Chapter Nine: Petunia

The next morning Harry woke Evelyn and Zahra before breakfast, and watched them leave for their own common room. Then he went to Gryffindor tower to shower and change. He had hardly slept, but as he felt tired every day now, it hardly mattered. He would get his rest in a few days when he would be in the hospital again. He would only go in for his rest, and for some altering of his medications. The next weekend he would have chemo again.

After his shower, he found Ron and Hermione waiting in the common room. "Mate, will you go with us to breakfast, or do you have to go somewhere today?"

Harry realised they didn't know his aunt was here, so he replied "No, I am going to eat breakfast with Aunt Petunia. She arrived last night, and I'm not sure how long she's allowed to stay. So don't worry if you don't see me much today, all right?"

Hermione tilted her head. "Is your aunt all right? It must have been quite a shock for her to hear the news. And how do you both handle it? The last I heard you didn't really get along so well."

Harry sniggered. "But Hermione, I've been going to the hospital every weekend to be with her. I thought you would have realised she would mean something to me then. And yes, she's handling it rather well. At least, last night. I still have to see about this morning. She was quite overwhelmed to be inside Hogwarts, you know."

Hermione blushed slightly. "Ah yes, I already knew you got along better. Well, anyway you'd better go to her then, or else she's going to wonder where you are."

With that she pulled Ron out of the portrait hole and left for breakfast. Harry followed at a slower pace, glad he could let his body rest for a bit.

Eventually he reached the door from the guest room, and knocked softly. "Enter," Petunia called out, and Harry pushed open the door.

"Hello auntie, are you feeling any better this morning?" he looked her over carefully. She looked fine to him, perhaps a slight trace of tears, but that could still be from last night.

Petunia sighed. The boy was too perceptive sometimes. "Yes Harry, I am feeling much better. It was mostly shock last night that had me crying. Of course then I remembered just what Vernon and later on Dudley had done to the both of us, and I didn't really mind so much anymore. I'm just glad we're still alive."

Harry smiled and gestured for his aunt to go and sit at the table that was situated in a corner of the room. "Perhaps we should go and eat breakfast now? It's very easy to arrange you know."

Petunia looked at him in surprise. "All right, let's see then how you make a breakfast with magic."

Laughing Harry just clicked his fingers and called out for Dobby. He popped into the room not even a second later, causing his aunt to give a little shriek.

"Hello Masters Harry, I is so glad you's called on me Masters Harry. I will be glads to do something for the Masters, sir."

Harry tried to stop Dobby from talking so much, and finally succeeded with just telling him that they wanted to have some breakfast. This shut Dobby up.

"Aunt Petunia, what would you like for breakfast?"

Petunia looked startled at being addressed, but quickly fixed her mind on the right topic. "Ehm, a glass of orange juice, some tea, toast and scrambled eggs please."

Harry nodded. "Dobby for me the same please."

"Right away sirs. Dobby will get yous your food Masters Harry and Masters Aunt. Dobby will be back right away."

And he popped out, only to reappear very quickly with two plates bursting with food, while he had two more plates with extras. Then with a final "Enjoy your meals Masters Harry and Masters Aunt." He popped back out again.

Petunia could only look at the food for a while, until Harry got back her attention.

"Auntie, you can eat it you know. Dobby is one of the house-elves here. They do much work in the castle. They prepare the food, and keep most of the castle very clean and tidy."

Petunia just nodded, and started eating. She noticed Harry not eating much, and she knew it was because he was often feeling too sick to eat properly, or else he would just bring it back up again after eating it.

She just sighed and decided that perhaps more, but smaller meals would help him.

Then just when they finished eating, a knock sounded on the door. Harry stood up and opened the door, surprised to find his Head of House there. "Hello Professor, please come in."

He stepped out of the way to let her in, but she politely shook her head. "No, thank you Mr. Potter. I am just here to give you a message from the Headmaster. Your aunt is allowed to stay until tomorrow morning, and you are to have the rest of the day of to stay with her. Now you just be sure to give her a good impression of our school. You are allowed to show her pretty much everything. And have a good day today."

With that she left again, leaving a slightly stunned Harry behind. His Head of House telling him he was going to have the day of and she didn't even look disapproving. Wow, wonders must have been attracted to Hogwarts or something.

He closed the door softly and looked over at his aunt. "Are we finished eating? I can show you around the castle if you like?"

Petunia took a good look at Harry. "I think we should walk around a bit until lunch, and after lunch you are going to have an afternoon nap. After all you are planning to go to the Common Room tonight aren't you?"

Harry blushed slightly, and nodded. His aunt had gotten quite good at reading him, too.

"Very well then, auntie. Let's just go and I'll show you around Hogwarts."

