Chapter 6: Rebirth

Petunia woke on the first of November snuggled up to Vernon with a horrible sense of foreboding. She hurried out of bed, stepping into her slippers and tying the knot on her robe to check on Dudley, breathing a sigh of relief upon seeing his features relaxed in sleep. Picking him up out of his cot, she sat down in the rocking chair near the window. Taking another deep breath, she ran a shaking hand over her son's fine blond locks. Why did it feel that something was so horribly, horribly wrong?

"Everything alright, dear?" Vernon whispered from the door, rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

Petunia drew another shaky breath before standing. "Yes, everything's fine," she said slowly. "Go on, I'll be down in a moment to start breakfast."

Vernon gave her a soft smile before turning down the hallway. She heard him pick up the mail and lumber down towards the kitchen. Dudley began stirring and blearily opened his eyes. "Ma-ma," he said, snuggling further down into her arms.

Petunia settled Dudley back down into his cot, making sure the baby monitor was properly positioned and straightened out the afghan on the back of the rocking chair again. Turning back into her room, she grabbed the baby monitor and walked down to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

Vernon was already seated at the kitchen table, reading the paper with a glass of orange juice. He began ranting to her about something or another that he was reading in the paper, but she simply couldn't concentrate on what he was saying. She made noises of agreement in the appropriate places, mechanically preparing bacon and eggs for breakfast.

"Excellent as always, Petunia," Vernon said as he finished, patting his ample stomach. Petunia gave him forced, polite half-smile - she never did care for anyone complimenting her cooking. Doing so always brought up memories of her mother carefully looking on as Petunia taught Lily and Sev everything she had learned the previous year about potions. While magic was strictly forbidden over the holidays, potion brewing was not and the three of them would precisely chop, simmer, boil, and stew ingredients over the small gas stove in the kitchen. Her gut twisted as the feeling of foreboding increased and she quickly shoved the memories to the back of her head. Dudley's impatient cries were coming shrilly over the baby monitor and could be heard faintly coming down from the floor above. She quickly got up to get him while Vernon headed off to get dressed for work.

Petunia was deeply thankful that Dudley seemed as Muggle as Muggle could be as she wrestled him into his high chair. He was growing larger by the day and struggled against her more viciously at every meal, not wanting to be confined to the high chair. Soon they would have to get him a booster seat and sit him at the kitchen table with them, but not quite yet. She loved him to pieces, but feeding him was quite a chore as he prefered to see his mother wearing more of his breakfast than he ate - and he had quite the voracious appetite.

Vernon entered the room as Dudley flung more cereal against the wall, narrowly missing his father's crisp suit. "Little tyke," Vernon chortled, before ruffling his son's hair. He kissed Petunia's cheek, carefully avoiding the yogurt dripping down her face, before stepping out the door with a spring in his step.

Petunia finally finished feeding Dudley his breakfast and then got him into the bath, beginning to go about her day as mechanically as she could. Dudley was bathed, she took a quick shower, dressed both of them, and then placed Dudley in his playpen so she could scrub the kitchen before having lunch with Mrs. Whippet.

Lunch with Mrs. Whippet was uneventful. They exchanged the latest gossip from the neighborhood and then Mrs. Whippet proceeded to tell her all about her daughter's latest escapades at school, where she was constantly getting detention for bullying other students at her tender age of eight. Finally, stuffed full of gossip and sandwiches, Petunia escorted her to the door before trying to convince Dudley to take his afternoon nap.

"Come now, Dudley," she tried after singing several lullabies, rocking him for half an hour, and shutting the blinds. "Aren't you the least bit sleepy?"

"No!" he protested, before yawning. Petunia joined him in yawning a few moments later: she was desperate for a nap herself.

"Dudley," she begged. "Won't you please go to sleep?"

"Won't," he proclaimed, shutting his eyes and drifting off. She watched him bleary eyed for several minutes before placing him in his cot and tucking a blanket around him. Finally she snuck out of the room and collapsed onto her bed, her mind swimming with exhaustion and the horrible sense of foreboding she hadn't been able to shake since waking up.

Everything went normally until just before bed. Vernon was watching the news and Petunia was methodically preparing their evening tea, inwardly cursing when she realized she had absentmindedly stirred both cups of tea three times clockwise and once anti-clockwise, the same as the final step in brewing a calming draught. She brought the tea into the sitting room and was flabbergasted by Vernon's line of questioning.

