Here is the next chapter. I hope you like it. Please read and review love Hermione xxx
Harry woke up in the morning and decided that as he had free reign of the house he was going to do something he'd never thought of doing before. Besides which he probably wouldn't have been allowed if he had asked. Grabbing thee stick from thee hot press in the landing he pulled open the door leading to the attic and opened the attached ladder so he could access it. He asked Dobby to make him a full Irish breakfast as he'd heard Seamus saying nothing tasted better then it and he wanted to see if it was true or not. He'd never tasted it before but now seemed as good a time as any. He truly wondered what he'd find up here. Would there be a whole load of stuff or nothing. As ascended the ladder he found a chord which he pulled on illuminating the whole room. It was actually rather organised for an attic. Typical he thought when he spotted the filing cabinet in the corner of the room with a few boxes around it.
The first box he came upon was listed as useless and when he opened he saw why. Dumbledore had clearly been giving them galleons for his care but not pounds so yes they would have been useless to them however they never thought to ask Harry to change them for him either which they could have as he went off to school. These idiots could not even afford to keep him and it was their own faults totally. The logical person would have asked for the money in pounds but instead of doing that they had accepted it as it was and abused him none the less. He would ask Dobby to count it's contents later on. The next box he saw contained various Christmas ornaments and their fake Christmas tree. He rolled his eyes at this and kicked the box to one side not interested in it. The next box contained all the old family albums and as he settled in to look through them he saw obviously some photos of when Petunia and Vernon started first dating and when Dudley was first born. Then he saw something which almost stopped his heart at the bottom of the box. There was an envelope with writing on the outside. It read:
Dear Petunia,
I thought you might like to have these to show to Lily someday. I found them when I was clearing out some old photos and as you know she's gotten weird with not contacting us as much as she used to lately. I swear to god it's like that girl has forgotten us or something. Please see she gets these whenever you next see her if you do of course as knowing her that might not happen either. Anyway I wish you well and we'll be by to see you sometime next week as I feel like it's been ages since we spoke last.
Love and best wishes, mum. X
The letter on the front implied that Lily had stopped talking to her parents and he sure hoped that wasn't true. Opening the seal he found inside photos of Lily as a teenager with none other then Severus Snape smiling brightly on a vacation somewhere in the UK. They looked so extremely happy that he couldn't help wondering where it had all gone wrong for them. In another life perhaps they might have been friends still. Then again in another life she might be alive too and that was never happening. Why then was Professor Snape such an ass to him? It truly did boggle the mind. He'd been friends with his mother so anything his father had done shouldn't have mattered that much. Was there more to this story he wondered? Did he love her? That could be a possibility. However even if it was it still didn't explain his hatred of Harry. Harry realised he was now feeling extremely resentful of his so called family and resolved himself to find out if Snape's childhood had been in any way bad. If it had it would go in some way towards explaining his behaviour but not excusing it. He was annoyed by it no doubt. If he was truly honest about it nothing really could excuse the man's behaviour or if it could it would want to be something major. As he was about to continue looking in the envelope Dobby called him to say that breakfast was ready for him. He exited the attic leaving it open and went downstairs where what he could only describe as a feast was awaiting him.
His plate contained sausages, eggs, bacon, mushrooms, baked beans, black and white pudding and finally toast. He sat down and began to eat feeling highly satisfied. Seamus was indeed right it was delicious. Looking out into the garden he could see the Dursley's had let it go completely obviously assuming he'd be cleaning it up when came back which wasn't true. However given that he could see Dobby needed something to do he asked him if he wouldn't mind cleaning it and told him to take his time doing it which the elf was more then happy to do. He could never understand how happy elves became with such tasks as he always found them most monotonous. Cleaning up his plate he then headed back upstairs to the photos where in he found a letter his mum had written to Snape which hadn't been opened. Clearly her mum had thought she might like it back considering it had never reached him. He debated whether or not he should open it but agreed that it could easily be resealed afterwards and used magic to open it quickly but cleanly.
Severus,
I am not sure how long you intended for this to go on but I did try and help you out however you were so stubborn you would not see reason. Someone like that deserves to rot in jail for all eternity and I hope for your sake he ends up there. Do not lecture me about this either as I have seen the bruises. I know I may contradict myself here Sev but I cannot keep saving you from James and his god awful crew. I have no idea why they target you like they do but I am so sick of the fact that you do not defend yourself here. It's almost as though you forget you are a wizard in the wizarding world and can use magic to defend yourself. If I could use magic at home I would and you know that. Petunia unfortunately is beyond my help now. Mum and dad have already damaged her enough. I am not blind to the things they have been telling her and I can say if they said them to me repeatedly I would believe them too. It is something I have asked them not to do however they tell me merely that what they say to her is not dishonest. I just don't get them. I realise they'll never understand but I miss her Sev. She's growing more distant from me and I hate it.
Also Lucius Malfoy is not a good man and I detest your friendship with him as anyone worth their weight in gold can tell he always has ulterior motives no matter what he chooses to say. Someone who is doing bad things will not always wear bad clothes. I told you to never forget this as this is something daddy always told me. He is a wise man Severus. If you will not hear me then please hear him. I swear to god if James doesn't stop his shenanigans I will transfigure his testicles into a rock or something painful like that. I've had enough of his abuse of others. He doesn't get to merely abuse others all around him and then demand my love like some sort of crazy king. Who the hell does he think I am? Some sort of simpleton who would give him what he asks for simply because of who he is or more to the point who he thinks he is. Also Albus Dumbledore is up to something where you are concerned and I determined to find out what it is. Please Severus watch out for him. He has already lied to me about something and it wasn't even something major. If he can lie about something like that what else can he lie about? That man was here again the other day. You know the one I mean. Petunia now acts very strangely indeed.
