Harry Potter and the Shadows of the Watchgate

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-*~| CHAPTER 17 - Petunia's Confession |~*-
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When no one came in after Fred, Harry's expression changed from confusion to worry. Lucius Malfoy, following his gaze gave a throaty laugh, enjoying every second of it. He conjured ropes out of his wand and tied his hands too.

"We have sealed the area again, Potter, your little Order will not be able to save you this time! What were you thinking? That we are all fools and don't know how to arrange a successful kill whenever we want to?"

The Death Eaters out and about snickered gleefully; whereas his friends twisted under their grips.

Lucius Malfoy was pacing the room as comfortable as a king in his own lair.

"Your little friends and their little tricky toys! Ha! But they lose their touch after a while." Malfoy turned and surveyed Harry closely.

"Now that the time is near, I still can't understand how you survived all these years. You're indeed very slippery, Potter; you kept on squirming by all these years, when you should have died long ago. However, you have fulfilled your purpose by causing our Dark Lord's return. He will be eternally grateful!" Malfoy smirked and raised his wand.

"No!" Ron yelled.

"Aah, the faithful Weasley. Are you getting used to the new found wealth from your worthless brothers' joke shop? Would you like to die first, rather than Potter? Huh?"

Ron looked uncertain for a second but he resolutely replied, "Yes! Why don't you try, you bloody little git!"

Malfoy's wand and expression wavered for a second but the artificial smile came right in place again. "I don't have time for the riff raffs like you, Weasley....

"Get ready, Potter, for your death." Malfoy sneered.

"Avada Kedavra!"

"NOOOOO," Fred, George and Ron screamed in unison.

Fortunately, Harry wasn't hurt. He hadn't even been ready for Malfoy's attack, but miraculously the spell didn't hit him. He felt a glow surround him, which flipped and absorbed the spell.

"Whoa! look at that," Fred exclaimed, while Ron and George sighed with relief and Malfoy looked stricken.

Lucius Malfoy started muttering, "Well... I was warned about this but... so powerful..."

During the whole progress Petunia kept on clutching Dudley while he practiced being dumb.

Malfoy's attention diverted and he screamed at Petunia, "YOU! YOU! It's all because of you. If you hadn't accepted him, this would never have happened. You fool of a woman, not even believing in magic, but still taking over your worthless sister's son! Are you aware of the fact that Potter hates you?! I can guarantee that he'll be quite grateful, when I finally finish you off." Malfoy gave Harry a meaningful look, while Harry blanched.

Why didn't he like whatever Malfoy was saying? Harry had always hated the Dursleys, his aunt included, but why, when an outsider was saying the same things he had been thinking from years, felt so hurtful?

"Well, your worthless Muggle days are over now, Petunia. You never believed in magic your whole life but now you will die because of the same magic." Lucius Malfoy's eyes sparkled menacingly.

Petunia and Harry screamed at the same time.

Petunia: "NO, it's not true!"

Harry: "NO, I won't let you!"

The words garbled in between but the message went across, and Harry was beside Petunia in a flash. The ropes that bound him didn't even work as they simply slipped away from his body, as if they were commanded to unwind without any said incantation.

Before Malfoy could take in whatever that happened, Harry had used Expelliarmus on him. As his wand shot upwards, in the same instant the electric fireplace gave away with a loud bang and everyone was instantly covered with cemented rubble.

"Aah! The old trick," Fred's reminiscent voice was heard from a corner, as all the absentee members of the Order materialized through the blown-away fireplace.

Moody gave a huge growl seeing Malfoy loitering about. He instantly started dueling with the opposite party along with his fellows. The snowy cat made for the kitchen, streaking past the dueling Death Eaters and Order members.

Petunia was too dazed to utter a single word, as she kept on gawking at all the dueling wizards with saucer shaped eyes. Dudley had all but forgotten about playing dumb, as his head bobbed up and down and sideways, with the swish and flicks of wands; his mouth forming a perfect O.

Lupin shoved Harry warningly to the next room. Because of the lack of action, Harry followed the snow-white cat instead, towards the kitchen. There was no sign of the cat, however, Hestia Jones was directing a glowing red lucent sphere with her wand off the table.

