Oh, Petunia!

We were, undoubtedly, sisters. Lily and I have always been sisters, and always will be. No matter how much I scorn Lily, or appear to hate her, I don't. I love her very much, I always have. I just hope she knew that.

It's not like we were best friends or anything. Heaven forbid. But we were friends. Always competitive, always striving to be the better. We argued as any two sisters would, but always made up in the end. We would fight, yelling, "I hate you!" but we never meant it...

Never. I loved her.

I thought it was a joke at first, this Hogwarts business. Who would have thought that there was a school where you could learn magic? But it was real, all real, and the summer Lily turned eleven was the summer she left me. I knew we wouldn't be as close anymore.

She did write to me, I'm glad. But couldn't she have posted her letters normally? I was sitting at the table, eating breakfast, when one of those horrible owls flew through the kitchen window and knocked over the marmalade. An owl! Did she not remember that I hated birds? Was it so hard to take that into account before sending me wretched dirty, great owls? But I read the letter anyways; glad she had at least remembered I still existed.

However, writing letters wasn't the same as having her there, talking to me. We grew farther and farther apart. Even having her back for the holidays wasn't as wonderful as I would have hoped.

"Oh, Petunia, it's wonderful! Everyone's so nice there, and we learn all sorts of interesting things! I'd show you, but...we're not allowed to use magic over the summer. I wish you could come."

Farther...

"I have a lot of friends, but there are some mean people there. They make fun of me because you and Mum and Dad aren't magical. They call me a Mudblood. Oh, Petunia, I wish you didn't have to stay here, I'd love it if you were at school with me."

Farther...

"Look, Mum bought me an owl! Isn't he fantastic? Oh, sorry Petunia, I forgot...you don't like birds much do you?"

Farther...

"Next year we have to take our O.W.L's. I'll be up every night studying! What are O.W.L.s? Oh, Petunia, I guess I didn't tell you... they're exams fifth years take; Ordinary Wizarding Levels..."

Farther...

"Ugh, there's this horrid boy named James Potter. He's so stuck-up and conceited... always messing up his hair because he thinks it makes him look roguish. He's such a mean bully, but I think he likes me...Oh, Petunia, can you believe it?"

Farther...

"Oh, Petunia, this'll be my last year at Hogwarts! I'll miss everyone there so much...What? Of course I'll come back home! I might get a job at the Ministry of Magic... but when I'm old enough I'll have to move out, of course... but I can use magic now, want to see?"

"SHUT UP! YOU FREAK!"

Farther.

I had to, you see. It was driving me crazy, the magic. I could tell it was taking her away from me, and I couldn't stand it. So I pretended. As happy as I was for her, I pretended I wasn't.

It wasn't until after she left the blasted school that I realized just how far the magic would take her away from me. That James Potter, who she had ranted and raved about being horrible and conceited, was now her boyfriend. They were engaged. She had the Potter boy over that summer, along with three of their friends. They barely spent time at the house, though... our non-magic house. They went to that place, Diagon Alley. Yes, I remember the name. No matter how hard I pretend to hate magic, I remember every bit I knew about very clearly.

I had just gotten back from my date with Vernon, hoping he wouldn't see them or that odd starry thing over my house. It hadn't been there before, but I figured it was some magical prank. We were saying goodbye as a loud crack sounded, followed by the appearance of Lily and her friends, who were laughing wildly. I glared at them and hurriedly apologized to Vernon as he left. I walked ahead of them and was about to go inside, when--

"Wait."

The speaker was one of her friends, the tired-looking one with light brown hair. He was the nicest and politest of the bunch. He didn't laugh as loudly as Potter or the other dark haired one, and he wasn't nervous and clumsy like the fat one. He had stopped walking with us; instead he was looking up at the green mark above our roof.

"Lily, all of you, come here now." there was a hint of fear in his voice. Was this some sort of trick?

"You too Petunia." he remembered my name! I doubt even that Potter boy remembered it then. It might've been that, or perhaps the fear I heard in his voice that made me follow them.

They all gasped at the sight of the thing hovering above our roof. I didn't understand what all of it was about. It was just some mark in the sky! But Lily started crying, and all of her friends had a grave look on their faces, except the fat boy. He just looked nervous and scared.

"Wands out." he ordered, as we cautiously walked through the house, with Potter and his loud friend in front. It didn't take long to find out what was so frightening. Right in the front room, both wearing identical shocked expressions were my parents. Dead.

Dead.

She was sobbing now, into her fiancé's arms. I simply stood, staring at what used to be my parents. I just stood there in shock, trying not to believe that they were dead. I vaguely heard her friends talking in frightened whispers.

"It was Avada Kedavra."

"Why would they do this? They're just Muggles!"

"It wasn't them they were after, it must've been Lily, or all of us."

"But why-"

"Because we're a part of the Order! Why else would Voldemort kill two Muggles? He doesn't care who his curses hit."

"But..."

I don't recall hearing the rest of the conversation, as Lily reached out and touched my arm, tears streaking down her face, falling from her bright green eyes. "Oh, Petunia..."

"Get away from me, you...you freak! All of you! I told you magic would come to no good! I told you! It's killed Mum and Dad!" I ran up the stairs, up to my bedroom, where I locked the door. I could hear Lily sobbing harder...

Now, as I think back, it was best to pretend the way I did. I couldn't risk Vernon and my son Dudley. Magic would take them away, as it took away my parents. As it had separated me from Lily.

It's odd this morning. I wake up earlier than normal, and can't fall back asleep, so I go downstairs to make breakfast. Now, as I sit down, I hear it, a soft crying sound.

"If its Mrs. Figgs' cat again, I'll really have to complain to her," I mumble, and open the front door.

Oh my word.

I look at the small figure sleeping on my doorstep, crying in its sleep and clutching a letter. He's like a miniature James Potter. I pick up the letter, read it, understanding, but not remembering all of it.

...Your sister, Lily, died to save him...

Died? Lily is dead?

...It is her blood that also is in you, so as he stays in your home, he will be protected...

So I must raise him.

...It is you who will keep him alive...

His life is in my hands?

...With My Deepest Condolences,

Albus Dumbledore

Albus Dumbledore. He was the headmaster of Hogwarts, the wizard school. He is asking this of me?

I pick up the baby, looking at him. He's just a carbon copy of his father. But then, as I hold him more securely, he opens his eyes.

Green eyes.

Just like Lily's.

He's all I have left I realize. The last part of the sister I loved so much. Love so much. I must protect this piece of Lily, must keep him safe. I won't let magic take him away, I won't let him even know it exists. And because of that, he can't know the truth about his mother. About Lily.

I take him inside, look at him again. I'll keep him safe, protected. It's selfish of me I know, but for it's his own good.

But-

What if he does find out somehow? What if he finds out the truth? I can't let magic take away another precious part of my life. If magic does take him away, I won't risk getting too attached. I won't. I WON'T!

I look at him once more, staring into his eyes, and instead of seeing him, I see Lily. And hear her voice, echoing inside my head...

"Oh, Petunia!"