"Er - Petunia, dear - you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?"

Petunia was instantly shocked and angry - very angry at herself. In trying to forget about her world - her former world - she had forgotten the extreme danger her sister Lily had placed herself in. There was a madman out there who was hunting down Muggle-born witches like themselves and Lily and thrown herself into the fray when Petunia quietly left it all behind her and returned to her Muggle roots. What if something had happened to Lily? Why didn't she set aside their differences and at least exchange an occasional letter with her? Tomorrow, she resolved, she was going to write to Lily all about her boring Muggle life.

"No," she responded, sharply, rather more sharply than the question needed, but she was very angry with herself. "Why?" Why would Vernon be bringing something up like this? He knew how much she wanted to avoid that world.

"Funny stuff on the news," he mumbled, making her feel bad for snapping at him. "Owls... shooting stars... and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today..."

"So?" she snapped, again. She personally thought Vernon's Smelting uniform made the students look funnier than people dressed in robes, but admittedly, she had been around people dressed in robes for the better part of a decade.

"Well, I just thought... maybe... it had something to do with... you know... her crowd."

That used to be my crowd too, you know, Petunia thought irritably, sipping tea through pursed lips. She really needed to write to Lily first thing tomorrow morning.

"Their son, he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he?" Vernon continued carefully.

Merlin, was he trying to get her to reconcile with Lily? Much as she missed her sister, she had Vernon and Dudley to think of now, she couldn't in good conscience place them in the path of a Muggle killing bastard. "I suppose so," she finally said, rather stiffly.

"What's his name, again? Howard, isn't it?"

Really, what was with this sudden line of questioning? He had gleefully set fire to the birth announcement Lily had sent her last year. Petunia was very angry that Lily had not only put herself into that sort of danger but she had brought an innocent child into the mess, too. "Harry. Nasty common name if you ask me."

"Oh yes," Vernon said, with a faraway look in his eyes. "Yes, I quite agree."

They finished their tea and headed up to bed. Petunia's mind was filled to the brim with everything she needed to tell Lily the following day and wondered just how it was she was going to get the letter to her sister just before she fell asleep.


Wednesday was milk day, so Petunia woke up early, not wanting to pull away from Vernon's warmth, to place the old milk bottles outside the door for the milkman to pick up. However, she let out a scream when she went to place the bottles on the stoop, because lying there was a young boy, well wrapped in blankets against the cold.

"What is it, Petunia?" Vernon gasped, running to her side, a hammer in his hand ready to ward off any intruders. Petunia pointed down numbly at the boy who had woken up when she screamed. Carefully, she bent down to pick him up, noting the untidy black hair, but her breath caught when he turned his large green eyes to her. Those eyes were so like Lily's...

"There's a note here," Vernon grunted, fishing out an envelope addressed to Mrs. Petunia Dursley.

"Let's step inside before the neighbors see us," Petunia whispered, creeping into the sitting room. She settled on the sofa, placing the young child on her lap, before taking the letter from Vernon.

"Who the bloody hell puts a blank piece of paper in an envelope!" Vernon boomed.

Petunia glanced over at the sheaf of parchment she had plucked out of Vernon's hands, making out a distinct, loopy hand. "Parchment," she correctly absentmindedly. Her heart was too full of dread to notice his pallor at her words and she began reading the letter.

Dear Mrs. Dursley,

It is with greatest regret that I inform you of the demise of Lily Potter on October 31, 1981. She died to protect her son, Harry, and in doing so, gave him an invincible protection from Lord Voldemort, who perished in his attempt to kill Harry. I know that you spent part of your seventh year researching blood charms, so you may recall that such a sacrifice will bring about strong protections under the circumstances of the individual residing with someone who has the same blood as the one who sacrificed their life for them. You are the last remaining Evans, Petunia, and thus Harry's greatest hope. James Potter survives, but he is not always in his right mind and it now appears that he will become a permanent resident at St. Mungo's.

While Voldemort is dead, his followers are not, and you (and Harry, especially) are still in grave danger. I have built several wards around your house and I will be stopping by for tea this afternoon to discuss further security measures. I will be happy to answer any other questions for you at that time.