"Keep away!" she warned and incanted, "Finite Incantatem!"

The red glowing ball perished with a bang, as the house shook on its hinges and a pulse went through all of them. Instantly, the house filled with the sounds of 'CRACKS' as all the Death Eaters Disapparated.

"Chickened out again," Fred grunted loudly, as George made 'puck puck puckah' sounds of a rooster.

Harry made for the living room, not at all frayed by the pulse. Vernon Dursley was still maintaining his position but had been relocated to a clean sofa; his stomach looked fit to burst. The Order members weren't too enthusiastic on bringing him back to his senses. Petunia and Dudley were also relocated to a sofa. She was still in shock and Tonks was tending to her, while Dudley was practicing dumbness again, staring blankly at his hands and not meeting anybody's eyes.

Lupin motioned Harry to a corner while Kingsley went for combing through the house for any other magical amulets, while Hestia made for where Moody was standing.

"I think you should talk to her," Lupin said directly.

"But what could I say to--"

"Harry! We have to know, how they got here, in spite of all the security."

"Security?" Harry asked blankly.

"Did you expect us to leave the Dursleys unguarded? They are the link to your protection. They are watched around the clock; obviously they don't know, that is, can't know."

It was hard for Harry to gulp down that information, still he wasn't surprised. He had been watched around the clock from the time Voldemort had returned.

He made for his aunt, who was clutching a tissue and was staring into space. He came in between her view and her eyes focused at him sharply. It was as though she had suddenly realized who he was and why he was staring at her. Her lips quivered, as some words formed but were muffled by a sob.

"Er..." Harry stuttered. He didn't want to see her crocodile tears; he wanted some explanations. "Aunt Petunia..."

As if not hearing him at all, she started to wail as her thin figure shook with the force of her sobs. Dudley looked horrified as he abruptly stood up but looking at all the wizards lurking about, sat down again facing away from his mother.

Harry looked at Tonks for some help, who instantly started patting his aunt, while the rest of the Order members suddenly became quite interested in their wands, the rubble, the broken fireplace and the cement covered furniture. Hestia started cleaning the room with Scourgify with her back towards Petunia. Ron and the twins hovered in the background awkwardly, trying to be out of his view. They all wanted to give them some privacy but didn't want to risk their safety in the process.

After what seemed like hours, Petunia finally started, "I'm... I'm sorry, Harry."

The words shocked Harry so much that he wanted to pinch himself but overcame the urge. Dudley's figure stiffened and he gave his mother a quick glance without changing position, which caused his neck to crick and him to yelp in pain. Hestia came to his rescue and took him reluctantly towards the kitchen.

"I didn't hate my sister... you wouldn't understand... I loved her, but all that changed when she got her letter and went away to Hogwarts." Her features crinkled, with the mention of his school.

"She became larger than life from then on; it was Lily this, Lily that... Sometimes, my parents even forgot that they had another daughter--a normal daughter. I became sick and tired from her examples given out again and again... as if my parents were disappointed that I hadn't received a letter from Hogwarts. Every year when she returned, the distance between us grew and it came to such a point that I couldn't bear to look at her because she became what I wished I could be...."

She sighed, while her shoulders drooped as if they were heavily burdened. "She entered a fairytale of life with your father and I was left behind to live a normal life.... Don't think I wasn't contented; we were very much happy," she added defensively.

"After years of calm, you came along and we heard the fleeting news about your parents' deaths. My sister's only child left on my mercy. It was all in my hands to make or break your life and I reveled in it. I hated her but loved her still in my own way and you were only a little boy. Vernon was quite skeptical, but we agreed on the fact that we'd never tell you about your kind and their ways. Vernon and I vowed to make you normal like everybody else....

"But- but, as I always suspected, Dumbledore sent for you, when you turned eleven and we couldn't do anything to stop you and I was forced to relive my childhood again. You away to Hogwarts and me..." She looked down at her hands, as if trying to read her fate lines and its mysteries.

"We tried our best stop you but we failed as I had suspected. Now Voldemort has risen again and today the same ancient magic that Dumbledore warned me about--which I never believed--saved both of us from the killing curse."

