Beginning of an end Chapter 2 – Vernon getting back and explanations

Vernon got some take-away for his wife as he headed home after a business meeting, it had gone really well, he ordered a Chinese so his wife didn't have too cook when he got home, as well as a couple of toys for his son. He drove home happily.

Driving home into Privet Drive he whistled a tune as he got out the car, finding his keys he walked in to find his wife not there, he stopped whistling now. He walked into the living room and walked over thinking it was his son. But got the fright of his life when emerald green eyes were peering at him sleepily, from the basket, Harry started to cry, Vernon picked him up and rocked him till he fell asleep. Vernon fell in love with the beautiful green-eyed boy immediately.

That was how Petunia found her husband, she watched as he put the sleeping tyke down and asked, "Pet who's this little boy?" looking at the boy lovingly.

But Petunia took the dinner and walked into the kitchen without saying anything, leaving Vernon to follow her, she knew Vernon wouldn't like it to start with but in the end, he would agree. He loved his wife and son very much; another baby would not be too bad. Petunia put the Chinese onto two plates thanking the gods that he had something home with him because she had not had the time to cook his normal meal.

Settling down they began eating their dinner before they started talking.

"Vernon, I got a very strange visitor while you were gone, it was a man. He had a child in his arms and he was a fully-grown wizard. I would have shut the door if the child were not there. He asked nicely to come in so I let him. The baby in there belongs to my sister; she has abandoned her baby because another powerful wizard was after him. She just left him; she didn't care that I would abuse him, or so the man said. He gave us money for taking him in, I want to treat him like our own, and it's not his fault that Lily didn't want him. It's not his fault he is a wizard, I want to bring him up Vernon; we will tell him when he is old enough to know. If he shows before that we will just have to help him control it. There is a gateway to Diagon Alley, the magical world, once he starts we will get him books, they should help him. I will do what my sister didn't," she said with so much conviction that she was surprised too.

Even more surprised when he nodded his head straight away, 'Yes' was all he could think to himself. He would bring the boy up and would tell him as soon as he was able to handle it. He felt a bit of sorrow that the child's mother could abandon him. Together they dug into their meal happily, they were a family and nothing could come between them. They would raise the child as their own.

The years went by since that night, Harry started calling Vernon and Petunia mum and dad, and they didn't have the heart to tell him. Harry started magic not even two years old summoning his bottles to him shocking Petunia a lot of time. She never admitted it though and much to their surprise and happiness Dudley started showing magic too.

When Dudley and Harry were three, they moved from Privet Drive to a mansion they bought with the money that they had gotten, Dudley and Harry had their own rooms that were joined together, with a door where the wall is meant to be. Their rooms were both blue, there were many toys scattered about the room, both boys were quick at learning their alphabet and started reading. They were best in their classes at everything, for rich children they were not spoilt or selfish, they helped everyone they needed and practised their magic in their bedrooms.

When Harry turned five they explained everything to him, about his family and everything.

"Harry when you were little we took you in, we are not your real parents your real parents abandoned you. Their names were Lily Evans, my sister, and your dad is James Potter. They are still alive, they have never contacted us not once, and they didn't give you anything. The man who brought you here knew your family. Severus gave us the money to raise you. And there is something else too, you're a wizard, yes and you will be able to do magic, you already can. Your mum and dad are both witches and wizards, we wanted to take you in, love you like your mother didn't, we are telling you because we don't want you to live a lie," explained Petunia, mum, as she was called by Harry and Dudley.

Dudley and Harry were both stunned all Dudley could think was 'He is not my brother he is my cousin?' all Harry could think was 'Why did my mum not want me? Didn't she want to protect me? Why did a man have to give mum the money didn't they give her any? I'm a wizard that explains so much then so is Dudley.' Harry spoke up saying,

"I don't care about my mum; you're my real mum no matter what. You brought me up and I love you all. I don't want to know about them you're my family, always will be," he said, although he was a bit hurt he didn't mind, he had a great mum and dad and brother, he wanted nothing to do with the people who had abandoned him.

With a promise to go to the magical world to get some books, they went to bed that night; earlier than he had ever went to bed in ages. The days went by, they still had trouble getting their magic under control, and it was then they decided that they could not hold the trip to Diagon Alley off. So off to the magical world they went.

Harry had green eyes skinny and was quite tall, taller than any Potter had been at that age. He had contacts in and his hair was long and tied back in a ponytail. There was nothing there that said he was a Potter, he looked part of the family that he was in. They would think he had his mother's eyes, in a way he did, he thought of Petunia as his mother and she had green eyes. He wore jeans and a green top.

Dudley is not fat, quite skinny and tall but not taller than Harry, with blue eyes and longish hair, not as long as Harry's. He looked like his dad but was skinny like his mother. He wore jeans and a top just like Harry's that was green.

