When Petunia had woken up that first night, it had apparently been in late June. September 3rd was Petunia's birthday. She is 11 now, apparently her haircut was going to be on her birthday. Petunia didn't want to get her hair cut; she'd always had short hair in her past life and she wanted to keep it long in this one. When she told Mum about her decision, Mum had said if she could take care of it long then the salon appointment would be just to trim it of split ends. Petunia agreed and had taken to brushing it herself, and braiding it before bed.
The fire over the weekend was only mentioned to tell the girls the cover story their parents had come up with for the neighbors: it was an electrical fire caused by a hair curler.
Petunia would sometimes catch her parents looking at her with worried expressions when they thought she wasn't looking, the same way they looked at Lily sometimes.
A few days after the fire Petunia had finally gotten used to the routine of everything again.
Today though, Lily had asked their mother if they could go to the park. She had taken a moment to think before she agreed, reasoning that it was never busy at the small park near their house so Mum said they could go, as long as they were careful. Petunia could read between the lines and knew she meant not to be seen doing anything that could not be explained, and Petunia and Lily agreed. Mum also did not see Lily's comically exaggerated wink at Petunia after she had asked. Hmm, Lily was up to something.
They walked to the park in silence, Lily was almost vibrating and Petunia was quietly suspicious.
When they got to the park, Lily looked around at the empty place and ran off to the bushes near the edge of the park and started to look around at the ground. Petunia huffed and looked around the park; it was just the two of them here so it was time to see what Lily was up to. She slowly made her way over to Lily.
"What are you looking for, Lils?" Petunia asked, keeping her tone just to curiosity, trying not to let suspicion slip into her voice.
"Ahah!" Lily exclaimed and turned around to Petunia with a closed fist held out and smiling triumphantly. Lily didn't say anything but opened her hand to reveal a crushed daisy. The flower began to float slightly, slowly spinning as it opened and closed over Lily's open palm.
"Look Tunie, you can do this too." Lily said with complete confidence that her big sister could do this just like her.
"This is how I stopped from having another accident at home. I practiced. You try Tunie." Lily said.
Petunia shook a little as Lily took her hand and gently placed the daisy on her palm.
"How?" Petunia asked, wanting her voice to come out strong and not in the cracked whisper it came out as.
"You imagine what you want to happen and then you block out everything else and focus", Lily said like she was imparting some sacred knowledge. She may have been.
Petunia looked at Lily. She was staring at Petunia's open palm with the flower on it and Petunia sighed as she also focused on it. She imagined it doing the same thing it had done for Lily, floating gently and opening and closing. She focused and shut out everything else but the flower and what she wanted to happen. Petunia didn't know how long it was but the flower started to float and spin in the air just above her palm.
She had magic.
That thought seemed to break Petunia.
Lily cheered and was doing a victory dance.
The flower started to spin faster floating higher by at least 3 inches in the air and kept spinning faster. It burst into flames. Petunia wasn't scared of the fire this time; she was having a hard time feeling anything besides numbness. She focused on the fire above her hand. It started to change color quickly. It became a rather beautiful rapidly changing rainbow…
Lily stopped her dance and flinched back a little from the flames. Petunia's hair floated up in the air. It was long and dark and floating up and out to the sides. Lily saw the fire turn into rainbow flames and smacked a hand over her mouth. As she looked past the flames she saw Petunia's eyes. She looked like she was in a trance. Lily kept looking between Petunia and the flames. Not knowing what to do or if she should do anything at all.
Petunia was shaken out of her trance when a boy fell out of the bushes on the ground between Lily and Petunia's feet.
The flames went out in a small puff of curling smoke and everyone just stared at each other. The boy pointed up at Lily with one hand and up at Petunia with his other and exclaimed,
"Witch! You're witches!".
Neither girl reacted right away, both still dumbfounded by the sudden appearance of some strange boy. Of all things to happen.
Lily was the first to wake up from her stupor and realize what was said.
"Hmf! That's not a nice thing to say to someone! Also, you were spying on us!" Lily said, pointing back at him.
He stood up and dusted himself off.
"It's okay. I'm a wizard. You're both witches. You were doing magic." He said quickly trying to salvage this situation he'd gotten himself into.
"Still doesn't change the fact you were spying on us! Who are you anyway?!" Lily yelled at him, crossing her arms over her chest.
All Petunia could do was watch as Lily and Severus Snape argued about him spying on them. This, apparently not being the first time. She remembered the first time in another lifetime when he had been calling Lily a witch, and Petunia had been the one accusing him of spying and arguing with him while Lily stood by silently. The roles between the sisters were reversed.