My condolances,

Albus Dumbledore

"This has something to do with her lot, I take it?" Vernon asked quietly.

"Yes," Petunia croaked out. "Lily... Lily's dead, Vernon."

"So... this child... this is Harry?"

"Yes," Petunia managed, clutching the boy on her lap, who had begun to squirm. "I... I'm going to change his nappy and give him breakfast before Dudley wakes up."

"Wait... is he going to be living with us?" Vernon's bushy eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline.

"Lily's dead and his father is in the hospital," Petunia said, her voice quavering. "We're all he has left, Vernon."

"Well, his father will be getting well soon and will be able to take him back, right?" Vernon was clearly uncomfortable with the fact that his nephew, who was almost certainly a wizard, would be tainting their house. Petunia nearly let out a dry laugh - he was living with her, married to her, a witch in her own right, even if she hadn't touched her wand in more than four years.

"It doesn't sound like James will be getting any better," Petunia said stiffly as she peeled the blankets off Harry. She wrinkled her nose when she got down to his clothes, a onesie covered in snitches, quaffles, and bludgers that flitted to and fro, because he smelled awful. A new nappy was most definitely in order.

Petunia crept up the stairs, not wanting to wake Dudley just yet, setting Harry down in the playpen currently being stored in Dudley's playroom. She ran into her bedroom, wrenching open a drawer in her vanity, carefully taking out a false bottom to reveal her wand and several pieces of parchment. With trembling fingers, she picked up the wand, before hastily dropping it like it had burned her fingers. You have survived for nearly 15 years of your life as a Muggle, she thought sternly, firmly shutting the drawer again. Being a witch got Lily killed, you need to remember that!

With new resolve, she quickly marched back to Dudley's playroom, changed Harry's nappy and carried him down to the kitchen, placing him in Dudley's high chair. She was amazed that her nephew was so docile - it was a growing struggle to place Dudley in the high chair, but Harry quietly sat in it, observing his new surroundings as she prepared his cereal.

"PETUNIA!" Vernon's frightened yelp came from upstairs. Leaving Harry in the high chair, she dashed up the stairs and into Dudley's room, where she could see Vernon standing in the doorway. Pushing her way into the room, she let out a strangled sob.

The sides of Dudley's cot had vanished and he had happily rolled out and onto the floor, where he was crawling about. There was no doubt about it, she now had two tiny wizards in her care. She had known from her research that it was very unlikely that any of her children wouldn't be magical, but she had held out hope. The Dursley family was about as unmagical as you could possibly be and she had hoped that that would override her magical genetics. Luck, it seemed, was not on her side this day.

She wanted desperately to sink onto the floor and let the world swallow her whole. It wasn't even seven yet, and the day had already brought too many surprises. Her sister was dead, she was taking care of her young nephew, and now, her son showed his first magical abilities. Enough pretending. She stood up, stalked back into her room, going back to the hidden compartment in her vanity and resolutely pulled out her wand for the second time that day. She didn't flinch away from the warm feeling that shot up her arm when she was reunited with her wand, the magic in her blood singing. She quickly returned to Dudley's room, tapping the cot with her wand, causing the sides to reappear. Ignoring Vernon's sputtering protests, she scooped up her son and brought him down into the kitchen, where Harry was still patiently waiting for her, absorbing all the details of the new house around him. She tapped and poked one of the kitchen chairs, attempting to transfigure it so that Dudley could sit in it and still reach the table. Finally she succeeded in making the chair legs taller, but her attempts to give the chair arms failed, so she sat Dudley down in the chair, fixing him to it with a mild Sticking Charm.

Vernon had made it back down to the kitchen. "Er... Petunia, dear... are you alright?" he asked rather timidly.

"I'm not bloody alright," she mumbled, sinking down into one of the untransfigured chairs and holding her head in both hands. "My sister is dead and I have to take care of two magical toddlers."

"But... Dudley... he's not..."

"He's a wizard, Vernon," Petunia said wearily.

