Breaking the chains
The moment the Potters arrived at Number Four, Privet Drive, a powerful wave of magic pulsed through the house. A shuddering gasp came from Petunia Dursley as she clutched her head, her body shaking violently.
Lily rushed forward as her sister collapsed onto her knees, gasping for breath. "Petunia! What's wrong?"
Petunia looked up, her eyes wide with desperation. "Lily… help me," she croaked. "Something… something is wrong with me. I—I loved him once. I—"
Lily's heart clenched. The spells and potions, the ones that had turned Petunia against her nephew, were starting to unravel. She placed her hands on Petunia’s temples and muttered a counter-curse, forcing the dark magic to break apart.
Petunia let out a strangled cry as memories came flooding back—holding baby Harry, soothing his cries, telling Dudley to share his toys with his cousin. She turned to the cupboard under the stairs with horror. "No—no, we didn’t—" she whispered.
Charles moved past them and wrenched the cupboard door open. Inside, thirteen-year-old Harry sat curled up, his too-thin frame shaking as he looked up in shock.
"Harry," James whispered, his voice breaking. "We’re here, son."
Before anyone could speak, a shimmer of magic caught Lily’s attention. Her gaze locked onto a hidden compartment in the hallway wall, one that had just been revealed. With trembling hands, she opened it and found a stack of old, yellowed papers.
Her breath caught as she read the words: Adoption Papers – Harry James Potter.
Her hands shook. "Petunia… you chose to adopt him?"
Petunia nodded weakly, tears streaming down her face. "We loved him. But when he turned five… Dumbledore came. After that, it was like we had no choice. One day, I woke up and just… hated him. We never questioned it."
James clenched his fists. "That bastard."
Lily pulled Harry out of the cupboard, holding him tightly as he stiffened in shock. "It's okay, sweetheart. We’ve got you now. We’re taking you home. And we’re taking them with us."
Vernon, still dazed, helped Petunia to her feet as Dudley clung to his mother. Charles nodded. "We will get to the bottom of this, and we will undo everything Dumbledore has done. Together."
As the magic of the house continued to shift, the weight of manipulation crumbled. The Potters had returned, and the world would never be the same again.