Petunia had brown hair to her shoulders wore a skirt and white blouse, she was skinny and had green eyes, just like Harry's, green eyes run in the Evan's line. She was tall and bony and looked nothing like Lily.

Vernon as usual worked that day, but admitted that it would make him queasy to be there. Harry and Dudley had laughed at their dad admitting that he would be queasy to go anywhere. It was well known that he loved everywhere he went, even on his business meetings.

Harry and Dudley practically bounced down the stairs in the mansion then slid the rest of the way down the banister with a yell of excitement, the first time they did it their magic helped them and left them floating in mid air, they have done it all the time since then.

Petunia, with Harry and Dudley in the car, drove to the opening to the ally; they had to grab Petunia because she was a muggle. As soon as they were through the alleyway their jaws dropped, they where not ones to be surprised much, but today they apparently were. Jaws still hanging they made their way to Gringotts but looking at everything as well along the way.

Petunia went to the goblin and asked, "Can I get this changed for galleons please," she asked handing him four hundred pound; she knew how mad they would get with books. Petunia had had to get a shelf to fit all the books Harry had in his room, he loves to read Dudley liked to read too, nowhere near Harry, but anything interesting he would dig right in.

Then Petunia said, "Here take the galleons and spend them wisely. Be sure to keep your heads down, I will go get the shopping and some new clothes then go home and make the dinner. You spend the day here ok? Don't worry I will come back," she added teasingly at both of them.

So they both just nodded, taking their huge and heavy money sacks each, both going to a shop to look around. They found a crystal shop they both got their favourite colour of stones, Harry got an onyx and Dudley got emerald, they left the shop after wandering around for an hour not seeing anything they liked. They sat and ate a sundae out in the sun, Dudley eating a raspberry one and Harry vanilla and chocolate one.

Harry and Dudley then went into the trunk shop they had just seen, wanting to have a look. After them finding trunks they liked they both dragged them to the counter, paying 200 for both, one was green and one was blue. Both had eight locks which they thought was 'wicked', both had buttons so they could shrink and be back at there original size, great for them.

They eventually got up and went to the bookshop, Dudley going to one area, Harry went straight for the other side of the room, where the potion's and defence section was, bumping into someone that someone cursed about 'stupid idiotic Gryffindor's' that was until he saw the age of the kid anyway. He shoved his hand out and helped the eight-year-old kid up.

When Harry got a good look at him he frowned he had been told about the man who had left him at the Dursley's and that man who had him matched the information he had gotten. Days after he had been told she had told him in more detail, wanting to know everything even what his parents looked like, he was glad he didn't look like any of them.

"Snape," whispered Harry as he got a proper look and all he could think to himself was 'it's defiantly him, all right defiantly him. Snape looked down at the kid and frowned and thought to himself 'this kid is not scared' he mused 'and looks curious and knows my name wonder who he is?' not many eight year olds are curious about him, most are petrified of him. That kid not being scared annoyed him and amused him at the same time, he didn't know either to laugh or scare him, he decided on the latter.

Looking down at the kid he raised his eyebrow at the kid and said without his usual bite and scorn, also his face was missing his customary sneer, "Who are you?" after all it was just a kid.

"Harry," was all he would say.

"What's your last name boy?" he said narrowing his eyes. He only knew of one Harry and wanted to know if it was him. He had to admit he had been scared of leaving him, but if this was him he knew then and there that he was taken care of and well looked after and as an after thought 'he looks nothing like James'

"Harry Dursley." He used that name even though he knew he was a Potter the Potter's practically disowned him so he goes by the name Dursley and sometimes Evans. Harry saw the mans eyes lighten and his eyes show a bit of fondness before it was gone replaced by his usual blank mask he always wore around people.

Then Harry said, "I know you, you brought me to my mum's house. She told me about you. You gave them money, we moved with that. Its great were we are now. Thanks for taking me there. Mum and dad are great."

"Your mum and dad?" asked Severus curiously.

"Yea, Petunia and Vernon are mum and dad, I don't care that I was abandoned by the Potter's. Well maybe a little but I'm not all that bothered. I'm just glad that you didn't leave me any where else," said Harry as if it was an every day conversation, "Besides if they wanted me now I would not go. I have a brother, a mum I love and a dad, they are just cowards. From what I see I would not give my child up because a wizard was after me. I'd protect them to my last breath. I would do the same for my brother, mum and dad coz my life would not be the same without them."

Severus was stunned by the fact Harry knew and that he loved his aunt or mother as Harry calls her as much as that. He had to agree with Harry on that, he would protect his child to his last breath and not abandon him. Shaking himself out of his musing he said,

"What are you doing here anyway? Are you not supposed to be in the muggle world?" asked Severus curiously.