They pulled on some warmer clothes, in this case a robe, as they had been provided for his aunt so she wouldn't be too much out of place. Petunia nearly straight away commented that those robes certainly were nice and warm. Harry had to explain about warming charms.

The rest of the time before lunch, Harry showed his aunt the Great Hall with the enchanted ceiling (his aunt wondering if she could have one in her bedroom), some classrooms, the Gryffindor Tower, the library, and outside: the Quidditch field, the lake, Hagrid's hut (and his class which included a unicorn today) and then they just took a walk on the grounds.

"I absolutely love this." Aunt Petunia sighed. "No wonder Lily could never wait until she could get back. It must have been boring for her in a normal neighbourhood."

Harry smiled slightly; glad to hear more of his mother. Sure, his aunt told him about his mother but she knew only things from their childhood, not about Lily at Hogwarts, and later on not even what happened in summer breaks.

Petunia noticed his mood chance and decided that they would need to return to the guest rooms. "Come along Harry, we should return, you're too tired right now, and still need to eat before falling asleep in your food."

And so they walked back inside. Harry once more called on Dobby, who served them a very nice lunch. Harry talked about the reason why he was so very tired today, and his aunt smiled softly. It seemed that no matter how sick he was, Harry would always think of others first. She would just have to make sure to talk to this Snape person, for the name rang a clear bell in her mind. After all, hadn't he been a friend of Lily's once?

So after eating she shooed Harry into the bedroom and tucked him, ignoring his rantings on how he was sixteen and old enough to do it himself. She knew he liked it anyway. When she was sure he was asleep, she closed the door carefully behind her, and clicked her fingers and called out for Dobby. Luckily he came.

"Yes Masters aunt, what is Dobby doing for you? Do you wish more food Masters Aunt? Dobby can make it happens."

Petunia shook her head. "Ssh, Harry is sleeping. I just want you to go to Professor Snape and ask him to please come here. I have something to talk about. He has a break right now, doesn't he?"

Dobby nodded and bounced up and down. "Yes Masters aunt, I will go and get the honoured Professors Snape right now." He popped out again. Petunia wondered why wizards didn't go completely crazy with house-elves around, but then decided that they must have gotten used to it.

So she settled in to wait, while leafing through an interesting looking book about magical creatures.

About five minutes later a knock sounded on the door, and she quickly stood up to open it.

"Please come in Professor. I am glad you could come on such short notice."

She offered him to sit down on the couch. Professor Snape did so, wondering why he was called by her. She flinched a bit in fright, when a tea tray suddenly appeared on the low table. Snape noticed and decided to be at least friendlier to this muggle woman. "It's only the house-elves who recognize the need for something to drink."

Petunia recovered and made him a cup of tea. Snape couldn't help but compare her to Potter, and found they had several great similarities. It must be an Evans' trade then, he mused.

"I had an enjoyable time looking at Hogwarts this morning, and eventually Harry came up with what happened last night. He's sleeping in the bedroom, by the way." Snape raised his eyebrow, wondering where this was going.

"I remembered that Lily used to talk quite a lot about you during her school breaks, and because I can only tell Harry stories about her childhood and some things that happened in the summer, I wanted to ask if you would be willing to talk about her to Harry. It might do him some good to hear more about his mother. I don't know anything about his father except that he was a wizard and Harry looks a lot like him, but Harry told me that his godfather used to talk about James Potter quite a lot." Snape noticed she sneered the name a bit. He wondered about this, having always thought that James Potter would wrap anyone around his fingers. He decided not to question it further.

Slowly he nodded, he was surprised by this request, but it was an agreeable one, as he liked to think of his very best friend. However, Petunia wasn't finished yet. "Also, my ex-husband Vernon, he burned as much as possible that was from Lily. So I don't have any pictures of her. I know Harry has some in his photo-album, but they don't contain much more than her wedding and some class-pictures. Perhaps you have more pictures of her, and her friends? I'm sure Harry would be delighted to see them."

She looked at Snape with such a look that he knew he couldn't refuse. It was the same look Lily used on him if she felt he should agree with her. "I have indeed got many pictures of Lily yes. Perhaps I can find some unmoving ones for you to take with you as well. As Potter (she frowned at him), Harry then, comes to visit you in the hospital, he can take them with him, if that's alright?"

Petunia smiled, and standing up, she leaned down, and gave a quick kiss on his check. "Yes, that is very much all right. You've just made both me and Harry very happy."

Stunned, Snape just looked at her for a moment, before gathering himself and rising from the couch, he swept from the room, with a nod, and "Good-bye". Petunia just looked after him in surprise, and then chuckled, remembering Lily saying Severus could sometimes be a bit grumpy.

