It was hot that day, the stifling heat and thick air were surrounding Privet drive, but did not prevent a tabby cat from walking down the neighbourhood. It was not really a cat, strickly speaking… It was actually professor McGonagall, a tall, severe-looking witch, Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts (School of witchcraft and wizardry).

She crossed the street, moving towards a small house with two floors and a brown tiled roof. There was a garage too, but no car was parked there. The cat elegantly jumped on the windows sill, and sat, both eyes fixing the large living room. A woman, thin and tall, with blond hair and a long « horsy » face, was holding a particularly plump baby, crying his eyes out. She was trying to calm him down, rocking him in her arms. He finally became quiet, when she put a huge bottle of hot milk into his large drooling mouth.

« Here here dudders, I'm here, stop crying »

She looked exhausted, McGonagall reckoned she must had tried to calm him all day. She also started to think that it would be difficult for this woman to take care of two babies, with one taking that amount of energy… But maybe she was not at the good place ? Maybe she had mistaken the houses ? « They all look the same, these muggle households.. »

She quickly jumped off the window and backed away from the wall. She was starting to read her map, when a big, grey car drew towards the garage door. A big, beefy man, with a bushy moustache and a large purple face stepped out the car and pushed the door shut. Their eyes met, and the cat quickly hid the map, but she was almost sure he had seen it. She was at the good door, it was indeed number 4 Privet Drive, and these awful muggles were young Harry Potter's uncle and aunt.

(….)

The boy was asleep, wrapped up in his blanket, at the front door of number 4 Privet Drive. Albus Dumbledore, Rubeus Hagrid and Minerva McGonagall were moving away, close to tears, and very quiet. The director and the gamekeeper finally disappeared from the neighbourhood, but the tall witch couldn't stop turning toward the door, with a heavy heart and full of anxiety. What if they refused to take the baby ? What if they decided to take him to an orphanage ? She couldn't be sure they would read and accept Dumbledore's letter.. She sighed, and after five long minutes of pondering, she turned back, changed into a cat and settled down near one of Petunia's bush. She couldn't stop glancing at the blanket, but it was staying still and quiet, Harry was probably in a deep sleep, far away from the harsh reality of his new life. McGonagall kept watching Harry for several hours, but eventually dozed off.

« OH GOOD LORD »

Minerva opened brusquely her eyes at this sudden shriek. Petunia was standing at the doorstep, aghast in horror by what she was seeing. Harry, who had certainly be awakened by her scream too, was wriggling in his blanket, trying to take his little hands out of it. He was sucking the white envelope put on his chest, while gazing at his aunt's horrified face. She carefully checked on her neighbors, if any of them had seen the baby, then took him in her arms, removed the letter from his mouth and discretly closed the door behind her. McGonagall immediately hurtled towards the window, jumped and sat, frowning her cat's eyebrows. Petunia had not moved from the entrance, she was reading the letter, concentrated enough not to realize that Harry was playing with her hair, his small fingers grasping her blond curls. The more she read, the more her eyes filled with tears. She wanted to cover her mouth with her hands, but she was already holding an unknown baby. Once she had finished reading the letter, she fold it and slipped it on her pink apron pocket.

« Vernon… » she whispered, shaking from head to toe « VERNON »

The large neckless man hurried to his wife, looked at her before turning his eyes to the dark-haired baby, really untidy haired baby, pretty familiar untidy-hair…

« Oh no.. No no no ! »

Vernon had never seen Harry, but he immediately recognized James's hair, his hatred for him being unlimited.

« Vernon.. please, my sister.. Lily.. she is.. »

But she couldn't finish her phrase. She bursted into tears, her shoulders were shaking violently. McGonagall could see how bewildered Vernon was. He did not know how to react to this news ; he knew his wife hated talking about her sister, but she also seemed very moved by the situation.

« Are they dead ? The Potters.. They died haven't they ? »

She nodded, biting her upper lip.