I overheard my parents talking about her hospital ordeal but when I asked them about it they said they didn't know anything about it. It simply feels like everyone is lying to me these days. I don't know what I have done to deserve such abuse but such is life I guess. Whether they wish to say it or not it is a form of abuse and not one I will be forgetting anytime soon I assure you. Something happened to Petunia I am sure of it. I asked her and she merely said it is all over now and that this is all that matters. She accused me of never being there when I was needed. She said my freaky talents could have saved her. She really doesn't understand that I cannot do magic outside school. I'd give my life for her if I thought it would make her happy. Alas nothing ever makes that idiot happy. I am so tired of trying to please everyone all the damn time.
I gave Professor Slughorn a fish Frances. Well that's what he called her. I thought the name choice was hilarious but I didn't tell him that lest I offend him or something. I was never more proud when he told me you'd also gotten into the Slug club and James hadn't. That is one more thing I can do that he cannot. I am a muggleborn and already I am a damn sight better then him in each subject. Anyway I have kept you long enough. I must go now to dinner as mummy is calling me and doesn't like me to be tardy. She's a bit like Professor McGonagall in that way. Take care Sev and write to me whenever you have a chance,
Love Lillian Evans (your dear friend in case you forget).
He read it and sat back against the wall all these different emotions flowing through him. He went from rage to understanding to sadness and back to rage once more. He couldn't believe that people had been lying to his mother even her own parents it would seem. It would also seem that not only had Severus maybe been abused but so too had Petunia. Why would his grandparents not wish Lily to know about it. He took the letter placing it in his pocket and was determined to show Hermione that at a later date and ask her whether he should give it to Professor Snape or not. She would more then likely say he should of course but it was worth asking about none the less. The next box contained old clothes from the eighties some of which was rather cool and some of which sucked. Next he found another letter from his mum this time to Petunia.
Petunia,
I have had my son a baby boy and I have named him Harry James Potter. It is for the greater good that I have done this. As you know Professor Dumbledore has informed me that if I did not marry James he would have gone rogue and on the most wayward path to becoming a death eater like Severus. I will do all I can to prevent that even if it means marrying him. I am informing you of Harry's birth as Mummy will give out to me if I do not. So here it is his birth announcement. I shall always think fondly of you no matter how you may view me. I do not wish you any harm and wish only good things for you and Vincent was it? I am sorry if that is not accurate however mummy doesn't always tell me everything accurately as she forgets it herself too. Well either way wish Vincent or whatever he's called well and my love to your son Dudley.
Love Lily.
He read it annoyed once again as this was saying she had only married his father as Dumbledore had told her he'd become a death eater if he did not. Everyone who knew them said they loved each other however maybe this was the point. Maybe everyone was supposed to think that. He would wring Sirius Black's neck once he saw and read his trial records. He would be having damn closure whether people thought he deserved it or not. These were his parents and whatever the circumstances of their marriage had been he still deserved to know truthfully how their death had come about. Then a baby photo of him fell out of the envelope and he was lying in his Moses basket smiling at the camera tiredly. He wondered whether he should even keep looking as he was finding so much more then he though. He found a final box labelled mum's stuff and learned it was stuff belonging to Vernon's late mum. He closed the book and pushed it to one side. Next came the task of the filing cabinet. It mostly contained old bills and tax returns however in the last drawer was his grandparents will. He read it with enthusiasm. There within he read the passages written about his mother.
To our daughter Lily Marie Evans there is nothing worth leaving her as the gift she has is more precious then any worldly good we could leave her. Once she became part of that world we lost her and so she is to remain with those people who are gifted like herself and there she should find constant solace and comfort. Know always my darling girl although we will never be as special as you we love you wholeheartedly none the less.
To Petunia June Evans we leave all our worldly possessions and the advice to accept that she will always be boring like us. None of us will ever be as special as Lily and must live with and bear that hardship all of our lives. She was gifted a miraculous gift by god that we were not deemed worthy enough to also receive. It boggles the mind but such is life. I would have been good in that world I am sure and even when we wrote to Dumbledore he would not take you on as a student for he could not. I was most aggrieved to hear this I had thought you might also be blessed alas you were not. Please live your life to the best and always love with all your heart. We always loved you no matter how mundane you were. None of the rest us were special either please don't ever forget I said that.
The rest of the will contained other non important things and he was slightly disgusted that they believed Lily's gift of magic had come from god and that they were unlucky to not be 'blessed' in such a way. Why did she never set them straight about it? Would they have listened to her if she had? Maybe that's why Petunia hated her so much. I mean always being told you'd never be as special as your sister must have been tough. What a lot to have to live up to in the eyes of your parents at least. Looking around he realised he'd been up there hours.
"Dobby please count the money in this box that says useless on it and then I'd like a quick meal before bed!" he said seriously as Dobby did so.
"Right away Harry Potter sir. You have one hundred and eighty thousand galleons in this box here. Your dinner is on the dining table downstairs waiting for you. What would you like me to do with this money while you eat?" he asked as he waited for instructions.
"Please return this money to the bank where they can put it into my account for me. Tell them I found it at home and wish to deposit it back into my account. When I'm done eating we can sleep for the night. I have a lot to think about!" he said going downstairs and eating his dinner. When he was done eating he cleaned up and went to bed, Dobby sleeping at his feet. He really did have a lot to think about.