"Oh no, our magic is getting on our nerves. We found out mum and dad are squibs, both mum and 'Lily'," saying the name in distaste, "were adopted when their family realised they were squibs but Lily's magic manifested itself but moms didn't and anyway we need to learn magic. Our magic keeps bursting out at strange time, we try and control it, but we cant so we are going to get lots of books would you help us?" he asked nicely and mumbled curiously to himself, he had not meant for the man to here "You have the mark of evil on you, yet you don't support it, and are not evil, you like the dark arts though. 'Wow how did I know that?' thought Harry in wonder.

Severus could not believe what he had just heard. There was only way Harry would be able to know that, if he was an aura reader and can see aura's. Severus took Harry to the smallest corner of the shop and knelt beside him and asked urgently,

"Can you tell me how you know that," seeing fear on the kid's face, "its ok I'm not going to hurt you but you have to tell me please," he said making his face show how important it was.

Harry frowned rolled his eyes and said, trying with all his might to get the man to understand him,

"You have an aura around you. It's red with pink tints in it; you have a black line around it and a dark ugly aura around your arm. It's pulsing of dark magic; you have the mark of evil but don't support it. I don't know why or how I understand it, that's why it's annoying me. Dudley can't see the magic like I can," Harry said beginning to get into a huff; the aura thing was getting on his nerves.

"How long have you seen the aura's Harry?" asked Severus in awe he could not believe Harry was an aura seer already, the youngest was eighteen.

Harry scratched his head as he thought and replied "Uh um… since I was two. First time I saw it the man was like you, huge porky man, looked rattish. (lol Pettigrew rattish he-he get it rattish?) But his aura was black and pulsing, he supported the man. I sensed danger I told mum about him snooping around. It was not long later that we moved. I was only two, don't know why she listened perhaps she saw him herself and I don't know why I sensed danger I just did. That's what annoys. I can sense things I can't explain," he said not seeing the totally awed look the man dressed in black was throwing him or the anger and the suspicion. He had an idea who the rattish man was.

Severus dragged him over to the books that would help him, handing him down five that were there. Harry put them in the trolley and started collecting more books from the 1st year books till Auror book's, he took extra Defence books and Potions books, they looked the most interesting books so far. Severus raised an eyebrow, he knew that Harry should or maybe not be able to understand half of the books. But knew not to underestimate him.

Harry was about to go and pay when a hand grabbed him out of no were Harry spun around only to find himself face to face with a woman with bug eyes which were rolling around in their sockets and bushy hair that went everywhere. Severus saw what was happening and knew a prophecy was going to be told. He had read books about seers, and he was right. He flew a silencing spell up and just started listening to her properly when she started talking….

"….The abandoned one…. …

….will have the power that vanquishes….

…. The dark lord… to come out….

…. With just a lighting bolt…

…. born as the seventh month dies…

…. Loved by his family as well as protector…

… His dark knight, made sure he was taken care of before leaving….

Harry saw Sev turn red out of the corner of his eye he knew who the prophecy spoke of he was amazed that Severus had done that for him and loved him too.

…. Don't defy the prophecy or the world will be plunged into darkness…

….soon you will have the power the dark lord will know not….

….. Year's later either must die at the hands of the other………..

…For you can't live while the dark lord lives."

The woman, Trelawney, said she was sorry and walked passed beyond the silencing spells, not seeing the looks of the two people she had just left. She would have known something was wrong if she had seen.

Harry's jaw dropped, he was not stupid he knew what that meant, he looked over and Severus looked at Harry with a mixture of hope and sadness, hope that he would finally be free of the burden and sadness that someday the innocence was going to be ripped away from the boy. He wanted nothing more than just wrap him up and take him to his manor and keep him there but knew better, they had been warned not to interfere with the prophecy. Severus let out a sigh and knew he was going to have to stay out, he couldn't stop fate.

"Well we can't do anything about this Harry, I'm sorry. We will have to continue on as if we never met, we can't interfere. Looks to me like you and I will have to go our separate ways after today", closing his eyes he said, "We can't change anything or it could end up a much worse, I'm sorry I can't help you. But I will try and help you best I can," he gave the boy a cuddle and asked to try and change the subject.

"Do you have enough for all the books you have?" he asked.

"Yeah I have or should have," he said going into the line, Severus coming behind him as they waited.

It was not long before Harry had millions of bags, he unshrunk his trunk with a touch of the button, and he put all his bags in the trunk with everything else in there. He said goodbye to Severus and left the shop.

Unaware that Severus watched him to with an expression of regret on his face, as well as a huge bit of pride. Pride that he had accepted it no questions asked he also realised that James and Lily Potter had given away a child who would be great one day.