write to Dumbledore! He'll make you send her! You just watch!" Harry stopped short when Vernon pushed Daffodil at Petunia and rounded on Harry. He grabbed Harry by the wrist and bent down close to his face.
"Go to your room!" He hissed. "Now!" All Harry could do was turn and run.
"Petunia! What is it? What's wrong?" Vernon tried to speak quietly and calmly, in an effort to comfort Petunia.
"The.baby!" Gasped Petunia. "It's a.it's a witch! Aaarrgghhh!" Her shrieking echoed through the house.
Vernon was dumbfounded. "What do you mean, a witch? She couldn't possibly be a witch! It's not possible! Not our baby!" He was rambling now. "You know how we feel about those people! How could our child possibly be a witch! Petunia, dear, what makes you think that our sweet little Daffodil is a witch?" Harry rolled his eyes at this. How anyone could call a biting machine like Daffodil sweet was beyond him.
Petunia was gasping for air, she was crying so hard. Vernon shook her a little, and she found the strength to speak. "I was dusting.the pictures.upstairs.and she.she was crawling around.giggling. Then, she fell.down the stairs.and.she..Oh!" Wailed Petunia. "She bounced!" With that said, she collapsed and lay, a pitiful heap on the floor, bawling like she'd never bawled before.
Vernon was speechless. "It's.it's not possible! He stared at the baby, still sitting on the floor, but no longer laughing. Now she was staring at her parents, unable to figure out what was going on. Dudley's face grew red from both fear and anger, then he stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him.
Harry winced from the vibrating of the walls. He, too, was staring at Daffodil, but he was not angry. He was afraid. Afraid for Daffodil. He knew how his aunt and uncle felt about magic folk. Now that they were the parents of one, there was no telling what they would do. Would the throw her out? After all, Dumbledore hadn't asked them to care for her as he had Harry. Would they keep her and love her like Dudley? Not likely. Would they throw her in with Harry? Leaving him to care for the baby? That, perhaps, was the best option, but how could he possibly do that? He still had to go to school!
His thoughts were interrupted by Vernon's sudden outburst. "What are we going to do with you girl?" He started heading towards Daffodil, who began to whimper. Harry could only watch and await the worst. Vernon's face was growing redder and redder by the minute. Petunia stopped crying and sat up to watch. Vernon reached for Daffodil, who let out a cry and scooted away.
But she wasn't fast enough. Vernon grabbed her and lifted her so she was eye-level with him. He turned and headed for the door.
Just as his hand reached out for the doorknob, Petunia spoke. "Vernon, wait." He stopped. "We can't throw her out. She's only a baby." Vernon opened his mouth to speak, but Petunia cut him off. "No Vernon. She is my baby, and I won't throw her out." There was a short pause, with a sigh of relief from Harry and a sigh of disgust from Vernon. "But", she continued, "I will not raise a witch with my son. We already did that with him", she shot a glare at Harry, "and I won't do it again." Now everyone was watching Petunia.
"What do we do with it then, Petunia? You won't throw it out, and you won't raise it with Dudley. What options are left?" Vernon was clearly confused, and he did not like being confused. Harry was also confused, and he held his breath, awaiting Petunia's answer. But she obviously didn't know what to do. She sat, looking at Vernon and Daffodil, with no sound coming from her mouth. Harry decided to butt in.
"Why don't we send her to stay with my friend's family? They'd take care of her and you'd never have to see." He didn't even get a chance to finish his sentence before they turned on him.
"Send her with you friend? Send her with your friend! I think not! This is our baby and I will not send her away to live with some weirdoes!" Vernon had barely finished when Petunia started up.
"No way, boy! My daughter will never be one of them! We'll squash it out of her, Vernon. It will work this time. Or, we'll just forbid her from going to that.that place. We are her parents, after all. My daughter will not."
"But you can't stop her! She's a witch whether you like it or not! I'll write to Dumbledore! He'll make you send her! You just watch!" Harry stopped short when Vernon pushed Daffodil at Petunia and rounded on Harry. He grabbed Harry by the wrist and bent down close to his face.
"Go to your room!" He hissed. "Now!" All Harry could do was turn and run.