"You know about Avada Kedavra?" he asked in disbelief.

"I read all Lily's school books... I used to sneak her books to my room when she was home for holidays," she said nostalgically. "And I've been in contact with Dumbledore, even when I didn't like to. The bond of blood between us saved our lives today, Harry."

Harry continued to stare at her in disbelief.

"In spite of all what we did to you; you came to our rescue and your people saved our lives, and I do remember that you saved Dudley from the Dementors last year."

She sighed dejectedly. "I guess what they say is true... blood runs thicker than water." She looked sadly into his eyes. Lily's eyes, she thought desolately.

Harry silently agreed with Petunia, but didn't say a word.

"So, how did the Death Eaters came into the house?" he asked.

She blinked as if suddenly disoriented, but got a hold on herself as she answered, "I was just doing some laundry when I heard whooshing and thudding noises coming from the living room. I rushed to find out what it was. There were all these Death Eaters staring at me from their hooded masks."

"Was someone holding anything except their wands?" Lupin interrupted, joining in the conversation.

As if on cue, most of the Order members tuned into the conversation.

"Yes, now that I think about it. One of them was holding a wiper and I thought it to be very peculiar," she replied.

"Bingo," Kingsley boomed, the golden hoops in his ears flickered with his sudden movement.

"An illegal Portkey," Moody growled. He motioned for Kingsley and Hestia near and barked some orders. They Disapparated in an instance, while Tonks and the twins made for the kitchen to baby-sit Dudley, Fred and George jumping excitedly on each other to reach the kitchen first.

"I don't know what happened to Vernon, they must have used some spell on him. And... and Dudley just came thundering down the steps without having any sense to take a peek and run for help or call the police... or something...." Petunia faltered seeing the ironic expression on Moody's already battered face, trying to say something on the lines of, 'What could have Police done to the Death Eaters?'

"They setup something in the kitchen and started rummaging through the house. Most of them were acting like they were waiting for something to happen."

"Waiting for us to show up," Lupin provided, scratching his chin.

"This was a setup from the beginning," Moody growled in anger, accentuated with a pronounced clunk of his wooden leg.

"Well, tough luck for them," Ron said in a determined voice, speaking for the first time. "They were against ancient magic, after all."

"Yes. The blood-magic is quite powerful indeed," Lupin supplied.

"So, what was that globe?" Harry asked Moody and Lupin in general.

"A shelter device, used for making an area impregnable or simply put, used for erecting Anti-Apparition Wards. That's why we weren't able to enter the house from any safe points."

"Safe point?"

"The protectors must be able to enter someway, so the house also has some safe points from where you can Apparate inside, but is accessible to very few people," Lupin answered.

"Death Eaters could never have entered this house, but we had overlooked the fact that Voldemort can conjure an illegal Portkey," Moody provided.

Petunia was absorbing all this information with bated breath. "This has been done from when?" she asked.

"From the time Harry was left on your doorsteps. We monitored every trespassing wizard and witch near your area. However, current attack was shrewdly planned. Therefore, some more precautionary measures will be called for," Moody said decisively.

"What about Vernon?" Petunia asked timidly.

"He must have fainted; moreover, some Death Eater must have stunned him for making sure; I also noticed a trace of Engorgement Charm--"

"As if it was necessary," Ron whispered nastily to Harry, while stifling a chuckle.

"He'll be revived soon," Lupin finished.

"Some wizards will be coming here to straighten things up. We'll revive him after they have done their work. I don't want to upset your husband anymore than he needs to be," Moody said with a trace of smile on his lips.

"There's nothing left for you to do here, Harry, let's go." Lupin motioned for him.

As if on cue, Dudley came waddling in the room, skipping half the way. "Something bit me. Something BIT me! SOMETHING BIT ME!" he kept on repeating, while dancing all around.

Harry and Ron stifled their laughter with coughing chuckles, while Moody and Lupin couldn't help but look amused, except Petunia, who was trying to calm the toddling injured whale to no avail.

"Silencio!" Harry provided.

Dudley stopped his bouncing and made some hand movements, but nothing came out of his mouth.

