Harry always enjoyed Sunday mornings with his family.
He enjoyed coming down the stairs with Dudley and going into the kitchen where Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were.
Sunday was typically a lazy Sunday, and the four of them often spent the morning in their pajamas.
While Aunt Petunia cooked, the three boys would talk.
Harry enjoyed listening to Uncle Vernon tell his work stories.
He enjoyed listening to Dudley talk about sports.
And he enjoyed it when they would listen to him talk about his week.
While Aunt Petunia cooked, she would sing a song and before they knew it, the four of them were dancing around the kitchen.
Aunt Petunia's face whenever she realized she was burning the food was always priceless.
When breakfast was done, they would sit around the table and eat.
While Uncle Vernon and Dudley often made it a contest to see who could eat faster, Harry and Aunt Petunia would take their sweet time eating.
After eating breakfast, the four of them would move to the sitting room where they would watch tv.
As they sat on the couch watching tv, Aunt Petunia would make the three of them laugh by ripping loud farts.
They would sit on the couch until midday, and they would go outside so Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia could smoke, and Dudley and Harry would play in the yard.
Harry loved Sunday mornings with his family.
But today was different.
When Harry and Dudley got upstairs, they didn't smell any food cooking.
When they made their way to the kitchen, they saw Petunia sitting at the table. She was not in her pajamas but in a black pantsuit. She didn't have her night curlers in her hair. Instead, her brown hair was curled, and she had on red lipstick.
She had her eyes closed, and she was praying. Something Harry had seen her doing on Sunday nights when he was out of bed when he shouldn't be.
"Mum."
"Aunt Petunia."
Petunia opens her eyes and smiles. "Good morning, boys."
"Where-where is dad?" Dudley asks.
"Your father had to leave. He had a work emergency."
"Oh," Dudley says. "When will he be back?"
"Not until this evening," Petunia answers.
"Are we not going to have breakfast?" Harry asks.
"We will," Petunia nods. "But we have a special guest arriving soon. He won't be here long, but he is very important. I need your boys to go change and get ready for him. Wear your best clothes."
Petunia gives them another smile before gesturing them away.
As Harry and Dudley make their way up the stairs, Dudley looks at Harry and says, "Who do you think the special guest is?'
"I don't know," Harry answers, feeling a pit in his stomach. "But something feels wrong."
"What do you mean?" Dudley questions.
"I don't know how to describe it, but I just have a weird feeling."
They made their way to their bedrooms and changed into nice clothes.
By the time they exited their rooms, Aunt Petunia was calling for them.
"Dudley! Harry! Come downstairs!"
They share a look before starting to make their way downstairs.
Aunt Petunia is at the end of the stairs, waiting for them. "You both look so wonderful. Here," she says, reaching a hand to Harry's hair, trying her best to lower it. It didn't work.
"Don't be nervous once our guests arrive. You just have to introduce yourselves and shake his hand before returning to your rooms. I will be having a private conversation with him."
"Who is he?" Harry questions.
Petunia smiles. "Someone very important. You will get to know him quite well in the coming years."
Before Harry could say anything else, a knock is heard on the door.
Petunia gasps and says, "That's him! Follow behind me."
Harry and Dudley share another look before following behind Petunia.
When Petunia opens the door, Harry sees a man in a cloak.
It wasn't what he had been expecting. It wasn't a man in a suit, but a man whose body and face was covered as if he was hiding.
"Petunia," the man speaks.
"It is wonderful to see you again," Petunia says, bowing a little. She rises and turns to Harry and Dudley.
The man moves his head where they are standing. "And are these the boys you told me about?"
"They are," Petunia says, smiling. "Come along boys. Introduce yourself to our lovely guest."
Harry finds himself taking the first steps, but Dudley manages to beat him.
Harry watches as Dudley reaches out his hand. "I-I'm D-Dudley Dursley."
The man reaches out his hand, and Harry holds back a gasp upon seeing how snake-like it was. It looked inhuman.
"Nice to meet you, young man."
When the man releases his hand, he looks at Harry.
Harry reaches out his hand and the man takes it.
"I'm Harry Potter."
"Harry Potter," the man says. "That's a nice name."
Harry wasn't sure why he felt a burning in his forehead. It hurt so bad, and he wanted to scream.
But before he could, the man releases his hand. "It is nice to finally meet your boys."
Neither Harry nor Dudley were able to speak.
"Boys," Petunia says, still smiling. "It is time for you to go upstairs. Our guest and I will have a little chat and then I will call you back downstairs for breakfast."
"Yes, mum," Dudley says, turning away.
Harry also turns away and follows Dudley up the stairs. He knew he should just go to his room and wait, but there was something inside of him, telling him to listen in to Aunt Petunia's conversation with the man.
Once Harry saw Dudley enter the room, he made his way back to the stairs and started to slowly go down them.
"I have been waiting for you," Harry hears Aunt Petunia says. "I have been waiting for almost ten years."
"I know you have, my dear, Petunia," the man says. "Your loyalty is like no other."
"How could I not be loyal? You saved me. I owe everything to you."
Harry hears a sound that sounded like kissing, and he felt his stomach drop.
He continued to make his way down the stairs, wanting to see them.
"Are the boys showing signs yet?"
"Harry has shown signs since a young age. I think it's the effect you had on him. Dudley though, he is a late bloomer. Bless his heart. It's his father's fault."
"No signs from Dudley?"
"None yet," Petunia says. "But I know he will develop some by his eleventh birthday. It's in his blood. My blood."
The man hums. " Dudley is important, but not as important as Harry is. Harry is the key. Does Harry know-"
"No," Petunia says. "He doesn't."
A silence.
"I'm sorry," Petunia says, looking down. "I know how you hate being interrupted."
