Chapter 2 Aunt Petunia

The train ride to London was quiet and uneventful. Upon arrival to kings cross Harry was accosted by Hermione, "Harry, Please promise me that you will wait for me to get back and not do anything rash."

Harry sighed, "You know I can't promise anything, we'll see each other again."

Hermione looked thoughtful, but she did not say anything. They walked side by side silently through the barrier and Harry Hailed a muggle Taxi cab. Hermione gave him a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek and made her way to her parents, who were watching with fascination.

Harry, Was lost in thought as the cab pulled into number 4 privet drive. As, he unloaded the trunk he surveyed the area, something was not right. There was a car parked in the driveway that he had not recognized. Cautiously, he made his way up to the door; he had his hand in his pocket gripping his wand. He knocked on the Door.

A tall horse faced woman with a smile answered the Door.

"Ah, Harry how wonderful we were just talking about you. Come in, Come in"

Harry looks at his aunt his brow leveled, he was looking very pensive. He walked in to the foyer he noticed two adults one was a tall aristocratic man with sandy blond hair. The other was a short squat, very pretty woman with the same Aristocratic features as the man. Their outer appearance made them seem like a nice sort of people.

"Harry, I want to introduce you to our new neighbors they just moved into number three next door. They are dentists. Doctors Emily and Dan Granger, Emily this is my nephew Harry."

"Excuse me I don't mean to be rude, But you don't happen to have a daughter do you" Harry asked feeling that all of his plans of ditching his friends were going out the window.

"Yes, As a matter of fact we do, her name is Hermione. I believe you know each other"

At this point Hermione walks out of the kitchen with a mug of tea in one hand and a kettle of sugar in the other, With a smirk on her face showing that she was victorious.

With a bark of laughter Harry Says" Aunt Petunia I will be up stairs unpacking if you need me" And he storms up to his room.

"Well, that went well" said Dan with a look of trepidation on his face.

"I better go talk to him that was rude of him" Scolded Petunia.

"No, this is my fault I thought he would be happy to see me, I better go talk to him" Hermione stated calmly making her way up the stairs. Underneath she was very upset. She knocked softly on the door.

"Come IN!" said a voice.

"Harry, What's wrong? Why did you run off like that?" Hermione asked in a quiet voice.

"Hermione please I just wanted to be alone, then you showed up. Not really going on a trip are we." Harry stated matter of fact.

"This was a last minute thing. I did not know we had moved. My parents wanted to surprise me and you" She said this last bit in a whisper.

"It is okay; I better go down and apologize."

They both turned and noticed Hermione parents standing in the door way. "Harry there is no need to apologize. We had heard so much about you from our princess here that when petunia told us a month ago that a house went up for sale right next door. We knew we should move here. We have known your aunt for years. And when she told us about her nephew staying home with her this summer alone. We just decided it would be good for Hermione to be close to a friend. Your aunt has nothing but great things to say about you." Dan Granger Stated.

"What do you mean she has told you good things about me? People around here all think I am a delinquent." Harry said with a little anger in his voice.

Petunia standing in the hall interjected, "Harry I think it is time you and I had a talk, Dan, Emily let me walk you to the door. Harry say goodbye to Hermione and get clean up for dinner." The grangers and petunia exchanged goodbyes and she went off to finish dinner. Harry was just lost in thought.

An two hours later Harry found himself laying on his bed going over the Conversation he had just had with his aunt.

"Harry, I need to tell you something, but I don't know where to start. I guess the beginning is as good as any. My parents were what you would call squibs, both had come from magical families. So, Lily and I were brought up half in the muggle world and half in the wizarding world. So we were told great stories growing up about Merlin, King Arthur, and the four founders of Hogwarts. It was a dream of mine that when I turned eleven I would get an acceptance letter. My parents told me not to get my hopes up. But I did. I had such dreams. I never did fit in to well in school. And I thought that going to Hogwarts would have been great. But my eleventh birthday came and went and my dreams shattered. I cried for weeks. I never left my room. Lily and my parents tried to comfort me, in time I got over it. Until, the following year an owl came thru the window and dropped a note in lily's lap. When she opened it I thought I died, she got in but I did not. I became bitter and resentful. During summers when lily would come home I would be so overcome with jealousy. I would say the nastiest things to her, and make her cry. This went on until when I turned eighteen I met Vernon at university. He was such a kind and gentle man. I immediately fell in love with him. At our wedding we were attacked by death eaters, both my parents were killed along with Vernon's. Over, the years following he turned into such a hateful and violent man. He blamed your parents. The day your mother and father were killed, Lily called me frantic on the phone told me that I needed to meet her at the mall. I met her and she told me that you were being targeted by Voldemort that they were to go into hiding. That if anything was to happen to then that she had place a powerful protection spell on you that required someone of blood relation to keep you safe. I grudgingly agreed to take you if need be. I was still over come with jealously, but I could not look the other way for Family. The next morning we found you on our door step with a letter from you headmaster asking us to carry out the last wishes of my sister. Vernon was ok with it at first. Until when you were two years you had used magic to float yourself up to the cookie jar. That was when he freaked out and swore to squish the magic from you. He would not let me take care of you like I should have. I tried to hold you in my arms when you fell down the stairs one day and take you to the doctor when Vernon came in and grabbed you by the hair and locked you into the cupboard. He proceeded to beat me until I could no longer stand telling me all the while that if I was to try and comfort you again that he would show me what for. I threatened him that I would leave him and he told me that if I did that her would take Dudley away never allow me to see him again. Over the years I allowed him to treat you they way he did out of fear for myself and my son. So, I started to treat you the same way. I did secretly keep tabs on you. Through primary school when you would make good grades, I was proud. When you got your letter to Hogwarts I was secretly happy. Oh, Harry I was Happy for you. I so loved you so much, I still love you. You are my only link to the memory of my Family. Three years ago, When I went to the dentist I noticed an Owl that looked remarkably like yours and I asked The Doctor where they got it and she told me that it belonged to a friend of her daughter's , Who went to School in Scotland. I started to ask the right questions. And soon found out about Hermione. I was Happy. I found someone that I can talk to about you achievements and the trouble you got up to at school. Harry, please understand I was afraid of you uncle, and I still are. This summer when Vernon mentioned that he was to go on a business trip for two months, I thought that this was my chance to be free of him and to spend time with you. So, I told him that it would be beneficial to him to bring Dudley along to kind of teach him the ropes, if you will, of the business. You turn seventeen this year so I saw this as my last hope to tell you how I really feel."

Harry had a lot to think about. His life as he knew it was changing, hopefully for the better. He fell asleep with a semi-smile on his face.