Dudley realized his parents were talking about him, but not paying him any attention. "HUNGRY!" he shouted, banging his fists on the table. Harry scowled at his cousin, placing his hands over his ears. "HUNGR-" Dudley shouted again, abruptly cut off. Much to his parent's amazement, he tried yelling, but didn't make a sound. Quite angry at this point, he began throwing a silent temper tantrum. Petunia gave a weary glance at the high chair where Harry was sitting complacently.

"That wasn't very nice, Harry," she scolded, taking the silencing charm off Dudley. Earsplitting shrieks echoed throughout the room, causing Vernon and herself to wince. She rubbed her temples and began getting breakfast ready for everyone.


Petunia had just managed to get both boys settled down for an afternoon nap when the doorbell rang, causing both of them to begin wailing from upstairs again. Sighing, she pasted a smile on her face and answered the door.

"Professor Dumbledore," she greeted formally.

"Good afternoon, Petunia," he answered warmly. "Would you like some help with the boys?"

She closed her eyes. "You have no idea," she mumbled, shutting the door behind him and heading up the stairs. She picked up a squalling Dudley, but upon entering the other room Harry stopped crying. "Bumbly!" he exclaimed happily, reaching his arms out towards the older wizard.

Dumbledore laughed and plucked Harry out of the playpen. "It's good to see you too, Harry."

Petunia lead the way back down to the kitchen where she had prepared tea and cucumber sandwiches. She poured out small bowls of Cheerios for Harry and Dudley to eat, then sat opposite Dumbledore.

"How have you been?" Dumbledore asked her softly.

Petunia huffed in annoyance. "Oh, just wonderful," she spat, taking a sip of tea. "It's always a lovely day when you wake up to find that your sister's dead, you have to raise her son, and your own son shows his own first signs of magic!"

"Do I want to know what young Mr. Dursley did?" Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling.

"He vanished the sides of his cot, scaring Vernon half to death!"

"He sounds like a very determined little boy," Dumbledore mused, taking a sip of his own tea.

"Yes, he is," Petunia said fondly, looking at her son. "Why is it that you've come?"

Dumbledore set his teacup back down on his saucer before staring at Petunia intently. "I trust you read the part of my letter about warding your house?"

"Yes," she responded shortly. She knew from her theoretical study of charms that there were some wards that were best cast by a person whom they would be protecting, so undoubtedly there was at least one ward he wanted her to put up.

"I've already placed an Anti-Disapparation jinx around your house and the grounds," he informed her, looking quite serious with his fingers steepled. "Then, of course, there is blood ward that Lily left you, quite powerful in its own right. Finally, there is a ward of my own invention, it essentially works as a shield charm around the house and grounds, absorbing any hexes or jinxes fired at the house or its occupants. I would, however, like it if you were able to cast a general ward around the house."

"I - I can't," Petunia whispered, looking at him wide-eyed. "I've never done it before and it's supposed to take so much energy out of you and now I've got to take care of two toddlers..."

"I had thought about that. I wanted to bring you and the boys to St. Mungo's to see James - I think it would be important for Harry to see James still, but that's for you to decide - and then I thought we could stop by and see if your friend Alice Longbottom could help you for the next day or so."

"It does make sense," Petunia agreed slowly. "Vernon won't be home till seven or so, so we still have time."

While Petunia got the boys ready for a trip to London, Dumbledore thoughtfully conjured a double stroller for her. "It'll only last a week or two, I'd recommend getting another one soon," he cautioned, as he showed her where the Anti-Disapparation jinx ended. Taking a deep breath, she handed Harry back over to Dumbledore, picked up Dudley, and collapsed the stroller, Apparating to St. Mungo's.


Petunia nearly collapsed in relief when she arrived in the main lobby of St. Mungo's. She had made it and it didn't feel as though she had splinched herself. Dudley was wailing again, but after a quick inspection, she decided that it was more out of fear of the new method of travel than actual pain. She saw Dumbledore and Harry about fifty feet away, so she pulled out the stroller again, buckling Dudley in place, then buckling Harry in once they had reached her.

"Alright, where do we go?" she asked, wondering how unethical it would be to start lacing Dudley and Harry's food with a Calming Draught when they resumed squabbling.

"We'll take the lift to the fourth floor," Dumbledore informed her, briskly heading over to an old fashioned lift.

Once they had reached the room, Dumbledore stopped. "I must warn you," he said, a sad expression crossing his features, "I have no idea as to what state James will be in. Sometimes he's like his old self, other times he doesn't recognize anyone and can't even speak English."