"We didn't do anything," Fred and George said in unison coming into the living room, while Tonks almost toppled the lone vase on her way in, as she shook with suppressed laughter.

Harry had the strong suspicion that George had just stuffed something orange in his pocket. There was no Mrs. Weasley to scold them here and Moody was rather enjoying the scene. Lupin however tried to look disapproving but failed miserably.

The Silencing Charm was reversed and Dudley became glued to his mother like a magnate. Lupin signaled Harry again, when he motioned him to wait while mustering up his courage to blurt something out to his aunt, while she looked at him forlornly.

"Er... Aunt Petunia, I never knew whatever you told me just now. I only wanted some explanations and to know about my parents, like every other kid... and- and, I don't hate you."

Harry spun on his heels and made for the door without waiting for anybody, leaving many mouths agape, especially Dudley's which was almost touching the floor.

-*-

They used the Floo Network from Mrs. Figg to get back. Mrs. Weasley was waiting anxiously by the fire. She clutched all four of them simultaneously in a tight embrace, making them cough even harder because of all the soot. She surveyed them separately up and down, as if trying to find a missing arm or leg which they might have lost during their adventure. When she was thoroughly satisfied, she ordered them to bathe, Lupin and Tonks included, while Moody growled away to the kitchen, intent on avoiding the 'woman possessed'.

Whatever exhilaration Harry had felt before heading towards Little Whining--seeing Ginny's worried expression and the adrenaline rush of the impending adventure--all went above, in a puff of smoke on his return.

He wasn't very sure of his behavior, because of the outcome of the sudden affability with his aunt. Ginny wasn't making things easier either, with the cold vibes that she was sending and a complete disregard towards him. Whatever he had seen before stepping into the fire, he hailed them as one of his 'hallucinations' and tried his best to forget all about it.

Hermione joined them shortly and was very disappointed in missing all the action.

"Aveda Kedavera backfired? ... Really?"

She couldn't believe her ears and couldn't get enough of the story. Ron kept on embellishing his version to the extent that it became as if he single-handedly saved the Order and Harry from the Death Eaters. However, from Hermione's skeptical expressions, he had to revert back to the original, which tallied with Harry's.

As there were only few days left of their Christmas vacations and the homework that he and Ron had procrastinated on was dwindling above their heads. They started squiggling away their homework in a hurry. Hermione tried her best not to chastise them, because as always, her homework had been done ages ago and was safely folded in her trunk.

"Where's the homework planner that I gave you two last year?" she asked reproachfully.

"What?" Both said in unison--but too late, as Hermione huffed up like an angry pigeon.

Both of them had chucked the diary away, during their high-pitched anxiety attacks of last year's O.W.Ls.

"Er... I think, it is somewhere in my trunk," Harry said hurriedly.

"Yeah... right! Mine too," Ron provided, not helping matters at all, as Hermione stalked off their room muttering, which sounded something like 'Irresponsible Prats!'

Harry contacted Charlie for shipping Buckbeak to a safe place, which was not easy in the least, because he always seemed to be in a hurry or in deep conversation with different Order members. Harry even saw him talking to Snape once, who in response stared mockingly at Harry without any apparent reason.

Harry had tried his best to keep away whenever Snape visited Grimmauld Place. It never seemed right, as he had been the nemesis of his late father and godfather. The memories were too painful to dwell in.

Charlie once cornered, concluded that Forbidden Forest was the safest place for Buckbeak, as the hippogriff would be happy to return to Hagrid, who could easily take care of him during his usual visits to Grawp and Krucky. Harry agreed and with the help of Lupin was able to ship Buckbeak to school.

The remaining holidays flew by without any event, and soon it was time to return to Hogwarts. Harry was actually relieved by the fact--anxiously waiting for the Quidditch trainings and hectic N.E.W.T. classes to start again--for keeping his mind off of all the heavier things in his life.

Their first class back was Transfiguration. They had been doing a lot of advanced spell in their N.E.W.Ts Transfiguration; they had reached the point of transfiguring inanimate objects to vertebrate animals, ranging from pixies to cats and dogs. Their holiday assignment was a very lengthy essay on human transfiguration, which took half of their homework time because they had to sift through all the old transfiguration books for facts and models.

~*~