Disclaimer: I wish I created Harry Potter *listens expectantly*…Nope…I don’t hear bells or fireworks…Must still belong to JKR…*sniff*
Chapter 3
Divorce...
Harry sat in the backseat of the car next to Dudley, staring listlessly out of the rain-streaked window. He was thinking about how much time he would need to spend at the Dursleys’ before he could go to the Burrow. Every second was one too many. So many thoughts were beginning to course through his mind. And with plenty of time until they arrived at Privet Drive, he knew his head would be hurting by the time they arrived. Now that Dumbledore was dead, who was the new Head of the Order of the Phoenix? Where was Fawkes? Maybe Remus would know. He wanted to speak to him anyway about his Legilimency.
As the car pulled into the driveway at midday, Harry stumbled out, collected his trunk and went to his bedroom to put it away. He went down to get a drink but was waylaid spectacularly by running into the great, purple-faced lump that was Uncle Vernon.
“Potter! Come into the kitchen. Your aunt and I need to have a talk with you.” His voice was strained, but unusually civil and Harry found himself curious to know what it was all about.
In the kitchen, he saw his Aunt Petunia sipping a steaming cup of tea and Dudley slouched on a groaning bar stool with an uninterested look marring his piggy face.
He sat cautiously on a chair and looked towards his aunt and uncle for a clue as to why he was here. Last summer, he was pretty much left alone, although that could have been because of the warning from the Order members.
“Right,” sighed Uncle Vernon, “Dudley, Potter, your Aunt and I have something important to tell you. Much as I don’t feel your abnormalities deserve to be in this family discussion, Petunia wouldn’t have it.” His face was drawn in anger, before turning to his son as it melted into love. “Dudley, my boy, don’t get upset now, you’ll always have everything you’ll ever need...”
“Vernon, cut to the chase! Dudley, your father and I are getting a divorce. Harry, you’ll come with me; Dudley will go with Vernon. There’s something that I’ve never told anybody, not even Lily knew,” she spared a look at Harry to see if he could handle the mention of his mother.
She took a deep breath and plunged in,
“I’m not what you think. I am a Smed. I used to be a witch”
Her revelation was met with a stunned silence. Harry’s face, which was stunned at first, split into a wide grin as if he knew all along. Dudley, too was flabbergasted, but opened his mouth to ask...
“What is a Smied, you might want to know?” She smiled lovingly at her chubby son, as if a smile would dissolve all abnormalities about herself. “A Smed is a witch or a wizard of Muggle decent who has lost most or all of their magical power to be able to make any difference with the aid of a wand. Yes, Harry, I used to be a witch. I was accepted at Hogwarts when I was 11, but I had no intention of going. The moment that oaf stepped into the house, I knew. I just couldn’t bare the thought of enduring years of practice on something that was impractical. Magic wouldn’t get me into the best university of my choice after high school. I wanted to be more than that. I didn’t want to be a witch, although my parents did encourage me. In the end I did go to Hogwarts, albeit for only three months.
“I’m sorry I hid this from you but when Lily died, I knew that I definitely didn’t want anything to do with the magical world. I had made my choices years before and was kind of glad that it didn’t get me killed along with her. I doubt it would have though. Lily was always strong and brave, a true Gryffindor. I was a Ravenclaw for the time that I was there. I would never be able to stand up to anyone. I think her bravery was what got her killed. I had my own son, husband and later, nephew, to take care of. I was always jealous of Lily. She was so much better than me, prettier than me.
“When you came into our lives, I always thought that you were just another reminder of what I never had. Now, I realise that I never wanted this life. Every time Vernon or Dudley used to tease you, I always felt so angry that you used to take it, never fight back. You just went to your cupboard and cried your little heart out.” Petunia herself was silently crying now, tears dripping down her long bony nose. She looked over at Harry, and was surprised to see him, too, with unshed tears welling in his eyes.
He was in utter disbelief that his Aunt Petunia had hid those things for so long. For so long, she had acted as if she hated him. For so long, he was forced into hating her for her submission to her husband’s requests. Now, things were changing rapidly.