When Harry woke up just before dinner, she made him shower, and didn't tell about her meeting with his professor. He wouldn't believe her right now anyway. Besides he still looked very tired. She knew he was getting worse, and was afraid of it. So for now she tried to pretend everything was fine, and let him be.

After their very wonderful dinner (though Harry didn't eat much), they waited for a while, to make sure most students would be on their way to their dorms. Then they left for the Common Room, as Petunia had wanted to see it ever since Harry told her about his plan.

So Harry took her the longer way, which meant he would pass the kitchens, and then up and down all the stairs. Petunia enjoyed her chance of looking at the moving portraits, and all the nooks and strange hallways the castle had to offer. Petunia found herself wishing to have magic, so she could have gone here as well, but then pushed back that wish. It was good enough to be able to see this place.

Finally they arrived in front of the large wooden door. Harry put his hand on it, and whispered the password 'home'. He had already altered the wards, so his aunt could easily enter. Of course, she also had good intentions so she would have been allowed in anyway, but Harry wanted to have her included in the wards, though he could not say why.

Then he opened the door, and made a silly gesture with his arms, to lead her in. Laughing, Petunia stepped through, and then stopped. When Harry stepped around her, he could understand her surprise. The room was slightly crowded at the moment. Most second years of all houses were there as well, and were looking at both Harry and his aunt with just as much surprise. The first years were beaming up at him.

Slowly Harry walked towards the fireplace, as it seemed most students had gathered around there. They all seemed to be waiting for him to say something.

He coughed lightly. "Welcome everyone. I must admit, I feel a little overwhelmed with so many students in here."

Some children laughed.

"When I said you could introduce other students, I thought that perhaps ten or so others would show up, but this is absolutely wonderful." He smiled widely, and the first years practically beamed proudly.

"To all those that have never been here before. I wish to make it clear to all of you that house prejudices are left at the entrance of this room. It is our Common Room, we made it together, and it will be used by everyone who has good intentions, and wishes to use this place. I am only here during weekdays when I can and during the weekends if you have problems you can go to Zoe Branches. Eventually I will add others who you can tell your problems to. If you wouldn't mind helping the others, please tell me. These rooms are meant to meet others who are not in your own house. You can study, play games, laze about, read, go out in the garden, clean things up if you feel the urge," (some laughed at this), "and generally, this is supposed to be a friendly place where you can also come if you have any problems. There are wards on the doors, as well as charms that will alert me. They will alert me if someone is distressed and needs help, or if someone who has ill intentions tries to enter. This way you will be quite safe in here. Eventually I hope that more and more students will see that House prejudices are stupid and unnecessary, and that we can use this room as a normal meeting place. I hope this makes things clear for everyone. So I suggest you go and do whatever it is you wish to do."

He walked over to his aunt, and they went and sat near the bookcase to talk. The first years split up in their different groups of what it was that they were going to do. The second years looked at it for a while, and then either joined a group playing games, a group studying or a small group that went over to Harry and his aunt, clearly intent on asking questions.

Petunia and Harry saw them coming and prepared themselves. Selwyn, a Slytherin firstie, was brave enough to ask the first question.

"Are you Harry's aunt? You look slightly like him."

Petunia smiled. "Yes, I am his aunt. Petunia Evans is the name. And you are?"

Selwyn stood tall and proud, his manners kicking in. "My name is Selwyn Sebastian Silvas. I am a first year."

Harry laughed, "and you are also the one who asks the most questions, aren't you Sel?"

Selwyn snorted, which reminded Harry a bit about Snape, and said, "honoustly, if no-one else is going to ask it then someone has to do it." He stuck his nose in the air arrogantly, but it just made him look rather funny.

The other students grinned and little Iris de LaFleur gained some courage. "Are you very much upset about the death of well, your husband and child, I think they are?" she blushed, knowing it was a very personal question.

Petunia sighed. "As a matter of fact, he wasn't my husband any longer, and that child was quite horrid as well. I am not very upset about their deaths. Of course, I wished they still lived, but I am glad Harry and I are still alive. To be honest, those two were bullies and jerks, not many people will miss them."

Iris looked amazed that she had her questions answered. Several other students decided that it wouldn't be very polite to keep asking about the two murdered people, so they switched to muggle life and machines, as they were very interested in that as well, most never having even seen anything muggle. So Petunia and Harry spent an enjoyable evening entertaining the students, who just kept asking questions, until Harry reminded them of curfew. They left quickly after that.

Tired, but happy, Harry escorted his aunt back to her rooms, and then left for his own bed. After all, tomorrow his aunt would leave, and in the evening he would be going back into the hospital again.


A/N: lily sure knows how to understate things, about Snape sometimes being a bit grumpy! Still, in this story it works. Practically all of my characters are OOC after all. Hope you enjoyed it!