Petunia took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
"If you're a wizard, prove it," Petunia said calmly. talking for the first time. Both Lily and Severus whipped their heads to look at her, the looks of matching shock on their faces suggesting that they almost forgot she was there.
"What?!" They said in unison but totally different tones. Lily, loud and angry. Severus, quiet and confused.
"Prove you are a wizard. Do something magical." Petunia said calmly.
Lily smirked at him, Petunia didn't look away from him and waited.
He bit his lip and looked around, and then behind him at the bushes and grabbed a handful of leaves off of one, and made the leaves swirl around in the air, then made them fly over to the two girls and around Petunia's head, and then land on her palm she held out for them. Like Lily had in Petunia's past life.
Lily was dumbstruck and Petunia laughed. It came out a little faster than her normal laugh and she stopped herself so she wouldn't laugh hysterically. Severus smiled.
"I told you. My name is Severus. My mum is a witch like you" he said to them both but was only looking at Petunia.
Lily looked between them and sighed. He was right, they had magic. Now she knew what was happening to her and at least her sister didn't have to wonder like Lily did for a long time.
"My name is Petunia and this is my little sister Lily" she said, since Lily wasn't introducing them, she would.
Lily looked like she had eaten a lemon, so Petunia elbowed her and Lily looked down and scuffed her shoe.
"Doesn't change the fact he was spying on us, Tunie, and I don't like him." Lily said
"Don't be rude, Lils," Petunia chided.
Lily looked at Petunia like she had grown another head as Petunia reached over to shake Severus's hand. He took it and shook hands out of an automatic reflex, like he was in a bit of shock too.
"Nice to meet you, Severus. Would you care to tell us more? Why don't you have a staff? When is your beard going to come in? Will me and Lily turn green? I hope not." Petunia said, managing to keep a straight face, and sounding completely serious. Now, Severus took in a deep breath and held it for a few seconds, and shook his head.
"Wizards and witches both use wands. I have heard of some that use a staff but it's more common to use a wand. I'm not Gandalf, I don't want to grow a beard. And the only way you would turn green is if you somehow mess up a potion and it turns you green." Severus said with the patience of a saint–and like someone getting used to answering the obvious questions of the completely ignorant. In other words Lily and her. But actually, just Lily. Petunia knew more about the wizarding world and its future than Severus did.
Petunia sat down on the ground and pulled Lily down with her. Severus looked at them and was hesitant, but Petunia patted the ground beside her and he sat down and she smiled at him.
"I like Gandalf, but I'm glad, I don't think you would look good with a beard, and green is our color, but I don't want my skin to change color. When do we all get wands then? Also, where?" Petunia asked.
Severus smiled and was happy to answer all of their questions
"We get our wands when we're 11 and are going to go to Hogwarts. We get them from a wand shop. There are a few in Daigon alley, that's the magical shopping district." he said
"Tunie is 11!" Lily said.
Severus gasped and looked at Petunia and she nodded "that means you get to go to Hogwarts this year!" he said
Petunia apparently had to ask: "What's Hogwarts?"
"It's where witches and wizards go to learn magic!" Severus exclaimed with his hands up in the air and had to take a breath to get a hold of himself "Hogwarts sends out letters about this time of year, and as you're both muggle born, a teacher will hand deliver your letter and explain things. We aren't allowed to do magic outside of school, but we're young so it's okay for little stuff and accidents." Severus said excitedly.
"If this school exists why haven't we heard about it?" Lily asked.
"Magic is kept secret! It's the law. Magic needs to be kept secret to keep all magic safe from muggles" he said glaring at Lily and Lily opened her mouth to say who knew what to probably start a fight. Lily was being strangely antagonistic
"What's a muggle?" Petunia asked before Lily and Severus could start arguing again.
Severus looked back at Petunia and huffed out a little.
"It's someone with no magic. Ordinary" he said
Lily became quiet at that and sighed. Petunia looked at Lily and huffed as she looked back to Severus and asked about Hogwarts.
"It's amazing. My mum went there. She was a Slytherin. That's one of the four houses at the school. Slytherin, Huffelpuff, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor. I hope I get into Slytherin, but I'm only 9, so it's going to be forever until I get to go to Hogwarts. You are so lucky Petunia" Severus said then he looked over at Lily and looked down at the grass they were all sitting on and sighed.
"I'm sorry…I was s-spying on you both, I just wanted to be sure you were both magical too like me. You can get in really serious trouble for revealing magic to muggles and I don't want to go to Azkaban!" he said, slow at first then all in a rush.