"It's okay, dear Petunia. Just don't do it again. Now, tell me, Harry's birthday is on July 31st, isn't it?"
"It is," Petunia answers, looking back up at the man.
The man nods. "You will bring them both to me on that day. They will both be eleven by then, meaning they will be ready."
"Yes, my lord."
"Until then, you will be able to live your human life, won't you?"
Petunia chuckles. "I've walked through the fires of hell to become what I am. I think I can deal with two more months of being the fun mother and aunt who dances, smokes cigarettes, and farts. And once the end of July comes, the boys and I will be who we are meant to be."
Harry hears the man chuckle. He watches as the man reaches his snake-like hand to Petunia's hair, pulling her close.
And then it happens.
They kiss.
Harry quickly(but quietly) makes his way back up the stairs. He goes to his room and closes the door.
Harry didn't know what to feel or think.
Everything he just heard, he just saw.
None of it made any sense to him.
Aunt Petunia was cheating on Uncle Vernon with that man.
Harry had been showing signs, but Dudley wasn't. But what were the signs they were speaking of?
And on Harry's eleventh birthday, Aunt Petunia was supposed to take him and Dudley to see that man.
Nothing made sense, but it all hurts.
"Dudley! Harry! Come back downstairs. We are going out for breakfast!"
Harry opens the door and sees Dudley opens his.
He wants to tell him everything, to tell him what he heard, but he couldn't.
"Can you tell mum I'm going to the bathroom and I'll be downstairs soon?"
Harry nods his head.
When he reaches the end of the stairs, Harry sees Aunt Petunia with her purse, waiting at the door.
"Where's Dudley?"
"He has to use the bathroom. He said he would be down soon," Harry answers, not able to look her in the eyes.
"Okay," Petunia responds. "Would you like to wait outside with me?"
Harry nods his head, and he hears the door open. He follows Aunt Petunia outside into the warm summer air.
He watches as Aunt Petunia pulls out her cigarette box and lighter from her purse.
"Aunt Petunia?"
"Yes?" Petunia responds as she takes out a cigarette and places it between her lips.
"Who was that man?" Harry asks, hoping to get answers.
Petunia chuckles. "Someone very special." She lights her cigarette, taking a drag before exhaling the smoke into the air.
"But...who is he? How do you know him?"
"You will in some time, Harry," Petunia says.
"But Aunt Petunia-"
Petunia chuckles again. "You are quite impatient, and I can't blame you. When I first met him, I also wanted to know everything about him."
"How did you meet?" Harry questions, shifting his feet.
Petunia takes another drag of her cigarette, and Harry watches as she blows out smoke rings. "Years ago, I was very sad, and I just wanted to give up. He, that special man, came to me and offered me a deal."
"What was the deal?"
Petunia shakes her head. "It doesn't matter. He gave me something that I never had, something that you and Dudley also have."
"And...what do we have?" Harry questions, wanting answers.
Petunia smiles and looks at him. "You will have to wait until your birthday. But if you would like some answers, do what I do every Sunday night."
"What?"
"Pray for the Devil."
Before Harry could say anything else, the door opens and Dudley steps out.
"Good. We are here," Petunia says, placing the cigarette between her lips. "Let's go get breakfast."
As they make their way to the car, Harry lets Petunia's words echo in his head.
During the car ride, Harry is silent.
Petunia turned on the radio and started playing music. She and Dudley sing along to the song and dance in their seats, but Harry remained silent.
When they got the food, Harry ate, but he couldn't taste anything.
His mind continued to think about what he heard, about what Petunia had told him.
When they finish their breakfast and exit the restaurant, Petunia loudly farts twice in a row, causing Dudley to laugh.
But Harry doesn't laugh.
'I think I can deal with two more months of being the fun mother and aunt who dances, smokes cigarettes, and farts.'
That sentence replays in his head the whole ride home.
Harry doesn't do much the rest of the day, and when Vernon gets home, he wants to tell him everything, but it felt like something was stopping him.
He just couldn't.
Once bedtime hit, Harry stayed in his home for a few minutes before sneaking off downstairs.
He sees Aunt Petunia praying.
Her words are silent, but he manages to make out, "Devil, Hell, and visit."
When Aunt Petunia finishes, Harry quickly sneaks back upstairs to his room.
As he gets into bed, Petunia's words from earlier replay in his head.
'Pray for the Devil.'
When Harry falls asleep, he dreams about his mother and father and him as a baby.
He dreams about Petunia knocking on their door and them letting her in.
He dreams about Petunia laughing and letting that cloaked man in.
And then he dreams about that man killing his mother and father and surrounding them with fire.
And then Harry sees the man approaching him.
The man lifts his hand to Harry as Petunia watches with a smile.
Harry awakes with a jerk.
"Harry, dear, are you okay?"
Harry quickly sits up to see Petunia approaching his bed.
"I came in to wake you. You overslept."
"I-I had a dream," Harry says.
"Would you like to talk about it?" Petunia questions, taking a seat on the bed.
Harry shakes his head. He couldn't talk about it, not to her. "No, I'm fine."
Petunia nods her head. "Okay, dear. Are you hungry? Breakfast is done, and Dudley and Vernon will probably eat it all if we don't hurry."
Harry looks into the eyes. He sees the warmth he normally sees every day, but he now knew the warmth hid a terrible secret.
"Aunt Petunia?"
"Yes?"
"What did you tell me to do yesterday? If I wanted answers?"
Petunia smiles and kisses Harry's forehead, the exact same place where the burning was yesterday. "Pray for the Devil."
"Why the Devil?"
"He is our savior, Harry," Petunia says, pulling Harry into a hug.
Harry shivers as the memory from his dream replays in his head.
"Soon you understand everything, Harry. Until then, keep praying."