“Oh, enough of this!” scoffed Vernon, “Dudley, pack your things, we’ve bought a bigger house. You can have two bedrooms again and all the new play thingies you could ever dream of.” To Harry and his aunt, it seemed like Uncle Vernon was trying to buy his way into Dudley’s favoritism.
With that, he stamped out of the room with Dudley at his heel. Petunia cleaned herself up, leaving Harry to his thoughts.
His aunt had not opened up like that since Hagrid had arrived to take him to Diagon Alley all those years ago. Apart from Dumbledore, Sirius, Remus, the Weasleys, and Hermione, he had not had anyone who felt remotely like family. The Dursleys were never really any family at all. With a shock, he realised that he was looking forward to his short stay with Aunt Petunia.
A few hours later, Dudley and Vernon made their way noisily out of the door. Harry went to his trunk and got out some parchment and his Dictata-Quick-Quill; a tamer, but more detailed version of the Quick-Quotes-Quill that he had made to write letters as he dictated. He strode purposefully into the kitchen and sat at the breakfast bar with his aunt, who was now scrubbing furiously to have something to do.
“Aunt Petunia, I think we need to have a long-overdue talk, don’t you?” His tone was sharp, but his eyes and expression belied him.
She sighed and got up to make another pot of tea; this was going to be a long afternoon. “Where would you like me to start?”
“At the beginning. When you and Mum used to be close and you found out about the magical world.”
“I loved Lily. She used to be my best friend. There was only one year between us, so we were practically like twins. When we went to primary school, I was never the brightest bulb in the box, but Lily was the cleverest in her year. She was moved up and we were together again...”
“Yes...” he prompted.
“When I was eleven and Lily was ten, I got my letter. Professor Dumbledore himself came to take me to Diagon Alley. I enjoyed being a witch, after all the resistance I put up to it, I learnt so much. I thought that all magic was good and the Dark Arts that I heard so much about from my friends were just fantasy. How wrong I was...
“During the Christmas Holidays of first year, we were attacked by Death Eaters because I was a Muggle-born. Mother and Father were at a company dinner and I was alone with Lily. They started throwing spells everywhere and I didn’t know any spells that could defend myself.
“Lily was reading in the living room and I was in the hallway when it happened. She had just come out to see what the commotion was when she got hit by a lot of spells. I tried to see what happened to her, but seconds after the Death Eaters, other witches and wizards started popping and binding the Death Eaters in ropes. I don’t remember much after that except that I woke up in a magical hospital with Lily lying bandaged on the bed next to mine. Turns out they thought she was the witch and attacked her.
“I was suffering from MED or Magical Energy Depletion. I never actually recovered and I couldn’t cast any more spells since I had no more Magical Energy left, so I became a Smed.”
“Wouldn’t you just have stayed Muggle?”
”No, because Muggle Repelling Charms had no effect on me.”
“Why did you always act so horribly to me, just because Mum retained her Magical Energy but you didn’t?”
Petunia smiled ruefully. “Terrible, isn’t it? Lily always knew that I hated her because I was jealous. But she was wrong. I never hated her, but I - anything I said always came out harshly.”
“OK, we’ve got that out of the way. Why did you always treat Dudley better than me?”
“Because of Vernon.” Her voice became stronger and angrier.
“He always thought that you were a Freak. Perhaps that was my fault. When Lily turned up at our wedding, I was furious, and called her many things that I still regret to this day. I guess, with Vernon, it just stuck.
“When we got your owl yesterday, Vernon got so angry that you would be ‘an ungrateful brat’ that I started shouting at him to get him to shut up. While we were having that row, I let slip that I used to be magical. He immediately rang the solicitors and said that we wanted a divorce because the marriage just wasn’t working out.
“He didn’t want Dudley to be around me anymore so he went out and bought a new house for them both. They don’t actually have it yet until the paperwork goes through; they’re staying with Marge.”
Harry was silent for some time. He would need to inform Remus about this. And then, there was the subject of where Aunt Petunia would stay while he was hunting Horcruxes.
He sat up suddenly and called to Hedwig. He picked up the parchment that the Dictata-Quick-Quill had been scribbling on and scratched a quick note at the bottom. He tied it to Hedwig’s leg and sent her out to find the Weasleys.
