"No!" The words were spoken without the intention of deliberate malice, but they had a finality to them, as if the subject to the conversation was over, and that was the end they'd be hearing of it in the Dursley household.
Petunia was beyond angry. How dare the Headmaster so blatantly involve himself in matters not befit his station.
The Hogwarts letter was scrunched up tight in her clenched fists, a similar letter was all it took for the insurmountable edge between Lily and her to grow beyond repair. Did she want the same thing to happen to her two boys?
No. It wasn't. She needed to nip this in the bud, and fast.
Making her way to the cupboard under the stairs, she delicately removed the set of parchment and quills Lily had brought her, 'Just in case you change your mind about your freak of a sister.' She never had of course. One of her greatest regrets, but whilst the past was set in stone, that didn't mean she couldn't change the future.
She set the quill to the musty parchment, and wrote her grievances to Hogwarts's Headmaster.
My son Harry will not be attending your institution. Do not send any more letters to my house as they're unappreciated.
Good day. Petunia nee Evans.
Seemingly satisfied with the contents of the letter, she opened the door leading to the garden, where she spied an owl perched on an acorn tree grown by her two sons, looking around the perimeter of her garden to make sure no noisy neighbours were watching her, Petunia brandished the letter around. The owl swopped down to take it.
Petunia closed the garden door, and watched from the kitchen window as the owl flew away, taking her letter with it.
'I failed you Lily. I won't fail Harry!'
Dinner time.
Harry sat wedged between his cousin as his aunt piled food on his plate. 'You're not eating enough, young man!'
It was true. He didn't eat as much as he should've. Even though eleven years had passed, he still wasn't accustomed to the body he was in. Each time he drew the spoon closer to his lips, he thought he'd be wracked with pain from his terminal illness.
"Thank you, aunt, the food is exquisite." He made sure to look up and smile at her, his head facing the wrong direction deliberately.
Petunia subdued the pang of sadness she felt at Harry not being able to see her. "You're welcome son."
Dudley like his father had twice the amount of food in his plate, eating with gusto, he turned and prodded Harry on the side. "When are you going to introduce me to that girl you fancy?"
Petunia looked up sharply from her own plate consisting of Caesar salad.
"If you're referring to Amy, Dudley, I don't hold any attraction towards her. However, I overheard her speaking in confidence to Sophie that she's waiting on you to ask her out for some ice-cream." He even had the temerity to smirk as his cousin turned red, and his uncle let out a guffaw.
"It's the Dursley genes, son!" Spoke Vernon, food long forgotten as he ribbed Dudley.
Not being able to hold it in, Dudley loaded some peas onto his spoon, took aim and fired at Harry.
Had he not been bolstered by shinobi instincts; the peas would have struck him on the side of the head. It wasn't meant to be however, he twisted out of their flight path and evaded them completely. Unfortunately, uncle Vernon wasn't so lucky.
As her husband spluttered and admonished Dudley, Petunia couldn't help but look at the scene with fondness, the only people missing was Lily and her husband.
Her musings were interrupted as the doorbell rang.
"Now who could that be at this time?" Vernon grumbled, it wasn't often that the Dursley household got visitors. His sister Marge being the only exception.
Vernon rose to answer the door when Petunia spoke. "Finish your food, dear. I'll go."
She stood and made her way through the hallway, hand on the doorknob, she twisted and opened the door…
Only to come face to face with Albus Dumbledore in all his blinding glory. Magenta robes with spinning planets orbiting around the fabric, billowing around his form and a matching purple hat atop his brow.
"Good evening Petunia, we have much to discuss it seems. May I come in? August weather doesn't agree with my frail bones."
She made to slam the door, only for it to refuse to budge. Albus looked at her with a warm, grandfatherly smile, eyes twinkling as if in a mocking parody of a star before he took steps into her house, intruding upon it as if he owned it.
"I WANT YOU TO LEAVE RIGHT NOW! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" Petunia screamed.
As she shouted, her angry cries roused the rest of the household from the dinner table. First to greet Petunia was Vernon, then Dudley and last Harry, who was being shepherded by his cousin.
"I demand you leave at once, sir. You are breaking and entering!" Vernon surprisingly was being diplomatic but his face told another story. It cycled through different hues of colours.