« And.. This » he pointed Harry « Is this Harold ? »

« Harry » she murmured.

There was a long pause, during which Harry was gazing at his aunt's puffy eyes. Vernon was scanning the baby, first his hair, his eyes, and his forehead.

« What's this ? » he finally asked pointing the lighting scar on Harry's forehead.

« I.. I don't know. »

Of course she knew, Albus Dumbledore had explained everything to her. But she looked as she wasn't willing to reveal anything about the existence of this letter to her husband.

« And why is he here ? In our entrance ? »

« I guess we are his only family now… »

« We.. What ?! Do we have to take him with us ? »

Vernon's face got even redder than it already was. His nostril widened and he looked as if fire could burst out of his large mouth at any moment.

« I WON'T TAKE CARE OF THIS MONSTER DID YOU HEAR ME ? I DON'T CARE HE IS YOUR SISTER'S SON, I DON'T WANT ANY MAGIC IN THIS FAMILY »

He took a step forward his wife and tried to take Harry from her.

« I'll take him to the closest orphanage, or a church.. I don't care, but we certainly won't raise this boy ! »

But Petunia didn't let her husband take the baby. Her hands were firmly holding her nephew and she moved back a step.

« What are you doing ..? Don't tell me you want to keep him ? »

« We can't.. I can't abandon him, he has to stay, we.. we have no choice… » she cried, avoiding Vernon's look.

« I won't allow any kind of sorcery under this roof, nor near my own baby, Petunia »

Harry was starting to feel uncomfortable and certainly quite hungry. McGonagall could see on his face that he wanted his parents, as his little fists had released Petunia's hair and were looking for something more familiar… He started to moan, which made Vernon even more furious.

« We will drive him to an orphanage, today. »

« No. » Petunia's voice increased and she looked up at her husband for the first time. « We have to keep him. I can't tell you why, but it is this only thing we can do.. we have no choice. Trust me… »

Vernon looked shocked by his wife's sudden change in mood. He groaned loudly and backed away from the baby.

« Fine, do what you want. But don't expect me to take care of this kid. We already have Dudley. And I don't want to see any magic coming from this.. monster. »

« We will keep him away from Lily's world I promise.. »

« YOU will. »

And he left the entrance hall, leaving the woman alone with an orphaned baby, her sister's baby.

She remained in this position for a few minutes, glaring at the blue porcelain vase on the large console between the coat rack and the living room. But Harry was not being patient anymore. He kept fidgeting, his little feet were kicking Petunia's left hip. He was not curious, and not smiling anymore. He started to call his mum, repeating « mama », with bright green watery eyes. Petunia got back to reality and looked at the baby, shivering. She shook her head, and moved to the living room, where her husband was. McGonagall jumped off the first window sill and reached the one right next to the other, which overlooked the living and dining room. Vernon was sitting on the dark red couch, his newspaper right in front of his big hairy nose.

« Hush this monster, it will wake our little tyke. » he groaned, without putting down the newspaper.

« I think he is hungry » she whispered, heading for the kitchen.

Minerva could not see the kitchen from this window, and she had to round the house to reach the right one. She decided to stay where she was, watching carefully the plump man who didn't seem to care at all about the new family member. Petunia finally came back, ten minutes later, with a big bottle of milk in one hand, and a tumultuous Harry on the other. She sat on a chair, at the opposite side of the room, away from her husband, and started to feed the baby, quietly sobbing with shaky hands.

McGonagall was furious, the scene was grotesque and horribly sad at the same time. leaved the window sill. She was seething with rage, gritted teeth. Her decision was already taken : she would come back that night, and as often as she could, with the permission of Dumbledore.. or not.

Hi ! So it's the end of Chapter 2, I hope you enjoyed it ! I am really sorry if there are English mistakes.. I really want to write in English even if it's not my native language ! I particularly struggle with english tenses, so I hope I used them correctly !

Harry has been « adopted » by the Dursleys, and the next chapter will be the beginning of his new life !