Turning to his Aunt, he said, “This summer, I’m going to my best friend’s brother’s wedding, and then I will be taking my two best friends with me to kill Voldemort. You know...the evil git who killed my parents? Since you’re now actually acting like my family,” he glanced at her, amused and reproachful, simultaneously, “I believe you deserve to hear my life story, in brief.”
~*~
“...and so I broke up with Ginny to try and protect her.”
He knew that he promised Dumbledore that he would not tell a soul about what happened during his lessons, but he realised now that for his own sanity, and for the good of the war, he would have to tell the new Head of the Order and Aunt Petunia, because she was his only family. He would tell Ginny, too, when everything was better between them.
After three hours of calm talking and questioning, there was quiet. Harry had not realised how sore his throat was. He got up to fetch a glass of water when his aunt drew a long breath. Thinking she had some more questions, he sat back down. In that split second, three pops sounded and Mr and Mrs Weasley entered the kitchen with Remus, still weary from the last full moon. They started to speak, to ask what the big problem was, but were interrupted by Aunt Petunia’s explosion. She was near tears and Harry was a little taken aback, not knowing where it had come from.
“HARRY JAMES POTTER!! How DARE you put yourself in such danger!?! You could have been KILLED!! We would never have known and HOW could you be so unbelievably SELFISH as to do so many dangerous things, to just PRESUME that we didn’t care about you,” she paused to take a breath, and continued, much softer, with a gentle tone, “Your parents would have been proud.”
~*~
Harry finished his explanation once again, leaving out his attraction to Ginny. It helped that he had sent out the transcript of Aunt Petunia’s ‘confession’, but he still had a lot to talk about, including his new found powers of Legilimency. He found out that he was the first natural Legilimens in over a century. Although not as rare as Parseltongue, this gift was extremely uncommon and to be used carefully.
He found out that Remus and Arthur were joint Heads of the Order of the Phoenix as they were the closest to Dumbledore and Harry. Aunt Petunia was initiated into the Order for her own safety and it was decided that she would sell Privet Drive and stay with the Weasleys during the term. Now that she and Harry had accepted each other, she was welcome as part of the Weasley extended family as Petunia Evans, along with the Grangers, Harry, Remus and Tonks.
They would be leaving for the Burrow in a week, and as Aunt Petunia was coming with him, she could still provide the protection offered by her relation to his mother.
Mr Weasley took Harry gently aside into the hallway to talk about...
“Ginny,” he said calmly, but firmly, his hand gripping Harry’s shoulder. “She’s not really been herself, lately. More like Fred and George, if possible. And that’s worrying me. I wonder if you know if anything’s wrong? What with the wedding coming up and the whole house is in pandemonium...”
“Mr Weasley, Ginny and I were going out until recently, but we didn’t tell anyone. Just Ron and Hermione. And Fred and George found out on the train. But, I broke up with her because of my journey to find the Horcruxes and the connection between Voldemort and me. I don’t want her to get hurt.”
He saw Mr Weasley flinch imperceptibly at the sound of Voldemort’s name.
“Harry, you’re not protecting anyone by distancing yourself from them.”
“I realise that now, sir, it was when I put myself in Ginny’s shoes. I love her.”
“Are you sure? She’s my little princess and I don’t want her heart broken again. I know she’s in love with you. Night after night it was bed time stories about Harry Potter,” he said with a grin.
Harry’s cheeks would have shamed a tomato. “She loves me?”
“As her father, I’d say she does. But unless she tells you in so many words, don’t assume anything. And careful of her temper, it’s worse than Molly’s.”
Mr Weasley went back to discuss living arrangements in the living room, leaving Harry to his thoughts.
Well, we’ll find out what’s between us next week, when we go to the Burrow.
“Oh, Harry,” called a beaming Mrs Weasley, as she gathered her purse, “the wedding’s been moved forward again. It’s now next week, the day after you arrive. I’ll explain everything then. Bye!”
What? No! Where are my dress robes?!
With that thought in mind, he dashed up the stairs leaving his bewildered aunt in the kitchen, not to be moved from her spot since they arrived home.
[A/N: Please Review! This chapter has been betaed brilliantly by Roxy! Write your favourite things about the story as well, please so I know what you guys like or hate about my writing. Help me entertain you!]