Lily looked up at him then, finally,
"What azka-az…what you said?" she asked.
"It's a wizard's prison. It's guarded by monsters called dementors. They feed on your happiness, and suck away all hope from you. They sound horrible." Severus shuddered and looked a little pale. Petunia patted his shoulder lightly and smiled. Lily shuddered a little too imagining them
"Well, if that's what it was about I guess I could forgive you…if you promise to never spy on us again" Lily said and Severus smiled and nodded, Petunia looked between them and smiled.
They talked some more, Lily asking questions about the wizarding world and Severus happy to answer them all–again with the patience of a saint. Petunia was happy to just listen, occasionally asking a question for clarification on something or other, but otherwise just enjoying her afternoon of making a new friend and listening to Lily and Severus.
Eventually it began getting dark and they all had to head home. Severus said he would be at the park everyday, and reminded Petunia about the impending visit of a teacher to explain everything soon, and to not tell their parents. The girls agreed and Petunia promised to show him her letter when it came, and then they all said goodbye to one another.
After that first day in the park, Lily and Petunia met Severus everyday; Lily and Severus getting along better now. Sometimes they laid on the grass talking, sometimes they all played pretend together. It was fun being a child again, and Petunia knew how words could hurt, and was always sure to be careful with them. The girls told their parents all about their new friend Severus, but they were careful to leave out any mention of magic.
Today they were playing a game of adventures and looking for a great potions maker who mysteriously disappeared decades ago and his personal potions journal that could help find him.
Petunia had given Severus a notebook the other day for this game they were all playing now Petunia had been the one to hide it. She had made a scavenger hunt out of it and Lily and Severus had their heads bent close together, whispering furiously at each other in order to decipher the clue. Petunia giggled.
The game was over when Lily and Severus found the journal of Philius Jordan and now they were all relaxing on the grass. After a while the girls had to head home and said goodbye to Severus. Petunia pulled him into a side hug before she and Lily left.
Petunia always made sure she was extra kind to Severus; she could tell he didn't have the best home life; she didn't know the details, but she could gather enough to know that.
At dinner, Lily told Mum and Dad all about the adventure they had that day, and about the mysterious Philius Jordan. Their parents enjoyed hearing all about it; they always did like to hear about the pretend adventures she and Lily had. Petunia had forgotten that her parents genuinely enjoyed hearing about their games, while many parents didn't.
Petunia braided her long dark hair for bed as Lily came into her room and laid down on her bed. The sisters have been sharing a bed more often since they learned Petunia would be leaving to go to school at Hogwarts this year. Petunia didn't mind. They fell asleep facing each other.
Early the next morning Petunia was awakened by Lily kicking out in her sleep, causing Petunia to yelp and fall off the bed, taking all the blankets with her. After she freed herself from the blankets she glared up at the sheepish face of Lily looking over the side of the bed.
"Sorry! I'm sorry Tunie!" Lily yelled out as Petunia stood up and hit Lily with a pillow lightly once and huffed as she fixed her pajamas.
"This is why you sleep on the outside of the bed and I sleep near the wall." Petunia said, as she picked up her blankets and dumped them all on Lily. She made her way to the door and waited for Lily to untangle herself.
"Come on. We might as well just get up, Lils" Petunia said and opened the door and headed down the stairs, Lily following quickly behind her.
Mum had already done breakfast. After breakfast the girls stayed home, as it started to rain. Petunia was reading a history book about the second world war in the maroon wingback arm chair she liked. Dad was reading historical fiction on the couch, Lily was playing cards with Mum at the coffee table, rain pounding the windows. It really was pouring outside.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Everyone froze for a second and then Dad got up and went to the door. He came back into the living room followed by an older woman in a green robe. Curiously, she wasn't at all wet, and had no umbrella.
"This is Professor McGonagall. She says she wants to talk to us about Petunia." Dad said, his shoulders tense and voice robotic sounding as he walked over and sat next to Mum. Lily and Petunia looked at each other and then at the professor. She had to be the teacher from Hogwarts that Severus told them about. Petunia closed her book and sat up straight as the McGonagall sat on the loveseat across from the couch and the chair Petunia sat on.
"Yes, I would like to talk to you all about the school I work for, it's called Hogwarts and Petunia has been accepted." McGonagall said.
"I'm not trying to be rude here Professor, but I have never heard of this school" Dad said.
"Yes, I understand Professor Evans...has anything inexplicable ever happened around Petunia? Things that you couldn't explain? No matter how hard you tried?" here Mcgonagall paused to look everyone in the room in the eye including Lily and Petunia.
