Chapter 1: Into the Abyss
Petunia Dursley woke one morning before dawn and sat up in her bed. Instantly she knew why she'd risen. Something was wrong. It was too quiet. To still. The house felt cold. She quickly rose and pulled on her dressing gown and padded down the hall to Sirius's room. She pushed it open and stared at the neatly folded sheets and felt her heart clench. She turned to the boy's rooms. With a shaky hand, she pulled the door to Harry's room open. It was empty as well. His trunk was open at the end of the bed, completely empty. The picture frame on his bedside, which had housed a photo of his parent since he was twelve was also empty. Petunia's lip quivered before she rushed across the hall. When she saw Dudley's empty dresser she cried out in horror and rushed for the stairs. She nearly tumbled down them as she rushed towards the kitchen and the phone. She had to call the police! They could be anywhere! She stopped at the bottom of the stairs. No! More than likely they'd been taken by death eaters! She had to send a letter to the order! To Minerva or Molly or someone! She continued her mad dash then froze. Hedwig. She was sitting on the dining table, looking annoyed and forlorn inside her dented old cage. She hadn't been stuffed in there since Harry was twelve and she did not look pleased. Beside the cage were three letters. Petunia reached out a shaky hand for the top one.
Dear Petunia,
I'm sorry. It wasn't my idea to leave without warning you. But Dudley and Harry seemed to think you wouldn't let them leave if we had warned you. The fact of the matter is that Harry has a destiny that he can't just ignore. So we have to leave. I truly wish we didn't.
Now I won't lie to you. The path forward is full of dangers. There is a very high chance that I'll end up dead before the end. But I swear to you, I will do everything in my power to keep our boys safe. I'll give my life for them. James was like a brother to me. And you grew to be like a sister to me.
And old naggy sister by a sister nonetheless.
I'll miss you.
Now I managed to set something with what's left of the order. Someone should be coming by this afternoon to pick you up and take you to a safe house. They've been told to wait for a key phrase and give a proper response.
The key phrase is: how many gnomes does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
The answer you're looking for is: lovely weather eh governor?
Don't let anyone in the house unless they say those exact words. There is a chance that death eaters might already be closing in on the house. We're not totally sure how these blood wards work. There is a chance that the moment we leave the ward will fall. If that's the case you might be in quite a bit of danger. You're not an unknown anymore. It's highly likely the moment the dark can grab you they will.
I don't want to frighten you. But you do need to know the dangers.
Once again, I'm sorry to have to leave this all in a letter. Though it probably wouldn't have been any less distressing in words.
Good luck.
Sirius
Petunia took a deep shuddery breath and put the letter on the table. So they'd left. They hadn't been kidnapped or tortured or dragged off to an unknown fate. She huffed. The boys had been right. There was no way in hell she would have let them leave. But now that they were gone there was nothing she could do and they knew it. She picked up the next letter with fury burning in her stomach.
Hi Mum,
I know you're probably furious. But Harry had to leave. And I'm sick and tired of not being there to help. There was no way I would be able to sit in some quiet safe house, occasionally nauseous as heck while Harry fights the snake-faced bastard on his own.
Besides. I need a little practice with my defensive magic.
What better way than bashing in a few death eaters?
All joking aside I understand what I'm going into. This isn't some field trip into the wizarding world. This is a war. People are going to get hurt. Probably get killed. But I won't let Harry be one of them. I promised him that I'd be on his side. So I'm going with him. I'm gonna help him kill the son of a bitch. And then we'll finally be free from him.
I love you.
In case I don't come back I want you to know that.
I'm sorry again.
Love,
Dudley
Petunia wasn't angry anymore. She was distraught. She sobbed as she read Dudley's farewell. Sirius had better keep his promise because she would kill him herself if he didn't.
Though in all likelihood the man would already be dead.
She sobbed again and reached for the final letter.
Dear Aunt Petunia,
I'm sorry we left like this without saying anything. To be fair, Dudley and Sirius coming with me hadn't been my initial plan. I wanted to go alone. But they insisted on coming along. I told them it would be dangerous but that just made them insist more. I could try to explain why I had to go. But it's safer if you don't know. With Dumbledore gone, I'm the only one who knows everything that has to happen. The fewer people who know the better chances we have of finally getting rid of Voldemort forever.
I won't say don't worry.
That would probably be impossible.
But try not to think up worst-case scenarios all the time yeah? You'll give yourself an ulcer. Or an aneurysm.
