Chapter 2
It takes less than a week for Dudley to be taken off Petunia Dursley’s hands by her sister in law. The new and improved Aunt Petunia, who much preferred to be called Aunt Nia now, was just so very different from the one Dudley was used to. He was no longer allowed four helpings of his usual English breakfast, instead it was at the most two servings of some sort of fruit parfait, no longer allowed to just watch telly all day long, instead he was told he had to go out and play, no longer allowed to shove Harry around, he was punished by his toys being taken away and no amount of crying and screaming would change that, as she just let him cry it out, putting cotton into her ears instead. His tantrums were ignored, she had no compunction in scolding him even in front of his friends and Dudley had no idea how to deal with that.
Dudley was calling Marge to have her take him away four days in. And Harry could only watch baffled as Aunt Nia put up a barely there fight for her beloved Dudley. Documents were signed handing over Dudley to Marge and Harry could only watch on in bewilderment.
“Are you going to send me away too?” Harry couldn’t help but ask, trepidation rising in him. After all, he had no loving aunt who would take him in, no family in the world left but for Aunt Nia.
“The problem, you see, is that I have no idea what to do with a child. Feed them, clothe them, send them out to play, that’s all. But they need more than that, you will need more than that and I do wonder if I can give it to you.”
Funny that she said that. The Durlseys had only ever barely fed him, only barely clothed him, certainly never sent him out to play, only locked him out because he was being a nuisance. So really, she was already giving him more than she’d ever given him before.
Yes, Harry was very confused.
But then one day, a man with a long beard and a maroon suit came thundering in and Harry hid in the cupboard that had once been his room so he could hear what was being said.
“You will keep the boy, Petunia.” The old man thundered but Aunt Nia was calm and unfazed.
“I will, but not here. I know that things like income and responsibility and budgets are anathemas to the Supreme Mugwump, the Chief Warlock and all those other titles you like to hide behind. But I am now a single parent who has no source of income and cannot afford the upkeep this big house requires. I will keep him, but I have every intention of moving to the city where I can get a job, get a smaller place and live an actual life.”
“But the charms-”
“Are your problem, not mine. My only obligation is to keep him, keeping him safe from your world is your job.”
Summarily she threw the old man out and Harry felt curiosity and excitement rise in him.
Curious as to why she had to keep him when she wouldn’t keep her own son and excited at the thought of going to live in the city.
“You can come out of the cupboard now.” She said and Harry startled. He’d been certain she didn’t know he was there. With halting steps he walked out only to find her stirring her cup of tea causally. He’d never known Aunt Petunia to be casual. She always sat ramrod straight, her ankles crossed and her smile polite and calculated .
But then, she was doing many things differently now.
“The man you just saw was Professor Dumbledore. He was dressed oddly because he is a wizard, a magic user, who lives in a wizarding community that is isolated from the non magical world and so he doesn’t realise how strange he looks.”
Harry’s world was turned upside down as Aunt Petunia told him more. She told him about magic and how he had it as well. How his mother and father hadn’t died in a car crash but rather died protecting him from an evil man who had tried and failed to kill him.
“You lied to me.” He said softly, trying to take it all in but Petunia showed no shame, no anger, nothing.
“I used to be a rather jealous woman. Near death experiences change a person.” She shrugged and Harry couldn’t hold on to his anger in the face of this brutal honesty. “Moving to London will be better for you anyway since the main marketplace of the wizarding world is right there.”
“Magic?” Harry couldn’t help but say, if only to test out that word he hadn’t been allowed to say in a long time.
Aunt Nia smiled at him wickedly, a mischievous look in her eyes, “You’re a wizard Harry!”