"Alright," Petunia said, uneasily. She had memories of James Potter, not all of them good, and she wasn't which state would be better to see him in.

"Dumbledore!" a man's voice called out from inside the room. "I don't suppose you've seen Harry?"

"Better than that, James, I've brought him here to see you."

Petunia gathered her nerves and pushed the stroller into the room.

"Harry!" James' face lit up and he stumbled out of bed, quickly picking up his son.

"Daddy!" Harry squealed, pulling on his father's already untidy hair.

"Petunia?" James asked, looking at her uncertainly. "What are you doing here? I thought you swore off magic entirely. That's what Lils said, anyways."

Petunia's eyes watered at the mention of Lily. "I did," she choked out. "But you try taking care of two magical toddlers - one of which is your son - without magic."

"Harry zooming around your house on his broomstick?" James asked with a broad smile, tweaking Harry's nose.

"What?!"

"Yeah, he does that all the time, drives Lils crazy..." he trailed off, looking immeasurably sad.

Petunia shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "James," she said carefully, watching Dudley and Harry start to quibble over a stuffed lion that was rearing on its hind legs and letting out tiny roars. "We – we should plan the funeral."

"Froli," James said absently.

"Froli?" Petunia asked, frowning. It wasn't a term she was familiar with.

"Brimmmble," James responded. Petunia tore her eyes away from the boys and stared at her brother-in-law. His eyes were unfocused and his face no longer looked haggard and tired, but youthful and incredibly innocent. Dumbledore lightly touched her elbow.

"I think it would be best if we left for now," he said softly. Petunia found herself nodding and began packing the boys up.


"Petunia?" Alice whispered, as she stood in the doorway.

"It's me, Alice," Petunia said, tears prickling her eyes.

Alice shook her head violently, mumbling something that sounded like "constant vigilance". Finally, her movements stilled and she tapped her finger on her chin. "What was the first thing your father told me when we met?"

"He said that you had a lovely name – Lily explained that our mother's name was Alice, and I later named my daughter Alice after the two of you."

Petunia was then nearly knocked backward with the force of the hug Alice decided to bestow on her. "I've missed you so much," Alice informed her.

"I've missed you too," Petunia told Alice. "Part of me wishes I never left."

"In all honesty, it's probably why you're still alive," Alice said shrugging and tucking a short brown lock behind her ear. "Both Lily –" her voice cracked and she cleared her throat before continuing. "Lily and I were significant targets, the Death Eaters were going mad trying to find you to use as leverage to get us to come out of hiding."

Fear gripped Petunia's heart as she looked down at the two innocent toddlers who were fighting… again. She couldn't possibly bear to lose another child…

"Don't worry," Dumbledore told her softly. "You did an excellent job hiding yourself in the Muggle world – I wouldn't have been able to find you had you not told me what you had done. With these wards it will be even less likely that you'll find yourself in harms way."

"Wards? What wards?" Alice asked.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, but Petunia quickly began her own explanation. "I stopped using magic and magical artifacts completely when I entered the Muggle ward and placed several no-track spells on myself. Professor Dumbledore placed several more wards on my home and I'm about to place a general ward over the place."

Alice's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, forgive my manners, come in, come in!" she said, ushering them into her home. Petunia instantly felt a sense of peace seeing the gas lamps and various artifacts whirling and spinning of their own accord.

A small boy hobbled gingerly out of the shadows. "Mummy?" he asked uncertainly.

Alice bent down and scooped up the small boy. "Neville, this is Mummy's very good friend, Auntie Petunia. Can you say Auntie Petunia?"

Neville jammed a thumb in his mouth and shook his head vigorously, before laying his head down on his mother's shoulder. Alice sighed.

"He's not much of a talker, I'm afraid. Bitty!"

A small, well cared for house-elf popped into view. "Mistress called Bitty?"

"Yes, could you please set out tea for three adults and three toddlers? Thank you."

The house-elf nodded and disappeared with a crack.

"Now then," Alice continued. "Let's continue this over tea, shall we?"


Author's Note:

Sorry about the long wait! I've had most of this chapter done for a few months now, I just couldn't think of a way to wrap it up. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for reading!