Sirius said he's got something set up with the order to take you to a safe house. Please go with them. I have just one request. Please take Hedwig with you. I wish I could take her but she's just too distinct. If I did she might lead the death eaters to us, or they might attack her because they know she's mine. I left a bag full of her favourite treats. She mostly takes care of herself. Just needs someone to change her papers and water every day or so.
Please be safe.
I love you dearly.
I finally got an aunt after all those years.
And now I have to say goodbye.
It hurts like hell.
So please please please promise to be safe.
If anything happened to you
All my love,
Harry.
Petunia sobbed as she saw the end of Harry's letter. There were heavy blotches where the boy had obviously begun crying and the last line had been half smudged away. She held the letter to her heart and cried for her darling brave nephew who she'd only just grown to love.
"Oh please be safe." she cried out into the silence. "Please please please be safe." Then she looked over Sirius's letter again and frowned at the key phrase and the response. It was very strange. But that was probably the point. Then she turned back toward the stairs. She had to get everything she'd need packed up. Today was turning out to be a very busy day.
At around two Petunia began to worry. Sirius had said they would be there in the afternoon. It was getting to be quite a bit afternoon now and still no knock at the door. She was beginning to worry that perhaps she would be getting a safe house at all. If that was the case she'd need to make other arrangements. She could pawn some of her jewellery and get a taxi to Heathrow to head to America. But once she was there she wouldn't have much to her name. Enough to get a small apartment maybe. She'd have to start working again. Thankfully she had quite a bit of office experience from her youth. She could try and get work as a secretary. But would she have to get a new identity? Would the death eaters follow her to America?
There there was a knock on the door.
She jumped and walked up to the door. She peered through the spyhole. Two people were standing outside. One was a young woman, maybe 25, in a quintessential punk get-up, complete with a leather jacket and fingerless gloves. The other was incredibly odd. He was dressed as though it was 1910. But instead of smart black, his suit and slightly crumpled top hat were bright purple, and the buttons on his waistcoat were shaped like stars and moons. Petunia slowly opened the door a crack.
"How many gnomes does it take to screw in a lightbulb?" she asked quietly.
"lovely weather eh governor?" the man replied with a bright grin. Petunia instantly pulled the door open and walked over to her suitcase. She'd managed to reduce all of her belongings into the bare essentials.
"What's with the bird?" the girl asked in confusion.
"I'm taking her with me." Petunia declared. The woman blinked.
"Not sure that's a good idea. There aren't any windows where we're going," she explained. Petunia winced.
"I see. Well regardless. Harry asked me to take care of her. So I'm taking her with us."
"Fine." the woman conceded.
"My name is Daedalus Diggle!" the man cried cheerfully "It is a great honour to meet you, Mrs. Evans! Such a great honour to meet Harry Potter's very own aunt!"
"Calm down Diggle." the woman declared "she's a human being just like me and you. My name is Hestia Jones. I'm going to be staying with you at the safe house, along with a few others."
"Others?" Petunia questioned.
"Various allies and people we'd rather not have fall into enemy's hands. Don't worry, it'll be a little snug, but I'm sure you'll get along like peas in a pod before long." Hestia insisted.
"Well! I'll be off Hestia dear!" Diggle cried with his grin still in place. Petunia was starting to wonder if it was some kind of medical condition the poor man couldn't help. Surely the constant cheer must be painful "safe travels!" then he turned on his heel and disappeared with a crack.
"Diggle was just my escort. Every member has their own assigned safe house. They're the only ones who know where it is, just to make sure it's extra secure."
"Right." Petunia declared before she picked up Hedwig's cage and her suitcase. Hestia grabbed her shoulder rather firmly.
"Ready?" she asked. Petunia took a quick glance around the house she'd spent the last 20 years of her life and nodded. Then Hestia turned on her heel. There was a loud crack like a car backfiring.
Number 4 Privet drive fell utterly silent and still.
None of them would ever return
A/N: Well this is one way to round off the year.
I caught the plague.
(No I am not joking. I'm currently trapped in self-imposed quarantine with the rest of my family, and all of use are laid up with some pretty shite symptoms)
Could be worse. At least I can still get some writing done.
Speaking of!
Welcome to the first chapter of The End!
I'm going to try to keep the chapters pretty much weekly.
I look forward to hearing from you all in the coming months!
Enjoy!
Don't forget to keep on reading!
-TTC