"I am going to show you all something and then explain everything, if I may?" she asked.
Mum and Dad looked at each other; what was the harm in letting this woman show them something if she could explain what was going on with their girl? Both girls really. So having had this silent conversion, they nodded to her.
She nodded back at them and pulled out a slim smooth stick from out of her sleeve–a wand Petunia realized.
She waved it over the playing cards and turned them into butterflies that flew around the room. They were all the colors of the rainbow and Lily giggled as one landed on Petunia's nose, the others flew around the room, and then with a swish of her wand the butterflies all landed back on the table turning back into playing cards.
"You see, Professor Evens, Mrs Evans, Petunia is a witch. Just like myself. She has magical abilities. That is what all those events were, accidental magic. Hogwarts is a safe place for children to learn about their magic." McGonagall said.
Mum's eyes shone with a few unshed tears but Dad was not so lucky as a few of his tears fell. They finally knew what was going on! And there was somewhere safe for the girls to learn how to control it all!
"So, it's magic." Mum whispered. Now that they knew, they both felt much lighter.
McGonagall smiled kindly and handed an envelope to Petunia. Her hands were shaking as she took the letter. It was thick, fancy paper and beautiful writing on the front in dark green ink, with her full name and address on the front. She turned it over and looked at the red wax seal with the Hogwarts crest. She carefully opened it, and words she'd wanted so badly for so long were right there.
"We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31."
And the list of supplies. Petunia had to shut out the conversation about where to go to get the supplies, because she was having trouble breathing.
Lily noticed and held Petunia's hand, giving it a squeeze. Petunia smiled gratefully at Lily and held onto her hand and gave the letter to her parents.
Lily turned to the professor "I'm a witch, too." she stated, and to prove it, she held out her other hand out and suddenly the coffee table flew across the room, playing cards flying everywhere. Petunia was up and had Lily behind her as the coffee table hit the wall and broke in half with a loud crack. Lily yelped, and their parents both screamed. Professor McGonagall jumped and then looked at the girls and parents, and calmly took her wand out and fixed the table and had it back where it was. The scattered playing cards flew back to where they were, and stacked themselves neatly back on the table.
"I'm sorry!" Lily hiccuped. She was crying, and Petunia turned and wrapped her arms around Lily, holding her tightly.
"My magic has n-never done that before! Mummy, Daddy, you have to believe m-me I didn't mean to do that I just wanted th-the cards to float", Lily said though her tears.
"It's like I had way too much p-power or something" she mumbled only for Petunia to hear.
"Well, Miss Evans, I can definitely tell you are a witch as well. Very unusual for a muggle family to have two witches. But I'm afraid you can not attend Hogwarts until you are 11, dear", McGonagall said gently to the crying child held in her sister's arms. Lily nodded, hiding her face in Petunia's shoulder.
"I'll be back to escort you around Daigon alley. I'll send an owl with the details before that trip if that is acceptable to you all?" McGonagall asked.
Dad was the first to recover from all of that and thanked McGonagall and shook her hand. By then Mum had recovered as well, and nodded.
"Yes, that shall be fine professor McGonagall, thank you!" Mum said smiling
McGonagall smiled back and nodded. Mum said she would show her out, and after they left the living room Dad wrapped his arms around them both and held them. When Mum got back, she couldn't keep the smile from her face.
"Witches. They are witches, and there is a school for them that's safe!" Mum yelled in excitement and came over and joined in the family hug.
That night Mum made pineapple upside down cake for dessert; Petunia's favorite.
The next day Petunia and Lily went to the park to see Severus. Petunia brought her letter along to show him. While he was looking at it, Lily went to play on the swings.
"Severus, can I ask a favor of you?" Petunia asked quietly. Severus looked up at her and nodded.
"Would you look out for Lily while I'm gone? It's always been just us; not many friends, and I just want to make sure Lily won't be lonely without me" Petunia whispered, glancing over at Lily.
"Of course Petunia, you are both my friends, you don't ever have to worry while you're at school. Just focus on learning", he said with a sweet smile.
Petunia had this urge to pinch his adorable cheeks but stopped herself and settled for hugging him, he took a second to hug her back but he did and as Petunia pulled back she patted his shoulder.
"Thank you Severus," she said.
Petunia was both excited and scared about going to Hogwarts. It's something she'd always wanted so very badly, but what if something happened while she was away? Nothing happened around this time in her last life, she knew, but she still had fear that something would happen.