Dumbledore looked at both Petunia and Vernon before his penetrating gaze fell upon Dudley, and then even with his considerable occlumency training his eyes widened behind the half-moon spectacles he was so fond of wearing.
Unseeing green eyes greeted him. The boy wasn't even acknowledging his presence. As he took a step closer, Dudley stepped protectively in front of him, fists balled.
Seeing the situation deteriorating faster than he could rectify the damage, he sighed and seemed to look his age.
"Petunia, please. Just hear what I have to say and I promise, I'll be out of your house before the night is out."
She looked ready to protest another outburst on her lips before a hand held her own. It was Harry. He merely nodded his head at her.
The fight seemed to deflate out of her system before she nodded curtly, she held onto Harry's hand and directed him to the living room. Dudley, Vernon and Dumbledore following after them.
Once everyone was properly situated on the couches, Dumbledore began to speak.
"Petunia, I know you and I haven't always seen eye to eye before, but Harry coming to Hogwarts is of fundamental importance!"
"NO! I swore when we took him in that he wouldn't come into contact with your world. You won't take him from us. From me…"
"I would never forcefully take young Harry, alas the Ministry of Magic certainly would and despite my many titles, I could do little to sway them. "
"Your lot has a government?" Said Vernon derisively.
Dumbledore nodded gravelly. "We do, and they will do their utmost best to take Harry if he doesn't attend Hogwarts on the 1st of September. Something which I can't allow due to certain sympathisers holding the Ministers ear and lining his pockets. They would take him from your home, and give him to a purer Wizarding family."
"How may I help you, professor?" His voice lacked emotion or inflection, however Dumbledore's occlumency caught the iron tones in the boy's voice that had no reason to be present, and in that moment Albus could almost see shadows of the man this boy would become in his green eyes with flecks of murky white.
"It's not so much you helping me, but my capacity to help you and your family. The night your mother and father died, was the day the man who killed them vanished. However, he wasn't without followers and they will seek you out if you don't come to Hogwarts."
Petunia's hand clenched against his tightly, he turned his head to look at her.
"It was because of magic that I lost my sister and you your mother. I don't want to lose you too…"
"You heard the headmaster, auntie. It doesn't seem as if I have a choice. But," He held her hand softly, "I might be gone, but I'll always come back."
Petunia bent over and pressed a kiss atop his brow before standing straight and addressing the headmaster who seemed to look at the loving scene with emanating sadness.
"Was there anything else?"
"Yes, young Harry needs to purchase his school supplies, if it's alright with you Petunia, I could accompany him?"
"I'd like to go with my family Headmaster. Is that okay uncle Vernon?"
Vernon placed a meaty hand on his hair and ruffled it, making it even more unruly. "Of course, it is, son."
Dudley just punched him on the arm. "Real magic Harry! That's so cool!"
"Very well, here, take this," From his pocket, the headmaster withdrew a gold key and a freshly made ticket. "Platform nine and three quarters, to access the platform, you'll have to walk through the gap between these two numbers in king's Cross station. And, this here is your bank key. To get your school supplies you'll need to go to central London, Charing Cross road in fact. From there, you'll be able to see a pub called the Leaky Cauldron. Speak to Tom, the barman, he'll grant you passage into Diagon Alley where you'll find everything you need. Use your key in the marble building."
He deposited the items in Petunia's hands before taking one last fleeting glance at Harry. Nodding to himself, he left the same way he entered. A crack was heard by the occupants inside before silence.
"Absolutely barmy that one!" Spoke Vernon.
"My apologies Albus, I appear to have misheard."
"You did no such thing, Sirius."
Sitting back in his chair, Albus Dumbledore stared into the grey eyes of his duelling professor.
Sirius Black couldn't believe what he'd just heard from the headmaster. The man had told him of Harry or as he was known to him as his godson. Harry was nothing like James or Lily. He was quiet, mature for his age, fiercely intelligent, and seemed to carry an air of melancholy that he could weave around is form with effortless skill.
As he sat in the uncomfortable armchair, Sirius couldn't help but wonder if the baby who tugged at his goatee or demanded he turned into pa'foo would make a return.
When he arrived at Hogwarts, he would try his hardest to make it happen.
AN:
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