Aunt Petunia

Aunt Petunia

Petunia Marie MacGrawly-Evans Dursley quietly left her bed so as not to disturb her sleeping husband, Vernon. She silently slipped down the short hall to what was once the extra bedroom, but was now her nephew Harry's nursery

Petunia sighed, the poor baby just over one yr old and he had already lost his parents. Petunia had never really felt comfortable in the wizarding world, and this was just another example of why: so much uncontrolled power and someone always trying to take advantage of it. The most recent person trying to control all that power had been named Lord Voldemort. Most in the magical world called him 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named'. Lord Voldemort had killed Petunia's half sister and her brother-in-law. He had even tried to kill poor little Harry; but some how Harry had survived while He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did not.

Why, oh why had Dumbledore picked her to raise the poor little child? He knew her husband hated anything to do with the wizarding world. In fact, Vernon hated anything that was out of the ordinary. Vernon would certainly make this child's life miserable and if she did not go along with it, he would make their son's life just as bad.

"We don't want Dudley getting any ideas that, that stuff, is normal or acceptable now do we, Pet?" Vernon had said once he realized he had no say in taking Harry in or not. Dumbledore had proclaimed it, so it must be done.

Petunia sighed as she looked down at her sleeping nephew. Harry would be magical. She just knew it. His mother was magical. His father was magical... and...

... so was his aunt.

That was one secret his uncle must never find out.

Petunia, who had been raised Petunia Marie Evans, had actually been adopted by her and Lily's father, Charles Evans, when she was only two yrs. old. Lily came along six years later much to the delight of the whole family. Petunia doted on her baby sister, her mother often commenting on how Petunia was such a little mother to Lily. Such a good girl she was.

The first glimpse into the wizarding world for the Evans family came when Petunia received her letter from Hogwarts. It had come addressed to Petunia Marie MacGrawly: her birth name. She was thrilled and scared at the thought of leaving her family to go away to a school that no one knew about. Nonetheless, she went, was sorted into Ravenclaw, made many friends, and she was a good student until her seventh year. The summer prior to that, she had met Vernon Dursley. Vernon was an older university student and he was studying business. Petunia was not sure why he was paying attention to her. Vernon wrote to Petunia almost every day, sending the letters to her parents house so Lily could collect them and owl them to Hogwarts. He called her Pet and talked about their future. Petunia had tried to bring up the subject of magic once or twice with Vernon but he called it all hogwash and garbage. Petunia never told him she was a witch.

Lily started Hogwarts the fall after Petunia's seventh year. Having used her name of Hogwarts record no one realized that Lily and Petunia were related. Especially, when Lily Evans was sorted into Gryffindor.

Petunia attended a trade school to learn to become an office manager. It was a wonderful skill to have once she and Vernon married and she was to run the house.

"No wife of Vernon Dursley is going to work outside the home. It just is not appropriate," he would often say putting his arm around her shoulders and giving them a tight squeeze. "You, my Pet, will want for nothing and I will make sure of that," Vernon added afterwards. Sometimes that comment would give Petunia the shivers. Sometimes it would make her feel very loved. Many years later Petunia knew it was just the beginning of Vernon's controlling.

Once Vernon knew what Petunia's sister was, he insisted that she cut off all connections with that oddity. He even managed to convince himself that because the girls were actually only half sisters the oddity came from the Evans side of the family. So of course, his Pet and his son were safe from any such problems.

Vernon and Petunia were married while Lily was still in school. Petunia was not allowed to invite her sister. Vernon tried his best to keep "that world" out of his life and especially his house.

Petunia sighed and wiped away a tear. "If the all-knowing Dumbledore had any idea what he had subjected poor little Harry to. The child had godparents and her brother-in-law must have had family. Why not one of them, why her, why in Vernon's house?" she pondered, looking down at her sleeping nephew. He will be a constant reminder to Vernon that his son might possibly be an oddity like Harry and Lily (and Petunia) even though Vernon did not realize that.

Petunia reached down and pushed the hair off Harry's forehead. Harry fussed in his sleep and turned his head toward the warm hand of his aunt.

"Shhhh little one," she said, "Aunty Pet will try to make your life here not unbearable, I promise. Now let me see what I can do about that nasty scar on your forehead." Petunia placed her opened palm against Harry's forehead and stood concentrating for a few moments. When she removed her hand, the cut on the baby's forehead had mended and was now just a dull red scar shaped like a lightning bolt.